That's an old rumor. The fact is that the parent company has aparently folded and unless someone else takes over, there is no Blue Ribbon. Not surprising. A few people in here and the only people in the 8-10 forums that I actively belong to that even mentioned this publication. Many people simply never heard of it. I guess you can't surive with that type of popularity and sales.
That could well be, but to be honest, I never saw it there. Not that I was looking mind you. The thing is that if this is the only site that has people talking about the publication, it could not have been that big. Every site talks about Steele, Lawrence, Lindy's and others. None of them talked about Blue Ribbon. The Gold Sheet got more attention.
Blue Ribbon is the complementary CFB annual that ESPN publishes on line for "insider" subscribers. The print edition is an extra you pay for if you want it. Here is the link to Blue Ribbon's CFB index of teams from '08. One team from every conference is "free."
I am probably personally responsible for Blue Ribbon being talked about here as much as it has been. 4 or 5 years ago I started C&Ping every team from the online version and was asked by Blue Ribbon's publisher Sterling (forgot his last name) to stop, which of course I obliged. Ever since then they've been on the map here. But I'm pretty sure most people here never heard of them before that. Sure there were likely some exceptions and for the rest who buy it now, it's hard to deny its value after you read up in depth on the teams you follow the intense way they do it. They are probably more complete with their player rundowns and analysis than any of the others. I do hope they stick around. As you said ESPN has been supporting them and as far as I know ESPN's health is fine. I hope that matters. They start shipping in July. I haven't seen any mention of their CFB edition YET. I'm sure ESPN knows the story on them and we'll find out soon... very soon.
Next question:
I wonder what ESPN will do about chipping in their share of the CFB annual tradition? If anything. Rivals, Scout and Fox/CFN I believe have a rundown on every school. Blue Ribbon seemed to be pretty objective in spite of thier so-so record making predictions. A lot of their mistakes have gone with the flow anyway.
Maybe this caught ESPN off guard and they won't be able to do anything about it.
I wonder what ESPN will do about chipping in their share of the CFB annual tradition? If anything. Rivals, Scout and Fox/CFN I believe have a rundown on every school. Blue Ribbon seemed to be pretty objective in spite of thier so-so record making predictions. A lot of their mistakes have gone with the flow anyway.
Maybe this caught ESPN off guard and they won't be able to do anything about it.
