Welcome to the New PiM

The Peninsula is Mightier is absolutely thrilled to be a part of SB Nation, the Web's premier blog network. I believed that before I joined, and after some early work on this magnificent platform, I believe it all the more now.

After the jump, my acceptance speech.

Allow myself to introduct myself. My name is Gregory Broome, and I'm a married father of two elementary school-age children. I'm a graduate of Wellington High School (near West Palm Beach) and the University of Central Florida, with a Bachelor's degree in English. I recently left my job in the newspaper business to launch my freelance writing and blogging career, and I've never been more excited to go to work every day, in part because I usually don't have to go anywhere.

A few Heat opinions, just to give you an idea of where I'm coming from: I think the Shaq trade was worth it, despite the mortgaged future; I think Dwyane Wade will eventually win an MVP award, but not this year; I think Michael Beasley never will win one, but will be a 20-10 guy for a decade; I think Joel Anthony is due for a breakout season and will be the team's starting center by the end of the year; I think Marcus Banks is better than you think he is; I think Alonzo Mourning should stay retired and enjoy his life, but I admire the determination it takes to want to come back again; I think Carlos Boozer would be an awful addition to the Heat, but Chris Bosh would be perfect.

A little more about my NBA experience: My favorite all-time Heat player is Mourning, followed by Steve Smith. I rooted for the Lakers in the Finals because I still am infatuated with Lamar Odom. I interviewed former Maverick/Bullet/etc. center Lorenzo Williams a couple of times and found him to be an extremely cool guy. I am the world's biggest Shawn Kemp fan - there are five of his jerseys and a framed photo hanging in my office, and he made me cry a couple of times during his career,  namely the SI story and the cocaine, but he taught me lessons about loyalty and unconditional love that serve me well as a husband and father. Seriously. 

Now let's get down to it.

I'd like to welcome everyone to PiM, and hope all of you will become regular visitors and contributors.

I'd like to thank all at SB Nation for the opportunity to join the Web's most respected alliance of NBA and sports bloggers, a group of talented writers I've read and admired long before this humble blog was launched just a few months ago.

I'd also like to thank the authors and editors at TrueHoop, Ball Don't Lie, Hardwood Paroxysm, Upside and Motor and other fine sites that were kind enough to direct their audience my way with a link.

More than anyone, I'd like to express my profound appreciation to my regular readers and subscribers at the original TPiM. The knowledge that I had a core group of people following what I was writing kept me going through those days when low traffic and creeping self-doubt compelled me to give the whole thing up.

As PiM launches on SB Nation today, I'm extremely glad I didn't.