A Few Seconds of Panic by Stefan Fatsis is THE sports book of the summer -- probably the fall, too, given its NFL-focused subject. It will certainly make my short list for Best Sports Books of 2008.
The premise is simple: Fatsis goes to NFL training camp as a kicker with the Broncos. But this is no "Paper Lion" -- it's better. It's the most fascinating look at life inside the NFL that I have ever read, but also this totally engaging personal narrative by this guy who could be you or me -- certainly one of your buddies -- with an absolutely amazing story to tell. Fatsis just happens to be a uniquely gifted writer, too, who can pull it off. (He wrote the similarly must-read "Word Freak.")
I'm going to have a more extensive review next week, but if you are looking for an absolutely awesome read for this long holiday weekend -- or anytime the rest of this summer, pick up the book, either at the store or via Amazon. (And, if you're jonesing for the NFL in early July, this totally satisfies that craving.)
(Hardback books are often hard to recommend. In this case, it's one you'll want to have on your shelf long after you have enjoyed it. I actually recently reorganized my main "sports-book" bookshelf, which is large; the process of paring it down was much more involved than I thought it would be, but I had a chance to really revisit my favorite sports books of all time. As it happens, "A Few Seconds of Panic" made the cut.)
Kudos to Fatsis on an amazing effort. Get this book.
-- D.S.
(It must be noted that last December, Fatsis gave me and this blog a name-check on his weekly NPR sports segment, related to a turn-of-phrase I made about Tim Tebow breaking the Heisman's traditional "Class Ceiling." I was a fan of Fatsis long before that.)
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Thursday 07/03 A.M. Quickie:
Favre, A-Rod, Longoria, Maggette, More
It's a good day for rumor-mongering, which is why I lead my Sporting News column today with some of the choicest:
Brett Favre unretiring? Come on! Who DIDN'T see this coming? He can deny all he wants (and he isn't even denying it!), but you know it's happening.
A-Rod and Cynthia splitting? And not just over A-Rod being with Madonna, but C-Rod is supposedly rocking out with Lenny Kravitz (between A-Rod's dabbling in Jewish mysticism and Cynthia hanging with Kravitz, the two Rods SO love the Jewish thing).
The Rays bandwagon should reach epic proportions, following their sweep of the Red Sox in Tampa. (0-6 at Fenway? Who cares: If the season ended today, the Red Sox would have the bigger problem, sitting behind the Rays in the standings and 0-6 at the Trop.) I'm not sure if the Rays are the best story in baseball this decade, but they are the MLB story of 2008 for sure.
Meanwhile, you have to feel awful for Seattle NBA fans, who officially lost the Sonics when the city sold them out to Clay Bennett for $45 million and the hope that the NBA will put a team there again someday. Good luck with that. It sucks for Seattle fans, with the only solace being that they have had months to prepare. But it sounds like now the team moves virtually overnight. (On the other hand, congrats to Oklahoma City, a fan base that earned its cred with its unconditional support of the Hornets while the team was relocated.) It will be wierd not to have the green and gold Seattle Sonics anymore, though.
Katie Hoff is awesome.
Everyone suddenly loves Corey Maggette, because he can't make more than the MLE, so he has the freedom to pick a contender (my money is on the Spurs, and he helps them continue their on-again, off-again, on-again championship run).
No Sporting News column tomorrow (or over the weekend, as usual), but I will be blogging all three days, if you have any interest in popping by. Otherwise, have a safe and relaxing long weekend. Another post or two coming this morning, I think.
-- D.S.
Brett Favre unretiring? Come on! Who DIDN'T see this coming? He can deny all he wants (and he isn't even denying it!), but you know it's happening.
A-Rod and Cynthia splitting? And not just over A-Rod being with Madonna, but C-Rod is supposedly rocking out with Lenny Kravitz (between A-Rod's dabbling in Jewish mysticism and Cynthia hanging with Kravitz, the two Rods SO love the Jewish thing).
The Rays bandwagon should reach epic proportions, following their sweep of the Red Sox in Tampa. (0-6 at Fenway? Who cares: If the season ended today, the Red Sox would have the bigger problem, sitting behind the Rays in the standings and 0-6 at the Trop.) I'm not sure if the Rays are the best story in baseball this decade, but they are the MLB story of 2008 for sure.
Meanwhile, you have to feel awful for Seattle NBA fans, who officially lost the Sonics when the city sold them out to Clay Bennett for $45 million and the hope that the NBA will put a team there again someday. Good luck with that. It sucks for Seattle fans, with the only solace being that they have had months to prepare. But it sounds like now the team moves virtually overnight. (On the other hand, congrats to Oklahoma City, a fan base that earned its cred with its unconditional support of the Hornets while the team was relocated.) It will be wierd not to have the green and gold Seattle Sonics anymore, though.
Katie Hoff is awesome.
Everyone suddenly loves Corey Maggette, because he can't make more than the MLE, so he has the freedom to pick a contender (my money is on the Spurs, and he helps them continue their on-again, off-again, on-again championship run).
No Sporting News column tomorrow (or over the weekend, as usual), but I will be blogging all three days, if you have any interest in popping by. Otherwise, have a safe and relaxing long weekend. Another post or two coming this morning, I think.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Terry Pluto Is Living In Denial Re LeBron
"Too early to talk about it?" Give me a break. What I'm wondering is: What took everyone so long? Some of us have been spouting this for years already.
Here's my question: Resignation aside, why don't Cavs fans just enjoy the next two seasons? That's what Pluto should have said. (Second question: If LeBron leaves, will Cavs fans hate him?)
Another: Why aren't Cavs fans more outraged that LeBron does nothing to quash the speculation (his lack of quashing a big reason that there is speculation to begin with)?
Perhaps it's because they're so afraid that if they express any outrage about it, it provides him with a more convenient excuse to leave -- which he is going to do anyway.
(Presuming that Cavs ownership eventually realizes that there's no way in hell that LeBron is staying, I hope they have the good sense to deal him at the 2010 trading deadline.)
So there you have it, Cavs fans: Enjoy the next two seasons and STFU -- OR -- get noisy about it and force LeBron to make the same commitment to you that you have to him.
Those are the only two options that retain any modicum of self-respect for yourselves; what most of you are doing now -- irrational and angry denial at those who say Brooklyn is a done-deal and/or meek acquiescence toward LeBron himself -- is slightly pathetic.
-- D.S.
Here's my question: Resignation aside, why don't Cavs fans just enjoy the next two seasons? That's what Pluto should have said. (Second question: If LeBron leaves, will Cavs fans hate him?)
Another: Why aren't Cavs fans more outraged that LeBron does nothing to quash the speculation (his lack of quashing a big reason that there is speculation to begin with)?
