It's true. Exactly one year ago today, TRE was born on Blogspot. In our first post (available here) we asked --
Does the sports world really need another blog, another bleeding ventricle of spirit, frustration, and irrationality?
The answer --
Absolutely.
It was a startling miscarrage of a partnership, built on patent leather winged chairs, tall draft-beers, suspenders, Churchills, and, of course, a blinding reverence for all things college football.
A year of late nights, "The Rivalry Classics," Saturday road-trips, "Debates on Draft," BW3's runs, "Last Call[s]," and "Obligatory Predictions" later, we're still here.
And that, is because of you, our faithful readership. We couldn't do it without you.
So, thanks.
As a look-back at the year that's been, here's a countdown of my
Top Ten Eleven Favorite Articles:
11. Tim Tebow Sets Record for Least Women Bedded as Reigning Heisman Winner; Tebow to Sue The Rivalry, Esq.
May 30th & 31st, 2008
Our first attempt at satire backfired. Or did it?
10. Last Call Drinks Sauternes, Puts Himself in Charge a la Charlie Weis
February 16th, 2009.
Last Call outlines a new Big Ten Conference platform.
9. 11 Things I Want to See This Year in the Big 10 (Part 1, Part 2)
August 15th, 2008
Graham breaks down his hopes for the conference in 2008. Almost none of them come true.
8. A Wolverine in Columbus: The Longest Day
November 25th, 2008
Last November, Graham endured the coldest football game he's ever attended...and the longest one.
7. The Rivalry Debates on Draft: Student + Athlete = Oxymoron
July 6th, 2008
Should student athletes be subjected to standard admissions criterion when applying to undergraduate institutions? Graham and I don't see eye to eye.
6. Truth Functional Conditionals, or why we can't accept that it's any given Saturday -- or Thursday
September 27th, 2008
Can we learn anything from upsets? A break down of the patterns behind rankings.
5. The Big Ten-SEC Challenge
December 3rd, 2008
Bama imagines a world where athletic directors and conference commissioners are bold, fearless, and do what is best for their fans. In other words, this is a work of fiction.
4. On the Road to Madison
October 7th, 2008
An editorial chronicle of the Rivalry's journey to see No. 12 Ohio State play at Wisconsin.
3. Who should the Big 10's twelfth team be?
October 22nd, 2008
This one, a recurring site topic, inspired a spirited debate.
2. TRE Gets an Exclusive Interview with Brad Banks
September 2nd, 2008
How Graham pulled this off I'll never know.
1. The Rivalry Classics: Coach, but no Cigar
June 22nd, 2008
A tongue-in-cheek review of four modern coaches and their predicted smoke of choice.