Koufax Awards FAQs
We plan to open the floor for nominations for the 2005 Koufax Awards sometime next week. Because lefty blogtopia (hi skippy) has grown so much in the last couple of years, I thought it might be useful to post answers to some Frequently Asked Questions before the nominations open.
1) What are the Koufax Awards?
The Koufax Awards are held annually to honor the best of left-leaning bloggers. A "Sandy" will be awarded based on reader votes in each of a number of categories. It is like the Oscars for lefty bloggers, except that we do not allow overly long, overly sentimental speeches by the winners. For those, you have the visit the sites of the winners. This is the fourth year of the awards. That makes us venerable when measured in blog years. You can locate previous winners by clicking on the links located on the left hand (of course) side bar.
2) Why are they called the "Koufax Awards?"
Way back in 2002, when I was first considering starting the awards, I was struggling to think up a name. Since Sandy Koufax was the best left-handed pitcher of my lifetime, and one of my childhood heroes, and since the awards are for lefties, the name just seemed like a natural.
3) What do the winners win?
A $250,000.00 grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Founda... No, that is not right. The winners receive only the recognition and gratitude of their peers and readers. We also provide a spiffy icon (designed by Kevin Hayden who, by the way, runs the excellent Perranoski Prizes over at American Street. Ron Perranoski was Sandy Koufax's relief pitcher in the 1960's and, as you might expect from that fact, the Prizes are complementary to the Koufax Awards. We encourage you to participate in them, as well) to post on the winner's site. Some people have told us that the exposure their blog received during the Koufax Awards substantially increased their traffic but your experience may vary. No promises.
4) What is the purpose of the Awards?
There are three purposes of the Koufax Awards. First, as I wrote last year:
At its core, the Koufax Awards are meant to be an opportunity to say nice things about your favorite bloggers and to provide a bit of recognition for the folks who provide us with information, insight, and entertainment usually for little or no renumeration. The awards are supposed to be fun for us and fun for you.The second purpose of the awards is to provide some exposure for blogs that you may have overlooked for some reason or another. There are lots of good blogs out there (more everyday) and no one can keep track of them all. We hope to call your attention to new blogs or blogs that deserve a chance to capture your attention. That is the reason for our policy of providing a link to every blog mentioned in the nomination process (despite the fact that assembling such links is an incredible amount of work). Please use those links to visit the blogs you have not previously read. You will not often regret it.
The most important purpose of the awards is to help build a sense of community between and among lefty bloggers and readers of lefty blogs. The awards provide an opportunity to say something nice about bloggers you like and to have something nice said about you. Please try not to take the idea of winning and losing too seriously. The primary rules of the contest are be nice and have fun.
While I will note the procedures of the awards in some detail below, the rules of "be nice and have fun" have seen us through three years of the awards. Things that are nice and are fun are encouraged while actions that violate those rules not allowed. Thus, it is completely appropriate to leave a comment extolling the virtue of your favorite blog. A comment trashing a blog you dislike is not nice and it is not fun for us or for the recipient of the abuse. Take that as fair warning. Comments that cut against the purposes of the awards will be dealt with ruthlessly. If you have to say something that is not nice, use private email, not a public comment.
5) What are the categories this year?
The categories evolve with our experience running the awards. We have not finalized the list for this year and this is your opportunity to help us decide.
For a good idea of the categories, click on the 2004 finalists on the left sidebar. This year's list will be similar. If you think we should eliminate one of last year's categories, send us an email or leave a comment.
We are considering adding two categories this year. First, we are considering having a category for "Best Community Blog. That category would include such sites as TPMCafe, Huffington Post, Kos, Booman, and My Left Wing (that is not an exhaustive list. I just generated it off the top of my head. My apologies to anyone I should have included but did not) and other sites at which much of the content is provided by diarists or a multitude of posters. The idea is that with so many content providers, such sites deserve their own award. What do you think? Is that a good idea or not? Please let us know.
Pursuant to a reader request, we are also considering a category for blogs that focus on the politics and happenings in a single state or locality. Please let us know if you think that is a good idea, as well.
Finally, what other categories should we consider?
6) What are the procedures for the awards?
The Koufax Awards have three stages. Sometime next week, we will post a list of the categories and open the floor for nominations. Nominations are made by leaving a comment or by sending us an email. No specific form is necessary, but we do ask that you include the name of the blog (or post), the category for which it is nominated and a url to the blog (or post). You are welcome, even encouraged, to self-nominate, particularly for the categories for individual posts or series. After all, you know your work better than anyone else. You may nominate as many blogs as you wish in as many categories as you wish and you may make your nominations at one time or on multiple visits. If someone sends us a complete list of thousands of lefty blogs, I may decide to ignore it but that hasn't happened yet. Every blog mentioned in any nominating comment or email will receive a link when we post the full list of nominees.
