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The Sports Boy mails in another bucketload of bull$#$#

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Starman, Mar 9, 2007.

  1. Perry White

    Perry White Active Member

    I normally like his running diaries, but I gave up halfway through this one.
     
  2. Piotr Rasputin

    Piotr Rasputin New Member

    The 2002 column was welcome, since that was when he was still consistently reliable. As for length, I think the unbridled passion of the circa-2002 Sports Guy was very good reading, and something that resonated.

    As for those who don't like him continuing to read him . . . . it's like in Howard Stern's movie when they asked, if they hate him, why listen? "Answer most commonly given: I want to see what he'll say next." If you want to read so you can post here and rip on him wih others, then have at thee, varlets! (as Thor would say).

    But. . . . . . .

    When si.com, newspapers and espn.com started putting stories on multiple pages, there were those who said it was a blatant attempt to get more hits in an artifical, underhanded way. Sports Guy notoriously fought to keep his at a page, for what it's worth.

    I wonder if those who hate him have ever considered that their hit (and the hits they inspire when posting the link while saying "Look, he sucks!") might be the ones that put him over the top the next time he cites his popularity level in contract negotiations.

    Like the mental image of Michael Moore realizing somwhere within himself in November 2004 that maybe, just maybe, he actually pushed more people away from his views than he convinced, I find that thought somewhat amusing.
     
  3. I like Simmons. I liked this column. It made me chuckle.

    Given how hectic the day-to-day life of my job is at times, it's a nice diversion...
     
  4. Willie-Butch

    Willie-Butch Member

    We should all be so lucky Cristiano. Now get back to work. And bring me back some gear.
     
  5. Mmac

    Mmac Guest

    This presupposes that those criticizing him wish him the worst. I don't, and I've got no problem with him using my contribution to his hit count to negotiate a better paycheck. Hell, I used to love his stuff--you know, back in 01-03 when it was still fresh. But the only reason he has that admittedly huge reader base today is because of some inspired writing back then. If he wrote then how he writes now the following never would've developed.
     
  6. Piotr Rasputin

    Piotr Rasputin New Member

    Can't argue with that.
     
  7. MertWindu

    MertWindu Active Member

    Here's my thing with Simmons, as mentioned before. It's not just that he writes long occasionally. He writes long all the freakin' time. Seriously, they're running an old column right now as his lead item because his most recent blog post "is too complex" and will be run in a few days. When you write that long, you're sending the ostensible message that you deserve to take that much of the reader's time. To assume that every time out is fucking lunacy. And the "too complex" crap shows that he clearly takes himself too seriously. My first web gig, I wrote lacrosse gamers, and I loved it because I could just go nuts on play-by-play. Three weeks in, my editor wrote me an email, basically saying "just because we have the space doesn't mean we need to use so much of it. Brevity still matters." And I agree. Brevity isn't just a byproduct of a small newshole. It's a fundamental to live by.
     
  8. buckweaver

    buckweaver Active Member

    Had my first editor tell me the same. Great, great advice, and got me to start thinking of stories in a different way than to which I had been accustomed.
     
  9. Giggity

    Giggity Member

    Groundhog Day 2: SportsJournalists.com bitches about the sports guy for six pages
     
  10. Dan Rydell

    Dan Rydell Guest

    Anyone in a job like that who throws up a column that's five years old instead of sitting down and pounding out something fresh is just masturbating loudly in the middle of church.


    <<<Quick note for Friday, March 9: I spent the morning (and part of last night) writing a blog posting for today, but the piece turned out to be more complicated than I thought, so we decided to hold it until next week. You'll understand why when you read it.>>>

    yeah right, simmons. and then your dog ate your homework.
     
  11. MertWindu

    MertWindu Active Member

    You're right, Giggity. We shouldn't ever discuss anything we've ever discussed before. ::)
     
  12. Abso-fucking-lutely on target, Mert.
     
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