ChompTalk.com began in July 2016, as a hobby of it’s founder/editor, Brian Fox, Jr.
Brian had been a lifelong fan of the UF athletic programs, so after moving to Gainesville in 2015, and not knowing anyone there, Brian occupied his free time by attending whichever UF sporting event happened to be going on at the time.
In the summer of 2016, Brian rediscovered his passion for sports writing after penning several articles for a Philadelphia Phillies blog, Philliedelphia.com. It didn’t take long for him to realize he had the potential to combine his two favorite pastimes-sports writing and the Gators, and he began building his own Gators site.
On July 18, 2016, Brian founded TheGatorChompBlog.com and started posting articles about each sport program and every game he attended. While the earlier content proved to be barely more than journal entries, the success of the site grew. In a short time, over 1,000 fans had liked the Facebook page and one article made its way into Bleacher Report’s “Trending Articles” list.
In 2017, Brian reached out to various UF officials, introduced himself and his site, asked questions and requested interviews. This eventually led to his site earning press credentials for women’s basketball, gymnastics, softball, and lacrosse.
With the reputation and popularity of the site steadily growing, it was clear a re-brand was necessary. The site was no longer just a journal or blog; it had become a trusted source of information for the Gator Nation.
On July 1, 2018, ChompTalk.com debuted as a credentialed site for many UF sports.
In an effort to enhance the site and improve coverage, the 2018-19 academic year saw more photographers and writers join the ChompTalk team. Michael Pfeffer and Caroline Freeman became the first writers outside of Brian to have articles posted on the website, and Benjamin Fox, Kristen Oliff and Tony Pena assisted Brian with taking photos of the teams in action.
Recognizing the quality and integrity of the site, UF Journalism students began inquiring about covering teams and writing articles and game recaps for ChompTalk, in order to build their professional portfolios. Beginning with the 2019-20 athletic calendar, ChompTalk.com had dedicated beat writers for each sport, which greatly enhanced it’s coverage of those programs.
In August 2020, ChompTalk.com debuted two podcasts, one with a focus on the football program and another with a focus on all-UF sports.
ChompTalk would like to thank the following people for their time, dedication and contributions to our site. You are truly appreciated!
Writers:
Brian D. Fox, Jr.
Michael Pfeffer (2018-
Caroline Freeman (2018-
Caitlin Todd (2018)
Olivia Granaiola (2018)
Brandon Buckman (2018-19)
Ainslie Lee (2019-2020)
Sophia LaFrance (2019)
Mark Stine (2019-
Juan Aguerreve (2019
Joseph Erickson (2019)
John Miceli (2019-20)
Joseph Salvador (2019)
Tyler Lynch (2019-
Brandon Eisenman (2019-20)
Hector Rodriguez (2020)
Griffin Foll (2020-
Payton Titus (2020-
Monica Exantus (2020)
Ryan Haley (2020-
Elizabeth Libby Shenberger (2021-
Faith Buckley (2021-
Photographers:
Benjamin Fox (2016-
Kristen Oliff (2016-20)
Tony Pena (2017-
Sponsors:
Tom Francella – The UPS Store at Tower Square
Twitter: @ChompTalk
Facebook: @ChompTalk
Instagram: @ChompTalk
Please feel free to contact us via email at: admin@chomptalk.com