Two Years of Sports Square — and We’re Just Getting Started
From one random post to 300 editions — thank you for making this community something real.
Two years ago, I opened my laptop, typed a few words about sports, and hit “publish.”
I didn’t know if anyone would care, but somehow, you guys did.
Now, two years and hundreds of editions later, you’ve turned Sports Square into a real community.
We’ve grown big time when it comes to subscribers and views, expanded to different platforms, and even set a Substack record. We just hit edition #300 with our last post, meaning that in the last year, 122 editions were published.
But none of this would’ve happened if you guys weren’t here with each like, comment, subscription, and view. All of that pushes me to continue writing. I could not be here without you guys.
Quick Recap:
730 days of takes, stories, and late-night edits
300+ editions (and counting)
MLB seasons covered: 3 (I started this newsletter during the 2023 postseason).
NFL seasons: 3 (23-24, 24-25, now 25-26)
NBA seasons: 2 (23-24, 24-25)
10,000+ takes, from “Mahomes is the GOAT” to “The A’s Will Make The Playoffs”.
Thousands of comments from the smartest fans out there
1 mission: make sports writing feel personal again
Thank You:
I can’t limit this list at all. I’m not going to try to make it a list of only 5. I need to thank everyone that I’ve worked with.
First and foremost, as always
. Jacob has always been one of my good friends and is a great person to work with on Substack. He’s a very cool guy, and with me not being a huge basketball guy, he is one of the great minds when it comes to basketball journalism. I’ve learned a lot from him, and the newsletter wouldn’t be where it is today without Jacob. is another friend who indirectly pushed me to make better NFL content. His articles give you some of the best insights when it comes to football, and his podcasts with are on another level. Matt is a huge inspiration, and the fact that he even reads my content keeps me going.There is never a Sports Square statistical edition without a little inspiration from
. This is the biggest stats guy I know, and a super interesting guy to talk to. Neil is another big inspiration for me, and I’m going to continue learning more from him.Then we have
, who is just the all-time commenter (maybe could beat it though). If Robbie senses a terrible take, he’s never afraid to dispute it. Sometimes the argument goes so deep, both of us don’t have proof to back it up. Sometimes the arguments take a tangent. Whatever the result is, it’s always fun talking sports with Robbie. as well, who’s always going at it with fabulous articles for his Substack. Jack’s a nice guy, and we’ve collaborated in the past as well. Jack has a lot of wonderful post ideas, that I love expanding on 😅.I also want to give a shoutout to Joe,
, , , Puffle Baseball, , , , , , (huge supporter of the Substack), , , , , , , , , , , , and (another inspiration for his work with Just Mets), for participating in my (hopefully record-breaking) Sports Summit Roundup back in March. Another one may be coming soon!Also, I wanted to do a special shoutout to
, who also indirectly influenced me to make better NFL Content. Hopefully, he sees this. His content has inspired me to do so much more. He is a very cool guy to talk to, and the best NFL longform creator I’ve ever seen.To the silent readers, the ones who don’t comment or email but still click every link and email, thank you. I see the stats, but more importantly, I feel the quiet support behind them.
😮💨. Those were a lot of shoutouts!
I’ve accomplished a lot at Sports Square over the past year. I’ve covered every sport I could, written through countless late nights, and shared so many unforgettable moments. But I know there’s still more to do. There always will be.
Writing Sports Square taught me more than just how to analyze a game. It taught me how to show up, even when I didn’t feel like it. It taught me to care about every word, every stat, every reader. It’s made me see sports not just as games, but as stories that connect us all.
This is a community. It’s still growing. It’s not perfect, but it’s ours, and I believe in what it can become.
When I first started Sports Square, writing wasn’t my passion. Playing and watching sports was. That’s where everything began for me. I started this newsletter because I wanted to share that love with the world. I think, in some ways, I’ve done that. But I want to keep pushing. I want to make it bigger, louder, better.
Sports have a way of bringing us together in a way nothing else can. They make us yell, cry, jump, hope, and sometimes feel hurt. They make us believe. That 15-inning game we saw in Seattle was everything sports are supposed to be. You never really know what’s coming next. That’s the magic.
My dream for Sports Square has always been to build a real community. We’ve taken steps toward that, but there’s still a long way to go. I’ll keep showing up. I’ll keep writing stories and giving takes that you won’t find anywhere else.
All I ask is that you keep showing up, too. Argue with me. Share the things you love. Bring others in. Make this something that feels alive.
Because at the end of the day, it’s you who makes Sports Square what it is.
Here’s to two years. And here’s to everything still ahead.
Year 3:
Bring back the Sports Square podcast
Maybe add a writer or two to begin efficiency
Expand the Youtube channel
Collaborate with even more people
Launch a fantasy sports program to help people with their fantasy leagues!
Use feedback from the survey, and begin to add features that readers have suggested.
By the way, if you haven’t filled out the survey, fill it out. There’s probably something you’re discontent with when it comes to reading the newsletter, and I want to know so I can fix it. You can stay anonymous.
I just wanna thank everyone who’s been with me in this journey. I tried to keep the shoutouts to a minimum as possible. Whether you are a subscriber, just viewing this post, or were a subscriber, thank you, because you were still a part of this journey.
Sports Square started as a spark, now it’s a fire.
Here’s to keeping it burning.
Thank You!
(Also, no Sunday Script today, but my bold prediction is going to be Jets over Broncos. So far, all my bold predictions have been right. I probably just jinxed it, though 😅.)
Congrats Smayan! You’ve written many great articles, and I can’t wait to see what you write next!
Thanks for the shoutout!! Congrats!