Now? All Right.

Let’s move before they raise the parking rate.

Eight years after I began working for Rule of Tree as a writer, editor, and Twitter poster, the time has come for my retirement from ROT. It wouldn’t be right to leave without saying goodbye.

(As you may be aware, it’s a collective retirement for all of us at ROT, due to SB Nation’s direction in response to California’s AB5.)

I’m thankful for the fun times we’ve had during the last eight years, including Rose Bowl titles, playoff runs, Heisman hopes, rivalry wins, and Pac-12 titles. I’m also thankful for the more chaotic times, which made running this site and being part of the Cardinal community very interesting.

It’s been a lot of fun to be part of ROT over these times. We’ve gone viral a few times, celebrated a lot, started a few fun Twitter fights, and grown and changed. For me, the best part over the last few years has been working with young writers to help them sharpen their voice, start their journey in sports media, and contribute their voices.

When I began at ROT, I was eagerly beginning my career in sports media. Andrew Luck and I were seniors at Stanford together, and I was fortunate to cover his last full season on the Farm up close for The Stanford Daily.

Watching a true great play his sport with elegance, strength and creativity made me want to be a better writer, reporter, and reader. Now, he’s walked away from the game. Now I’m no longer a sportswriter.

I’m not trying to equate our journeys, but it does make me reflect on how our passions and goals change over time. I also know that we as humans use the world around us as markers of time and space, and for me, watching Luck walk away from the game was one of those events that made me reevaluate the bizarre journey that life take us on. Without us even knowing it sometimes, a new road emerges, and we take it.

Right now, I’m an MBA student, but I’ll likely keep my hands busy writing about something, somehow, someway. It’s a discipline that keeps my mind sharp and keeps me engaged with the world. I think - I hope - some of you have enjoyed being a part of the site for the last eight years.

I know ROT will change going forward, but I’ll always be part of the Stanford community, and I’d love to keep the conversation going with you. Send me a message at jmblanchat@gmail.com, or on Twitter @jackblanchat.

Now, it’s time to hang ‘em up. Go Card.