August 10, 2010 was the first post of a series of incredibly detailed, Mid-American Conference-related free literature. Since then it's been a steady stream of writing about losses to the Big Ten. But we did experience some groundbreaking changes in terms of success (in no particular order):
• Akron won the NCAA soccer championship, the first national championship for a MAC team since Western Michigan cross-country in 1964 and 1965.
• OHIO basketball reached the Sweet 16, the MAC's first venture there since 2002.
• Toledo women's basketball won the WNIT Championship, the conference's first major basketball tournament crown in either gender.
• Kent State baseball streaked to the College World Series, the MAC's first trip there since 1976.
• Dustin Kilgore also made Kent State proud with a wrestling national championship at the 197-pound level, the MAC's first individual national crown since 1999.
• Eastern Michigan football is now good again, posting their first non-losing record and six-win season since 1995.
• It's not a Heisman, nor is it technically MAC, but Miami's Andy Miele won the Hobey Baker Award, given to college hockey's top player, the first time by a MAC school since 1995.
• We lost one team (Temple football) and gained two (UMass football and West Virginia soccer).
• The MAC website re-designed and ditched their antiquated pay-to-watch video player with free video players of un-televised home football games and pretty much every home men's and women's basketball game.
• The MAC also launched their own digital network, of which we're proud to be an affiliate. (And we re-upped for the next 12 months.)
• I got a video camera.
• Other stuff which I omitted, either on purpose or inadvertently.
Two years isn't a ridiculously long time (ask Rob Ianello) but it's pretty darn good in respect to one home on the Internet. It's fair to assume that, in the two years I've covered MAC sports religiously, their postseason success has flourished, and I'm guessing it had to do with my presence. Might be completely unrelated, though.
Thanks again to my crack team of contributors, all the commenters, Twitter followers and silent readers who enjoy reading this but choose to remain totally anonymous. Let's keep it goin'.