After that full list of nominees is posted, we will ask for votes from that list to determine a group of 8-10 finalists in each category. The list of finalists will be determined by a count of the votes. We look for natural break points in the voting pattern to determine the number of finalists to include.
When voting (as opposed to nominating) starts, we ask that each person cast exactly one vote in each category. Last year there was some effort to game the system by multiple voting by persons or robots. That does not work. Eric is in charge of voting security and he is very smart, very diligent, is armed with good technology, and has forgotten more about how the internet works that you or I will ever know. If Eric thinks something looks fishy, we will all look at it. Efforts to game the system not only will be ineffective but if they piss us off sufficiently, they risk public humiliation for the perpetrator. Don't do it.
After we generate our list of 8-10 finalists in each category, we will ask for votes for a winner. The winners are determined by a manual count of the votes. Once again, one vote per person per category please. Because we tabulate the votes manually, and as a result of the exponential growth of the Koufax Awards, it is a huge amount of work to organize and tabulate the votes. If we allow multiple voting, we would have to go to a machine count. After Florida in 2000, we do not think that is such a good idea.
After we tabulate the votes, we will announce the winners. It will take a few months to complete the process.
Please, please, please take the awards in the spirit in which they are offered. The Koufax Awards are supposed to be fun for you and for us. It takes an enormous amount of work (and money) for us to host the awards. If they are not fun, we have little reason to do so. Winning and losing is secondary to heaping praise upon your favorites and building the community. BE NICE.
7) Are the Koufax Awards the most prestigious of blogging awards?
Who cares? We do this for fun and to give back to the lefty blogging community. It is not a competition between the Koufax Awards and other awards. Spread the kudos, be nice, and everyone will be happier. We wish other awards nothing but the best. That said, let me take this opportunity to again plug the Perranoski Prizes hosted by Kevin Hayden at the American Street. They are complimentary to the Koufax Awards (in that the categories do not overlap and the existence of the Prizes allows us to keep the number of categories to a manageable number). In addition, Kevin does a great job hosting the Prizes and offers them in the same spirit caused me to start the Koufax Awards. Please support the Perranoski Prizes.
8) What can you do to help?
Three things. First, if you can afford it, please hit our tip jar on the left. It costs us a lot to host these awards and every little bit helps. Second, please particpate. Third, when nominating a blog, a post or a series, please provide a url so that we can readily find it. We have a huge number of url's to hunt down and it really helps if you provide them. That is particularly true in the categories of "Best Post", "Most Humorous Post" and "Best Series." Thank you in advance.
We hope to see you next week when we open up the nominating process.
Comments
After the winners had be announced last year, someone suggested a best Foreign English Language Blog category, by which I presume is ment best Non-US blog written in English.
I find this an interesting idea.
Posted by: Kristjan Wager | December 11, 2005 03:52 PM
I like the idea of a Community Blog category, but it has to be very clear how it differs from the Group Blog category. Are the former on Scoop and Drupal, allowing Diaries, and the latter ones not?
I VERY much like the idea of local politics blogs, individual or group.
What is the cutoff date for a blog to be considered "New Blog"?
What is the cutoff date for a post (or series) to be elgible for this year?
Single Issue Blog and Expert Blog are kinda similar - usually a person who writes about a single topic is considered an expert in that topic. Perhaps the "Expert" category can be renamed or split into two or more, including "Science Blogs", "Law Blogs", etc.
Posted by: coturnix | December 11, 2005 05:46 PM
Huffington is in the same category as Booman and MLW? Yeeeesh -- all that starpower versus li'l ole me... howevah shall ah compete?
Posted by: Maryscott OConnor | December 13, 2005 07:22 PM
Maryscott:
It really is not a fair matchup. Maybe we should give Arriana and company a few bonus votes just to even things up. :>
Besides, even if we do not create a new category, li'l ole you will still be there in Huffpost's way.
Posted by: dwight Meredith | December 13, 2005 07:31 PM
State/local also has to be done with care. A state or locality with several good nominated blogs will have the votes split, thus will be in disadvantage in comparison with another locale with only a single blog that everyone there supports.
Posted by: coturnix | December 13, 2005 11:06 PM
your awards would be better if they didn't have such a stupid name.
