This post is pure, unadulterated meta (i.e., it has to do with Bleacher Nation, itself, and has nothing to do with Cubs news, rumors or commentary). You’ve been warned; but if you’re a fan of BN (or want to know who the “Brett” is that’s writing this piece), you’ll probably want to read on.
I’ve always believed – my own anonymous handle, “Ace,” notwithstanding – that you can build real, meaningful and long-lasting relationships in online communities. Usually it’s a shared belief or fandom that brings and keeps you together, but undoubtedly, it helps to share a little of yourself. Your real self.
So, for those who are inclined to know a little bit more about me, read on. For those who aren’t, that’s fine with me. I do hope you’ll continue to read Bleacher Nation, though.
My name is Brett Taylor, and, for the last four years, I was an attorney at a large, corporate law firm.
I was one of those college kids who was adequately-good-at/moderately-interested-in a variety of things, and so, when it came time to graduate, I took the path of least resistance: more school. Law school, to be precise. I enjoyed writing, as well as the construction and meaning of language, so joining a profession whose frequent purpose is to debate the meaning of the word “the” made some sense to me. And, whatever your idealistic notions when entering law school, if you do well enough to join a large law firm at the end of your three years, you do. So I did.
While there were many things I enjoyed about the practice of law, in time I learned it wasn’t for me. The hours were miserable, the stress was constant, and planning for the future was nearly impossible. Worse, I didn’t like the effect it was having on me as a person. I sometimes joked that I was paid to be a professional asshole, and, too often, the joke proved more accurate than I cared to admit.
So, when my family circumstances changed earlier this year (including the addition of the world’s newest and most ardent Cubs fan (she has no choice in the matter)), it was time to move on. It was time to be more present at home – not just in time spent, but in actual, engaged presence. It was time to get my life back in order.
And along with becoming a full-time dad, I decided to give writing a more concerted go. Bleacher Nation has always been a hobby of mine – something I did in my spare time for fun. But now I’d like to make it something more. I’d like to make it a job.
So, this is what I do now. My name is Brett Taylor, and I write about the Chicago Cubs. It’s a dream job if I’ve ever heard of one, and I consider myself very fortunate to have this opportunity. It doesn’t pay much, but I’m hoping that with a rededicated effort, I might be able to squeak out a living. So please don’t crucify me about the ads – I’ve tried to make them as innocuous as possible.
Why the name dropping?
I suppose I just figured that, if I’m going to make this my job, I should be myself. Until today, I wrote from the comfort of an anonymous handle not because I intended to use it as a shield (for which “anonymous” Internet types are too frequently criticized), but instead because I always assumed no one would care who I am. The who doesn’t matter. The writing matters.
But I think I was wrong, at least in part. It’s not that I think I’m so important as to matter, but I do now think that the who affects the writing. It gives it context. Color. Personality. So you may see a little bit more of me in my writing around here (not so much as to be obnoxious), including my real name. And you can still call me Ace if it really bothers you.
Thanks, as always, for reading. I look forward to continuing to bring you the latest Cubs rumors, news and analysis. I also look forward to implementing “community” features that will improve the experience around here. But, please don’t be impatient – I’m going to take my time and make sure I do it right. You’d be surprised at how few good integrated blog/commenting/user profile/message board software packages there are out there.
So, with that all said, I look forward to continuing to build real, meaningful and long-lasting relationships in our corner of the Cublogoverse.
At least until the Cubs finally win it all, and the Earth collapses in on itself like a dying star.
awesome post Brett! Nice to meet You ..seriously i love your site (for a variety of reasons) ..my name is Paul & i live in Indianapolis, IN & if i ever get my life together & make it to Wrigley for my first Ever Cubs game I too will hold up a sign that says Bleachernation.com Rocks (the other side will say: I love Len&Bob to ensure that im seen on tv)
Ha, thanks Paul. Glad you’re here.
