<![CDATA[Friday Night Blights - Deadspin Comments]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights - Deadspin Comments]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> The video is on Mac Gs World

[macgsworld.blogspot.com]

Slick Rick's Bookie

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> I saw the Bissinger-Leitch session, and I have to say that though I like Deadspin and TBL a lot, there's a lot of truth to what Biss had to say. Modern media has been overcome with a desire not to report the news correctly so much as to make the biggest splash. In other words, the goal of media is to make headlines about making the news.

If you're first or if you have an inside story no one else has, then you're successful. That's what corporate heads like because competitors have to refer to your site (brand) as they tell the story.

Aww, commerce rears its ugly head.

Trace this back to Congress ridding media outlets of their need to adhere to the Fairness Doctrine, particularly in politics, and now you don't have journalism anymore, you have opinion. ESPN is the leader in this for sports; Fox, CNN, MSNBC and others follow in the political forums. But take the pre-NFL Draft shows: No one knew anything because no one knew how one athlete going early would require another team to adjust. But for weeks ahead of time, we had talking heads screaming about who was going where.

Bissinger's point to Leitch is rather worthy: If you're not in the milieu, you cannot comment on the milieu. Leitch's point was, I believe, that by staying out of the press box, he was staying out of the entire sports industry. That's legitimate, to a point. But when you post pictures of Matt Leinert in a hot tub with girls and a beer bong, the question has to be why. What's the context? Leitch doesn't have any; his reasoning is, 'Just because we can (modern electronics like cell phone cameras), we do.' To which Biss asked again, what's the point? Leitch didn't have an answer.

It was embarrassing to Leinert; and Leitch even went so far as to say that it's what you would expect from a 24-year-old. Exactly Biss's point, and he asked why did Leitch post it, then. Leitch said it wasn't out of the ordinary, so it wasn't news. But he posted it anyway? Why? To draw attention. Ahh. Page views. Advertising revenue. Brand awareness.

Ahh, commerce rears its ugly head again.

Media used to do journalism and make money. Now it's about making money, and to Bissinger's point, journalism has suffered. He's right. We're in the Age of Snark, and there's nothing to be learned. It's all flash commentary, fast opinion and on to the next subject.

Nothing's learned. That's BB's point. Owners of blogs like TBL and Deadspin might in fact want to think about that for a while, because such institutions as newspapers used to take that responsibility seriously. Informing the public was a duty. Too many blogs try to entertain us with outrageous statements and high volume. That great second basemen for the Cambridge Giants, Billy Shakespeare said it best, "sound and fury, signifying nothing."

TJBallgame

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @the earl of weaver: I'll see your 2015, and raise you the end of the Mayan Long Calendar in 2012.
/doffs tinfoil hat


DeepFriar

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @GreatOdensRaven: It's always about Barbaro. Always.

dmac

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Isn't it ironic that Buzz has become a Permian Booster? Here he is, railing against an outsider who is challenging his existing way of life and putting his ideas in a harsh spotlight. Not a familiar situation at all.

Dr. Michael Mancini

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Ha ha, La Salle.

dmac

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> All this talk about Buzz Bissinger is getting me so wet.

shtickless

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Which some dude takes apart here:

[www.slate.com]

D.B. Cooper-Nichol

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> AJ is the Balls...because Buzz would never have published my tale of degenerate gambling that is Fantasy Gas Station.

Donk In A Box

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> I was shocked by the language that Bissinger used (and that's not counting the quotes. Children could have been watching!

sleepyirv

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> I don't care what anybody says... For my money farts are still funny.

IsoldmysoultoMilhouseVanhouten

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> I was shocked by the language Bissinger used last night (and that's not counting quotes). Children could have been watching!

sleepyirv

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> I think you're right. It'll be like music will end up. Technology will allow anyone to produce and distribute their product, art, whatever, dividing up the pie. I'll buy that. I just wouldn't expect anyone to work full time on something for 3K until we start outsourcing this stuff out to India. Love don't pay the rent (or the f!!*$% collusive broker fee)!

What I'm interested to see is if the concept of the star goes away. I feel like we as humans have a need for stars, celebrity, etc. the new models for content distribution work against it. exciting times.

dismalScientist

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @dismalScientist:

Touche.

My point is that I don't think Rick Reily, Wilbon, et al are afraid of Will, Daulerio, BDD taking their spot in the market, but rather the industry turning to a model where their spot doesn't exist anymore.

My goal in life used to be to have a job that will pay me lots of money to support my family. Now, my goal is to find ten things that will each pay me around 10k. If one of them is spending 10 hours a week covering my favorite team, that's awesome. For me, it's this silly podcast thing. For many on here, it's blogging about their favorite sports/teams/celebs.

