With hoops season upon us, let's talk for a minute about the blog. Your input is welcome. But then you know that already. You are not a shy group.

It's my goal to bring you the best, most accurate information quickly. I try to uncover facts you couldn't get before landing on this site. I love impassioned debates. I want the blog to have an edge. My pet peeve is debates -- in sports or politics -- based on half-truths, false assumptions and misunderstandings. Also, I'm not crazy about name-calling.

So let's have intelligent conversations. Twisted logic I can deal with, but not twisted facts. I want to supply facts and analysis that move the debate forward,

Some procedural notes:

• There is some inevitable overlap between stories and blog posts. But mostly I want the blog to be original content. I want the blog to complement stories, and vice-versa.

• I'm a reporter at heart. It's what I always wanted to be. Exclusives ("scoops") will usually appear in a story before showing up in the blog. That was the case when I reported first that Lance Stephenson was no longer being recruited by Maryland hoops, and that the school pledged to give James Franklin $1 million if he is not named the next football coach. I like to present facts, then follow up with a blog post.

• The Sun tries to publish reader comments as quickly as possible. We apologize for the occasional backlog or delay. We try to prevent those. I rely on your comments. I'm just not entertaining enough by myself.

• My assignment is men's basketball and football. I will occasionally look at the broader picture -- such as athletic budget cuts -- if I get fresh or important information.

But enough. Let's continue the conversation.