Perhaps it's because they're so afraid that if they express any outrage about it, it provides him with a more convenient excuse to leave -- which he is going to do anyway.
(Presuming that Cavs ownership eventually realizes that there's no way in hell that LeBron is staying, I hope they have the good sense to deal him at the 2010 trading deadline.)
So there you have it, Cavs fans: Enjoy the next two seasons and STFU -- OR -- get noisy about it and force LeBron to make the same commitment to you that you have to him.
Those are the only two options that retain any modicum of self-respect for yourselves; what most of you are doing now -- irrational and angry denial at those who say Brooklyn is a done-deal and/or meek acquiescence toward LeBron himself -- is slightly pathetic.
-- D.S.
Slide Over, Koufax: So Does Alex Rodriguez Now Qualify As a Jewish Baseball Player?
Is A-Rod the greatest Jewish baseball player ever?
So one quite awesome detail about the A-Rod/Madonna story is that according to the New York Post, A-Rod has reportedly been studying Kabbalah, a "Jewish mystical practice popularized by Madonna."
OK. Hold it right there.
I am officially embracing A-Rod as an officially unofficially officially Jewish baseball player.
Today was already sizing up as an amazing one for fans of Jewish baseball players -- perhaps the most selective of all of the various segments of baseball players. Kevin Youkilis appears to be headed for an All-Star Game starting position, and Ryan Braun was giving Kosuke Fukudome a run for his money as the 3rd NL outfield starter.
But this tops them both. I welcome A-Rod to the meshpuchah as an honorary participant.
Hank Greenberg. Sandy Koufax. (Rod Carew, per Commenters). Alex Rodriguez.
This changes everything.
-- D.S.
So one quite awesome detail about the A-Rod/Madonna story is that according to the New York Post, A-Rod has reportedly been studying Kabbalah, a "Jewish mystical practice popularized by Madonna."
OK. Hold it right there.
I am officially embracing A-Rod as an officially unofficially officially Jewish baseball player.
Today was already sizing up as an amazing one for fans of Jewish baseball players -- perhaps the most selective of all of the various segments of baseball players. Kevin Youkilis appears to be headed for an All-Star Game starting position, and Ryan Braun was giving Kosuke Fukudome a run for his money as the 3rd NL outfield starter.
But this tops them both. I welcome A-Rod to the meshpuchah as an honorary participant.
Hank Greenberg. Sandy Koufax. (Rod Carew, per Commenters). Alex Rodriguez.
This changes everything.
-- D.S.
Wednesday 07/02 A.M. Quickie:
MLB All-Star Voting, Rays, Baron D, More
As I wrote in the lead of today's Sporting News column, I am torn about the All-Star Voting (which ends tonight): Six Red Sox in the starting lineup would make me retch; six Red Sox in the starting lineup at Yankee Stadium would make me laugh.
There is a middle ground: Youkilis, Pedroia, Manny, Papi -- yes. Varitek and Drew -- no. Either way, Red Sox Nation is flexing; the Rest of the Nation isn't organized enough to rally around one "Anyone But Red Sox" contender at each position.
Meanwhile, I would love to see Kosuke Fukudome make the All-Star Game as a starter -- but not at the expense of Ryan Braun, who probably ranks as my favorite active player. Should be an interesting final surge today; presumably, Japan in its entirety rallies more than Milwaukee.
In the NBA, the Baron Davis deal putting him in LA with the Clippers is fascinating. Remember yesterday that I was saying Gilbert Arenas is first-team All-NBA when it comes to entertainment? Baron joins him, instantly giving the Clips a star they can build some enthusiasm around -- not to mention lure Elton Brand back (if he doesn't go to Golden State) and pair with rookie Eric Gordon.
Oh, and the Seattle judge decides on the fate of the Sonics today: My bet is that they are allowed to leave for OK City.
Finally, you might still be a month away from caring about watching Olympic events on TV, but you really should be watching the US Olympic swimming trials, where world records are falling every night and the nail-biting finishes between going-to-Beijing 2nd and going-home 3rd are intense.
Here is the complete column.
More later. I have a book review ready for a new book that I think is a must-read for this long weekend.
-- D.S.
There is a middle ground: Youkilis, Pedroia, Manny, Papi -- yes. Varitek and Drew -- no. Either way, Red Sox Nation is flexing; the Rest of the Nation isn't organized enough to rally around one "Anyone But Red Sox" contender at each position.
Meanwhile, I would love to see Kosuke Fukudome make the All-Star Game as a starter -- but not at the expense of Ryan Braun, who probably ranks as my favorite active player. Should be an interesting final surge today; presumably, Japan in its entirety rallies more than Milwaukee.
In the NBA, the Baron Davis deal putting him in LA with the Clippers is fascinating. Remember yesterday that I was saying Gilbert Arenas is first-team All-NBA when it comes to entertainment? Baron joins him, instantly giving the Clips a star they can build some enthusiasm around -- not to mention lure Elton Brand back (if he doesn't go to Golden State) and pair with rookie Eric Gordon.
Oh, and the Seattle judge decides on the fate of the Sonics today: My bet is that they are allowed to leave for OK City.
Finally, you might still be a month away from caring about watching Olympic events on TV, but you really should be watching the US Olympic swimming trials, where world records are falling every night and the nail-biting finishes between going-to-Beijing 2nd and going-home 3rd are intense.
Here is the complete column.
More later. I have a book review ready for a new book that I think is a must-read for this long weekend.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Gilbert Arenas: Washington or Golden State?
The Warriors want Gilbert Arenas back. Badly. I think if the Wizards hadn't re-signed Antawn Jamison so quickly and aggressively, Gilbert would have thought twice; now, I can't seem him turning down roughly equal money to bail on teammates and a town he loves in D.C.
(One rumor has the Maloofs desperate to bring him to Sacto; I understand the impulse: As I've been saying for a while, if you're not winning the NBA title -- as the Kings and Wiz aren't -- you have to go for highest entertainment value. And that's where Gilbert is All-NBA.)
Still, the offer made me nervous, if only because with Gil, you never know.
-- D.S.
Tuesday 07/01 A.M. Quickie:
Rays, Tigers, NBA Free Agency, More
Where are all the Rays fans? That's the lead of today's Sporting News column.
Sure, the Trop was 80 percent full last night, but -- seriously? -- the first-place Rays were playing their new-rival Red Sox. I know it was a Monday, but it was also probably half Red Sox fans; despite the Rays' success, the fans aren't following. What a shame.
As I said in today's column, there are more Rays fans among other teams' fans than there are natural Rays fans. There is no shame in being bandwagon here, MLB fans who live in Florida. Adopt the Rays today, and no one will ever fault you for it.