I just wanted to say that I love the site. I live too close to Wrigley for my own good and go to way too many games. I used to follow a lot of Cubs blogs but they have dwindled down to only this one. The site (which I check at least daily) has everything I want as a diehard Cubs fan: Cuting edge rumors, breaking information, and the humor it takes to live life as a miserable Cubs fan. I don’t post much on any site in general but wanted you to know that there are a lot of us out here that love what you are doing.
Thanks, Lance. That pretty much sums up what I try to accomplish here – one-stop shop that’s insightful, but also enjoyable.
Hey Brett,
I’m not a regular poster, but I am an avid reader of BN. I am a Cub season ticket holder who just so happens to live in L.A., hopefully that speaks to my die hard nature. I enjoyed reading about what lead you to do BN. Keep up the great work, as an armchair GM it’s fun to read other’s informed opinions.
Thanks, Chris. That’s a serious Cubs-commitment you got goin’ on there.
I for one welcome our new Brett overlord!
Don’t blame me. I voted for Kodos.
Love it! So glad to hear you are doing what you love. Were behind you 100%
My name is Matt by the way nice ta meetcha
Thanks, Matt/Serio.
Brett, great site. Keep up the good work!
Ryan
Thanks, Ryan. I’ll do my best.
As a fellow Cubs’ fan, lawyer, and new-ish father, I salute you. And — not that you need the affirmation from random internet people — you undoubtedly have done the right thing.
Law sucks. Kids and Cubs are where it’s at.
Thanks, man. As you say, I may not necessarily “need” the affirmation, but it’s always nice to hear.
Now you’ll have to be content being an amateur asshole.
Nicely done, sir.
If I were a better golfer, I’d say I was a scratch asshole. Then I’d laugh because I said scratch asshole.
brett, so glad you did this. ive been reading for a year or so and feel your service to the cubs community is invaluable. just yesterday i was telling my co-worker “i dont know how this guy does this, he has like one advertisement.” whatever it takes to keep you doing this for us, is fine by me.
Thanks, man. Hopefully you’ll be subsequently saying (happily), “I don’t know how this guy does this, he has like three advertisements.”
What evil super villain threatened to expose you so decided to expose yourself.
Please! There are women present!
($5 in fun bux to whoever id’s the reference)
I’ll give an extra $50 mega bucks for use on the monorail, glad you got the reference… Anyone else?
It’s Ladies, not women. Clue.
Great job, here is the audio for those unaware: http://www.moviesounds.com/clue/expose.wav
A great movie, if you haven’t seen, you suck.
As for your MegaBucks, they will be delivered via Lyle Lanley of North Haverbrook, enjoy.
What, not going to sing?
Fine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEZjzsnPhnw&feature=youtube_gdata_player
HAPPY NOW HAPPY
Very.
Damn. You can’t throw out a quote, ask people to ID the quote, and have the quote messed up. My bust. Nicely done.
Really? Going old school, huh? You know I was 2 when that movie came out.
Did you also know that the (super hot) maid later went on to be Mrs. Vanderhoff in Wayne’s World?
“Come bust a move where the games are played, it’s chill, it’s fresh, it’s Noah’s Arcade. ”
Awesome.
I’ll let it slide this time. No mercy from here on though, especially if it’s a Simpson’s quote…
I got the Kodos one right…
Clue? (I mean the ’80s movie, I’m not asking for one).
Edit- Woops, sorry, didn’t realize Packman and goat had already answered this one. BTW: ” We’re like the the mounties- we always get our man.”
“Mrs. peacock was man!?”
I – am – your singing telegram…
I am so watching Clue tonight.
we wont hold being atty against you..but you may have wanted to give it more time..many of us thought of quitting for a number of reasons…..but if you get a good nights sleep, after waking up you often feel recharged to advocate for your clients while enjoying the practice of law…then you can handle all of the bs that comes with the job…as with all jobs…
Appreciate the thoughts. What I said above is really a pretty small slice of what went into the decision. Suffice it to say, practicing for years five and six weren’t going to make any difference for me, personally. The law is an honorable and necessary profession, and I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for lawyers. I’m just not one of them anymore.
