ESPN: The Magazine HGH story

Uh yes, way dude

See above post but some things worth mentioning:

1.) Notice that when I disagree with a liberal (most SJ's) on a political point you don't see a SLEW of personal insults (always same playbook, stupid, racist, homophobe (yet closet homosexual), uncultured, etc) come from me to attack the person I disagree with. Rather, I discuss the points and we try to learn something and get to the truth.

Now it is true that after about 10-100 attacks per day I get to the point where I respond back and often do so quite effectively.

2.) Yes, I listen to Rush & LOVE to do so. Rush is THE best radio talk show host EVER...EVER...EVER, period end of story. He has won many Marconi's and will be in the radio hall of fame (if not already there). Moreover, Rush is rich beyond anything you, I, or Clooney will ever see barring some enormous powerball win.

Lastly, check yourself Rush has REAL power over 20M listeners and has enormous influence over political scene and much more over the Rep party & conservative base. Thus, you may think you matter, but Rush really does. The fact that you don't like him changes nothing. Facts are facts.

Let me put it to you in a way that you may understand. Rush has more power & influence than John Stewart, Colbert, Bill Mahr, Chris Matthews, and Dan Rather COMBINED.

Drop the hate and deal with it.

Look, I may not like Hilary but I am not going to say she is an idiot or has no juice as...yeah she really really does.

Admittedly, there is a screening process for all jobs but for many posting here they are in low level SJ jobs, not elite jobs. Thus, I am dubious as to the screening process of covering prep and local college sports in say, Montana or a small city in Virginia for instance.

Top jobs have more screening but some like Bill Simmons (who I love) were literally picked from nowhere with no formal training. Others like our friend from PTI get to do color commentary for NFL games on ESPN with no experience doing that. Not to mention the many athletes turned reporters/commentators with no experience in journalism (I actually think this is really good for SJ but also has its own problems) Then there is the whole Stephen A talk show thing.

The point is I know journalists & have been one at a high level. Some are great, many are good, many not so much...deal with it. And even the best ones have their limitations as is the nature of the profession.

Most importantly, you have trashed me, my credentials, my education, my profession, etc. etc. repeatedly, daily.

Don't be surprised if I turn that light back at you.

I know you can't take it...such babies.

You know it would be easier to just say..."you know John you were right about a lot of things & I am sorry a lot of us jumped on you. You make some good points, some I agree with & some I don't but thanks for posting here and giving us some fresh perspective."

Yeah, that would solve a lot of things, but I guess you have to feel it in your heart first.

Now can we get back to the topics at hand?

 

Well, I'll be darned. JV, based on your YouTube series, I'm guessing you weren't on camera. And based on your postings, I know you weren't a writer. So what did you do at CNN?

 

Exactly, thanks Cranberry (although I just stopped at the smarter since he called me a village idiot)

What is unreal is the posters calling me stupid that can't seem to read/remember what I actually say.

Or to paraphrase DG:

"he is what he said he was"

 

Ok, I put in the previous post before I read JDV's two latest gems (how the hell do I make my posts come up in blue anyway?).

And I think that is the last time I try to respond in a rational matter. You flat out don't deserve it, JDV. I've only kept it up so far because I love to argue, but I'm finally starting to drift into the camp that believes you are just messing with us.

For somebody who believes he is so much smarter and better than all of us, you sure seem focused on earning some level of validation here. And if you are what you truly say you are, that is pathetic.

I could sit here and poke holes in your last anti-journalistic rant, but I just don't see the point any more. Not because I can't do it, but because you are too dense or too busy just wasting our time to realize it when somebody does properly refute one of your points anyway, so why bother?

And JDV, we're not the ones who keep going off topic. You are. If you never talk about yourself again, I think we'd all be much happier. But I think that is like asking the rest of us to stop breathing, because that is what self-fellatio is to you in your SportsJournalists.com life -- air itself.

 

No denial on my Boalt skepticism. Interesting ...

 

OOP

Yes, I am quite real (as those who PM'd me, spoken with me, and or met me know.

Thanks for the compliments & points taken.

Look, seriously I forgive easy and am easy to get along with, but if attacked repeatedly and viciously...I hit back. That is just normal.

that is not to say I don't have my flaws and things to learn...we all do. I also have a style that is me & I am proud/comfortable with. That being said I am always looking to improve. So, I will take your reasoned suggestions under consideration.

However, I will say this for sure. If I am not attacked much of the things you complain about from me will stop. I am simply responding. That is many of the same people that say I am bragging now were dismissing me at first and demanding to know my credentials or "why" they should listen to me (yet proclaiming their own expertise)...when anyone with even a medium degree of knowledge on the issue could see that I really knew what I was talking about. So, I knew what I was dealing with you know.

The point is you can't have it both ways - trash me as a nobody & then say I am bragging when I deliver my creds & let's face it nobody listens to a nobody (for better or worse). So, it just is what it is.

I do agree that I need to work on certain aspects of my writing and presentation - but that is also a dbl edge sword as it makes me more entertaining.

As to the merits of your other points

There are certainly other experts for sure. However, I would not call Steve Courson one of them (to my knowledge). No offense to Steve. Let me put it this way sure he did a lot of juice & drugs but what most American athletes do is abuse not so much performance enhancing use and there is a big dif. Take too much of anything and anyone will have big problems

Thus, if you dump a pharmacy down yourself bc you didn't know what you were doing and it doesn't turn out so well I don't think that makes you an expert.

As to drug use - I am against all drug use as a rule. However, I think that it is a complicated issue and not black and white (as I have said & point of above post) and think it should be driven by the health & safety of athletes (i.e. medical research & clinical trials) and not politics or media witch hunts.

Thus, my Libertarian leanings say that people should be able to do what they want...free country and all, & if medicine can be used safely to improve the quality & health of people's lives I am all for that.

This should be a scientific question not a moral one in my opinion.

Anyway, thanks for a well thought out post & props OOP

Sorry to hear about the asthma

Try megadosing Vitamin C - should help & can't hurt. There is something else good too but it slips my mind right now - PM me & I will follow up

JDV

 

That is just dumb

JD Boalt Hall 1998

Its on the Cal Bar website.

Do you want me to take a pic on my diploma or fax over my transcripts?

It is posts like that that cause the problems

 

Not getting sucked in....

But thanks for the advice on the asthma. I've heard about the Vitamin C before and I still follow it to a point. I've asked different doctors about it. (You'd be amazed at the completely different answers you get from one doctor to the next when it comes to asthma treatments).

 

This is like poking an animal with a stick. Too easy.

 

Pringle--It was a great story, sorry about your thread. Maybe we'll try again another day.

 

Where is the love Cranberry?

BTW You Tube is limited in terms of vid quality. If you could see my other TV work I doubt you would say that. I know I am not allowed to brag - but I am good on TV and can carry any segment as long as needed (yeah that is a talent). I am nice on the mike and better on TV, believe that.

Anyway, I did exactly what I said I did worked the desk reading papers (typically NYT, WP, & LAT) & PR faxes, and other news live TV coverage to pick out stories to cover for the day & angles to take/ppl to interview - then went out and gathered those stories. Sometimes I would do interviews most often I was supporting the Bureau Chief & Assignment Editor. I would also work with/interview guests that were there to do live feeds to other locations of the network (CNN FN, etc.) or taped segments.

It was fun stuff - they are great guys/gals & true professionals.

JDV

 

So you read the newspaper looking for stories, right? Just like your hero Rush.

The difference between you and the people on here?

We write the newspaper.

Assclown.