It isn't quite the middle of Virginia Tech's football season yet, especially if you're all aboard the hype train and believe the Hokies' 4-1 record parlays into an ACC Championship berth. However, it is close enough, and I finally have a few free hours to write an update on The Key Players Club. As of the publish time, there are 281 fully dipped members of The Key Players Club. 👏
115 new signups in August was remarkable. That was just two shy of tying the club's total from its launch in February through July (117). September had some excellent organic community momentum and welcomed an average of 1.3 new TKPers into the club each day. The signup pace dipped in October, at least through the first 12 days (.67).
TKP has published 105 front-page posts since August 1 (1.4 new posts per day). That's the content you read every day like french60wasp's film reviews, in-depth practice reports, advanced statistical analysis, and TKP's original programming. Omitted from the total are game threads (no need to juice the stats) and TKP's original photography.
According to Google Analytics, in the last 30 days 113,730 unique users visited TKP (404 × more than TKPC head count) . In the same timespan, those users accounted for 422,445 sessions — a period of time with no more than 30 minutes of user inactivity (viewing different pages). 78.01% of those sessions were from returning visitors. If that's not bonkers enough, 337,395 sessions' days since last session was zero, and over 15% lasted 10 minutes or longer. Also consider 17,992 comments were posted. That level of engagement is remarkable.
Here's Joey Slye jumping up and down in case all those numbers lost you.
The Key Play still needs your help to continue to publish first-rate content, stay online, and maintain top-flight server speeds. The ultimate goal remains to hire a full-time beat writer that answers to and works for you, the diehard Hokie fan.
It's an exciting time for Virginia Tech football. The Justin Fuente era is off to a rousing start, and TKP wants to cover the hell out of every snap of it
Become a TKP benefactor and join The Key Players Club.
Comments
Those are some impressive numbers.
Just began a new job so I'll be joining once I get my paycheck Friday.
Edit: #304 Let's Go!
TKP members > Games Frank Beamer won > Fans at UVA's spring game
oh man. I gotta rewatch this movie now.
Unfortunately, no one can be told what the Matrix is. You just have to see it for yourself.
Just got my TKP bottle opener and sticker in the mail the other day (gonna have the bottle opener painted maroon and orange).
Same here. Trying to decide whether to put the sticker on the back of my laptop, or on my car. Obviously, more people will see it on my car, but it's doubtful I'd be able to talk to them about the awesomeness of this website. Whereas on my computer I can give pitches to come check the site out to Hokie faithful....decisions decisions.
See I'm weird. I wanna use the sticker, but I also don't want to because I know it will fade.
I hadn't even thought of that....
Flaunt it man. They are actually made of a high quality uv resistant material. I not saying they will last forever. But by the time it goes bad there will probably be some way to get another one.
But, but...I want it to last forever.
#TKPC345by3:45
only 63 to go
63 is only one more than 62
62 is how many points we beat Syracuse by last time we made a run to the national championship
Ergo, if we can add 63 more to The Key Players' Club by kickoff tomorrow, we will be in the national championship game this year.
It's science.
I don't know if that's very nice
It's also true, that joining takes you to your happy place....
link NSFW [ Moderator was here ]
MY BAD. (Although I posted it at work...)
I implore everyone who enjoys the the incredible content on this site on a weekly or daily basis and isn't a part of the TKPC to consider whether or not you are getting $84 dollars worth of content out of this site a year. The film reviews, the coach/player interviews, the timely articles. If you believe you are getting what comes out to be $7 worth of coverage/enjoyment a month from TKP then I would ask that you revisit your budget and see if you can find room (without damaging your financial stability) to help support TKP so that this content can continue. Keep in mind, the TKP that we know and love might not be able to function as we have come to know it without increased financial support. I would ask that you read this original post (especially those of you who have returned to activity during the season) for more information on Joe's options if we are unable to increase financial support for the site.