Light a cigarette and grab a cup of coffee, it’s introduction time:
“Hi, I’m Daniel, and I’m a Cub-o-holic”
*HI, DANIEL*
Hahahaha! I missed this post the first time through-
You nailed it!
Thanks for this site Brett. I found you on a list of suggested users on my Twitter app, and have been reading the site since the beginning of this season. I love this place for its slightly biased baseball intelligence. I run a restaurant kitchen staffed with Cardinals fans. They might be flawed, but most of them make a great pizza, so I keep them on. This place is my sanctuary. And as far as making this a profitable venture, I’d buy a BN t shirt if you started moving a little merch.
Thanks, Corey. Glad to be an oasis in the Cardinal desert. Shirts are definitely in the offing. Stay tuned.
Awesome site! Keep up the great work!
Thanks, Cooper. I mean Burt Cougar.
Brett welcome out of the closet…. I commend you on your bravery.
I’ve read many Cub Blogs and yours is no doubt the most insightful and fun….
Thanks, Mike. I’d settle for either insightful or fun, so it’s nice to be both.
Thanks, Brett!
You are indeed a good a man and, though I didn’t know the details of who you were, knew it to be true simply through your approach to writing about the Cubs (which will, sooner or later, bring out anyone’s true nature).
I whole-heartedly support your decision to go pro.
I barely notice the ads – the articles/comments are much more eye-catching.
Nicknames are good though and I may keep calling you Ace just cos…
Ha, decision to go pro. I like that. I’m forgoing my senior years in the law to take my talents to the Internet.
Have you signed with an agent yet?
I’ve got some feelers out. Mostly with field hockey agents, but it’s a process.
Congratulations on revealing yourself. BN is the first thing I read every morning and check in multiple times a day. I’m often the first to post a response because I’m an American who lives in Italy part of the year and Chicago part of the year and I’m 7 hours ahead of Chicago, my home town. I thoroughly enjoy your blog and also enjoy all of the BN followers. There are some great personalities on here and its a hoot to read – most enjoyable. Thanks. All the best (and you can advertise all you want and even sell the naming rights …”McDonald’s Bleacher Nation” or “Penthouse Magazine’s Bleacher Nation” lol.)
Thanks, pfk.
Signed, Brett Presented by Amazon.com
Ace is a much cooler name than Brett, so you get to keep being Ace. As for the ads, I don’t think anyone minds, as long as you don’t espn.com us and start putting three video ads on every page and the ads that move the pages around on us while we are reading. Anything that helps you make a living and lets you keep doing your thing, I’m all for it. Keep up the good work, looks like your secret identity reveal at least drug some lurkers out of the shadows and convinced them to post. Looking forward to the rest of our crappy season and the hope that lies beyond. (Yes, I did just say wait ’til next year)
You’re leaving me with nothing to work with, Jeff. WTF?
Thanks, Jeff. So, the full-page “I Heart Tom Ricketts” ad is out?
Thanks for all the work you put into this. I seriously check for tweets 10 or so times a day hoping there is a new article to read. I appreciate the well-written, candid, and of humorous nature of each article. Keep up the good work!
Thanks, Doc. I guess you could say that BN is the… *prescription* …for your Cubs needs!
… you will never read BN again…
“Nurse! I need 200cc’s of Naloxone, STAT! — oh, wait, hang on a sec…”
“Yes, Doctor?”
“Check this out! This guy’s crossed out a bunch of words in an article and made it say something funny!”
Just thought I’d throw in. Been reading the site for about two years now. Don’t even remember how I found it. Not much of a poster, but love the info I get here. Also, like the bio. I myself am a student in English and a lover of language deciding which way to go. Had plenty of respect for Ace, but a little more for Brett, for what it’s worth. Keep it up.
Who the hell is Brett?
Almost certainly no one worth knowing.
Thanks, Michael. I do what I can. The law is a great place for folks who enjoy language. I wouldn’t be 1/2 the writer I am (whatever that is) if I hadn’t been a lawyer first.
