Gratuitous Self Promotion: Buy this Magazine

At Big Red Network, we love Husker football and want to write and talk about it every day. That's what we aim to do. You seldom find us pushing other agendas or hocking products. Maybe if we did, our following and wallets would grow faster. Anyway, I'm telling you all of this because I'm actually going to give you the "hard sell" on a product for a second. I assure you, we wouldn't endorse it if I didn't think it was something our readers could use and enjoy. Basically, buy this magazine. You will be glad you did.

The Product
The magazine - Cornhusker Kickoff 2009 - is published by the folks at Maple Street Press, (purveyors of fine sports publications) and edited by Jon Johnston from the Corn Nation web site. Unlike some of "those other preseason guides" that give you a few pages on NU, this is an exhaustive 128 page preseason guide dedicated to the 2009 Husker football season. It is chock full of the photos, stats, information and quality writing you will need to get absolutely amped for the upcoming season. It may even be enough to hold some of you maniacs over until the first game.

Local Writers Know More
Here is the number one reason this is recommended reading for Husker fans - it's written by the people who follow Husker football the closest. National publications view the Husker landscape from a distance, and it shows in their writing. The Scarlet and Cream just isn't their priority.

Cornhusker Kickoff 2009 features the beat writers from the Lincoln Journal-Star, as well as a lineup of other truly committed Husker writers. Jon and other folks on the Corn Nation staff contribute, as well as recognizable names from HuskerPedia (NU sports mother ship that it is). And, oh yeah, fellow BRN writer Brandon Vogel and I each wrote multiple articles for this publication. If you like reading this site, you'll enjoy the magazine.

Nothing (more) To Gain
I'm also pitching this publication with a very clear conscious because, I really have little more to gain. As writers, Brandon and I got a few bucks up front for our work. But, we really don't stand to gain from Jon and Maple Street moving more units. That's their deal, and more power to them. Sure, we get name recognition, but that's about it. I'm telling you all of this because I really think it's a quality piece of work and will help you navigate the 2009 season better as a fan.

So, there is the pitch. The rest is up to you. You can buy a copy of Cornhusker Kickoff online from the publisher or at HuskerPedia now, or look for it on news stands later this month. You could spend $12 in a lot worse ways.

And, hey, you never know - BRN Publisher Jason Siffring may offer up a promotional copy or two in a contest. You might win it before you can buy it. Signing up for our newsletter wouldn't hurt your chances in any future contest or give away, by the way. Wait...did I just pimp our newsletter? Now that's gratuitous self promotion. Buying the magazine just makes plain good sense.