Posted by: melanie | December 15, 2005 03:06 PM
I would like to nominate The Portland Communique: www.communique.portland.or.us for your 2005 Koufax Award in the category of Best Coverage of State or Local Issues. Launched in December 2002 and supported by its readers, the blog's focus has been Portland, Oregon politics and policies. Be sure to read the acclaim it received both from city leaders and the local press when you click on the "about this site" link. This weblog recently had to shut down because it was the editor's full-time job, and he ran out of funds. Had you this category in prior years, I'm sure it would have one. It deserves the recognition even now.
Posted by: Anonymous | December 16, 2005 10:13 AM
I nominate Progressive Blog Digest (http:pbd.blogspot.com) for "deserving of wider recognition".
Posted by: mary atkinson | December 16, 2005 10:27 AM
I nominate The Left Coaster (http://www.theleftcoaster.com/) because it is by far the easiest blog to navigate. The site is clean and easy to read. I find that the writers do the most extensive research and use third party validators for their information which makes it easy to confirm the information. In addition, the bloggers seem to be of the highest calibur.
Posted by: Anjha | December 16, 2005 12:15 PM
I nominate for the Koufax Awards the prolific, brainy, and socially conscious blogger Trish Wilson.
I nominate her for the following categories:
Best Blog
Best Single Issue Blog - for her writings on family law issues
Blog Most Deserving Wider Recognition
Best Writing
Best Series - on Fathers 4 Justice
http://trishwilson.typepad.com/blog/fathers_4_justice/index.html
Posted by: Mo Hannah, Ph.D. | December 16, 2005 04:31 PM
Best Group Blog: BlondeSense
Best Satire Blog: Jesus' General
Best Comedy/Peggy Noonan Blog: World O'Crap
Least Recognized Good Blog: RoguePlanet
Best New Blog: YellowDog Blog
I'll remember more later, so I'll undoubtedly be back, as always.
Hey, you lose this many brain cells in one lifetime, it slows your posting.
Oh, and Best Commenter? I ain't touching that one, 'cause there are at least 15 people that I should nominate, and at least 30 more who think that I should nominate them. Too many good loudmouths out there.
Posted by: Anntichrist S. Coulter | December 16, 2005 08:18 PM
Best fine art humor blog www.godsmadmen.com
Posted by: roberta | December 17, 2005 04:55 PM
I nominate obsidianwings and warandpiece and the agitator for best blogs as well as blogs deserving wider recognition
Posted by: Will | December 17, 2005 06:50 PM
I nominate www.noutopia.com for the Koufax awaqrd.
Posted by: Jim Klein | December 19, 2005 02:07 PM
I nominate:
Best Community Blogging:
The Daily Kos
http://www.dailykos.com/
Best Blog -- Pro Division
Altercation by Eric Alterman
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3449870/
Best Coverage of State or Local Issues:
Charles Kuffner at OfftheKuff
http://offthekuff.com/mt/
Best Blog:
Siva Vaidhyanathan
Sivacracy.net
http://www.nyu.edu/classes/siva/
Best Commenter:
Ann Bartow
http://www.nyu.edu/classes/siva/
Best Series:
Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
http://www.venganza.org/index.htm
Best Single Issue Blog:
Bev Harris's Black Box Voting
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/
Most Humorous Blog:
Tom Tomorrow This Modern World
http://www.thismodernworld.com/
Most Deserving of Wider Recognition:
Bob Somerby's
http://www.dailyhowler.com/
Best Writing:
The Nobel Lecture: Art, Truth and Politics
By Harold Pinter
The Guardian UK
http://www.truthout.org/
Posted by: Bev | December 19, 2005 06:12 PM
I nominate:
Best Community Blogging:
The Daily Kos
http://www.dailykos.com/
Best Blog -- Pro Division
Altercation by Eric Alterman
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3449870/
Best Coverage of State or Local Issues:
Charles Kuffner at OfftheKuff
http://offthekuff.com/mt/
Best Blog:
Siva Vaidhyanathan
Sivacracy.net
http://www.nyu.edu/classes/siva/
Best Commenter:
Ann Bartow
http://www.nyu.edu/classes/siva/
Best Series:
Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster
http://www.venganza.org/index.htm
Best Single Issue Blog:
Bev Harris's Black Box Voting
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/
Most Humorous Blog:
Tom Tomorrow This Modern World
http://www.thismodernworld.com/
Most Deserving of Wider Recognition:
Bob Somerby's
http://www.dailyhowler.com/
Best Writing:
The Nobel Lecture: Art, Truth and Politics
By Harold Pinter
The Guardian UK
http://www.truthout.org/
Posted by: Bev | December 19, 2005 06:25 PM
I nominate noutopia.com for the Koufax Award.