Joe's original post
To all users who are not members of The Key Players' Club, I have one thing to say to you:
JOIN
OR
DIE
USAFHokie beat me to it but this bears repeating.
Done #285
Yes! Let's get this train rolling again!
To all the lurkers out there who never/almost never post and therefore don't feel as compelled to join, I was once one of you. But I realized that, despite the fact that I don't engage in the community discussions as much as many, this website is still my escape when I need it. I easily spend more time here than anywhere else on the interwebs (with sites #2 - #7 being unmentionable on a SFW site), and I look forward to the great articles and funny banter on pretty much an hourly basis.
If you find yourself on the fence like I was, please help support this site for many great years of Hokie football to come. I know not everyone is in the financial position to do so, which is understandable, but you can't make a much better $7/month commitment than this. Hell, I pay $9 a month for Netflix and I definitely log more time on here than that.
Can't have this fall off the Active Discussions
To all you non key players club peeps
Joined! And silly excited to see the little key next to my name and get an official bottle opener. I don't really know much about basketball or football but trying to learn and in my opinion the articles are very well written and the website as a whole is very professional.
If someone like me, who never watched an entire college football game until three years ago can join, so can you!!!
That bottle opener is legit. It makes the keys Jangle quite loudly. And may or may not be TSA approved for carry on.
I never thought I'd be this is excited for a bottle opener. I usually check my mail about twice a week. This week? EVERY DAY *edit* except yesterday, I guess, because Joe emailed me the tracking info and it says it should be in my mailbox as I type
EDIT AGAIN: The sticker is on my car, the bottle opener looks good and I can officially confirm it effectively opens beers.
I think Joe does most of his shipping on Sundays. So I would expect it next week.
I think I signed up last week. I've been drunk on hype ever since so I can't confirm.
Edit for clarification: Not complaining about the shipping time. 2nd Edit: Because it's in my mailbox right meow
Still waiting on a job. Pledge to join still stands once a job gets nabbed
I'll give you a job, what do you do?
If you can get me a job, I'll use part of my first pay check to join TKPC. My email is willeggs@vt.edu.
I am also in this boat. If not, rest assured I would have joined already
What industry are you in?
manufacturing
Just moved to Richmond, used to own my own contracting business in Florida. Looking to switch into something else. Have an A+ certification for IT work. Applied to things ranging from IT to Underwriting to Operations Management.
Couldn't resist
Can I join again?
GET DIPPED!!!
Just joined after lurking for 4 years. After reading Joe said TKP may shut down if we can't get the TKP Clubs numbers up I first seriously considered joining, but I have to admit one of the reasons why I hesitated for a couple of months was every time I look at the progress bar on the website, it shows less than 25% of the goal and it made me feel my one vote is so insignificant. What convinced me was resonating with another member's comments that TKP is pretty much the #1 or top5 sites I visit so the investment is well justified.
Looking back to my thought process, I feel having some more achievable short-term goal may make lurkers feel more motivated because they can sense their contribution being important. For example, instead of showing we are ~712 members away this year, we can show 20 memberships signup are needed this week. It also gives us a reason to celebrate every time we hit that goal, which in turn will generate more threads and raise awareness of the campaign.
#TKPC345by3:45
Almost every single one of these comments have been by TKPlayers club members. Good showing, all.
I joined using some of my stipend from UNC. We demolished UNC and I used their money to support a Hokie football fan site. It was a good day.
I fully plan on joining after the Christmas holiday. Unfortunatly, $84 has a value here of probably around $250. To me though it is still 100% worth it. I love coming to this site and reading both the articles and the comments. For me TKP is not just a great site for VT football but also a place where I can speak and read about football. Living in Russia, most people think football is just what we call rugby and when I talk about it I have to call it "American football", which I fucking hate, or people think I am talking about soccer.
So I urge everybody to join TKP and I will follow you shortly. You will never find something better.
I'm in, number 290. For those on the fence, let's get to 300 by Saturday!
I WILL be #300! I promise.