But if large companies start to see that people are willing to do that until their name gets big enough that they can go on their own (Deadspin, KSK, TBL, etc) to make money full time, why pay one person a lot to not cover the teams as well?

I think the attack on bloggers is actually an attack on the large companies figuring out a way to make money using the bloggers - money that used to go to them. There's only so much advertising in the market, and if Will gets some because 100 of us put /dickjoke at the end of his column, that pisses off the people who made their living memorizing the thesaurus.

Sorry I'm wordy today. Lots of coffee.

Dan Levy

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @Detective Bunk: That happened to me when I read that godawful LaRussa book.

D.B. Cooper-Nichol

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @dismalScientist: I happen to be a journalist, and right now I sort of understand that if I get a job that pays 60K I'm in the money. It's not just happening in sports; it's happening in every facet of the industry. But I'm alright with it because I love the job. If I wanted a job that would make me rich journalist is not what I would have chosen.

DennyCrane

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @dismalScientist: Because they're fans. They enjoy the sport, they enjoy the team, and if somebody pays them something -anything- then they'll enjoy it even more.

Mr. Praline

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @Dan Levy: Dan, why would someone work for 3K and experience for a shot at that 100K job won't exist anymore?

dismalScientist

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> It is absolutely hypocritical to blame blogs for "dumbing down" the level of discourse about sports without looking in the mirror and acknowledging that ESPN, Fox Sports, USA Today and every sports talk radio show on the air have been leading that particular charge for the last ten years.

If you read these comments on a regular basis, you see that the level of discourse is miles ahead of the average talk radio call in show, NFL pregame show or "Around the Horn" episode.

/not even bothering to put in the obligatory "dick joke" sign off

Lawbot

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Oh yeah, and Balls, as you took over the reigns of the site, were you at least playing Parents just dont' understand in the background.

"I got the keys to the brand new Porsche..."

Dan Levy

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> I talked about this with Enrico from the 700 Level the other day (as he goes for his MBA).

I think the mainstream media, while behind on how to monetize the internet boom, realized first that paying more people less can be more profitable than paying fewer more.

For example, why would Fanhouse pay one reporter/columnist/Peter King ripoff 100k to cover all the teams in the NFL, when they can hire 30 people to each cover one team and pay them all 3k a year. People will do it just for the experience and exposure, and the large company not only saves money, but gets way more in depth than one person could ever do.

That's what I think people are afraid about. Oh yeah, and all the dick jokes.

Dan Levy

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> I think someone mentioned this, but I have to agree with one of the old media's points. The abundance of information (not truth mind you) has allowed people to segment themselves into groups that think a like. The emergence of the internet has hastened the loss of the national voice, personified most famously by Cronkite. Instead of encouraging debate, instead, people just live in their little thought worlds, for example, conservapedia.

dismalScientist

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Isn't the complaining by all these old media writers about blogs kind of like Tom Brokaw getting pissed off at Letterman's monologue because he doesn't get all the facts straight?

BabaOje

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @futuremrsrickankiel: I dunno. I think we just want to be left alone. And not in a Chris Crocker way.

She Blinded Me With Violence

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Just a thought...

Does anyone think Buzz ambushed Will because of Barbaro?

GreatOdensRaven

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Whoever thought that Peter beg would turnout to be the sane rational one in that extended family.

UkraineNotWeak

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> It's interesting that most Old Media Types who rail against blogs aren't actual reporters or feature writers, but opinion guys, who essentially do what blogs do, minus the dick jokes. They realize that nobody buys them as "experts" anymore, and they're scared.

shea_guevara

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> I really don't see what all the fuss is about. In 15 years, after the Robot Revolution, there won't be columns to write or blogs to update. We should do our best to coexist peacefully until then.

the earl of weaver

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> We all know that there are plenty of things that Will could have said in response, only he was too polite to interrupt the raving lunatic (Buzz) and the smug host (Costas). This whole thing was a set-up, and everyone knows it.

I just wish that Will would have let loose just a little.

Costas (reading comments from Salisbury article): "Good riddance, fuckface." "Say goodbye, douchebag."

Will: "Well, in defense of my commenters, it is a douchebag move to e-mail photos of your penis to your female co-workers."

Costas: "..."

BigTenObsession

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> There should be legislation that changes the phrase, "sitting in their mother's basement" to "sitting at work, shirking all responsibility." I want my laziness properly coded.

Shawon-O-Meter

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @Delicious Pundit: Plaschke has plenty of competition for that spot with Mike Lupica and Jay Mariotti still writing.

kayceebk

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> How does it feel to be Will Leitch's Reverend Wright?

UkraineNotWeak

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @CubsDynasty: The automobile pissed the shit out of them.

