Who Is That Man In The Mirror

Jeff Pearlman interviews Jonesy. Really well done!

http://www.jeffpearlman.com/the-quaz-qa-chris-jones/#.TjCywFF1LsM.twitter

Whitlock's head just popped off and he doesn't know why.

"C.J.: Let me say one thing right off the top: Writing that was a mistake. Not because it was technically wrong, but because that was the first (and still only) time I’d ever taken a run at another writer—the opening shot, I mean. So now, whenever I counsel young writers not to resort to snark or feuds to build their names—to do good work instead—the weasels out there can point to what I did to Whitlock and say that I don’t practice what I preach.

I did that once, it was a mistake, and I regret it.

However, for years, Whitlock has done the dirty on a number of my close friends. He’s been an unrepentant asshole. So it’s not like I dropped bombs on a guy like Joe Posnanski, this smiling benevolent force for good. Here I was, with this new outlet, this new blog—I think that was maybe my second entry—and I just vented years of anger. It felt good, to be honest. I’m not sure Whitlock even knows who I am, but I felt better for having written that. It was cathartic.

And I believed it. I still believe it. I don’t think he’s a good writer. I think he’s a clumsy writer with a small bag of tricks. Somehow, though, he’s made himself famous and successful doing that, which I give him credit for. He’s made a name for himself in a tough business. But I hate the idea of kids thinking that’s how you have to be to make a name for yourself. I’d rather they choose Team Posnanski.

That’s why I wrote that. I shouldn’t have, but that’s why I did."

 

Keep chasing that whale, Capt. Boom.

 

Great job, Jeff and Jonesy.

Really nice flow.

More cliches though next time, please.

 

Having read Jones' blogs, I didn't expect to learn anything new, but that was really good. Jones had some funny lines in there, especially in the bottom section with the quick questions.

 

Funny stuff DD, but have you seen Whitlock lately? He has dropped a lot of weight. No longer accurate to label him a "whale"

 

Thanks for not playing the whale race card, Boom.

 

I figured you'd appreciate being cast as Gregory Peck.

 

Honored but I think I'm better in the Captain Boomer roll.

 

Is that roll good for sport of whale catching?

 

Jim Glaser flashback.

 

I strongly disagree with the idea that "caring about sports" somehow leads to perpetuating bad lines of questioning in locker rooms. I believe the best beat writers are the ones who find new and unique approaches to every major story that hits their team, the ones who understand that the reader knows what happened and try to look beyond tepid hard news approaches with drab reaction and meaningless approach. I admit that there aren't enough of those writers out there, but I know they exist. I (a copy editor) have worked with a few, and I have read several more.

In addition, Erik Larson is rich. Maybe not famous to look at, but he's rich. He sold Devil in the White City film rights a year or two ago.