Meanwhile, for something presumed to be a dud, NBA Free Agency is kind of hopping today: Antawn Jamison went back to the Wiz, presumably setting the table for an Arenas return, too. Baron Davis opted out, as did Brand and Maggette from the Clips. The Knicks are looking at Chris Duhon; presumably, others might be, too.
And yet all anyone can talk about is 2010. I'm going to try to have a post about that later today.
-- D.S.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Monday 06/30 A.M. Quickie:
Phelps, Hoff, Gay, Rays, Lackey, More
Now that Tiger Woods is done for the year, it is clear that Michael Phelps will be the biggest superstar in sports in America -- perhaps the world -- this year.
That's why he is leading today's Sporting News column, even though the Olympics don't start for another 5 weeks.
You got a taste last night when he broke the world record in the 400 IM, in a phenomenally dramatic swim with Ryan Lochte.
NBC was right on to put Phelps in prime time -- he is even more ready for the spotlight than he was in Athens 4 years ago.
Meanwhile, the Rays are in 1st place. It is June 30 and the Rays are in 1st place. And in a delightful bit of scheduling karma, they play the Red Sox at the Trop.
Now, what's the over-under on the attendance tonight. Anything less than a sell-out is a shame, but I wouldn't put it past the region to only make the place half-full -- oh, unless Red Sox fans show up to fill up the rest.
NBA Free Agency starts today: As a Wizards and Gil Arenas fan, I should probably be at least slightly nervous that something will go wrong before he signs a new deal with them, now that he has become an unrestricted free agent.
Count me among the folks who are willing to take a risk and give him max or near-max money. As long as the Wizards aren't winning any NBA titles -- and, let's face it, they aren't, now or anytime soon -- I want one of the Top 3 most entertaining players in the league on my team.
There's a lot more in the column. Check it out here. More later.
-- D.S.
That's why he is leading today's Sporting News column, even though the Olympics don't start for another 5 weeks.
You got a taste last night when he broke the world record in the 400 IM, in a phenomenally dramatic swim with Ryan Lochte.
NBC was right on to put Phelps in prime time -- he is even more ready for the spotlight than he was in Athens 4 years ago.
Meanwhile, the Rays are in 1st place. It is June 30 and the Rays are in 1st place. And in a delightful bit of scheduling karma, they play the Red Sox at the Trop.
Now, what's the over-under on the attendance tonight. Anything less than a sell-out is a shame, but I wouldn't put it past the region to only make the place half-full -- oh, unless Red Sox fans show up to fill up the rest.
NBA Free Agency starts today: As a Wizards and Gil Arenas fan, I should probably be at least slightly nervous that something will go wrong before he signs a new deal with them, now that he has become an unrestricted free agent.
Count me among the folks who are willing to take a risk and give him max or near-max money. As long as the Wizards aren't winning any NBA titles -- and, let's face it, they aren't, now or anytime soon -- I want one of the Top 3 most entertaining players in the league on my team.
There's a lot more in the column. Check it out here. More later.
-- D.S.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Sunday 06/29 (Very) Quickie
If you had to pick only one story to talk about this weekend, it is a baseball milestone that is even more exclusive than the 600 HR Club:
The Angels became only the 5th team in MLB history to lose after pitching a no-hitter. Jared Weaver and Jose Arredondo get the no-no, but the Dodgers get the win.
Matt Kemp: Reached 1B on an error. Took 2B on a SB. Got 3B on another error. Scored on a sac fly.
Otherwise, the Dodgers got bupkus; unfortunately for the Angels pitchers, that was one more bupkus than the Angels had.
Meanwhile, Euro 08 final today: Germany (without Ballack?) vs. Spain, seemingly destined to break its curse today.
Tyson Gay: New American record in the 100M.
NBA: Lot of talk that the Knicks want a PG and that Stephon Marbury is as good as released when that happens. (Hmm: Monta Ellis in a sign-and-trade? Would the Warriors want to give up on him?) Meanwhile, is there going to be a Camby-for-Hinrich deal?
Sports of interest in our house today: US Olympic swimming trials.
-- D.S.
The Angels became only the 5th team in MLB history to lose after pitching a no-hitter. Jared Weaver and Jose Arredondo get the no-no, but the Dodgers get the win.
Matt Kemp: Reached 1B on an error. Took 2B on a SB. Got 3B on another error. Scored on a sac fly.
Otherwise, the Dodgers got bupkus; unfortunately for the Angels pitchers, that was one more bupkus than the Angels had.
Meanwhile, Euro 08 final today: Germany (without Ballack?) vs. Spain, seemingly destined to break its curse today.
Tyson Gay: New American record in the 100M.
NBA: Lot of talk that the Knicks want a PG and that Stephon Marbury is as good as released when that happens. (Hmm: Monta Ellis in a sign-and-trade? Would the Warriors want to give up on him?) Meanwhile, is there going to be a Camby-for-Hinrich deal?
Sports of interest in our house today: US Olympic swimming trials.
-- D.S.
Friday, June 27, 2008
AJ Daulerio New Deadspin Editor;
Clay Travis Named Associate Editor
Hope none of you put your money on me! (I wouldn't have.)
Two amazing hires, starting at the top. AJ Daulerio is an incredible talent and he offers a seamless transition from the Leitch Era; the talented Clay Travis is/was woefully undervalued at CBSSports.com, and this is his perfect platform that should introduce him to even more fans. Rick Chandler stays in place. Awful Announcing's Brian Powell takes a new role.
Can't wait to see what these guys can do, but the future looks very good for Deadspin.
On that note, all best to Will Leitch in his new post-Deadspin life. Fantastic run is understatement.
-- D.S.
Two amazing hires, starting at the top. AJ Daulerio is an incredible talent and he offers a seamless transition from the Leitch Era; the talented Clay Travis is/was woefully undervalued at CBSSports.com, and this is his perfect platform that should introduce him to even more fans. Rick Chandler stays in place. Awful Announcing's Brian Powell takes a new role.
Can't wait to see what these guys can do, but the future looks very good for Deadspin.
On that note, all best to Will Leitch in his new post-Deadspin life. Fantastic run is understatement.
-- D.S.
Friday 06/27 A.M. Quickie:
NBA Draft, Nets, Mayo, Love, Garza, More
UPDATE: The Stephen A. Smith sock puppet is, hands down, my favorite tradition of the NBA Draft. Brilliant -- as ever.
If you followed my NBA Draft Twitter feed last night, you know how I felt about the broadcast: That was the single worst desk of analysts I have ever seen for a major sporting event. The analysis from Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy was banal (at best); there was no chance of conventional wisdom being driven from what they had to say, because they really didn't say much of anything. Bilas was strong, but he has a fetish for wingspan. You were better off tracking the various live-blogs out there, and I'm not even talking about my Twitter effort.
