Since early 2008, the Frosty Mug has been an everyday part of each weekday for a sizable segment of Brewers fans. But without some help, the trusted daily treasure trove of Brew Crew news could cease by year’s end. Following six seasons contributing to (and later editing) SB Nation’s Brew Crew Ball blog, and last season’s short-lived experiment with Milwaukee Magazine, Frosty Mug link round-up founder Kyle Lobner has taken to Kickstarter in hopes of extending his unique collection of daily Brewers news into an eighth season.
Lobner is seeking $10,500 to keep the Frosty Mug (now at BrewersFrostyMug.net) going through January 1, 2015 through the end of the next Brewers offseason. By the mugger’s math, that equates to about $25 a day or $6 hourly for the estimated four-hour everyday ordeal. Lobner anticipates the campaign funds will be a one-time cost to keep the site running through the first year, with the hope of showing prospective advertisers his traffic numbers will continue to the new URL. The Mug master is hinging the value of his new endeavor on posting daily.
“I think the Mug’s strongest asset is consistency,” Lobner says. “The Mug debuted in March of 2008 and has maintained or improved in quality while running reliably nearly every weekday and some weekends for better than half a decade. If you’re a reader you know exactly what to expect from the Mug each day, and it’s always there when you expect it to be. I take a lot of pride in being a reliable source for Brewers coverage in a medium where new sites come and go season-to-season and sometimes week-to-week.”
Calling the campaign a “fair litmus test,” Lobner, who serves as an Alderman in Appleton, says that if the campaign—which currently stands at $837 with 40 days remaining—is unsuccessful, he’ll step away from writing The Frosty Mug for good and focus on other projects.
“I’m either going to get proof that I have enough readership and interest to continue doing the Mug or I’m going to get a pretty clear indication that it’s time to do something else with my life,” Lobner says.
The campaign comes with rewards that range from heartfelt thanks ($1) to a Frosty Mug t-shirt ($25) and complete site sponsorship ($2,000), with other rewards in between those levels. If you’ve read Lobner’s diligent and thorough collection of Milwaukee Brewers news and/or if you’d like toin the future, now is the time to put your money where your mouth is.
“I think having a daily roundup of all things Brewers makes it easier for fans of the team to remain engaged in a significant way throughout the season and throughout the year,” Lobner says. “I think there’s a certain level of value to that, but at the end, I’m leaving it up to my readers to make that decision.”