MeanMachine

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Bissinger has some nerve defending the medium that gives front page space to Bill Plaschke, America's Worst Writer.

Delicious Pundit

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @Roy Hobbs: How about a nice game of chess?

kayceebk

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @Im a people person. Who drinks.: I do believe that is their main problem with blogs, blogging, bloggers and the Blogosphere. There is this new form of dissemination of information and opinion which they can't control, so the best they can do is look down on it and chastise it for being crude and mean spirited.

Brazil Thrill

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> I wonder if the horse whipped buggy crowd pissed and moaned about the car as much as these writers do about teh interweb.

CubsDynasty

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> I think the whole "us vs. them" mentality is exacerbated by people on both sides of the line. Just sayin'.

futuremrsrickankiel

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> It was interesting the way Costas and Bissinger attacked Will for running the Matt Leinart photos, asking him if he would be willing to go through someone's trash to get material for the site. Apparently it didn't occur to them that the point of the photos wasn't so much that Leinart was partying, but that he was partying with underage girls.

The Ronettes Sing Medieval Agrarian History

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Skip to the 5 minute mark.

Bissinger = HYPOCRITE

[www.790theticket.com]

RachelRayIsTheDevil

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @Afino: The name of the post is "Man Oh Man, Do I Love To F-k Horses." That tells you everything you need to know.

DennyCrane

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @DennyCrane: Oh my god. That was beautiful. Like a flawlessy, profoundly detailed Albrecht Durer drawing. Of a wart on an engorged cock.

David Hume

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> It's more than a little depressing to see writers decry an entire medium that provides opportunities for writers to write. I think it proves that many of these guys only value their own stake in the game, and not the game itself. They come off--accurately--as profoundly selfish.

GorgeForeman

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Will, you seem a little down on your accomplishments. For a Communications/English major from LaSalle, you are doing quite well for yourself.

FriendsLikeJimRome

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> I think the fact that both Buzz and Costas were quoting from the exact same post should tell us quite a bit about the "fairness" of this little dog and pony show.

Roy Hobbs

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Someone needs to interview Bissinger's 16-year-old son and ask him about what went down last night.

Crookednose

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> I found the whole thing curious. I'd concede every negative thing Costas or that Buzz guy has to say about blogs and answer - so what? Just because you don't value them doesn't mean they don't have value. If you don't value them - don't worry about them - and kindly shut the fuck up about it. We may be mean-spirited basement dwelling miscreants, but that isn't a crime. You're not our parents, our bosses or our judges or on our juries. So what makes you think you get to be our executioners?

Im a people person. Who drinks.

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @DennyCrane:

Ever since KSK moved, I can't read it at work. Internet monitoring = FAIL

Afino

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @DennyCrane:

Affirmed.

Secret Identity

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> To a certain extent you almost cant blame these guys. How many people react well to obsolescence? The few who see whats happening will try to write better columns, re-educate themselves about the sports they cover and give us what we want: informed reporting, not wistful "back in my day" garbage.

The others apparently go bananas on HBO. Unfortunately I don't have HBO, but it sounds like great television.

Its journalistic Darwinism and Buzz is the State of Tennessee.

dont-forget-where-you-came-from-cheese mac

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @DennyCrane: Somehow, I'm thinking that will only be the opening salvo.

Shall we play a game?

Roy Hobbs

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Hey AJ,
While at LaSalle did you ever play video games with the L-Train?
[theangryt.com]



HugsFromHarold

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Still haven't seen it. I'm too cheap for HBO. But it sounds shameful.

Between this, GTA IV and Favre's Madden screed, seems technophobia is runnin' wild all over.

McCroskey

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @Yostal: BDD responds: [kissingsuzykolber.uproxx.com]

DennyCrane

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Is there any video of this fiasco floating around?

BabaOje

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Is last night's clip anywhere on teh intertubes? I had a date with GTA4 and missed it.

Helmet Touch

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Yea, but what is Buzz's Connectedness Index?

EddieRebel

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @Yostal: Define "fine."

Camp Tiger Claw

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Fuckfaces.

asliceofbacon

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Well said, AJ, as usual

Fawn Liebowitz

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> I must confess, I'm the one who stole Buzz's eyebrows.

The Sports Hernia

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> commentator dumbass

jwaves2007

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Anyone else find it sad how Dan Patrick was practically begging for a job?

KevinNoMaas

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Maybe you could extend an olive branch in the form of a commentor invite.

jwaves2007

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> To not get too meta today (wait, too late), Orson with a fine piece on this topic on this as well:
[www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com]

Yostal

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @Reasonable Doubt for a Reasonable Price: Go ahead. The kids in the ICU will think it's hilarious.

Weed Against Speed

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> I think it's time to take newspaper columnists and print media out back,
under the bleachers and give 'em a good fucking (Deadspin on the back of SI).

