ESPN.com writer toasted for block-headed mistakes

[SockPuppet]

Here.
http://construda.blogspot.com/2008/06/commenters-burn-espncom-writer.html
Enjoy. And buy stock in Disney.

 

[Joe Williams]

Not the, um, strongest of starts at the WWL for Seifert, one of the new NFL bloggers.

Another of those "errors you want to make in the minor leagues" that keep showing up on the ESPN.com site. Lots of writers who check their stuff meticulously, working with deskers who still find ways to save them from themselves, and neither ever get a look-see from the folks based in Bristol.

And yet, somehow, those folks are never, ever wrong in their hirings or decision-making.

 

[Barsuk]

Ouch.

 

[SockPuppet]

Don't know how much this Siefert guy has or is expected to crank out, but the more copy you producer and the faster it gets done, the more chances are mistakes will be made. I can't imagine the guy would make that mistake unless he was ripping through it at warp speed or planned on checking it later, got busy and forget.
And, yes, a good copy editor who knows the NFL would have caught those errors.

 

[Football_Bat]

I'd consider a change of verb for the thread title since "toast" usually means to honor or compliment.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Seifert is a great guy and one of the better NFL writers around.

None of that was shown in that article.

 

[PeteyPirate]

I'd consider a change of verb for the thread title since "toast" usually means to honor or compliment.

Indian copy editors

 

[Ace]

I'd consider a change of verb for the thread title since "toast" usually means to honor or compliment.

Indian copy editors

Pleased be to editing you!!

 

[Football_Bat]

I'd consider a change of verb for the thread title since "toast" usually means to honor or compliment.

Indian copy editors

Keep slaving away in Akron, Ace. You still rule.

 

[waterytart]

I'd consider a change of verb for the thread title since "toast" usually means to honor or compliment.

Indian copy editors

Pleased be to editing you!!

And neither the blogger nor his first commenter knows what "misgivings" means.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

I'd consider a change of verb for the thread title since "toast" usually means to honor or compliment.

Indian copy editors

Pleased be to editing you!!

And neither the blogger nor his first commenter knows what "misgivings" means.

Robin Givens, right?

 

[beardpuller]

I'd consider a change of verb for the thread title since "toast" usually means to honor or compliment.

Indian copy editors

Pleased be to editing you!!

And neither the blogger nor his first commenter knows what "misgivings" means.

Robin Givens, right?

Seifert did a fine job covering the Vikings, and I'm sure he'll do a good job for ESPN. Yeah, he made a mistake here. (One real mistake. I don't count saying a guy was cut when he was "not re-signed" as much of a mistake.)
The mistake was confusing a draft pick from Central Florida with another guy from Tulane. Whoppeee.
It bothers me that this is the kind of **** that clearly turns people on around here.
"Goolleee, where I work, I would never confuse the leading rusher for Pumpkinsquasher High with the guy from Lower Bupkis High, so clearly, ESPN.com shoulda hired ME insteada this here fella."

The "misgivings" thing is what's really funny. Guy wants to flag ESPN's mistake, and English does not appear to be his first language. Kudos to Ben Hecht, by the way.

 

[imjustagirl]

He also doesn't know understand how these errors could be made.

 

[playthrough]

Everyone who hasn't made a mistake in print or online, please come forward and claim your prize.

What little remaining space on this board that isn't filled by ****ty industry news doesn't need to harp on every faux pas at ESPN. Let's just have some perspective.

 

[waterytart]

I'd consider a change of verb for the thread title since "toast" usually means to honor or compliment.

Indian copy editors

Pleased be to editing you!!

And neither the blogger nor his first commenter knows what "misgivings" means.

Robin Givens, right?

Go to the head of the class, Ben.

 

[Barsuk]

Look who just showed up to the party, guys!

http://construda.blogspot.com/2008/06/commenters-burn-espncom-writer.html?showComment=1214408520000#c6933948255525601277

 

[ondeadline]

The blogger also doesn't know the difference between "re-signed" and "resigned."

 

[SEeditor]

I've read Kevin's stuff in Minnesota for years. Best of luck to him at ESPN.

As for this post, besides the obvious Central Florida-Tulane mishap, maybe it's more of an indicator of how important copy editors and fact-checkers are and not a shot at the writer.

 

[pressmurphy]

Everyone who hasn't made a mistake in print or online, please come forward and claim your prize.

What little remaining space on this board that isn't filled by ****ty industry news doesn't need to harp on every faux pas at ESPN. Let's just have some perspective.

Amen to that. I despise the WWL as much as anyone, but let's not lose sight that mistakes are going to happen when you're processing huge volumes of information every day of the year. Sometimes you have to resign yourself to fixing them and moving on.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

As for this post, besides the obvious Central Florida-Tulane mishap, maybe it's more of an indicator of how important copy editors and fact-checkers are and not a shot at the writer.

A cry in the wilderness, at this point.

They have the money -- but they're clearly not willing to pay solid, well-rounded people the legitimate money required to clean up other people's messes in a competent fashion.

I know fact-checking is a lost art. SI's gone straight to hell in this area, and not even the New Yorker is what it was.

But what happens on ESPN on line ain't right. Not close.