Posted by: Jim Klein | December 20, 2005 10:51 AM
Best Series-Shakespeare's Sister for her work on the Downing Street Memos. URL is http://shakespearessister.blogspot.com/
Posted by: DBK | December 20, 2005 11:47 AM
Best New Blog:
Talk2Action: Reclaiming Citizenship, History, and Faith,
http://www.talk2action.org/
Best Series:
Chip Berlet, The Christian Right, Dominionism, and Theocracy:
http://www.talk2action.org/story/2005/11/28/172929/14
Best Single Issue Blog:
(There's a theme here!)
Talk2Action: Reclaiming Citizenship, History, and Faith,
http://www.talk2action.org/
Best Expert Blog:
(Everybody talks about theocracy, but no one does anything about it -- 'til now!)
Talk2Action: Reclaiming Citizenship, History, and Faith,
http://www.talk2action.org/
Posted by: Jonathan Hutson | December 20, 2005 12:42 PM
okay, i have to nominate an essay of mine for best individual post
Tsunamis and Mangroves: The Shrimp Connection
this story is timely (the one year anniversary of the indonesian tsunami approaches, and on that day, indonesia will release the final numbers of those who died in that disaster). i also think it is a really fine piece, especially since it has been republished several times in the print media.
okay, so someone out there please read it and second my nomination. i'd appreciate it.
Posted by: GrrlScientist | December 20, 2005 06:11 PM
Best Expert Blog
Follow the Bouncing Blogger
Who knows what it's like to be bipolar.
And we go on his ride with him so far.
I mean it. Somedays he can't post because of the illness.
One thing he's taught me is that they can give you medicine, but it might not work.
He is also trying to find things out about the Alpizar investigation for reasons that a probably obvious. That incident not only sent fear through immigrant groups, but I'm sure through anyone who has emotional problems that make it difficult to act 'normal' in our developing police state.
Anyway, check it out.
Best local How about The Beast Blog? Or is he a pro because he puts out that online magazine too?
The Buffalo Beast could also be the "best new", or the "best writer". I'm ashamed of my posts re: Rigoberto Alpizar after reading BB's wrap up and Follow The Bouncing Blogger's insight on the case.
Posted by: tbratt | December 21, 2005 01:15 AM
Best group blog:
Needlenose
Best Post:
Khalid Jarrar (Raed's bro) The post he wrote a few days after his release from the Mukhabarat prison (and escape to Amman with his mother).
Best Blog:
Baghdad Burning by Riverbend
Best Commenter.
I wish I knew about this a couple of years ago because there was a kick ass guy at forums linked to the now defunct Arianna Online. The paid right wing dorks were apoplectic over him long after he was gone, and I think that in googling to try to see if he was still doing the Rotten Turnipseed posts (The other name he had uses such common words, I can't search on it) I've found someone repeating one of his RT sayings.
Imagine an commenter being quoted. He was that good. BTW, RT if you ever started a blog yourself (as me and my lady hope) please drop by mine and let us know. If you haven't, but want another place to comment, ditto. We'd be glad to have you.
And Wampum, the SO suggests a category in Best Color Design next year. She does the color and design at my blog (and never stops messing with it).
Probably Best Overall Design would be more likely in anycase, so we'd be blown out of the water, I suppose.
Posted by: tbratt | December 21, 2005 03:22 AM
I nominate Proviso Probe in the State/Local coverage.
provisoprobe.blogspot.com
Posted by: Nancy H Nyberg | December 21, 2005 01:24 PM
I also nominate for the category 'Most deserving of wider recognition' this blog:
http://www.mickeyz.net/news/mickeyz/
Posted by: Helga Fremlin | December 21, 2005 04:19 PM
I can't think of anybody for some of these categories...
Best Writing: blksista for her writings on New Orleans
Best Post: Hunter's Dear Whoever The Hell Comes Up With These Things
Best Single Issue Blog: Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch
Most Humorous Blog: Dudehisattva
Most Humorous Post: Dood Abides' Wizard of Oil
Best Commenter: Hunter
Best New Blog: On The Left Tip
Best Design: On The Left Tip
Most Deserving of Wider Recognition: Pam's House Blend
Best Non-Liberal Blog: mine! kidding
Posted by: fabooj | December 21, 2005 11:16 PM
Best Series: Al Rodgers' Sunday Talk at DailyKos
Posted by: fabooj | December 21, 2005 11:22 PM
I can't think of anybody for some of these categories...
