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A consumer’s guide to the best and worst of sports media and merchandise. Ground rules: If it can be read, played, heard, observed, worn, viewed, dialed or downloaded, it’s in play here.

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What: https://sportsjones.com

There are Eddie Jones, Indiana Jones, the Dow Jones and even Paula Jones, but there’s only one https://sportsjones.com.

Created in 1998 by Royce Webb, the no-frills site takes a straightforward approach to the games people play. And in this age of the dot-com shakeout, https://sportsjones.com is more the exception than the rule.

In recent weeks, high-profile sites https://FoxSports.com and https://MVP.com, among others, have announced plans for cutbacks and layoffs. None of that will be necessary at https://sportsjones.com, which has a full-time staff of three and several freelancers.

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Webb’s site promises to “take sports back from the loudmouthed, cynical, corporate sports media. We’re tired of letting the media tell the same stories they’ve told 6,000 times before, give meaningless stats and offer flash over substance.”

Nearly any topic is in play, from basketball to books to movies and the media. What it lacks in quantity it tries to make up in quality.

“A lot of people have compared us to https://salon.com [an online magazine],” Webb said. “We’re not as big as Salon but I think the comparison is applicable.”

Webb brainstormed the idea for the site while attending graduate school at the University of Iowa. He eventually took a break from his graduate studies and returned to his home in Nashville to start the site out of his bedroom.

“It was my dream to write and publish a magazine,” he said. “The Internet gave me the chance. I wanted something fun and I thought this would convey the lightheartedness and cultural awareness. At the same time it would deal with serious stuff. But give me a break, this is supposed to be fun.”

Now his venture appears on firm footing. Seven months ago, https://sportsjones.com joined https://Newcity.com, a content and advertising network based in Chicago, and Webb moved there.

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As for the dot-com shakeouts?

“I compare the Internet to the auto industry,” Webb said. “I think the auto industry is alive and well, but a lot of companies died along the way. And all of this will leave a void for Sportsjones.”

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