Anyway, one of my biggest frustrations -- and I have to believe that the NBA told ESPN that it was off-limits on-air -- was that they didn't link the Nets' moves to recruiting LeBron. Cripes, is it so opaque?! Yi? China foothold. Lopez? Post-anchoring 7-footer. Anderson and Douglas-Roberts? High-upside bench complements, CDR in particular being a steal who might one day replace the need for Vince Carter. This wasn't a draft about 2008 -- it was a draft about 2010. This should be all that people are talking about today -- certainly the biggest story -- and it led my Sporting News column, as you could imagine.
UPDATE: Ken Berger of Newsday totally gets it.
Otherwise, the draft was midly interesting, but not really. The Mayo-Love trade -- which came well after the choices were made -- was kind of fascinating. Doesn't Jefferson-Love-Miller-Foye feel like a good core for the T'wolves? And doesn't Mayo-Conley-Gay do the same for the Grizzlies? At least they will be fun to watch.
Update: Henry Abbott is on to something, that the Grizzlies might be positioning to trade Mayo to the Heat for Beasley. Plus other things, but that would seem to make the most sense for everyone, given everyone's interests.
The rest of the draft was a bit of a dud. Yes, the Heat got Beasley, but rumors won't go away that they'll try to shop him still. Yes, the Sonics got "next Rondo" Russell Westbrook, a pretty good complement to Durant. I think that the Blazers did well to trade for Bayless, who is a terrific complement to Brandon Roy. If you're going to have a small combo guard, it helps to have a large combo guard running beside him. For all the hoopla around Derrick Rose and the "Era of the Point Guard," I think the real trend we'll see is the "Era of the Complementary Combo Guards."
On a personal level, I was entirely disappointed by my Wizards, who passed on all sorts of talent for JaVale McGee, who most believe is a 7-foot stiff who can't even really play defense, let alone offense. I know the Wizards have a pretty full roster, but with yet another playoff flame-out, you'd think they might want someone who can help right away. Guess that's what free-agency is for. (They had my hopes up when they drafted Bill Walker, then traded him away to the Celtics, where I'm sure in 3 years he will be some kind of freakish scoring machine.)
Loved the Heat grabbing Mario Chalmers in the second round. Loved the Nets grabbing CDR, obviously. Loved the fact that the NBA blogging and analyzing fan-boys can't get enough of anything that Portland GM Kevin Pritchard or Seattle GM Sam Presti do.
Oh, and the Knicks blew it, I think. The fans hate the pick and Gallinari's upside is questionable; the right pick if they were going for small forward was Joe Alexander, whose insane work ethic and amazing athleticism would have electrified the Garden from the start. Instead, Alexander ends up in Milwaukee, playing the same position as new franchise cornerstone Richard Jefferson; hey, maybe they will complement each other.
Anyway, the draft is a ton of fun -- right up there with the NCAA Tournament as my favorite event of the sports year. And now it's behind us; we can start looking ahead to summer leagues and the minimal activity in free agency this season. Remember: It's all about 2010. We have two years to get there, but it looks like the Nets are already well on their way.
Full Sporting News column here.
More later.
-- D.S.
If you followed my NBA Draft Twitter feed last night, you know how I felt about the broadcast: That was the single worst desk of analysts I have ever seen for a major sporting event. The analysis from Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy was banal (at best); there was no chance of conventional wisdom being driven from what they had to say, because they really didn't say much of anything. Bilas was strong, but he has a fetish for wingspan. You were better off tracking the various live-blogs out there, and I'm not even talking about my Twitter effort.
Anyway, one of my biggest frustrations -- and I have to believe that the NBA told ESPN that it was off-limits on-air -- was that they didn't link the Nets' moves to recruiting LeBron. Cripes, is it so opaque?! Yi? China foothold. Lopez? Post-anchoring 7-footer. Anderson and Douglas-Roberts? High-upside bench complements, CDR in particular being a steal who might one day replace the need for Vince Carter. This wasn't a draft about 2008 -- it was a draft about 2010. This should be all that people are talking about today -- certainly the biggest story -- and it led my Sporting News column, as you could imagine.
UPDATE: Ken Berger of Newsday totally gets it.
Otherwise, the draft was midly interesting, but not really. The Mayo-Love trade -- which came well after the choices were made -- was kind of fascinating. Doesn't Jefferson-Love-Miller-Foye feel like a good core for the T'wolves? And doesn't Mayo-Conley-Gay do the same for the Grizzlies? At least they will be fun to watch.
Update: Henry Abbott is on to something, that the Grizzlies might be positioning to trade Mayo to the Heat for Beasley. Plus other things, but that would seem to make the most sense for everyone, given everyone's interests.
The rest of the draft was a bit of a dud. Yes, the Heat got Beasley, but rumors won't go away that they'll try to shop him still. Yes, the Sonics got "next Rondo" Russell Westbrook, a pretty good complement to Durant. I think that the Blazers did well to trade for Bayless, who is a terrific complement to Brandon Roy. If you're going to have a small combo guard, it helps to have a large combo guard running beside him. For all the hoopla around Derrick Rose and the "Era of the Point Guard," I think the real trend we'll see is the "Era of the Complementary Combo Guards."
On a personal level, I was entirely disappointed by my Wizards, who passed on all sorts of talent for JaVale McGee, who most believe is a 7-foot stiff who can't even really play defense, let alone offense. I know the Wizards have a pretty full roster, but with yet another playoff flame-out, you'd think they might want someone who can help right away. Guess that's what free-agency is for. (They had my hopes up when they drafted Bill Walker, then traded him away to the Celtics, where I'm sure in 3 years he will be some kind of freakish scoring machine.)
Loved the Heat grabbing Mario Chalmers in the second round. Loved the Nets grabbing CDR, obviously. Loved the fact that the NBA blogging and analyzing fan-boys can't get enough of anything that Portland GM Kevin Pritchard or Seattle GM Sam Presti do.
Oh, and the Knicks blew it, I think. The fans hate the pick and Gallinari's upside is questionable; the right pick if they were going for small forward was Joe Alexander, whose insane work ethic and amazing athleticism would have electrified the Garden from the start. Instead, Alexander ends up in Milwaukee, playing the same position as new franchise cornerstone Richard Jefferson; hey, maybe they will complement each other.
Anyway, the draft is a ton of fun -- right up there with the NCAA Tournament as my favorite event of the sports year. And now it's behind us; we can start looking ahead to summer leagues and the minimal activity in free agency this season. Remember: It's all about 2010. We have two years to get there, but it looks like the Nets are already well on their way.
Full Sporting News column here.
More later.
-- D.S.
