About Me

Contact Info
E-Mail: Ben@F4Blog.com
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/furry4
AIM: Romnation

You've seen the show, read the posts, heard what I have to say, but who am I? Good question.

Well first of all, this isn't my first website. For about two years starting in 2005, I had a website called arenapulse.com. This site was a "For the fans, by the fans" type of deal, with all content submitted by staff writers, fan submissions, and myself. The site became hard to maintain, and eventually I ran out of steam and ended the whole thing. Throughout that entire time, I wished it was just a New York Dragons site - but fearing competition from other leading Dragons fan news sites, I never pulled the trigger and converted.

The off-season of 2007 was mind-numbingly boring and to keep myself entertained I decided to start my own Dragons "audio show". Unlike a radio show, it was not live - but it was simply youtube entries of audio. Meanwhile, I had also started a Dragons blog (furrey4blog.blogspot), but it was exclusively writing and I never thought to combine the two media types. Eventually the radio show evolved into the video New York Dragons Review and Preview Show, and after multiple weeks of debating with myself, the show finally moved exclusively on this site now named f4blog.com. After a few weeks of having the show exclusively on this website, I could not maintain both writing and video making, so the site became a vlog (video blog). That is pretty much how things still stand now.

Now as far as I go - here is a little Dragons bio.

In 2002 at my grandmothers house I sat bored infront of a TV. Flipping channels, I landed on NBC where an odd football game was being played. Hmm, they look like the Cowboys, but its not the same players and the field is way smaller. After an obscurly long time in the broadcast, the announcers finally said "the Desperados". I hopped on google and did some research, and that is when my passion for the AFL was born.

Due to geography and TV programing, I began to follow the Dragons' 2002 season. Although the season was abysmal, I developed likings to Mike Furrey and Rodney Filer. Not long after that, I went to my first game on April 27th for my birthday. That ended up being Mike Furrey's last game (and a record-tying one), but I did secure his autograph as well as Filers. As many AFL fans are, I became obsessed and tried to go to as many games as I could every year. I finally started to go to every game in 2006 and the rest is history. My support for Mike Furrey never wavered, as I have a substantial collection now (game issued Rams jersey, authentic Lions jersey, Ohio State jersey, Replica Lions jersey, and endless numbers of cards). I also finally got my hands on Rodney Filer jersey when I won a game used away one on ebay after the '07 season. "F4" in F4Blog, stems from Furrey and his number on the Dragons, 4.

For three years now I have been making signs and cards for the players and for my own collection. In 2007 in the last game of the season, Bruce Blue took Jeff (the friend I go to games with) and I into the locker room to get autographs and show everyone what I had. That game was a loss to the Destroyers, and if we had won by 9 or more we would have made the playoffs - that didn't exactly work out but I had made a sign that said "Win by 9 or Die" (that I also got signed by everyone in the locker room) which is now one of the centerpieces of my collection.

2008 was a more personal year - I was finally developing relationships with the players and became more engaged in the team itself. With my cards and graphics now highly improved, I was giving my creations to the families of the players and began talking to multiple families every game. In particular, I built relationships with Elliot Seifert and his family, John Walker and his wife (eventually his whole family), Levy Brown, Terry Moss, and Dartangon Shack who I still talk with weekly. That year for my birthday, Moss gave me one of his touchdown balls signed by most of the team and late in the season John Walker gave me his jersey. Walker and I have an especially great relationship and we are still talking during this off-season.

Fastforwarding to now, after being recommended to by the coaches/players because of my show - I have a relationship with the new ownership as well. Tim Kelly, COO, is giving me the type of notice I couldn't have dreamed of and is making my relationship with the team (and this blog) fairly official.

Unfortunately as you all know the 2009 season was canceled, but it led to yet another transformation of the blog. For this year off I have changed the blog to become AFL oriented rather than just Dragons. If the league does return in 2010, this site will most likely return to the Dragons layout and orientation. I hope that this site becomes a haven for lost fans and those who want to see how their favorite players are outlasting the suspension.

Hope the league returns in 2010, but until then - keep checking back for more content.