If you were to put a gun to my head and ask me who I'd most want to see start a blog I'd be forced to say an English Premier League football player.

Now before I get started with what makes a football player an interesting candidate it bears mentioning that there are blogs (such as the NFL player Frank Gore's) and then there are blogs. Many celebrities have toyed with releasing their latest happenings and spewing packageable word-vomit (thanks Sarah) to satisfy the insatiable cravings that marketers have created for “more” of their brand. More noise, more sequels... more repackaging of the same drivel that we're given time and time again.

The main appeal of a blog for me is that it takes content to another level - it speaks in a voice that's unique to its author that lets you feel that even if you don't come away with more knowledge or information, you will leave with a better understanding.

At the end of the day a blog should be a relationship-building tool.

Unfortunately, it's all too understandable why a team or sponsor wouldn't want the latest 18 year-old footballing prodigy to have his own direct link with the masses. Getting paid $200,000 a week and being made the subject of our twisted media's focus won't generally result in the most diplomatic of individuals. And it may give too many different voices in a team or organisation that must present a united front through thick and thin.

Still, football has given us some of the most memorable characters in all of sport. From the self-deified Maradona through to the villainous Vinnie Jones and the metrosexual pin-up himself. Living together in a dressing room must make for phenomenal backstories and opinions that are surely worth quite a bit – both in monetary and branding terms.

The last thing a club would want though would be for another Roy Keane to go on a highly undiplomatic tirade: “I'd waited long enough. I ****ing hit him hard. The ball was there [I think]. Take that you ****.” - Keane, referring to his notorious tackle on an opponent in his autobiography.

Nevertheless, imagine how successful a blog may become for supporting a young sports star in a developing country. Such an individual is about to embark on an arduous journey with potentially massive rewards at the end – an adventure in pursuit of the holy grail of sorts. That's got to be marketable.

Yeah, exposing somebody to the bloodthirsty wolves at an early age is far from a good idea – especially considering that sports stars often operate at the mercy of their fans. But what about having his mentor or family blog in the athlete's stead? Or what if it's for a sport that doesn't necessarily gain that much recognition?

Frank Gore's blog for example is all “we're moving in the right direction” and more nauseating positivity. Where's the angst and interesting personas? Where are those sport stars that remain enigmas, or those that you'd be terrified of meeting in a dark alley? I'm talking about the ones that inspire the stuff that we're used to seeing on the IMDB.

Sportstars have a limited shelf-life. In football the lucky ones can play until they’re about 40. In some sports they can carry on for a bit longer. Many seek a completely different career once their time on the turf is up – actors, presenters, commentators, television show hosts, writers, etc. Heck, Gordon Ramsay even became a celebrity chef (not that he had the most prolific footballing career at Rangers). And how can we ignore the George Foreman Grill?

Sports personas (and other celebrities) carry marketability about them that can be transferred into a different avenue once their primary career is up and done. The millions they receive may allow them to become authorities on sports cars, fine dining, or on a number of other interests.

And whilst their personalities may have to be carefully packaged when becoming the voice of a team or sponsor, their colourful eccentricities can be quarantined and utilized in specific disciplines. One can easily imagine a controversial sports star following the politically incorrect Jeremy Clarkson into motor journalism.

Almost all of the examples of sports stars making it big after their careers are up have involved these celebrities using their previous time in the limelight to leverage their current ventures. Bearing this in mind one can easily imagine a cleverly implemented blog acting as an investment for their future.