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🌰 Noah Chestnut

@noahchestnut.bsky.social

720 followers 2.6K following 390 posts

👋 build products for people who like to read, listen, watch, and talk about sports. Now: Product @ The Athletic Was: Buzzer, Bleacher Report, BuzzFeed News, and other spots.

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🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · Nov 12

👋 hey y'all!

I'm Noah and spend my days at @theathletic.bsky.social working with our team to make it easier to be a fan of your favorite teams & sports.

I tend to ramble about how people develop media habits, why they choose to visit certain websites / apps, and weirdly push notifications.

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🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 6h

And back on my old fantasy media GM bullsh*t

NBC Sports never figured out a digital offering - be it a blog to a podcast network - and the vibe of The Ringer crew would fit in here at NBC so much better than FanDuel TV

🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 6h

I love the old TNT crew but even before the whole enterprise got Zaz’d… it was creeping into “old man yells” territory too often

There’s a path where NBC’s Sunday Night games are larger than TNT Thursdays both for audience and cultural impact for how we discuss the league

🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 6h

In today’s email, @teamziller.bsky.social captures something I’m hoping to be true!

NBC will to be my favorite spot to watch the NBA!

Combo of the broadcast team, production design, and most importantly they will evolve TNT’s sitcom of Chuck, Kenny, and Shaq www.teamziller.com/giannis-ante...

Reposted by 🌰 Noah Chestnut

Yifan Wu @yifanwu901.bsky.social · 1d

Those are just outfits you can unlock in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 1d

I love them both but Travis and Patrick look like they’re running a traveling medicine show in the Great Depression

Travis Kelce, wearing a newsies hat and a shirt that seems to be pattered on a motels wallpaper, and Patrick Mahomes, wearing a red checkered vest made out of an Italian restaurants tablecloth

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🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 2d

lol only those are priced at a massive discount!

We missed a chance when Everybody Snacks could’ve grifted into a “I’m just asking questions about public health” play!

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🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 2d

Fwiw @erinkeane.bsky.social is 100% right - a media business like Tangle would actually live up to the lofty ideals espoused in that memo (putting aside the international bullsh*t) bsky.app/profile/erin...

Erin Keane @erinkeane.bsky.social · 2d

Every FB post I see circulating looks fresh off the line from the Hot Take Factory — how does that bridge partisan divides? (Rhetorical question.) If they pulled in a pub like Tangle I would be more persuaded they care about Le Middle and not making a big gesture to A Hyperspecific Audience.

max tani @maxtani.bsky.social · 2d

David Ellison’s note to staff on Paramount’s acquisition of the Free Press

🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 2d

As one of the handful of Tampa Bay fans on this app, fire them cannons!

(This is really a dual appreciation post of both Egbuka’s absurd start to the season and JJ consistently posting to this app - he remains one of the best)

JJ Zachariason @lateroundqb.bsky.social · 2d

Emeka Egbuka through his first five games in the NFL:
Target share per game: 23%
PPR Points Per Game: 20.5
Receiving yards per game: 89.0
Touchdowns per game: 1.0

🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 2d

$150 million for a media business with sub 200k paying subscribers and a circulation business of sub 2m readers is 100% a “you gonna get fired in 18 months” type of move for anyone else…

(Yes I know the why here but also it’s worth sitting with the absurd economics of this deal)

max tani @maxtani.bsky.social · 2d

David Ellison’s note to staff on Paramount’s acquisition of the Free Press

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🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 2d

I still remember when Substack was basically “what if we made it easier for anyone to publish like Ben Thompson” or “wow TinyLetter is a great idea, let’s make it a real product!”

And now… lol… what a legacy

🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 2d

Trying hard to not feel like Kurt Severing this morning (and not wind up as fatalistic)

Evergreen recommendation to spend time with Jason Lutes Berlin drawnandquarterly.com/books/berlin...

A single page from Jason Lutes graphic novel Berlin depicting an exhausted journalist at his desk lamenting the cooption of institutions he wants to believe in by craven and violent parties… ending with a brief moment of hope followed by an arresting record scratch

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🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 5d

And yes - my gig (aka my healthcare) is to help fans choose to spend more time with The Athletic!

I think we’re doing a good job (so much more to do) and I fundamentally believe that our success hinges on growing the pie for everyone not just us.

🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 5d

Ultimately for a lot of us - we’re fans of a handful of specific people (usually the best hosts like Sheil, Mays, and Mina) but what makes this feel like a special moment… we’re just eavesdropping on all these friends hanging out with each other.

I know it won’t last but I’m grateful for it.

🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 5d

Disclaimer: Sheil’s NFL podcast is my favorite thing (my wife listens so we can discuss eps)

It’s both wild and wonderful that NFL podcasters all join each others shows regardless of who pays for their healthcare.

This is what fans want! Yahoo, Ringer, ESPN, The Athletic, etc are all connected.

Sheil Kapadia @sheilkapadia.bsky.social · 5d

New Ringer NFL Show with @natetice.bsky.social! The three players who will define Week 5.

Plus, Nate helps me make my Ringer 107 picks for the week!

Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/2GJU...

YouTube: youtu.be/FrZxPQEwC0k?...

The Three Players Who Will Define Week 5

Spotify video

open.spotify.com

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🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 5d

My most “crap I’m getting old” take is that phones should be phones where we talk to people with our actual voices

We should rely on other formats, mediums, and products for news, work, music, and the rest.

🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 5d

And yes small, niche, and private communities have hosts of issues and challenges as well!

There’s something that cracks when we all are yelling (and performing) at the same time in an ever expanding room.

Oh & we primarily listen to each other while staring at these small screens in our pockets

🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 5d

Ultimately I probably believe that this format of short form microblogging layered on top of massive networks is probably breaking our brains and too open to manipulation.

And yes I am terminally addicted and rely on these types of feeds to soothe, entertain, and inform me!

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🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 8d

The core idea of "vibe coding" is to quickly build software that is low quality but kinda usable. It's built in a way where you have no idea how it works. It's a fast. It's kinda usable. It's ultimately crap.

Cue Microsoft's "vibe working" vision! www.theverge.com/news/787076/...

Reposted by 🌰 Noah Chestnut

Mike Prada @mikepradanba.bsky.social · 9d

Also: Yes, @jaredweissnba.bsky.social has a new gig covering Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. I know a lot of folks have asked about more coverage of that team and player over the past couple years. You're all in great hands.

Really excited for what he has cooked up this season.

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🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 9d

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🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 12d

Time doesn’t exist yet it controls us anyway

🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 14d

Wait... Sister Jean is 106 and was still on the payroll? Props. www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...

Sister Jean, who cheered on Loyola Chicago’s Final Four run, retires at age 106

Sister Jean became a national symbol of the Ramblers' feel-good underdog story in 2018.

www.nytimes.com

🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 16d

the year is 2037 and the hottest Bears pregame is in the Mitsuwa parking lot

(Also - I’m now planning to pop over later this week en route to Madison)

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🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 17d

Gotta love the team that thought... well, let's show them a 15 second promotional sizzle reel featuring clips from Family Guy to convince you to NOT cancel that Disney+ / Hulu subscription!

🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 17d

Which rookie running back should I start this week?

Assuming one too many cans is… one?

🌰 Noah Chestnut @noahchestnut.bsky.social · 18d

It’s been a long decade and change - only way out is through!