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Pearlman Strikes Back

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by dirtybird, Oct 7, 2011.

  1. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    I don't blame Pearlman for writing the book.
    I don't blame Mike Ditka for being mad.
    I don't blame Chicagoans for being mad.
     
  2. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    My thoughts on the matter being well-known already, I'll ask a new question: How can Pearlman expect anyone to believe that he is this naive and taken aback by the whole process after he has written four previous books?
     
  3. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    I'm not saying Ditka would be right to spit in Pearlman's face, but I don't blame him for defending his guy.

    I don't know... Payton is a beloved Chicago icon. I don't blame Chicagoans for not wanting their memories of Sweetness soiled by a book.

    But that's life. That's what they say about meeting your heroes. More than likely you're going to be disappointed...
     
  4. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    This seems to happen everytime Jeff writes something. It seems like it is his post book default mode.

    Most SJers can remember the countless times that he has come on SJ to defend himself both as his own persona and as sock puppet.

    You can't say the guy does not care about his work.
     
  5. BrianGriffin

    BrianGriffin Active Member

    Gotcha. What I get for skimming through it (all it deserves, for what it's worth).

    Yup, that is a dig at small midwestern papers, no doubt. Different from his critique of the critique from the small, midwestern paper later in the column.
     
  6. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    Pearlman:

    a. definitely cares about his work
    b. is a great writer
    c. is indredibly thin-skinned
    d. all of the above
     
  7. swenk

    swenk Member

    I was involved with three of those books: "The Jordan Rules," "Hell-Bent," and "Big Red Confidential."

    If you're looking for an analogy to the Payton book, you need look no further than "The Jordan Rules"; same city, same fans, same media, same accusations of author greed and lies, and three times the outrage. Whatever you think of Michael Jordan today, in 1992 there was no greater national icon, and that iconic image was everywhere every day. Not only was Sam ripped mercilessly by fans for "tearing down" their hero, he was also shredded by his media colleagues. Interestingly, nothing in the book was refuted by either the Bulls or Jordan, who continued a very professional relationship with Sam and made a point of taking his questions in the locker room and postgame.

    "Hell-Bent" is an ironic example here, since Jeff Pearlman made countless public attacks on Skip Bayless for how he dealt with the “Troy is gay” rumors. If ever there was a “read the book” moment this is it: Bayless never said Aikman was gay, he wrote that others (including Barry Switzer) had alleged it during his research for the book. He reported what he was told, which is the same defense Pearlman is using here. Read the book.

    But a better example of a Bayless book would be the bestselling "God’s Coach" (1990), which essentially knocked Tom Landry’s famed fedora to the ground and incensed countless fans and followers; I believe there were death threats at the time. Armen Keteyian’s “Big Red Confidential” (1989) had the same effect on the Nebraska faithful, who just didn’t want to know (or maybe didn’t care) about the real Tom Osborne and the Huskers football program in the 1980s.

    Interesting to note all those books (and those on Mizzougrad's list) are from the same pre-internet era, when you'd get your sports news from newspapers and magazines, and most of the more salacious gossip just wasn't reported. I wonder how many of Walter Payton's secrets would have remained secret had he played today.
     
  8. jeff.pearlman

    jeff.pearlman Member

    Any criticism of the WSJ thing ... well, I actually agree with. As people here know, I don't always have the thickest skin. :)

    Took the nonstop criticism (for a book that wasn't even read) to heart. But NOBODY wants to hear someone whining like that. Deadspin piece—fun. WSJ—wah, wah.

    I get it. Y'all are 100% right.
     
  9. Ice9

    Ice9 Active Member

    Full disclosure, I'm from the Northeast. And the line is still wicked funny.
     
  10. BYH

    BYH Active Member

    Because Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, the 1986 Mets and early 1990s Cowboys are, by and large, rotten people worshiped by nobody? That's not a knock on Pearlman, just an acknowledgment of swenk's point--that the Internet age, as well as a larger-than-life image for the '86 Mets, ensured we were all aware of their warts long before we opened Pearlman's books.
     
  11. Cousin Jeffrey

    Cousin Jeffrey Active Member

    I'm a lifelong midwesterner. I didn't read anything into Midwestern crack. I thought it was just a detail.
     
  12. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    I don't know... There are a lot of big secrets out there that remain unreported and should probably stay that way.

    I know I've mentioned this on other threads, but it's pretty well-known in football circles that one of the best players in the NFL is gay. This isn't the Manning rumor, but another star player and I've heard coaches, GMs and players talk about it (off the record of course...) like it's common knowledge.

    I'll bet it never comes out.
     
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