In Lou We Trust

With the season beginning tomorrow, there's no time like the next to last possible moment to let you all aware of some changes for this season at ILWT. When I started this blog last October, I was in college and had all sorts of time to write gameday previews and postgame recaps on a regular, generally consistent basis. I think it was one of the big reasons why this blog took off and how I got a lot of you initially reading this blog and eventually gaining attention from other Devils blogs.

This season will be different, however. For two very key reasons, I will not be doing pre-game posts and will do a lot less postgame recaps. The first is that I'm no longer in college. I'm no longer a student and so I don't have nearly as much free time to do this blog. I'm not quitting, but you're going to see a lot more posts made in the evening during the week. Posting during the day isn't an option anymore. Given that Devils games are usually at 7 or 7:30 PM, it makes little sense for me to write a pregame post in less than three hours before the game. I'd much rather watch the game rather than worry about writing a post on the blog. The second, I'm sure you'll find more sympathetic.

I'm now a season ticket holder. OK, it's only for half the season. But I have accomplished a goal that I wanted for awhile. The ability to purchase large amounts of tickets to go to Devils games and enjoy them throughout the year instead of merely only one or two games. Why did I make the plunge? Increased disposable income, a new arena in Newark, and I'm a Devils fan - of course I'm going to take the opportunity to watch my team on most nights. Since I'll be going to Newark for 21 home games - by train - I don't think I'm going to be able to write much of anything, much less a postgame recap after those games.

So what will become of ILWT? I'm not stopping - I'm just going in a different direction. A more analytical direction. Over the past few months, I've written a number of broader posts in more depth than a recap or a preview; more of my reaction to what's going on with the Devils. For example, my attempted defense of Colin White, my opinion of Paul Martin's worth, my disdain for fighting, my thought that Patrik Elias should be the captain, and my recent response to Sutter's decision about the captaincy. OK, they're a little longer in some cases and more news-summary in other cases. ILWT is never going to be the Devils version of Sunday Morning QB or MGoblog's reviews (I'm not that good of a writer in either case), but I hope to take it in a more analytical direction. I feel I can do that given my current situation in place of previews and recaps and continue to contribute to the Devils-based blogosphere.

Why am I telling you all this instead of just going ahead and doing it? Because you deserve an explanation. Because you deserve to know where I intend to go with ILWT. Because of readers like you, I care a lot more about ILWT than when I did when I started. I will never stop being amazed that so many people have read this blog from so many different places around the world. Not just New Jersey, the world! OK, so the total number of visitors is hovering around 30,000 which isn't a lot on the Internet; but to me, it's a lot. And so I thank you for your continued reading of ILWT and I hope you will enjoy the new direction I will be going in.