BIG thanks to the TKPers below this comment who walked me through how to properly embed this image!
Stick this code in, just get rid of the space I added after the < and before the >
< img src="http://aolx.tmsimg.com/movieposters/v7/NowShowing/163191/p163191_p_v7_aa.jpg" / >
thanks... i finally got it!
Who will be #292?
Above the comment box on the left there is that little box that looks like a portrait of a mountain and the sun. You can click that button paste the link into it and click insert, if you don't want to fool with the code yourself.
someone should put together a "How To TKP" post with pictures labeling all the buttons and detailed instructions on how to use them. Joe could sticky this somewhere visible. I'd do it, but my stuff usually looks like my 5 year old went crazy with MS paint and, honestly, TKP deserves better.
Exhibit A:
If this sample is representative of your 5 year old, then you have a very precise 5 year old with very good fine motor skills. And your child understands how to label things in a diagram.
yes. we're quite proud of him.
i agree. what do C, D, E & F stand for?
did you try clicking on the graphic? Cause I figured people might ask...
I'm a technical software trainer, so I do this sort of thing for work all the time. I'd be more than willing to do this if people tell me what they want to see.
My wife will tell you I'm as tight as the bark on a tree but this is the best deal going.
The FUture is all good BUZZ so don't miss it.
I'm in today after I get home.
I wanna jump on the bandwagon here to get people to join TKPC. I used to spend hours on this site. Then my work situation changed, and I am now lucky to get on this site for a few minutes during day. I STILL think the money is worth every penny. TKP is my escape when I get a second to breathe. Its my first resource for VT Football news. Just because I cant spend all the time here I'd like doesn't mean the value of what I am getting is at all diluted. If your argument to not join is "I dont spend enough time on the site", I'd ask you to carefully consider the information you gain from visiting this site, instead of simply how much time you spend here.
If we get to 800, I will eat a slice of Papa Johns pizza with cheese, pepperoni, and mushrooms.
^^^^^Fireman's reaction to us getting enough members for him to eat Chipotle.
At what member count does a stuffed crust come into play?
You can't give TKP enough money for me to eat a stuffed crust.
I'll do this if we get to 250
lolz
I think I've been doing this for every new member.
Convinced the wife to join TKPC. On her next commission check it's happening!
And it's done. #309 as of Wednesday. I like to think I gave us some good juju for yesterday. You're welcome.
This site has been a Godsend during my current deployment. Thanks for providing an awesome community for Hokies around the world!
Thanks for your service.
seconded
This convinced me.
#299, y'all!
WHERE IS DRBAM
This means the world. Thank you for your service.
...aaaand I'm #293.
294! now what do I do?
tell your friends!
Enjoy the many fruits TKPC has to offer!
Open beers.
Profit!
297!
Been a full-time reader for a long time but never registered. That streak ends today.
I approve of this post.
Just joined!! Happy to support my #1 Hokie stop. Keep up the amazing work and thank you.
GO HOKIES!!!
c'mon VT faithful... TKP is THE site for VT athletics content and more...only 2 more to go and I'm in at #300!
I'm sure I will get the ban hammer, but I just need to get something straight as I was going to join but after seeing the comments from the head man here why would I. A few months ago you threaten to shut down the site basically, because of a lack of time and funding. Then you go on another thread and comment on how terrible the discussion is on the site. Now you are encouraging everyone to give you money?????
Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
I am very confused
He appears to mean well, but read what he has written in the past, very insulting.
Not sure what you mean. Some comments on the other thread were over the line (personal attacks) and it was brought up as not beneficial to the community. Which is true. As far as asking for money, you must not understand the time and effort it takes to run a website while having a family and other commitments as well. Joe works his ass off for this place. He has also asked politely, while still maintaining the site for free for those who do not have the funds to donate. It's just that. A donation. For something that this community really enjoys and wants to keep alive.
