Top 10 Comment Sections in Sports Blog Land, 6-10

Most of us comment because we enjoy letting our opinions be heard, getting strong (hopefully favorable) reactions back, and becoming a respected regular within a site community. I first started commenting on blogs and forums a decade ago. Chances are you've seen my comments on one sports blog or another under "mcbias" or "midwestcoastbias." But I’ve also commented on blogs and boards run by pastors, singers, models, entrepreneurs, cutters, anas…you name it before getting involved in the sports blog world. Wherever I commented, I’ve discovered that one of the best ways to get readers is to make an insightful comment on an interesting site.

So which sites are best for getting readers/friends and having a good conversation, without having to wade through a morass of idiot commenters? I took a shot at it, and the result is...biased. Apologies to team web-sites for not ranking you; it’s really hard to comment on most of those sites unless you are a fan of the team. But I thought, with so many trotting out their lists of blog rankings based on popularity or quality or "please link to me", we needed a blog ranking list based on commenting.

Here are some of the issues I considered in ranking blogs: Does the blog owner respond in the comment sections? Is the blog owner willing to credit commenters, or does he/she always fight commenters who disagree with them? Are there enough comments, but not too many? Regular commenters? Few stupid commenters? Possibility for both funny comments, informative material links, and smart discussions? Diversity of commenters, style, and belief? (i.e. women and men, nerds and jocks, East Coast and West Coast, etc.).

Just missed it: True Hoop, Cobra Brigade, and Slamonline .

10. With Leather
Matt clearly values commenting, makes great jokes in his posts, and I believe was the first major blogger to run a “Comment of the week” feature. For that alone, it’s instantly a top-10 comment section. Plus, if you like talking trash with/against fellow commenters, there are some great guys to do that with in the comment section. In addition, he…

NOW JUST HOLD ON, MC BIAS! YOU THINK YOU CAN HAVE A TOP 10 COMMENT SECTION LIST AND KISS UP TO THESE BIG BLOGS, EH? HOW ABOUT SOME ACTUAL COMMENTS IN THE COMMENT LIST, WITH ACTUAL CRITICISM?

Oh come on, MR CAPS. I thought you went into retirement after the Alyssa Milano debacle. My psychiatrist promised me I don’t need fictional alter-egos anymore ever since that schizophrenic episode at the funeral, and…

NYET! MR CAPS HAS COME TO RESTORE SOME NEEDED BALANCE IN BLOGGERS LISTS OF OTHER BLOGGERS. KISSING UP SHOULD BE RESERVED FOR THAT SPECIAL SOMEONE IN YOUR LIFE, NOT FOR OTHER BLOGS. START AT THE COLLARBONE, AND

Oh no, please, there’s no way MR CAPS will ever talk about kissing on this blog. I surrender! Say whatever you want!

THAT’S BETTER. YOU FORGOT TO MENTION THAT POTENTIAL COMMENTS ON WITHLEATHER ARE LIMITED TO “THAT GIRL IS PURTY”, “THAT ATHLETE IS DUM”, AND “THAT VIDEO IS FUNNY”. THOSE GEMS CAN ONLY BE POSTED AFTER REGISTERING, AND MR CAPS IS UNABLE TO LINK TO HIS OWN SITE. THEY SHOULD BE LUCKY TO HAVE MR CAPS IN THEIR COMMENT SECTION! MR CAPS SHALL BE HEARD FROM AND OVERCOME ALL!

Sigh, ok, there’s one blog that will never link to me again. Only nine more to go...

9. Ladies…
Most female commenters anywhere, as you might guess from the title. It's not all sports diehards either, lots of variety in commenters. Some guys also hang out here, perhaps making it the most diverse comment section in sports blog land.

WHAT YOU MEAN IS, DESPERATE MALE COMMENTERS ARE DRAWN TO ESTROGENVILLE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO YOUNGER WOMEN WITHOUT PAYING BY THE MINUTE.

MR CAPS! Come on, if that was truly the motivation, those male commenters would be on Myspace.

THEY ARE, BUT NO ONE WILL TALK TO THOSE MEN THERE, AND THE LADIES… DON’T HAVE A BLOCK USER BUTTON YET.

Anyway, on occasion Ladies... can have the best comment section around. For example, read their Hot Blogger contest or their blog on how men react to women who love sports.

ON OCCASION THE COMMENT SECTION CAN ALSO BE FUNNY. HOWEVER, THAT "OCCASION" APPEARS TO BE ONCE EACH LEAP DAY. ONLY 5 MONTHS AWAY!

MR CAPS, the goal of the Ladies blog isn't to be funny, and the posts are very creative. You shouldn't be so judgmental; you should expand your horizons.

IT'S A PITY THE OFFICER WAS SO "JUDGMENTAL" LAST WEEK WHEN YOU TRIED TO "EXPAND YOUR HORIZONS." CAN YOU STILL BLOG FROM PRISON?

