Deadspin
Michael Wilbon has been rather upfront about how he's not a fan of blogging in general, bringing out the usual bromides that bloggers lack editing, standards, accountability, all that. We don't blame him for this; as he puts it himself, "I'm old. You build up your reading habits over a lifetime." Fair enough. But in an interview with The Fanhouse's Michael David Smith (who took a tour of "Monday Night Football" this week, we learn more about ESPN staffers than we do about Wilbon.
That is to say: It appears that younger staffers are on hand to help the "old" folk along with their talking points.
Wilbon also brought out a lot of the usual criticisms of blogs — no editing, no standards, no accountability, but at that point a couple of (younger) ESPN staffers sitting with him interrupted to point out that he was painting blogs with too wide a brush. At that point, Wilbon mentioned Deadspin and The Big Lead, and he seemed to realize that those blogs are higher in quality than the ones he dismisses as lacking in standards.
We love this idea: All ESPN staffers being followed around by kids whispering buzzwords like "HTML" and "hyperlink" into their ears, causing them to perk up and be, "Yeah! Uh ... some blogs are good! HTML! Hyperlinks!"
Just don't give that "Cold Pizza" crew female assistants, and all should be fine.
ESPN's Michael Wilbon Explains His Feelings Toward Blogs: 'I'm Old' [The Fanhouse]
Comments
Check out the first comment on the FanHouse post. We share the same sentiment, Leitch.
Does ESPN have "Take Your Daughter to Work Days"? This needs to be addressed in the next memo.
Your technology scares me. I'm old. Where's Stuart? You're not Stuart. I want some applesauce.
I thought it was weird when Beano Cook called Deerhunter "my favorite of this year's crop of ambient-punk electro psychedelia."
Blogs propel me forward and into the air.
White women are slimming.
I saw Wilbon at the D.C. airport a few months back flying to Miami. He pulled out $800 from the ATM and caught his flight.
/true, but useless
I'm confused - shouldn't these kids now be fired for mentioning Deadspin?
@Juancho:
I so thought that exact same thing after looking at that picture.
But in an interview with The Fanhouse's Michael David Smith (who took a book tour of "Monday Night Football" this week)
What exactly does a "book tour of 'Monday Night Football'" consist of?
@apostles03: Not after you marry 'em! Am I right, fellas?! I mean, seriously!
I know this site you can go to where you can see monkey's doing it. That would blow wilbon's mind.
No editing, no standards, no accountability...I agree, blogs are nothing like ESPN.
What the fuck is a blog?
To be fair: If Michael David Smith represents what the blogging world has to offer, then Mr. Wilbon is better off sticking to newspapers anyway.
"I'm cold and there are wolves chasing me!"
For some reason I picture Wilbon looking good in a spandex, full-body, red devil suit, holding a pitchfork.
I don't think he is evil, I just think he would look good.
...and wilbon made sure to get her home right after the christmas ball was over
Does this mean soon SAS will admit that once he cleaned all the orange dust from his screen blogs made a lot more sense to him?
no, dude
@Tartabullshit: Until he said the same thing about the onion soup at Ralph's on Main in Scottsdale.
This must be a prom picture, you know where the couple is a 16 year old girl, who brings her much older (usually around 30 and older than half the teachers chaperoning) boyfriend to the prom. And everyone stares at them, because you know he's banging her, but its so so wrong.
Did the staffers say, "pardon the interruption" before speaking up?
And how did Rhonda Volmer get a job as an intern with ESPN?
Will has a spot waiting for him in Wilpon's hot tub anytime he wants it.
@Juancho: Norby says it's okay, but they cannot take potted plants home.
Let's face it, how many blogs has Wilbon probably ever read? A half dozen? In essence he's doing the same thing he accuses blogs of doing - throwing out accusations and misinformation without actually doing the reporting. I like the guy generally, but he's totally in the wrong on this one.