CentreField

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> let's go do what we do best

Woo-hoo taint pics!

Rob Iracane

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> And how fortunate are we to have this medium so we can learn about Santonio's "hog" or Jay Buehner's zit at the shaft of his penis!

DumpsterDining

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Being talked on Dan Patrick show right now at cnnsi.com
Not that I am listening or anything...


Kalamazoo_Kicker

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Will must still be in bed with a percocet hangover.

Phatty

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Alright, enough - let's go do what we do best.

I'm not sure if they'll let me light my own farts where I'm typing right now.

Reasonable Doubt for a Reasonable Price

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @Peter Cavan: That seems like poor timing considering how Costas and Buzz gave Will the shaft yesterday.

GreatOdensRaven

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Squashing your own grapes doesn't work all of the time:

BigRicks

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Will the NHL Closer today feature any picutres of Rich Garces with a Mayor McCheese head?

Dany Heatley Speedwagon

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @Civil Negligence: I meant @Whitey Fisk: .

Ahhh, who has two thumbs and is a star commenter? It's this guy!

Civil Negligence

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> now it's Big Balls Deep

this is why I don't listen to sports radio now

pr0FF3ss0r_j3rkwh3at

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> You can't be so reasonable and well spoken AJ, you're from Philly.

twoeightnine

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> "I had to squash my own grapes"

written like a true Italian

UpstateUnderdog

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @Lupicas!XofullofBile: In all fairness, he did mention La Salle University (aka Balls' State).

Civil Negligence

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> wait till bissinger finds out what a smokey tornado is

ltwinslow

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> I would be more vehement in my defense of Will if his book had been better.

Bluenatic

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Wow AJ, well said. Did Will leave you some of his Midwestern forthrightness in the fridge while he's away?

(No seriously, that's pretty much what I have been wanting to say about this whole thing, but I lacked the background to frame it in the proper context. Well done.)

Yostal

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Good lord, Bissinger went from being one of my favorite writers to a complete douchebag in less than 20 minutes.

Detective Bunk

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> So, looks like I missed a hell of a pissing match last night. Damn jury duty.

ghostsoftheSCupcountry

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @Whitey Fisk:

La Salle University...Philly by Proxy

LostinTheOffice

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @Doyle McPoyle: don't forget interrupt posts with soccer game updates.

Dead Wrestlers Society

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> ...Lets go do what we do best.

It's Dick Joke Wednesday!

Peter Cavan

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @Secret Identity: QMGWTFBBQ!!!!!!!11!!!!1!!!one

DennyCrane

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Alright, enough - let's go do what we do best.

Quote the Simpsons and discuss if we'd hypothetically have sex with pictured women?

Doyle McPoyle

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Really well said. As much as I'm enjoying AJ and Will taking the high road while proving (once again) they can write as well as anyone out there, I really hope BDD is going to tear Buzz a new one...while proving he also has a knack for the written word.

TattooedMess(iah)

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> @pr0FF3ss0r_j3rkwh3at:

I am not picturing Dan Patrick patting Will on the knee and telling him that if he works really hard, in ten years, he may get to write a book.

MyronCopacetic

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> For a brief second, I thought Bissinger was going to bring up the Chris Benoit post. Just glad he didn't.

crazyjoedavola

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> BOOBIES!
PENIS!
BOOBIES!
LOL ROFLMAO FTW!!@!@




Secret Identity

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> *slow clap*

Now do us proud, A.J. Daddy Drew.

Afino

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Hopefully, last night's train wreck will finally put an end to this whole sports media/mainstream media battle against the sports blogging community.

And someday the Cubs will win the World Series.

DennyCrane

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Daulerio as the voice of reason?

/Flees to the mountains

MyronCopacetic

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> You said "tits"...hee hee!

MeSoHornsby

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> This just in:

Will is disingenuous per Dan Patrick

And Will could write sports if he really wanted to.

pr0FF3ss0r_j3rkwh3at

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> It was nice of Costas to allow Will to bring his own special chair to the show made out of his mom's couch's springs so he'd feel at home.

Stay Away From Oprah

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> AJ made it through an entire post without mentioning Philly.

Whitey Fisk

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Well put, AJ. Do you have some shots of Rich Garces' tits?

Um..just asking.

Lupicas!XofullofBile

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> I had to squash my own grapes, so to speak...

I do that too sometimes when I go to sit down in front of the laptop to write something - hurts like a bitch.

Weed Against Speed

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> I believe it's "two entirely separate media." Way to give Bissinger more ammunition, damn you!

Whitey Fisk

]]> <![CDATA[Friday Night Blights]]> Bissinger should've played the Ankiel card.

Dead Wrestlers Society

]]>