Whatever.

8. Kissing Suzy Kolber
I feel conflicted about this pick; it’s a little low for a site run by some of the best, most frequent commenters in sports blog land. They instituted the commenter draft for the slow summer months (which was an act of genius), ran different contests, AND had a charity drive so that commenters could help soldiers. For sheer ingenuity, they deserve to be top 3 on this list, and their commenters are numerous and very loyal.

THE KSK COMMENT SECTION ALSO DOUBLES AS A REFUGEE CAMP FOR WOULD-BE DEADSPIN COMMENTERS, AND THE UNNECESSARY DISPLAYS OF TESTOSTERONE ARE UNDERWHELMING. MR CAPS BETS THE CLOSEST ANY OF THE COMMENTERS GOT TO A REAL FOOTBALL FIELD WAS CATCHING UNCLE RICO'S PASSES IN PRACTICE 25 YEARS AGO. IF MR CAPS WANTED TO PLAY “WHO HAS THE BIGGEST STICK” ON THE INTERNET , MR CAPS WOULD GO TO…

PG, MR CAPS, remember, PG! And it's a blog for guys about football; you expect discussions on quantum physics and etiquette?

…WIKIPEDIA TO FIND THE ANSWER. DO ANY BLOG AUTHOR(S) MOCK THEIR READERS MORE THAN KSK WRITERS? IF MR CAPS WANTED PASSIVE-AGGRESSIVE INCONSISTENT SCORN, MR CAPS WOULD CALL HOME MORE OFTEN, OR EX-GIRLFRIENDS. THE “WE’RE COOLER THAN YOU, BUT YOU GET COOL POINTS FOR HANGING OUT WITH US” ROUTINE IS BEST LEFT TO TEEN GIRL MOVIES STARRING GIRLS WITH WHITER COMPLEXIONS THAN…

This really is a comment section, isn’t it? That’s not at all an original or funny joke.

MR CAPS WAS GOING TO MAKE FUN OF BDD’S PAUNCH INSTEAD. MR CAPS WAS CONCERNED THAT AFTER HIS IMPENDING FATAL HEART ATTACK, A GRIEVING MRS. BDD MIGHT FIND THIS POST. WEEPING AT THE CRUELTY, SHE MIGHT...

So you feel compassion for his grieving widow? Don't tell me MR CAPS is actually being compassionate for once.

MR CAPS DID NOT FINISH. ...REACH FOR A TOWEL TO WIPE HER FACE OF TEARS...A UNWASHED TOWEL USED BY THE RECENTLY DEPARTED BDD.

(gags) OK, I guess that’s compassion…or something like that.

7. Nation of Islam Sportsblog
You either love or hate their comment section, and I enjoy it. NOIS strings along the newbies who aren’t sure whether the site is sarcastic or not, and it is fun to watch. The site can be a little mean, but many of the people who get the mean treatment are often stupid or bigots. So I say flame on, to a certain extent.

MR CAPS TAKES NOTE OF YOUR DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO GET DTW TO COMMENT ON THIS SITE. MAY MR CAPS HAVE THE HONOR OF DELETING THAT COMMENT?

Shh!

IF MR CAPS WANTED TO HANG OUT WITH RACE-BAITERS OR BIGOTS, HE COULD DO THAT ANYWHERE, NOT JUST ONLINE. AND NOIS HAS GOTTEN TOO GOOD FOR THE COMMENT SECTIONS LATELY.

It's more likely that NOIS has a life and got tired of arguing with idiots.

6. Awful Announcing
I don’t know this commenting section as well as I should, but the live blogs look tremendous. Incorporating reader comments into the live blog is a really nice touch. I’m glad to finally say about a blog that I expect to rank it higher the next time I rank commenting sections, rather than lower.

THE SITE ALSO HAS AN INORDINATE AMOUNT OF AFFECTION FOR ERIN ANDREWS.

And?

AND, IT HAS DISTRACTED FELLOW READERS FROM THE TRUE BEAUTIES IN THE SPORTS WORLD, LEAVING THEM AT THE MERCY OF MR CAPS' RIGHT-CLICK MOUSE BUTTON. I HAVE NO COMPLAINTS ABOUT AA.

No one is impressed by your expertise with “Save-As”; what are you, 13? Haven’t I seen you on the AOL Fan House?

UM…MR CAPS HAS TO, UM...

Yes? Work on Algebra homework? Ride his bicycle? Clean his room?

BRB

I knew it!

Comment Sections 1-5 some other time. And please, don't take this seriously; I'm just having fun while praising my betters. It's a totally biased list, and I make no excuses for that; there's no way that I was as objective in ranking this list as I think I was. Feel free to re-rank or post your own rankings.