To All My Noobs: The Liberty Ballers Welcome Committee

We're not expecting a huge coming-out party for new readership since the NBA L*CK*UT is saddling us, but every so often it's good to circle back to the basics. I'm as aware as anybody how occasionally exclusive this blog can be. The jokes, references, and quirks can be pretty intimidating for the stumbling-upon reader.

I'd like to take a quick second to address some things while we have the time. Even if you're a long-timer, click ahead for the jump.

First: the basics. Liberty Ballers dot com joined the SB Nation network in October of 2008. For those of you who don't know what SBN is, you're missing out. It is easily the best collection of sports blogs this side of the internet with a blog for almost every sports team you can think of. The Network attracts a unique, intelligent brand of fan that simply doesn't exist on other poorly-run sites. The simple fact that you are here means you require more than just the average content you can get through what is slowly ceasing to be called "mainstream" media. I'm constantly impressed by the work of my fellow writers and even more consistently embarrassed that their terrific writing is in the same breath as my pooper-scoopering dreck.

If you're new here, things can be disorienting at first. People are talking about buckets equaling stops which also equal buckets? Lou Williams raps? They keep referencing acclaimed Scissors Kick-er Booker T? Don't make no sense.

My first advice to you after signing up would be to read the Community Guidelines, which get updated as things come to us over time. But here are the cliff notes:

• Liberty Ballers is a profanity-free and politics-free site. Don't do it, unless one of the Blog Lords gives you the rare OK to let loose uncensored.
  
• Be prepared to defend your opinions. We don't take kindly to unsupported opinions and oftentimes you'll get snipped at by some of the regulars for not backing up your points. Use statistics (better than just points per game), use specific examples, and please be aware of the small sample size.
  
• I implore you to do your best not to take any of this personal. We all like to poke fun at players/fans/ourselves, so it's only a matter of time before you're the butt of a joke. Take it in stride and become a better asset to the site because of it.
  
• We're here to talk about the Sixers, not about Weapons of Mass Destruction or whether God exists. It's supposed to be fun. Have fun. Fun is fun. If you're one of the people who frequently attacks other readers, be aware that it's not going to be tolerated anymore. We side with the noobs.
  

I also suggest that before you sign up and start commenting, you take a week or two to get a feel of how things go around here. It's a dead time, sure, but you can always delve into the archives for memories of better days. Once you have a feel for how we all interact, you can dive right in.

To get a better handle on all the jokes and craziness we bring to a table on a post by post basis, check out the Liberty Ballers glossary for a full list of goodies to bring you up to speed. Nothing's going to make sense at first, but it will.

Finally, you should definitely give the SB Nation Welcome Guide a read - it'll broaden your impression of all the things you as a commenter can do in this Network. There's so many really terrific opportunities for sports fans like yourselves to take advantage of. Make your own FanPost and if we like it, we'll throw it up on the front page. And if you keep going with the writing, there could be an opportunity for you to write for the site in the future.

Please don't hesitate to comment below, Tweet (@Michael_Levin) or email me (Michael.Levin17@gmail.com) with any questions or concerns. I absolutely adore the community we've developed here and I'm confident that L*CK*UT or no L*CK*UT, we can have a hell of a time together talking Sixers, The Wire, and everything in between.

Welcome!