Yardbarker

Infobox Dotcom company
company_name = Yardbarker
company_
company_type = Private
foundation = flagicon|USA Emeryville, California
(March, 2006)
location = flagicon|USA San Francisco, California
key_people = Pete Vlastelica, CEO
revenue =
num_employees =
url = [http://www.yardbarker.com/ yardbarker.com]
website_type = Social networking, Blogging, Sports news
language = English
advertising = Banner ads
registration = Optional
launch_date = August 2006 [http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2006/08/yardbarker_welc.html Yardbarker: "Welcome to Sports 2.0!" | Compiler from Wired.com ] ]
current_status = Active

Yardbarker is a San Francisco, California based company that primarily runs a network of sports websites known as the Yardbarker network, and additionally owns an operates its own website, Yardbarker.com.

History

Yardbarker was founded in March 2006 by Jack and Jeff Kloster, Pete Vlastelica and Mark Johns . It enables sports fans to write and discuss sports with other fans, bloggers as well as professional athletes. Yardbarker utilizes a system similar to Digg, however it is more sports oriented than Digg. Additionally Yardbarker provides access to more traditional sports information similar to ESPN or Yahoo such as real time sports scores, standings, and news.

The company was funded by several venture capitalists from in and around the San Francisco Bay Area including former NFL player for both the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Raiders, Ronnie Lott. [ [http://mashable.com/2007/04/15/yardbarker/ Yardbarker Launches Site Revamp; Gets Funding ] ]

The company provides a platform for bloggers and sports fans to gain additional exposure for their sites by joining the Yardbarker Network which provides targeted advertising and increased promotion. Yardbarker has existed on the web since August 2006 and has over 70 professional athletes blogging on the site daily. The company and their site have been cited as primary source of material on players in many sports related stories in their history by sources such as ESPN. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/news/story?id=3437177 ESPN - Rondo skips practice after rolling ankle in Game 3 - NBA ] ]

The company also has internet exclusivity agreements with many athletes and is used by those athletes to engage in public discourse on a number of issues via blogs run by Yardbarker. One of the more controversial such listings occurred on April 15, 2008. NBA star Carmelo Anthony was arrested and charged with DUI on Interstate 25. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3346621 ESPN - Anthony arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence - NBA ] ] . The next day Anthony issued his first apology for the arrest through his Yardbarker blog expressing remorse to both his teammates and his fans for his behavior. [ [http://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/Statement_from_Carmelo/239302 Statement from Carmelo ] ]

Another notable example would be in January 2008, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb used his blog on Yardbarker to lay out his vision for the coming season after the Eagles poor showing in the 2007 NFL season. [ [http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3187772 ESPN - McNabb says team should restock and 'secure some playmakers' - NFL ] ]

Atlanta Falcons FB Ovie Mughelli leveraged the Yardbarker community for his nickname via a contest. [ [http://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/I_need_a_nickname/333828 Ovie Mughelli wants a new nickname contest] ]

Products

Yardbarker's primary product is the Yardbarker Network. As of September 2008 over 600 blogs were part of the YBN, making it one of the biggest sporting blog sites on the web. [ [http://www.yardbarker.com/tools/ybn_directory Yardbarker Network ] ] . Currently Yardbarker is the exclusive blogging website of many high profile athletes including but not limited to, NBA stars Greg Oden and Baron Davis, MLB player Phil Hughes, Former UFC star Frank Shamrock and NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb. [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/chris_ballard/11/07/nba.image/index.html SI.com - Writers - Chris Ballard: Blogs empowering NBA players - Wednesday November 7, 2007 12:01PM ] ] John Ryan of the San Jose Mercury News praised Yardbarker in November 2007 for its collection of blogs after reading one such posting by Buffalo Bills running back Marshawn Lynch, as being one of the most extensive on the internet. [ [http://blogs.mercurynews.com/buzz/2007/11/26/marshawn-lynch-says-hello-to-his-professors-at-cal/ Marshawn Lynch says hello to his professors at Cal | Morning Buzz ] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.yardbarker.com/ Yardbarker.com mainpage]
* [http://www.yardbarker.com/athletes/ List of Athletes that blog exclusively to Yardbarker]