A note from Andrew: Why Mitten Football came to be

At some point when I was an undergrad at Syracuse, I had my sights set on what I'd be doing in the future: Working as a national college football writer.

Like a notable portion of Americans, I'd grown up loving college football. Born and raised in mid-Michigan to parents that attended both Michigan and Michigan State, I've simmered in the college football zeitgeist my entire life. I learned to multiply my 7s by watching football. My paternal grandparents, including my MSU history professor grandfather, would watch college football on Saturdays while listening to the Metropolitan Opera (this explains why I and my family are the way we are, in many ways).

Suffice to say the author's passion for this enterprise runs deep, as does my pride and joy in being a native and, save for four years in college, a lifelong Michigander.

And while I first began my career as a journalist as a high school junior at Okemos High School, my passion for this profession runs just as hot, if not hotter. Good journalism about all aspects of life, from government to schools to sports, is a lifeblood of a healthy society, and Michigan is no exception.

Quality journalism about the sports programs is something that is lacking, certainly less commonplace than it was decades ago. And though it might not be as essential as covering elections or legislation, it's still a needed piece of a healthy media ecosystem. And to say that there is a lack of quality journalism is not to say there isn't any about these programs, or to impugn peers at The Detroit News, The Detroit Free Press, The Lansing State Journal, various MLive properties and TV stations around the state who do regular and fine work. But even they don't have the resources and staffing they once did, and plenty of outlets that did good journalism have ceased to exist, leaving plenty of space for more quality coverage to complement what already exists.

And seeing this paradigm play out over the last half decade has re-shaped my desires for my journalistic future, at least in the near term: Provide a local outlet to cover the five Division 1 programs in Michigan. I really just want to make an impact on a local level and to do some journalism that is, at its core, about serving its readership rather than generating revenue for owners.

Fans and followers of these programs and the resident of the state deserve more, better and varied coverage of these five programs. And I believe both that the time is right and in my ability to create such coverage.

It will be fun, it will be hard, and in the end, I truly believe enough people give enough of a damn about these teams and good sports coverage to make this work, not just now, but for years and years to come.

And while you're here, I encourage you to read the "about" page to get some finer details about the publication and the pillars and policies of this operation for some explanations about philosophical and ethical choices.

I hope you'll join in!

Thanks, and best,
Andrew Graham