Rick Reilly Still Unimpressed With Blogs, But Wants Everyone To Know He Actually Likes The Sports Fella

Newsday's Neil Best caught up with Rick Reilly to talk about ESPN's "Mt. Rushmore Of Sports" thing and, of course, the conversation turned toward Reilly's favorite topics again: Bill Simmons and blogs.

In the interview, Reilly attempted to put to rest all of these notions that he and the Sports Fella hate each other.

"I get along with him. I think he's funny. I think he's a great turner of phrases. I've tried to learn from him how he builds an audience on the Internet. He definitely has that new blogger style where you write in stream of consciousness style, a lot of parentheses, a lot of tangents, and that's not the way I was raised.

"My whole thing was hey, you've got 800 words, choose them wisely. Pick the exact word you want and don't waste a word and kill your darlings even if you love them, that it's got to fit. He comes from a whole different era where it doesn't have to fit. He can go on for 7,000 words if he wants. My kids read him.

Well, that's settled.

And even though he's become more attuned to the whole internet universe by virtue of his multi-faceted positions ESPN, he still hasn't warmed up to the whole blog thing. And that's not surprising, considering that, well, there's rarely any positive comments about Reilly on blogs. Especially here, obviously. Best went ahead and asked anyway how he feels about blogs and his answer shouldn't surprise anyone:

"I don't really go on the blogs, because they don't really like anybody. Jesus could do a column and they'd be like, ‘What the hell is with the hair?' It'll always be something. Charles Barkley told me a long time ago always half the people are going to hate you and half the people are going to love you. If you suddenly change who you are, the other half will hate you. I don't really care what people holding down couch springs do or say."

What is surprising, however, is that Reilly could still feel so negatively about blogs even though he's now Twittering. Okay, he's not, really, but WHOEVER the genius is behind this little thing is should be handsomely rewarded for their efforts.

Observe:

Uh-oh. Turns out A-Rod's Dominican Republic story is about as genuine as Joan Rivers' cheekbones!

Rick Reilly is generally not a big fan of blogs [Newsday]

PHOTO: You Been Blinded