It’s finally time!
Magazines are nearby. Coffee is brewing. I may not be in my exact same vacation spot — thanks a lot, pandemic — but football writing has begun!
I’m hardly the first to detail how crazy and unorthodox everything has been in 2020, but, like everyone else, I also have to address it. Before I begin with anything about the website, I do want to ease people’s concerns immediately.
For starters, I always give a discount for returning members. This year, I’m doubling the normal discount from 20 percent to 40 percent off the first payment. If you’re coming back, a coupon will have automatically been applied. As always, if I miss it — sometimes the system beats me to it — I’ll refund the difference as soon as possible. New member discounts will go from 15 percent to 20 percent off the first payment.
There’s more to this. Many of you have been with me since the start of Sporfolio — some even before that — and I can’t stress enough how grateful I am for the support. I want to do the same.
Every year, we bond over football. Many of you send me emails that start with a comment about the picks and then it morphs into something — even if it’s small — about the game we love. I treasure that. As a writer, getting someone to read your work is infinitely harder than actually writing it. To know that you continue to do so is the ultimate driving force. Money isn’t.
We’ve all had our struggles over the past few months. I need you each to know that, if you are struggling to pay the fee for this website, please tell me immediately. Then, tell me how much you are comfortable paying and I will honor it. No questions asked. If you cannot pay a single cent, just tell me and you will get this year’s content for free.
Yes.
We’ve all had a hard time relaxing in 2020, and I do not want this website to be something that adds to the stress. It’s the opposite. You’re supposed to come here, read way too many words about the weekend’s football games, question my insanity, and then make your picks. You are not supposed to worry about how to pay for it.
This extends to everyone; not just the returning members. If you’ve never been a part of the site because money was tight, then here’s your chance. Join, email me letting me know about your current situation, and name your price. It will be accepted.
Otherwise, the 40 percent discount will hit and football — and the website in general — will continue to proceed as planned. We all know anything can change in at a moment’s notice.
Taking this whole thing one step further, I’m also extremely aware that almost everyone who joins this site is here for the football picks, so I know how important an NFL season is to all of us. To keep it simple, if the football season is cancelled in its entirety, then I’ll refund everyone in full. I am proud that we actually did have content throughout the pandemic — mainly NASCAR — but I recognize why almost everyone is here. Of course, I hope this doesn’t happen, but I want it laid out from the start.
The more likely scenario is that the season starts and stops. That would be a killer, and I hope it isn’t the case. It shouldn’t impact anyone who is weekly or monthly — they can just request to cancel — but I assume the best we can do for the annual subscribers is break it up into quarters. Everyone is paying 60 percent of an annual subscription for this year, so I’ll basically refund 15 percent at the end for every four weeks we don’t play. I think we all know that, if the season were to be cut short, we’d have much bigger problems than my articles.
On that note, I sincerely hope that everyone is doing well during these crazy times. I know that I was lost without sports for awhile, and I can vouch for the struggle. If you’re feeling the same way and need someone to talk to, please don’t hesitate to email.
As for all emails, I tend to have a pretty unreliable email server. If you send me one that needs a response — like a request for a lower payment in 2020 — please send it again after a few days if I haven’t confirmed receipt of it. I will respond to all emails eventually — sometimes I’m just slow — with the exception of the negative venting ones that don’t need a response. If it’s money-related, I’ll always respond. I also recommend using the email address directly and not the contact form on the website. Send everything to contact@sporfolio.com.
Once again, I hope that everyone is safe and healthy. It’s time for me to get back to my research. Believe-it-or-not, it’s one of the things I love most about this job.
Take care,
Mario
To sign up, please visit the pricing page and choose your subscription plan. New members can use the promo code “2020” and get 20 percent off the first payment, but again, email me at contact@sporfolio.com if you need more than that.
Here are the results of the NFL Against-the-Spread Picks:
*Confidence Picks – 2019 Season: 57-43-3 (57.0%)
(2018 Season: 63-48-4) (2017 Season: 53-48-4) (2016 Season: 53-67-3) (2015 Season: 69-45-2) (2014 Season: 61-46-2) (6-Year Total: 356-297-18)
All Picks Against Spread – 2019 Season: 142-118-7 (54.6%)
(2018 Season: 137-118-12) (2017 Season: 137-119-11) (2016 Season: 123-136-8) (2015 Season: 143-117-7) (2014 Season: 149-114-4) (6-Year Total: 831-722-49)