ESPN.com, coming to a metro near you...

Last one out of Record Street, please turn out the lights.

 

Durrett and McMahon were 2 of the DMN's most prolific bloggers, which apparently is a reason ESPN Dallas decided to lure 'em. However, as with other ESPN hires of this type they're (well-paid) contract laborers with no benefits. Welcome to the slave ship, boys. Row well, and live.

 

Even after benefits, I'm willing to bet they're making more than most in this business. Plus, they don't have to relocate.

 

Vigoda also hired Calvin Watkins, who left his position as DMN Cowboys writer in the spring to cover the NFL for AOL Fanhouse.

 

Coincidentally, Durrett and MacMahon are the only two former Denton farmhands ever to make it to the show in sports. They know a sweatshop when they see one.

 

I think Calvin was awesome _ The only one at the DMN besides Rick Gosselin worth reading since 2006...If this ESPNDallas really has Calvin, I'm a regular starting Monday...

 

I guess you're a regular then.

 

Calvin provided the DMN with a lot of access avenues on beats other than his own, and never got the credit he was owed; that went to the cabin-cruisers who held the compromising pix, or whatever, of the untouchable fat cats. But a lot of people knew that Calvin was a humble hard worker. If Vigoda recognized that, he gets my vote as a top talent judge. The DMN used to wallow in talent, and now I wouldn't want it on my yard or doorstep unless I had a radioactive suit to remove it, or a pair of very long bar-b-que tongs.

Anyway, back to Calvin _ Access is the gold standard, and Calvin got sources and contacts to deliver for other writers who then went on to score with takeouts such as UT football reminiscenses in big years for the Longhorns. Calvin's byline was on perhaps just a fraction of stories that he actually engineered, from boxing to track and on and on. He is a reporter after my own heart.

And Richard D. could adapt to situations with aplomb. A couple of scores for Vigoda, who, incidentally, had personality and wit to burn, probably making him a bad fit for The Snooze.

 

Has ESPN.com made these Dallas-like hires in other new markets? I haven't heard that much...

 

What I don't get is why ANY Chicago sports fan would go to ESPN Chicago over the Trib or even the Sun-Times, other than the brand having more national cache.

Check out the sites. The content — quality and quantity — isn't even close. ESPN has a bunch of wire gamers and nothing special or at all original on the team pages. The Trib and Sun-Times both blow it away, yet I read ESPN somehow has more uniques a month. Just baffling.

And I love how the so-called WWL spends so much time during yesterday's games telling people to go to ESPN Dallas for the best coverage of Dallas-Ft. Worth sports. Click on it. All you see is a "Coming soon." That's a turnoff. I hope fellow users see that and vow never to go back.

 

It launches Monday.

 

Anyone for ESPNPodunk? I'm in!