NBA Draft Twitter Madness
Here is the link. It is in reverse-chronological order, so scroll down about 100 entries and read up, in all of its frustrated glory. More coming later this morning.
Free Darko's live-blog is a gold standard. (And Shoals wasn't even there -- he was at Deadspin.)
Free Darko's live-blog is a gold standard. (And Shoals wasn't even there -- he was at Deadspin.)
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Will Leitch Roast Over at Deadspin
Part 1. (Drew Magary, Alexa Stevenson)
Part 2. (David Hirshey, Whitney Pastorek, Aileen Gallagher, Brian Powell, Eamonn Brennan, Gourmet Spud, Bethlehem Shoals, Dan Steinberg, DJ Gallo, Henry Abbott)
Part 3. (Matt Sussman)
Part 4. (Bill Simmons, in perhaps his most overt "yeah-like-you're-going-to-fire-me" act in his not-quite passive-aggressive surge against ESPN. Plus I earned a name-check, and it's always nice to be remembered.)
Part 5. (JE Skeets: Video!)
Part 6. (Spencer Hall/Orson Swindle)
Part 7. (Amy Blair)
Part 8. (The Dugout)
Part 9. (Kissing Suzy Kolber posse)
Part 10. (Scott Van Pelt)
Part 11. (Deadspin HOF Induction)
Part 2. (David Hirshey, Whitney Pastorek, Aileen Gallagher, Brian Powell, Eamonn Brennan, Gourmet Spud, Bethlehem Shoals, Dan Steinberg, DJ Gallo, Henry Abbott)
Part 3. (Matt Sussman)
Part 4. (Bill Simmons, in perhaps his most overt "yeah-like-you're-going-to-fire-me" act in his not-quite passive-aggressive surge against ESPN. Plus I earned a name-check, and it's always nice to be remembered.)
Part 5. (JE Skeets: Video!)
Part 6. (Spencer Hall/Orson Swindle)
Part 7. (Amy Blair)
Part 8. (The Dugout)
Part 9. (Kissing Suzy Kolber posse)
Part 10. (Scott Van Pelt)
Part 11. (Deadspin HOF Induction)
Worst. Draft Analysis. Ever
17 years ago tonight, I waited on hold on the Ken Beatrice Show (local DC sports talk radio host) for an hour after the draft was concluded, just so I could confidently proclaim to everyone listening that Bullets draft pick Calbert Cheaney would be "incredible" and has "Jordan-like potential." My brother says he still has the tape saved somewhere. Yeesh. -- D.S.
Thursday 06/26 A.M. Quickie:
NBA Draft, Beasley, Mayo, MLB, More
Reminder: I will be using my Twitter page to comment on the NBA Draft in real time. You can follow me at http://www.twitter.com/danshanoff or just look at the area in the upper-right corner.
So here are a few pieces of intrigue, heading into the Draft:
Will Pat Riley really pass on Beasley? This is the lead of today's Sporting News column. Either he trades the No. 2 pick and the team trading up takes Beasley (and Miami regrets not taking him for, oh, ever) or Miami keeps the No. 2 pick and drafts Mayo over Beasley, which seems incomprehensible -- and I agree Mayo is arguably the 3rd-best pro prospect in the draft class.
I floated this one notion in the column today, and it echoes something that Chad Ford said during his debate with Simmons: If Beasley had come before Durant, we would have talked about Beasley as the transformational player, and Durant -- a year later and by comparison -- would have been picked on for being skinny, a poor defender and a sub-par rebounder. I'm just positing that everyone -- well, certain folks -- invested so much energy in claiming that Durant was this transcendent prospect that the idea that a player could come along a mere year later and not just top Durant's college production, but be a better NBA prospect, causes, what Ford aptly ID'ed as, "cognitive dissonance." Anyway...
Who gets Mayo? I think it's a foregone conclusion that - as long as the Heat trade away the No. 2 pick -- Mayo goes No. 3. (If the Heat keep the 2 and take Mayo, the T'wolves will quickly snatch up Beasley and wonder how they got so lucky.) But assuming it's Rose-Beasley at 1-2, the only question is whether the T'wolves will keep their pick and take Mayo or let one of the drooling teams behind them trade up -- the Sonics? the Knicks? the Bobcats? the Blazers?
What do the Knicks do? With Walsh and D'Antoni replacing Isiah and the home-court advantage for the draft crowd, the Knicks' new era begins tonight. Do they trade David Lee and collect the Grizzlies' No. 5 pick to go with their No. 6 pick? Can they trade up to get Mayo, a new franchise face? Do they trade down, knowing that the pick at No. 6 isn't much different from a little further down? Do they take the Best Guard Available at No. 6? (Bayless? Westbrook? Gordon?) Do they do what I predicted they would and take Jumpin' Joe Alexander?
Who rises? Who falls? Sounds like Russell Westbrook is high on everyone's list, as high as No. 4 after Rose-Beasley-Mayo. Sounds like Marreesse Speights is falling. Seems like DeAndre Jordan is up and down. Seems like Anthony Randolph is the biggest question mark -- most potential, cutting both ways. It is a truism of the draft: Someone gets stuck with a bust; someone gets a hindsight steal. Plural, more than likely.
The draft's biggest winner? Kansas. The national champs won't have a player taken in the Top 10, but they could have 3 taken in the next 10 after that: Brandon Rush (who has tons of momentum); Mario Chalmers (ditto); and Darrell Arthur (less momentum, but still enough potential to go Top 20). If the players in the Top 10 are stuck on perennial Lottery teams, then the players taken in the teens actually have the potential to impact playoff teams' fortunes.
There is more, obviously. You can find the complete column here. As news and rumors break, I'll post updates throughout the day. And don't forget the Twitter event tonight.
Meanwhile, I would say that if any event from yesterday got my attention, it was this Nash charity soccer game on this little field on the Lower East Side in New York. I didn't go, but from the accounts and videos, it sounds like it was (a) pretty amazing to watch, and (b) one of those once-in-a-lifetime things that you wonder why more athletes don't try, given the positive buzz it creates within the local and national communities. (Actually, things like this happen all the time in hoops summer leagues, when NBA players show up to suit up -- GMs may cringe, but I love it.)
More later.
-- D.S.
So here are a few pieces of intrigue, heading into the Draft:
Will Pat Riley really pass on Beasley? This is the lead of today's Sporting News column. Either he trades the No. 2 pick and the team trading up takes Beasley (and Miami regrets not taking him for, oh, ever) or Miami keeps the No. 2 pick and drafts Mayo over Beasley, which seems incomprehensible -- and I agree Mayo is arguably the 3rd-best pro prospect in the draft class.
