Will Leitch interview on ESPN radio (Van Pelt)

I'm an ESPN Insider, so I'm not 100 percent sure you can listen to this without that access, but I think it might hosted on another site. Some interesting stuff here, especially considering Leitch was supposedly "banned" from all ESPN enterprises. He and Van Pelt debate why Deadspin rips ESPN all the time, whether certain criticisms of ESPN talking heads are fair or unfair (Van Pelt calls the Super Bowl stuff with Stu Scott stalking; Leitch calls it humanizing). Van Pelt asks what ESPN could do to get the blogosphere off its back, and Leitch plays it smart-alacky and throw out the gem, "They should treat their women (employees) worse."

At the end, Van Pelt asks Leitch if he's ever work for ESPN (because, you know, everyone wants to, right?), and Will says, "I don't think so. I hear the cafeteria food sucks." Van Pelt doesn't seem to really get Leitch's point, but it's sort of interesting none the less.

http://espn-mp3-od.andomedia.com/espnpod2/espnradio/insider/patrick/patrick_07132007_8.mp3


Sports By Brooks gives a summary of the stuff if you can't listen to the link. (Link below is mildly NSFW. There are pics of women in bikinis down the right side, and a big picture of woman in a bikini at the very bottom.)

http://sportsbybrooks.com/espn-finally-embracing-detractors-but-bristol-still-burns-13360.php

 

I couldn't listen to the link, but the summary is very interesting.

Van Pelt seems like a pretty enthusiastic embracer of the sports blogosphere...The guys at Kissing Suzy Kolber mentioned the other day that he was pimping their site, and he occasionally drops quotes or catchphrases ("memes," if you will) in his Sportscenter stints.

I'm sure there'll be the usual predictable anti-blog backlash about ESPN giving Leitch a forum, but it's interesting, and fairly ballsy by Van Pelt.

 

That was painful. Both stammered and I-- I-- I-- 'd their way through it. Leitch is more entertaining en blog.

Leitch had stalkerazzi on ESPN talent at Super Bowl bars? C'mon. That kind of thing only perpetuates the notion that a Sportscenter anchor is somebody worth being stalked.