FanPost

SBNation Regional Meet Ups/Happy Hours in 20 U.S. Cities

More positive press for SBNation.com as the Harvard Journalism Lab takes interest in the launch of 20 SBN regional sites (most WNBA cities will be covered, some will feature women's basketball content).

SB Nation CEO on how we’re fans of teams, not sports, T.V. shows, not T.V., and what that means for news » Nieman Journalism Lab
SB Nation — short for Sports Blog Nation — just announced it’s launching 20 new regional sports sites, with Houston and Dallas launching tomorrow aimed at competing with local newspapers’ sports sections and the new wave of local sports competitors like the ESPN local sites. SB Nation is a network of over 250 sites, most of them written by fans now paid on a contract basis. The vast majority of those writers have day jobs outside blogging. (Most common: lawyer.) Individual member blogs focus on one team or one sport, while the flagship site covers news of national interest.

What's interesting about the article's headline is that obviously Swish Appeal differs from most of the network in two ways: 1) we're interested in the development of an entire league, not one team (though feel free to count the number of Seattle Storm articles and challenge that notion) and 2) we're covering women's sports, which some have argued is harmed by mainstream male sports fan culture. However, the most important thing is that we do believe that we fall in line with the spirit of SBN in that we're trying to cover a niche that media in many cities have not filled for a particular subset of fans. It's up to you to decide how "well" we do that, but that's our goal and that's why we exist on SBN.

Anyway, if you'd like to find out more about SBN, the 20 regional sites are planning get togethers to meet and greet regional staff members with various levels of happy hour discounts. I will say that not every region is going to be anxiously waiting the attendance of women's basketball fans. However, if you are interested in the project that Swish Appeal is involved with, it couldn't hurt to show up and see what the people in your area are all about.

I plan to attend the Seattle event and by then I am sure we'll be able to discuss just how good the Storm are in a bit more depth.

6/7 DC @ Iron Horse Tap Room -

o    6-8pm (happy hour 4-8)

§  $2 off all drafts, $5 for all rail drinks. 

  • Complimentary food for SBN rsvp's from Laughing Man
  • 507 Seventh St. NW Washington D.C. 20004
  • Contact: Eric Anderson
  • 202-347-7665
  • http://www.ironhorsedc.com/

6/8 Boston @ Beer Works - Fenway Location

§  Front bar area reserved.

6/9 New York @ The Ainsworth

6-9pm

§  Happy Hour extended by 1 hour for SBN RSVP's (usually runs until 8pm)

o    $3 Yuengling/Bud Lights

o    $5 Appletinis, Watermelon-tinis, and Cosmopolitans

§  SBN will purchase food free for RSVP'd guests (chicken fingers, miso duck spring rolls, mini-burgers)

  • 6/10 Houston - Champps Houston Uptown

    • 5-8pm

§  Happy Hour 4-7pm (will not extend to 8pm)

  • ½ price apps (excluding Sampler Platter)
  • $1 off all Drafts, Liquors & Glass Wines

§  We'll be near the bar and have several high tops set up next to us.

  • 6/10 Dallas @ Frankie's Sports Bar and Grill (Uptown Location)

    • 5-8pm

§  Happy hour drink specials

§  10% discount on all menu items

o    6/14 Kansas City @ 75th St. Brewery -

o    5-8pm

§  $1 off well drinks/draft beers

§  10% off appetizers

  • 6/15 St. Louis @ Schlafly - Tap Room Location

    • 6-8pm

§  The Schlafly Tap Room: 2100 Locust Street (at 21st), St. Louis, MO 63103

§  No bar/food deals - we can't advertise any either.  We can purchase a gift card ($20?/$25?) to raffle off and can advertise that. 

  • The Schlafly Tap Room: 2100 Locust Street (at 21st), St. Louis, MO 63103
  • Contact: Kate Burrus
  • 314-241-2337 x.228
  • http://www.schlafly.com/
  • 6/16 Minnesota @ Hubert's

    • 7-9pm (during game)
  • 600 North 1st Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403
  • Contact: Haley Hough
  • 612-767-2960
  • http://www.hubertsmpls.com/
  • 6/17 Cleveland @ Fat Heads

    • 6-9pm

§  ½ price apps (starting at 9pm)

§  Happy Hour 3-7pm.

  • 24501 Lorain Rd., N. Olmstead, Oh 44070
  • Contact: Ted
  • 440-801-1001
  • 6/21 Pittsburgh @ Carson City Saloon

    • 6-8pm

§  Specials usually run 8-11pm, but for SBN will run 6-11pm.

o    25cent Wings

o    $2 Bud Light Drafts

o    $12 Call-a-Cabs (64 oz.)

§  Happy Hour is 5-7pm, until 7 we will get $1 off drinks and ½ of apps (not to be combined with other offer- can be separate though!)

  • 6/22 Philly @ The Field House (Our event is inside on the Filbert St. side)

    • 5-8pm

§  $3 domestic beer

§  $4 wine

§  $5 mixed drinks (includes 3 Olives, Stoli, Absolut, Finlandia, captain morgan, jack daniels, Jim beam, Bacardi, Tanquaray)

§  $5 menu: Wings, Chicken Tenders, Old Bay Fries, Nachos, & Pizza Steak Springrolls.

  • 6/23 Tampa @ Tampa Bay Brewing Co

    • 6-8pm

§  $1 off drafts/wells

  • 6/24 Atlanta -TacoMac (Prado Location)

    • 5-8pm

§  No booze deals

  • 6/28 Denver - Blake Street Tavern

    • 5-8pm

§  Happy Hour is 3-6pm - Won't extend happy hour.

o    $2 Rolling Rocks

o    $3 wells/domestic drafts

o    $4 import/craft beers & house wines. 

§  They'll donate a $25 gift card for us to raffle off.

  • (One block north of Coors Field!) 2301 Blake Street, Denver, CO 80205
  • Contact: Chris (owner), & Cat (organizing everything for us)
  • 303-675-0505
  • http://www.blakestreettavern.com/
  • 6/29 LA - Capitol City - Hollywood (Not sure how we want the name to appear...check out the website and you can make final decision!)

    • 5-8pm

§  Discounted select appetizers

§  $5 wells

§  $4 domestic beers

  • 6/30 Seattle @ Rock Bottom

    • 5-8pm (Wednesday!)

§  Happy Hour Specials for all RSVP's

§  $5 apps

§  $3.50 beers, wine, liquor.