I floated this one notion in the column today, and it echoes something that Chad Ford said during his debate with Simmons: If Beasley had come before Durant, we would have talked about Beasley as the transformational player, and Durant -- a year later and by comparison -- would have been picked on for being skinny, a poor defender and a sub-par rebounder. I'm just positing that everyone -- well, certain folks -- invested so much energy in claiming that Durant was this transcendent prospect that the idea that a player could come along a mere year later and not just top Durant's college production, but be a better NBA prospect, causes, what Ford aptly ID'ed as, "cognitive dissonance." Anyway...
Who gets Mayo? I think it's a foregone conclusion that - as long as the Heat trade away the No. 2 pick -- Mayo goes No. 3. (If the Heat keep the 2 and take Mayo, the T'wolves will quickly snatch up Beasley and wonder how they got so lucky.) But assuming it's Rose-Beasley at 1-2, the only question is whether the T'wolves will keep their pick and take Mayo or let one of the drooling teams behind them trade up -- the Sonics? the Knicks? the Bobcats? the Blazers?
What do the Knicks do? With Walsh and D'Antoni replacing Isiah and the home-court advantage for the draft crowd, the Knicks' new era begins tonight. Do they trade David Lee and collect the Grizzlies' No. 5 pick to go with their No. 6 pick? Can they trade up to get Mayo, a new franchise face? Do they trade down, knowing that the pick at No. 6 isn't much different from a little further down? Do they take the Best Guard Available at No. 6? (Bayless? Westbrook? Gordon?) Do they do what I predicted they would and take Jumpin' Joe Alexander?
Who rises? Who falls? Sounds like Russell Westbrook is high on everyone's list, as high as No. 4 after Rose-Beasley-Mayo. Sounds like Marreesse Speights is falling. Seems like DeAndre Jordan is up and down. Seems like Anthony Randolph is the biggest question mark -- most potential, cutting both ways. It is a truism of the draft: Someone gets stuck with a bust; someone gets a hindsight steal. Plural, more than likely.
The draft's biggest winner? Kansas. The national champs won't have a player taken in the Top 10, but they could have 3 taken in the next 10 after that: Brandon Rush (who has tons of momentum); Mario Chalmers (ditto); and Darrell Arthur (less momentum, but still enough potential to go Top 20). If the players in the Top 10 are stuck on perennial Lottery teams, then the players taken in the teens actually have the potential to impact playoff teams' fortunes.
There is more, obviously. You can find the complete column here. As news and rumors break, I'll post updates throughout the day. And don't forget the Twitter event tonight.
Meanwhile, I would say that if any event from yesterday got my attention, it was this Nash charity soccer game on this little field on the Lower East Side in New York. I didn't go, but from the accounts and videos, it sounds like it was (a) pretty amazing to watch, and (b) one of those once-in-a-lifetime things that you wonder why more athletes don't try, given the positive buzz it creates within the local and national communities. (Actually, things like this happen all the time in hoops summer leagues, when NBA players show up to suit up -- GMs may cringe, but I love it.)
More later.
-- D.S.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Death of Len Bias, An Annual Remembrance
NBA Draft week always reminds me of the tragic death of Len Bias.
Like Michael Weinreb -- who put together this must-read (perhaps even definitive) piece on Bias' death -- I was 13 when Bias died (13 being arguably your peak year as an earnest fan before you realize the complexities that come with sports).
And I might just agree with Weinreb that Bias' death was "the most socially influential moment in the history of modern sports." (Presumably, he means what I commonly refer to as "the ESPN Era," which I'd describe as 1980-Present.)
Like many who grew up in suburban Maryland in the mid-80s, I worshipped Len Bias. The memory of his death being announced on TV is something I remember as vividly as if it was yesterday.
-- D.S.
Like Michael Weinreb -- who put together this must-read (perhaps even definitive) piece on Bias' death -- I was 13 when Bias died (13 being arguably your peak year as an earnest fan before you realize the complexities that come with sports).
And I might just agree with Weinreb that Bias' death was "the most socially influential moment in the history of modern sports." (Presumably, he means what I commonly refer to as "the ESPN Era," which I'd describe as 1980-Present.)
Like many who grew up in suburban Maryland in the mid-80s, I worshipped Len Bias. The memory of his death being announced on TV is something I remember as vividly as if it was yesterday.
-- D.S.
NBA Draft Preview, Continued
Would love to get your own mocks, but to focus even more, let's talk about players you think will have the biggest impact (depends on the team that drafts them, obviously), the ones you think are destined for the dud pile and the ones you think are the sleepers who will surprise. You know you have one or two. Submit them in the Comments and I'll try to update as often as possible.
-- D.S.
-- D.S.
Wednesday 06/25 A.M. Quickie:
NBA Draft, Maple Bats, Shaq and More
I was just reminded that this insane Steve Nash celebrity soccer match on the Lower East Side is happening today at 5:30. I wish I could go -- the crowds will be INSANE, I would imagine. But what a fun exhibition. Hopefully, it will make it's way to YouTube shortly after it ends.
Meanwhile, I'm totally immersed in NBA Draft. My Mock Draft Top 10 leads my Sporting News column today, although I waffled between assigning each team the player I think they will draft and accounting for trades by simply slotting the player where I think he'll go.
Will OJ Mayo go No. 3? Almost assuredly. Will he go to the team currently drafting 3rd (T'wolves)? Very likely not. The same could be said for Beasley, which makes this draft one of the most intriguing in recent memory, even if -- beyond the Top 2 or 3 -- there is skepticism how much superstar impact any of the draftees might have.
Anyway, worth noting: Much like my work during the Super Bowl in February, I will be Twittering the draft, rather than live-blogging it. I will make sure that the Twitter feed is at the top of the blog, if you want to check it out here. Otherwise, you can always "follow" my Twitter feed. I promise it will be fast and furious, with a healthy mix of instant hysteria, derision and scorn for the analysts and the usual focus on fashion. (My draft-fashion columns for Page 2 were annually among my favorite to write and most widely read, probably for the coveted "Bar-Mitzvah Boy" and "Best in Show" awards.)
Beyond the draft, I'm intrigued by this MLB maple-bat situation -- which got its poster story with the ump's bleeding face. And some wild MLB history-making last night: The Pirates first win against the Yankees in the regular season EVER? The Orioles first-ever win at Wrigley Field?
Meanwhile, the line of the column probably comes at the end: "Tell Me How My [Blank] Tastes" is the new "Where [Blank] Happens," which I think is quite a good development.
The entire column is available here. More coming later today.
-- D.S.
Meanwhile, I'm totally immersed in NBA Draft. My Mock Draft Top 10 leads my Sporting News column today, although I waffled between assigning each team the player I think they will draft and accounting for trades by simply slotting the player where I think he'll go.