He's right. Deadspin is definitely the most blog. When is Shockey's party again?
What? No standards or accountability? Has he ever watched Around the Horn?!
@The Player to be Named: Ho Ho Ho! Indeed.
Does Wilbon have a condo in the DR too?
Wilbon also wonders what happened to all the gosh-darned pay phones.
At that point, Wilbon mentioned Deadspin and The Big Lead, and he seemed to realize that those blogs are higher in quality than the ones he dismisses as lacking in standards.
I'd hate to see the blogs that are lower in quality than The Big Lead.
@HazelMaesLandingStrip: I actually prefer the work party where the quiet librarian/secretary/nurse brings the trash ball with the weirdo hair and facial piercings who acts disinterested and cynical to everyone else there as a defense mechanism for him never really "feeling comfortable with his appearance."
"Brining out bromides"? Do they give out Pulitzers for writing on the e-Bays? If so, I nominate Sir William Leitch.
BCS iz totes lame. Playoff FTW!
"Mr. Wilbon, there's a Chris Hansen on line 2."
Jailbait (no), due
SInce when do dick jokes constitute quality or standards?
@ghostsoftheSCupcountry: um, make that , dude. kthxbye.
Wilbon probably had one of the youngsters help him see some blogs and came across the SSW on Deadspin, and the rest was history....
I know when I'm looking for the finest literature, I always turn to blogs.
@Rory B. Bellows: What the fuck is the internet?
/Jay and Silent Bob'd
@Rob Iracane:
Shanoff?
TEBOWTEBOWTEBOWBRETTFAVRESUCKSTEBOWTEBOWIHATETHEBCSPLAYOFFSPLEASETEBOWTEBOWTEBOW
Plus, where else can you find such in-depth analysis like The SSW?
Those staffers were later ties to the bike rack and left there
@Rob Iracane: Hot Chicks with Douchebags?
[www.hotchickswithdouchebags.com]
@Midwestern-City_Water-Vapor:
Check. I'm seeing a less-Jewish Jon Lovitz here.
@ Apostles03
Not if you deep fry 'em
@Windier E. Megatons: Actually, so are you. You have no clue how many blogs he has read.
/shits pants
threadjack
Mangino named Coach of the Year. Cupcakes everywhere rejoice
/threadjack
The night I met Tony Reali, he was telling everyone the Wilbon is the one who pulls all the ass when they go out in DC...
Especially when he wears a Devil Suit.
/True Story (not the devil suit part)
These concepts of quality and standards confuse and anger us.
Also: Is that a smoking jacket he's wearing?
Also, Part Deux: Dare I say that's a riveting game of pocket pool he's playing?
@HazelMaesLandingStrip:
Cupcakes everywhere flee in terror
There you go.
@HazelMaesLandingStrip: and here i thought they'd be quivering in fear
@HazelMaesLandingStrip: The cupcakes are running scared right now.
@Jen P: blast!
espn shot and killed deadspin? I'm not surprised by this news in the least...
/wilbon
Wilbon doesn't like blogs because some black men just can't leave behind the world they grew up in. He ain't the first and won't be the last.
This is a stupid post. Of course blogs are a new and innovative way for the average fan to express themselves, allowing new voices and insight to be heard that the mainstream media chooses to ignore. There is no question that is true. But do I read these sports blogs? No. Is it because I'm an elderly at heart, even though I try to play cool by appearing on TV next to an even more decrepit old fart? Perhaps. Is it because I'm secretly threatened by people who are being more entertaining and informative than me, who mostly do it for free, while I get paid tons of cash?
Um....shut the hell up!
Who the hell did I hit?
@HazelMaesLandingStrip: Prediction: tomorrow he wins Arby's Customer Appreciation Award.
@Rob Iracane: Ahem.
@Chamomiles Davis:
Strongly to quite strongly disagree.
ESPN interns are to Wilbon as I am to my racist grandma