Matt Leinart's stupefying beer-bong partying and champagne-bottle fellatio did nothing to help his career as an NFL quarterback nor his promotional viability, but it did wonders for the Dirty.com. The site, once lost in the overly-crowded co-ed tit-flashing corner of the blog market, reached critical mass last week thanks to the Leinart photos. The LA Times skewered The Dirty's proprietors last week and, today, ABC News gives its spin on things. And even though Leinart boosted the site's daily numbers to almost 300,000 visits, Ari Golden, CEO and head dirt mongrel of The Dirty.com insists to ABC his site will continue to focus on "real" people, as opposed to NFL quarterbacks.

Not so fast, Golden. There's an expert out there named John Grohol, with a seemingly made-up title "editorial board member of the Journal of Online Behavior and CyberPsychology & Behavior," who disagrees with The Dirty's business model.

"You could put up 100 photos of 100 random people who are hanging out with 19-year-old girls and nobody will care until the minute you put up a celebrity's photo," this glorified "expert" tells ABC.

He makes a good point. If said 19-year-old girls are getting their faces eaten by, oh, 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, the site becomes a little more entertaining to scroll through.

Honestly, if I were a professional athlete, I'd be absolutely terrified of this site.

Reality Blogging: No Celebs Allowed [ABC News]
Another "Face" Of The Franchise — 49ers Alex Smith [TheDirty.com]

1:35 PM on Mon Apr 7 2008
By DAULERIO
11,430 views
38 comments

Comments

Chief Wahoo at 01:40 PM on 04/07/08
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That is soooo weird! Every time someone takes a picture of Ms. Wahoo and I kissing the same Mexican guy shows up in the background.
Stev D at 01:40 PM on 04/07/08
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Shaggy, my attorney and advisor, suggests the "it wasn't me" defense.
MattinglysSideburns at 01:41 PM on 04/07/08
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Ari Golden, CEO and head dirt mongrel of The Dirty.com insists to ABC his site will continue to focus on "real" people, as opposed to NFL quarterbacks.

He wouldn't have had to resort to this had Medellin not bombed at Cannes.
El Gran Guapo at 01:41 PM on 04/07/08
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I think at this point Alex Smith's mother doesn't care about Alex Smith.
Doyle McPoyle at 01:41 PM on 04/07/08
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So is the Mexican version of The Office coming back this week, too? Is that their version of Kevin Malone?
HebrewHammer at 01:41 PM on 04/07/08
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How dare The Office Rambo graffiti an urban sombrero.
Civil Negligence at 01:43 PM on 04/07/08
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One war against one Mexican.
Crookednose at 01:44 PM on 04/07/08
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Buck Coats of the Toronto Blue Jays approves of Ari Golden's stage name.
Secret Identity at 01:44 PM on 04/07/08
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I guess when you go to school in Utah for four years, you'll lick just about anybody's face.
ArkansasFred at 01:44 PM on 04/07/08
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At least The Dirty is up front with their name unlike a certain other site that contains no information whatsoever on either death or spinning.
KevinNoMaas at 01:44 PM on 04/07/08
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So basically, Grohol is saying that TheDirty.com should go with Deadspin's business model?
Signal to Noise at 01:45 PM on 04/07/08
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Eating face is one of the few things Alex Smith is apparently capable of doing successfully.

Oh, and dude, dude, HELL YES.
Stay Away From Oprah at 01:47 PM on 04/07/08
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Alex Smith has small hands incapable of gripping a football, but perfectly suited for groping young coeds.
obeymydog at 01:50 PM on 04/07/08
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I was expecting more afro with the At The Drive-In tag
twoeightnine at 01:51 PM on 04/07/08
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At least Alex hit the primary target out of that receiving quartet.
the earl of weaver at 01:51 PM on 04/07/08
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The sad thing is that Alex was so drunk, he actually thought she was doing a hand-stand when this picture was taken.
Lady Andrea at 01:51 PM on 04/07/08
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@ArkansasFred:
Spinning: [deadspin.com]
Death: [deadspin.com]
The Fan’s Attic at 01:54 PM on 04/07/08
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Step 1: Somewhat attractive girls
Step 2: College and/or Professional Athletes
Step 3: Alcohol
Step 4: Cameras
Step 5: Profit!!!