Will OJ Mayo go No. 3? Almost assuredly. Will he go to the team currently drafting 3rd (T'wolves)? Very likely not. The same could be said for Beasley, which makes this draft one of the most intriguing in recent memory, even if -- beyond the Top 2 or 3 -- there is skepticism how much superstar impact any of the draftees might have.
Anyway, worth noting: Much like my work during the Super Bowl in February, I will be Twittering the draft, rather than live-blogging it. I will make sure that the Twitter feed is at the top of the blog, if you want to check it out here. Otherwise, you can always "follow" my Twitter feed. I promise it will be fast and furious, with a healthy mix of instant hysteria, derision and scorn for the analysts and the usual focus on fashion. (My draft-fashion columns for Page 2 were annually among my favorite to write and most widely read, probably for the coveted "Bar-Mitzvah Boy" and "Best in Show" awards.)
Beyond the draft, I'm intrigued by this MLB maple-bat situation -- which got its poster story with the ump's bleeding face. And some wild MLB history-making last night: The Pirates first win against the Yankees in the regular season EVER? The Orioles first-ever win at Wrigley Field?
Meanwhile, the line of the column probably comes at the end: "Tell Me How My [Blank] Tastes" is the new "Where [Blank] Happens," which I think is quite a good development.
The entire column is available here. More coming later today.
-- D.S.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
On McIntyre and the Future of Sports Blogs
I'm not going to be as nice as Will. (And that was about as outraged of a reaction as I have ever seen from Will.)
If there is/was a "Deadspin Era" in sports media or sports fandom or sports consumption, it may or may not be ending as Will takes his final full-time at-bats this week.
What I do know is that I think that the quotes in that L.A. Times story quite possibly reflect the era's lowest moment. Maybe that's what had Will so hopping.
This is not "Us vs. Them": What a canard, propped up by mainstream media – presumably (and ironically) because it generates page views for the story itself, rather than because it actually exists.
It is "Good vs. Bad," to a large extent. Sure, there are plenty of sorry-ass sports blogs out there. But here's the dirty secret that Buzz Bissinger and Bob Costas and Jason McIntyre don't want you to understand (but if you're reading this blog, you probably already do):
No one reads the really, truly poorly crafted blogs.
At least, no one reads them with any particular frequency or volume, and the more widely read blogs rarely link to their work – giving them a wider audience – precisely because they don't add a lot of value.
Great – even good -- blogs aren't the norm, any more than great newspapers or great columnists or great sportscasts or great journalism isn't the norm. The best serve their core audience – the wider you want that core to be, the harder the effort.
When those great blogs are created – or even individual posts are created – the rest of the community (well-read or not) creates a virtuous circle to promote it. It may start with a single great post that raises a blogger's profile; do enough of them, and you become Matt Ufford or Spencer Hall or Michael Schur or whoever.
What all those great blogs share is a dedication to their own sense of what is good and what isn't – whether you are creating a post yourself or linking to others. They share a commitment to the core audience they are serving, whether it's a particular team, a particular sport, a particular point of view – or, hell, a particular time of day.
What offended me most from that Times article was Jason McIntyre's quote:
My initial reaction was: Jason McIntyre doesn't speak for me. He doesn't speak for any sports blogger I know. He should speak for himself. If he wants to change his "act," he can feel free, but please don't speak for the rest of us.
I don't know what "we" or "people" McIntyre is talking about: From all accounts and evidence, I don't think he reads very many sports blogs. I don't think he cares very much about other sports blogs. I certainly don't think he has his pulse on what sports bloggers are thinking, one way or the other.
How could he? Here's another dirty secret of the juvenile junior-high-lunch-room sports-blog world: I find it hard to find anyone who says they respect Jason McIntyre or The Big Lead. The rep: McIntyre as an empty apple-polisher who lacks a position of authority or respect among his peers. And this was BEFORE the article.
I suspect that Will's post will launch a healthy meme of folks coming out of the woodwork to agree: McIntyre doesn't speak for me. (Or put another way: "What a d'bag." Wait, Jason, help me here: Was I supposed to stop calling people "douchebags" as part of "cleaning up my act?" I missed your blogdom-wide announcement.)
But it's not Deadspin vs. The Big Lead. It is apparently MANY sports bloggers vs. The Big Lead, which I'm quite sure will earn McIntyre even more undeserved credit within mainstream media. ("If other bloggers don't like or respect him, he MUST be good!")
From what I can tell, McIntyre speaks for Buzz Bissinger. He speaks for Bob Costas. He speaks for SportsJournalists.com. He speaks for anyone in mainstream sports media who will talk with him. His mouth was a little full while he "interviewed" Tony Kornheiser, so I wouldn't call it speaking.
From what else I can tell -- and, again, I stopped actively reading it a while ago -- The Big Lead isn't a particularly high-quality blog, aside from the page views, which I and everyone else would fully 'fess up to being envious of – if not envious of the way he generates them. The random gossip and tips about sports media were kind of amusing once, although apparently he isn't going to do so much of that anymore, since Buzz Bissinger inspired him to "clean up his act."
TBL is best-known for its sports-media posts. I guess my biggest problem is that I also think that TBL's sports-media analysis is, 95 percent of the time, functionally retarded. It is like McIntyre doesn't know very much about the business of sports media, which makes his reputation for being the be-all-end-all place for media analysis among sports blogs all the more curious to me. McIntyre's core audience seems to be the self-hating sadness over at SportsJournalists.com, perhaps the bleakest community to be found online.
But let's get back to my point about Jason McIntyre, who I quite expect to leverage this backlash to grab yet another hard-suckling interview with some random mainstream columnist who wants to try to establish blog "cred" by appearing at TBL.
McIntyre has become mainstream media's "token blog friend."
He blogs to mollify the mainstream sports media types he so transparently wants to be. I used to think that the Colin Cowherd incident was one of the era's defining moments of sports-blog unity; now I just recognize that Cowherd knows so little about sports blogs that he actually thought that TBL was a bonafide sports blog worth attacking.
Here's your ultimate data-point: Buzz Bissinger regularly cites him as the blogger he thinks is doing a GREAT job. Really? Seriously?! Cripes on a crutch: Buzz was better off with "All blogs suck." At least then, his ignorance was absolute, rather than selectively pitiful.
It is worth noting that I couldn't care less whether McIntyre continues to blog or not. Hey: Based on his growing audience and his revenue deals (which he conspicuously neglected to include in his survey of sports-media comp packages), he absolutely should keep blogging. And mainstream sports media sure seems to like his schtick. All I ask is that he stop speaking for anyone but himself.
Jason McIntyre doesn't speak for me. Thank god.
But if, alternatively, Jason McIntyre has turned into the face of sports blogging, Will is right: It's time to get out.
-- D.S.