Best Writing: blksista for her writings on New Orleans
Best Post: Hunter's Dear Whoever The Hell Comes Up With These Things
Best Single Issue Blog: Gulf Coast Reconstruction Watch
Most Humorous Blog: Dudehisattva
Most Humorous Post: Dood Abides' Wizard of Oil
Best Commenter: Hunter
Best New Blog: On The Left Tip
Best Design: On The Left Tip
Most Deserving of Wider Recognition: Pam's House Blend
Best Non-Liberal Blog: mine! kidding
Posted by: fabooj | December 21, 2005 11:47 PM
Most Deserving of Wider Recognition: href="http://liberalgirlnextdoor.blogspot.com">The
(liberal) Girl Next Door
Posted by: Jas | December 22, 2005 12:40 PM
I nominate for best blog: http://www.bobharris.com/
Thanks
Posted by: Michelle Barrineau | December 23, 2005 12:48 AM
Best Expert Blog: Pharyngula
Most Deserving of Wider Recognition: Norwegianity
Posted by: Torris | December 23, 2005 05:15 PM
Best Female Writer Blog: liberalgirlnextdoor
Best Satirical Writer Blog: libertalgirlnextdoor
Best Declarative Sentence Blog: liberalgirlnextdoor
Best Humorous Satirical Informative Blog: liberalgirlnextdoor
Posted by: Roberta Kelly | December 27, 2005 08:49 PM
Come, come. Everyone knows fafblog is the best blog!
Posted by: ral | December 28, 2005 12:58 AM
Most Deserving of Wider Recognition: passionatecenter.blogspot.com
Best new blog: passionatecenter.blogspot.com
Best satire blog: nightquill.blogspot.com
best post: nightquill.blogspot.com/2005/08/integrity.html
most humorous post: nightquill.blogspot.com/2005/04/global-warning.html
Thank you for allowing self-nomination (and nomination of good friends who
also have good blogs....) Some of us are starting so small it couldn't
happen another way...
Posted by: David | December 28, 2005 03:59 AM
I'd like to nominate my blog, Liberally Speaking, for best new blog (first post was in 9/05), and for best single issue blog (politics). Here's the blog: http://chrisedelson.blogspot.com.
I'd also like to nominate one of my posts (here: http://chrisedelson.blogspot.com/2005_09_01_chrisedelson_archive.html )
for best post.
thanks for holding the contest!
Posted by: Chris Edelson | December 28, 2005 11:32 PM
I'd also like to nominate this post for best post:
http://chrisedelson.blogspot.com/2005/12/constitutional-crisis.html
Posted by: Chris Edelson | December 28, 2005 11:50 PM
Hope I'm not doubleposting this--apologies if I messed up
I'd like to nominate my blog, liberally speaking, for best new blog (first post Sept. 2005): http://www.chrisedelson.blogspot.com
thanks for the contest!
Chris Edelson
Posted by: Chris Edelson | December 29, 2005 12:52 AM
Best New Blog - Merlot Democrats
Most Deserving of Wider Recongition - Merlot Democrats
Best Group Blog - Liquid List
Best Series - Al Rodgers - Sunday Talk at DailyKos
Posted by: Avery | December 30, 2005 07:14 PM
Best Blog: Daily Kos
Best Blog Community: Street Prophets
Best writing: Bill in Portland Maine at Daily Kos
Best series: Cheers and Jeers at Daily Kos
Best new blog: StreetProphets.com
Most deserving of wider recognition: My Left Wing
Best Commenter: Elizabeth D on Street Prophets
Best Post: with hubris, I offer two nominations!
1. My Little Terrorist http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/12/9/84153/2783
and:
2. Everything I Own, Owns Me http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/3/17/11340/5067
Posted by: Deb Brown | January 1, 2006 06:08 PM
Best New Blog: Street Prophets
[got a url? it works better that way. ebw]
Posted by: Anonymous | January 1, 2006 07:12 PM
Street Prophets URL to go with Deb Brown's comment
(I already made my noms, so this is not a nom)
[thx 4 the url. ebw]
Posted by: Elizabeth | January 1, 2006 07:22 PM
Best Humor Blog and Blog Worthy of Wider Recognition:
American Idle
http://www.americanidle.net
Posted by: Evan Halquist | January 2, 2006 06:08 PM
Best blog site: http://www.shakespearessister.blogspot.com
Posted by: Andy. | January 3, 2006 01:57 PM
The very first blog I go to every morning, and the one I enjoy the most, is Rigorousintuition.com. Jeff Wells connects the dots for me. I have no idea just where his blog should go, but I nominate it for the Blog Worthy of Wider Recognition.
*note from editors - nominations closed two days ago.
Posted by: Jack Bettis | January 5, 2006 02:44 PM