Nothing wrong with this business model.
UkraineNotWeak at 01:54 PM on 04/07/08
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Let me guess:

Ari Golden: wears a little bit too much cologne, has a goatee, sports one earring, drives a late model Mercedes, loves to wear Armani.
dont-forget-where-you-... at 01:58 PM on 04/07/08
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Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson have consulted with the noted CyberPsychologist Dr. Grohol in an attempt to spice up their love-life while apart.
BigTenObsession at 02:00 PM on 04/07/08
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@The Fan's Attic:

I initially read #2 as "College Professors" and thought that I was in big trouble.
Secret Identity at 02:03 PM on 04/07/08
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@The Fan's Attic:

Joe Francis nods from behind his jail cell bars.
The Trying Too Hard To... at 02:04 PM on 04/07/08
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@obeymydog: Sorry, this post is way too coherent to be a true At the Drive In post. Here is how it should have gone

Alex Smith beating the scarecrow table!
Pacify the witches' taxes! The witches' taxes!
crazyjoedavola at 02:06 PM on 04/07/08
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@The Fan's Attic: Sounds like The Balls Super Bowl posts, without the profit.
Pittsburgh Sports and... at 02:07 PM on 04/07/08
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@obeymydog: This is for you

+ Watch video
The Diesel at 02:10 PM on 04/07/08
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Alex is part of the Dream Team for a Bachelor party.

*Neckbeard Orton
*John Daly
*Jeff Reed
*Ryan Dempster
*Jeter (For leftover scrapnel)
*Icky Woods. (Don't question it.)
*Leinart

Left off the bus:

*Brady Quinn
*Anything named Manning
*Will Leitch
Signal to Noise at 02:13 PM on 04/07/08
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@The Awful Logo Face: for the next post, the Mars Volta will refuse to even acknowledge Alex Smith.

Sparta will write a 49ers concept album.
ClueHeywood at 02:16 PM on 04/07/08
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Deadspin business model (as far as Leinart photos):

Step 1: Search other sites for drunk athlete photos
Step 2: Post a photo with a link to The Dirty
Step 3: Get 150k pageviews
Step 4: Profit
Step 5: Binge drink until profit is gone
The Trying Too Hard To... at 02:17 PM on 04/07/08
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@Signal to Noise: Friggin Mars Volta. No one should ever model their music after John Cage. "I have nothing to say and I am saying it" indeed.
BaBaBoey at 02:18 PM on 04/07/08
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Is it sad that I recognize that dude in the picture as the guy who sells shots at "The Office" in Cabo? Yes....yes it is.
Signal to Noise at 02:20 PM on 04/07/08
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@The Awful Logo Face: the Mars Volta are a band dedicated to giving every listener interested in hearing them a case of musical blue balls.

There's never any musical payoff and even less of a chance of one now since the kick-ass drummer they had quit.
The Fan’s Attic at 02:23 PM on 04/07/08
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@BaBaBoey: Hey, I've been there...I don't remember that guy. Hmmm....I wonder if there is any correlation to those two facts?
Wyshynski at 02:31 PM on 04/07/08
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@UkraineNotWeak: You forgot to add an unfortunate leather pants phase in the late 1990s.
izzone at 03:00 PM on 04/07/08
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More Kyle Orton
insomniac at 03:47 PM on 04/07/08
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Just a warning to others- TheDirty has taken some of my photos and claimed them as their own. It wouldn't bother me so much if it weren't for the god-awful logo they plaster on everything.
Hank Gathers Some Moss at 04:00 PM on 04/07/08
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Hopefully, all of these sites lead to one thing: a better appreciation of the Stamp tool in Photoshop. You've only a crappy logo to lose.
SpandexEnthusiast at 05:01 PM on 04/07/08
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I send my congrats to dirty.com, it's lovely when good work gets recognized.

Alex Smith also just got more attention than he has in probably his whole career, its amazing how a little face licking can boost a career....
Rick Chandler at 04:53 PM on 04/11/08
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I will be making an official statement as soon as my wife arrives to stand next to me at the podium.