UPDATE: Some very very good comments were submitted, mostly ripping the post. I'm still working through them all, but -- suffice to say -- I appreciated the thought that went into them, even if they strenuously disagreed with me or simply didn't like the way I presented my argument. As someone who appreciates critical analysis, I'm more than happy to take it of my own work. Sometimes I miss the open commenting here, because the conversation that happens AFTER the post is usually more interesting than the post itself.
If there is/was a "Deadspin Era" in sports media or sports fandom or sports consumption, it may or may not be ending as Will takes his final full-time at-bats this week.
What I do know is that I think that the quotes in that L.A. Times story quite possibly reflect the era's lowest moment. Maybe that's what had Will so hopping.
This is not "Us vs. Them": What a canard, propped up by mainstream media – presumably (and ironically) because it generates page views for the story itself, rather than because it actually exists.
It is "Good vs. Bad," to a large extent. Sure, there are plenty of sorry-ass sports blogs out there. But here's the dirty secret that Buzz Bissinger and Bob Costas and Jason McIntyre don't want you to understand (but if you're reading this blog, you probably already do):
No one reads the really, truly poorly crafted blogs.
At least, no one reads them with any particular frequency or volume, and the more widely read blogs rarely link to their work – giving them a wider audience – precisely because they don't add a lot of value.
Great – even good -- blogs aren't the norm, any more than great newspapers or great columnists or great sportscasts or great journalism isn't the norm. The best serve their core audience – the wider you want that core to be, the harder the effort.
When those great blogs are created – or even individual posts are created – the rest of the community (well-read or not) creates a virtuous circle to promote it. It may start with a single great post that raises a blogger's profile; do enough of them, and you become Matt Ufford or Spencer Hall or Michael Schur or whoever.
What all those great blogs share is a dedication to their own sense of what is good and what isn't – whether you are creating a post yourself or linking to others. They share a commitment to the core audience they are serving, whether it's a particular team, a particular sport, a particular point of view – or, hell, a particular time of day.
What offended me most from that Times article was Jason McIntyre's quote:
"The initial reaction was 'Buzz is a lunatic,' " McIntyre said. "After that, people calmed down, listened to what he said and thought, 'You know, maybe we should clean up our act a little bit.' "Sigh. Begin rant:
My initial reaction was: Jason McIntyre doesn't speak for me. He doesn't speak for any sports blogger I know. He should speak for himself. If he wants to change his "act," he can feel free, but please don't speak for the rest of us.
I don't know what "we" or "people" McIntyre is talking about: From all accounts and evidence, I don't think he reads very many sports blogs. I don't think he cares very much about other sports blogs. I certainly don't think he has his pulse on what sports bloggers are thinking, one way or the other.
How could he? Here's another dirty secret of the juvenile junior-high-lunch-room sports-blog world: I find it hard to find anyone who says they respect Jason McIntyre or The Big Lead. The rep: McIntyre as an empty apple-polisher who lacks a position of authority or respect among his peers. And this was BEFORE the article.
I suspect that Will's post will launch a healthy meme of folks coming out of the woodwork to agree: McIntyre doesn't speak for me. (Or put another way: "What a d'bag." Wait, Jason, help me here: Was I supposed to stop calling people "douchebags" as part of "cleaning up my act?" I missed your blogdom-wide announcement.)
But it's not Deadspin vs. The Big Lead. It is apparently MANY sports bloggers vs. The Big Lead, which I'm quite sure will earn McIntyre even more undeserved credit within mainstream media. ("If other bloggers don't like or respect him, he MUST be good!")
From what I can tell, McIntyre speaks for Buzz Bissinger. He speaks for Bob Costas. He speaks for SportsJournalists.com. He speaks for anyone in mainstream sports media who will talk with him. His mouth was a little full while he "interviewed" Tony Kornheiser, so I wouldn't call it speaking.
From what else I can tell -- and, again, I stopped actively reading it a while ago -- The Big Lead isn't a particularly high-quality blog, aside from the page views, which I and everyone else would fully 'fess up to being envious of – if not envious of the way he generates them. The random gossip and tips about sports media were kind of amusing once, although apparently he isn't going to do so much of that anymore, since Buzz Bissinger inspired him to "clean up his act."
TBL is best-known for its sports-media posts. I guess my biggest problem is that I also think that TBL's sports-media analysis is, 95 percent of the time, functionally retarded. It is like McIntyre doesn't know very much about the business of sports media, which makes his reputation for being the be-all-end-all place for media analysis among sports blogs all the more curious to me. McIntyre's core audience seems to be the self-hating sadness over at SportsJournalists.com, perhaps the bleakest community to be found online.
But let's get back to my point about Jason McIntyre, who I quite expect to leverage this backlash to grab yet another hard-suckling interview with some random mainstream columnist who wants to try to establish blog "cred" by appearing at TBL.
McIntyre has become mainstream media's "token blog friend."
He blogs to mollify the mainstream sports media types he so transparently wants to be. I used to think that the Colin Cowherd incident was one of the era's defining moments of sports-blog unity; now I just recognize that Cowherd knows so little about sports blogs that he actually thought that TBL was a bonafide sports blog worth attacking.
Here's your ultimate data-point: Buzz Bissinger regularly cites him as the blogger he thinks is doing a GREAT job. Really? Seriously?! Cripes on a crutch: Buzz was better off with "All blogs suck." At least then, his ignorance was absolute, rather than selectively pitiful.
It is worth noting that I couldn't care less whether McIntyre continues to blog or not. Hey: Based on his growing audience and his revenue deals (which he conspicuously neglected to include in his survey of sports-media comp packages), he absolutely should keep blogging. And mainstream sports media sure seems to like his schtick. All I ask is that he stop speaking for anyone but himself.
Jason McIntyre doesn't speak for me. Thank god.
But if, alternatively, Jason McIntyre has turned into the face of sports blogging, Will is right: It's time to get out.
-- D.S.
UPDATE: Some very very good comments were submitted, mostly ripping the post. I'm still working through them all, but -- suffice to say -- I appreciated the thought that went into them, even if they strenuously disagreed with me or simply didn't like the way I presented my argument. As someone who appreciates critical analysis, I'm more than happy to take it of my own work. Sometimes I miss the open commenting here, because the conversation that happens AFTER the post is usually more interesting than the post itself.
Tuesday 06/24 A.M. Quickie:
USA Oops, NBA Draft, Imus, Haren, More
Sorry for the short (and late!) post today. Here's a link to the Sporting News column today, and it actually has a few of my more favorite items of the past month or so in it. I still think USA Hoops is screwing things up; I still love the prospect of a huge shake-up during the NBA Draft. (Brandon Jennings: Call me!) More later today.
-- D.S.
-- D.S.
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