Two popular websites embrace print offshoots

I wrote awhile back about Grantland, the superb sports and pop culture website operated by Bill Simmons and funded by his bosses at ESPN. The site has grown into a lively alternative to more traditional sports brands (S.I., even ESPN) but is now finding success by going traditional -- to print.  

I also want to highlight a cool project from Voice of San Diego, a community-funded news site that is now publishing a monthly magazine in hopes of increasing its revenue. 

Both are more examples of web-first ventures wading into the world of print, both for new revenue but also to extend their brands. 

The sleeve on Grantland Quarterly 2 doubles as a cool two-sized poster. Sweet!"Grantland Quarterly" is a collection of Grantland's best and most interesting content from the previous three months. 

Simmons is ESPN's biggest star online, although I can only take him in small doses. His greatest gift to Grantland, however, is ceding the spotlight to a diverse group of lively writers. Chuck Klosterman, Malcolm Gladwell and Charles Pierce are just a few of the cast that make Grantland perhaps the most invigorating sports publication around. 

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