First of all, please don't tear Bible verses out of their intended context and use them for secular purposes, it bothers those of us in ministry. Second, politics and religion are not discussed on this site, it is for VT sports specifically and VT news in general. While I greatly enjoy discussing theology, the Bible and spiritual life with believers of all stripes and secularists alike, I refrain from doing so here because I honor the Community Guidelines. I humbly suggest you read them and do the same. Respectfully submitted.
Current seminary student here. I really appreciate and 100% agree with this.
Don't confuse the moderator with with the one who runs the website. Guitarman and Joe are both masters of their craft. But one is here to keep us in line, the other is here to organize and provide us with the brilliant content that we get on a daily basis. Neither has to do with the other.
Thank you.
One series of stupid comments does not undermine the integrity and overall awesomeness of this site. Joe has editorial responsibility for the great content. I stop people from being idiots in the comments sections (which I rarely have to do, which speaks to the overall quality of the community here - when I speak up about community expectations, it's usually because it's really necessary).
I assume you are referring to when Joe called out people for trashing a journalist from NC who did a Q&A with TKP? He merely stated he wanted better discourse on the site. I'm not sure who peed in your cereal today but TKP may not be the Hokies Site for you.
Suspicious.
28 years old, claims 2 degrees from VT, has been a member for one week, posts Bible verses on multiple threads, does a bit of flaming at the crowd, and is already familiar with the fact that it's called the ban hammer.
Suspicious indeed.
Suspicious? Maybe. But it is called a ban hammer on many different sites. Maybe just a little upset. Like I said, everyone aboard this train! No stopping, Choo Choo!
Dude, we're glad you're here, but you understand it takes time and $$$ to operate all of this, right?
Sometimes you just have to sit down and look at it.
1. I did not threaten to shut down TKP. I was being extremely transparent about its future. This is what I wrote.
That's the truth. TKP occupies way too much of my time. I am burned out. Almost every weekday I get up around 6:00 AM, do 2-3 hours of TKP work, then go to work. When I get home from work I do 2-3 hours more of TKP work. I am done doing that after this season. Instead, I would like to hire someone full-time to provide folks with excellent coverage of Virginia Tech athletics. If you enjoy TKP, don't want it to change, and are financially able to support, then that's who The Key Players Club is for.
2.
No. I said it was ridiculous to get salty because an objective reporter didn't say nice things about Virginia Tech. Because it is. TKP doesn't publish Q&A's to have sunshine blown up its ass. It's done to provide an outside perspective. Before the UNC game, Andrew Carter's outside perspective on the Hokies was "meh". Then Tech went out and whooped UNC's ass and earned a lot of respect outside of Blacksburg. I also wrote, "What's worse is the lack of intelligent discourse is trending on TKP, and that makes me sad." This is true. And it does make me sad because I don't want this place to go to shit because I care about it too much.
3. Your opinion was fine and I appreciate it. However, you and The Conductor are banned. I'm too tired to figure out if it's the same person behind both accounts, but the coordinated down/up voting and sheep trolling is what did the accounts in.
Joe, just wanted to take a second and let you know that i really appreciate what you've created here @ TKP. I look forward to all the content you and all the contributors produce.
I've got a couple shirts, pint glasses, and my awesome key chain.
GO HOKIES
Joe, you ravenous wolf, you.
Would ya look at that.
JUST KIDDING, I'M NOT HIM, I SWEAR!
#307 and counting... i feel some TKP momentum building... #325 by Miami is absolutely feasible.. LET'S GO HOKIES!!!!
Hey guys, new challenge time! Because we need something fun.
If we reach 325 TKP Club members by kickoff of the Miami game on Thursday, 10/20, I will randomly select five (5) TKP Club members and create a custom Photoshop job of anything they want, subject to the following stipulations:
1. All requests must be safe for embedding on TKP, subject to the normal Community Guidelines and general SFW considerations (I reserve the right to hold final judgment over what I will create)
2. I will do my best to publish them quickly, subject to my own time constraints
3. Winners will be chosen using a random number generator function in a program written in C or Perl (my choice, based on how I feel that day) and any TKP Club member at the time of the Miami kickoff will be eligible.