Awesome! If I were a big-time lawyer, I’d probably quit my job and become a full time writer about all things Cubs, too… I really appreciate this site and I look forward to the coming posts.
I don’t know about “big-time lawyer,” but I am a big-time cat enthusiast! (and thanks)
You’re a “big-time” cat guy?
Like, *this* big-time? http://youtu.be/D7ksnnTmRpI
That’s terrifying…
…in how close it is to reality. I have to ask: how does one even find such an obscure video?
I gots connections.
The world has too many litigators anyway and now there is no need for another Cubs Blogger. Ted in Arizona.
Glad to close the loop.
But seriously, what’s up with all the advertising?
I recently left my job to chase my dream of becoming a screenwriter (read: I went in to work a month ago to find that the store was now, and forever, closed, so I decided to take the summer to finish up some writing projects that had been lingering since my Junior year.) so I can definitely understand the need for new revenue streams.
Congrats on lifting the veil of anonymity. A bold, yet personal move. I have long hidden behind the name of my band, but here I am, Patrick, unemployed wastrel. I look forward to finding new updates on my Facebook feed every day, and I defintely prefer your writing to any of the other Cubs blogs out there, funny without being mean, insightful, and informative.
Good luck, thanks, and keep up the good work.
Thanks, Patrick. Good luck to you in your efforts – you gotta let me read a “treatment” some time (I don’t actually know if that’s the word, but I’m stuck in early ’90s ‘Seinfeld’ world).
Also, I’m trying not to read that second-to-last sentence as: “…funny without being [any of] mean, insightful, and informative.”
Poor grammar on my part.
Just bustin’ your balls (or, at least, ensuring you weren’t busting mine).
Bleacher Nation is the second site I check every day after the local news. It’s a great place for a Cubs fan in Minnesota to get real news and tidbits. I love your site and hope it goes on until the Cubs win it all and the world implodes.
Thanks, Joyce. I will crush the local news!
I had some real zingers after initially reading the post, there were only 7 comments but being a suedo stay at home dad it took me three hours to get back and I am not that creative 57 posts in. Anyway, congratulations I check the site more times is a day than I would ever want to admit so you must be doing something right. A free parenting tip…raisins in small doses. Keep up the good work. Ron from Nashville, TN
Haha – I’ve been there on all levels!
Ha, thanks, Ron. I hate raisins for myself, but I like the idea that they won’t create a mess all over her face. I’m in.
Just remember the small doses because that is not the mess you worry about.
Tennessee!
tim here from cardinal nation (springfield mo, home of their aa club) everything your doing is spot on. keep up the good work.
Glad I read this article. I almost posted a response on the Cubs-Sox series preview saying “Who the hell is Brett and what have you done with Ace”
Luv the site Brett. Keep up the good work.
Ha, thanks Robbo. I wondered if anyone would do that.
Honesty makes one want to shed the goat suit and let the world see the real you. Hi I’m Troy McClure, you might remember me from such handles as “BillyGoatThat” “GoGoatYourMother” “Inmate XT4961″ “GoatCreamPie” and “DeepGoat”. Now onto our feature presentation: “Goats and You: Facts and Fiction”
I have a goat cook book.
We are tasty… At least that what I tell the ladies
Ace/Brett,
I concur with many others here…I have been reading BN for a while (but this is my first post). BN has become my favorite Cubs website to peruse for most of the reasons already mentioned. Truthfully, I rarely even go to the 10 or so others anymore. Keep up the great work, sir!
~Jim in Tulsa, OK
I love the site as well Brett/Ace. I stumbled upon the site by accident and have been a dedicated reader since. Its the first website I check everyday when I get on the “internets.” My name is Clay and Im from a small town in Tennessee and have been fortunate enough to make it to Wrigley for the home opener the past two years. Ill be sure to hold up a bleachernation sign when I go to Atlanta for the Cubs/Braves series.
Rock on, James. Is it ok if still picture you as the wide receiver?
Oh but of course.