The Magazine is Out!
The most common question I get from anyone who finds out I have four kids, a full time job running an R&D Department and run Read & Reaction is “where do you find the time?”
Normally, my stock answer is that my wife is a saint (she is) who sacrifices so that I can have the time to chase this dream of mine that is turning more and more into a reality. That’s true, and she really is a big part of this endeavor, even if she doesn’t read any of my stuff.
But that’s not the real answer. The real answer is that I can’t stop. College football (and especially Gator football) is an addiction. But it’s not an addiction because of the games or the stats. It’s an addiction because it feeds the one thing that we all need most in life: relationships.
My mother – who couldn’t have cared less about Gators football when this started – reads every article, listens to every podcast and calls to ask me what I meant when I said something or criticized someone. I travel down to Gainesville every year to watch a game with my dad and my brother, connecting in the middle of the fall when normally there wouldn’t be any reason to do so. I’ve made friends (David Waters and co-author Nick Knudsen, especially) through this connection who I never would have met otherwise and whom I know I’ll be in contact with for the rest of my life. And regardless of the hardships and challenges to come, I know that my kids and I will always have a connection provided by Gators football to fall back on even when there is some other reason not to pick up the phone or go over and visit.
When I started Read & Reaction, I didn’t know what to expect. I knew I had something to say, and thought it would be interesting to a subset of people, but I never imagined it would grow into what it has become. So thank you to every person who has read an article, listened to a podcast, supported us on Patreon or shared any of our content. But more than anything, thank you for giving us confidence that this is something that is valuable to you, and something that is worth expanding upon.
This magazine is the first step in that expansion. We are betting that you will enjoy having something aimed specifically to your team, rather than just a couple of pages about the Gators in a 300-page college football preview. And we’re betting that this is going to help you, and us, further build those relationships.
So I hope you enjoy this magazine. I hope it teaches you to “be a smarter fan” as is the Read & Reaction ethos. I hope it gives you something to read over the summer to get you excited about the season and clarifies some of the questions you have about the team.
But more than anything, I hope it gives you something to talk about with your mom, your dad, your brothers, your sisters and your friends. And I hope it makes you pick up the phone if you’ve been struggling for a reason to do so.
Thanks for your support, and Go Gators!