4. You must claim your prize. I will post the names of the five winners on this thread. You will have 48 hours after I post to provide me with your request.
First thing I said to myself when I saw this was, "would you look at that!".
I demand the random number generator be a Mersenne Twister
Hay, hold your horses. You only get to make demands if my RNG actually picks you.
cicrular dependency
Guess that leaves me out. Lmao! Nah, I could come up with SFW, but I need training in the photoshop department. I'm sure whoever gets selected will kill it.
To know if it's SFW, just ask yourself, "can I look at that?".
Why bother coding? Just use Random.org. Besides, PRNG's aren't as good as atmospheric background noise anyway.
/computer engineer rant
RANDOMLY PICK ME! I have a GREAT idea. You all might not even think it's weird.
I like, really want to know what it is now.
Even if my money goes to their beer fund, I'll gladly give it to them. Come on, look at the quality of this site. Nothing comes close.
2207?
Second Battalion, Second Company, Class of 2007
Dude was in Foxtrot Company.
Now the real question - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Corps Only?
Coming up with catchy screen names is hard. But yes, you're right.
And the answer is Army. Currently in New Orleans.
I DID IT! I FINALLY DID IT! AND IT FEELS GOOD! #303!!! no, seriously, I am this happy right now...
I love this and the hard work put into it. The world is mess and my escape is this site. By the end of October I plan on joining!
Best money I ever spent. Knowledge is so hard to come by and so freely given here. \Can't thank The Key Play enough!
Ok. So all we need is 42 more joining in the next 5 & a half hrs to have 345 by kick-off.
Long time lurker no more...number 305. Let's Go Hokies!
Same as VT91...I've been following this site for about 3 years, finally joined up. I seriously spend at least 30-60 minutes a day reading this site. Sorry it took me so long!
Thanks for everything Joe, et al.
Whoops, wrong thread
Just received my "The Key Play" bottle opener and it is a beautiful thing! Much heavier and nicer than I expected - great gift! Thank you!
This thread never deserves to die, especially after a big win! Let's keep growing the fam.
Emma Bump
Excellent, someone made pi
Now we just need to make tau
Yes. Yes they did.
The Key Player's Club has only existed for one season, and that's the season we finally won at Heinz Field.
Pat Narduzzi is the kind of person who wouldn't join The Key Players Club, even if he could afford it.
Don't be like Pat Narduzzi. Join The Key Players Club.
2 top notch articles and a Giftory in less than 12 hours?
YEahhhhhhhh #TKPC345by3:45
Fun fact, kickoff tomorrow is at 3:30 and we have 330 members in The Key Players Club...Oh wait, we're still 6 short. Come on people, get on that.
I'd join but, well, I can't
slightly OT: but remember to support TKP on Black Friday and this holiday season by using the link on the top right of the homepage! Use the link to shop online at amazon.com and a small percentage goes to TKP!
This this this this this.
Also join TKPC, everyone!
Quick bump for this since tomorrow is cyber monday. DO IT.
Join us.
via GIPHY
I got you, fam.
Hit the 330 number. 3 more to reach the 1/3 of overall goal.
Finally convinced my wife to use the Amazon link when buying stuff. May not show up anywhere, but if she stays with it will probably add up to more than me joining. Any easy way to share this link on facebook for some of us whose kids are ahead of us when it comes to social media?
#351. Squad up, join before kickoff, and if we win, it will obviously be because of you and me. Thanks for the great website, Joe and Co. Now let's go 1-0 this week.
VT sent me an email saying that I got some money back for the fall semester. Not really sure why I'm getting it, but it was more than $84. So I'm in.
This site has been so supportive for me and my videos that I produce, and I've wanted to support it for a while now -- just haven't been able to bring myself around to doing it on such a limited student budget.
edit: I'm taking credit for the Holston commit, even though it's been decided since this morning.
Testify!