First Mark Cuban decided that he was banning blog writers from the Dallas Mavericks locker room. Yawn. Then Bob Costas put in his two cents:
"It's just a high-tech place for idiots to do what they used to do on bar stools or in school yards, if they were school-yard bullies, or on men's-room walls in gas stations. That doesn't mean that anyone with half a brain should respect it."
Okay, time to chime in. I will be as idiotic as I can possibly be!
1) Blogging works because the content is strong. Ultimatenyg was a guest blogger on the New York Times Fifth Down (its very first one, I might add) and it was so successful that they now have had a number of guest bloggers on the site.
2) There is demand for information and discussion of the NFL and peoples' favorite teams beyond the regular season. Ultimatenyg started as an email group of friends and was getting a few hits per day in the 2006 regular season and now gets hundreds of hits per day in the OFFSEASON. The mainstream media drops offseason sports like a pariah and with the exception of a week of free agency and a week of the draft it effectively disappears until training camp.
3) If blogging was stupid and a waste of peoples' time, people would not visit the sites. Yet they do. Why? Because the blogs provide something that the mainstream media cannot do: honest commentary. It is the nature of the beast. The beat writers need access and they must 'behave' in order to maintain that relationship. Francesa and Russo will comment negatively on a player or coach but as soon as they get on the air with that person they kiss his a** for fear of offending him and not getting him on the air ever again.
4) Fans demand respect. They are smarter than you think and if you think you are fooling them they will walk. Are there going to be idiotic bloggers? Yes. But at least here on this site we strive to respect the opinions of others and we admit when we are wrong. Opinions will be wrong from time to time. This site does not make predictions on every game, but when it does it has a very decent track record. Everything said is a matter of record, and the good AND the bad do not get changed after the fact.
5) Ever notice how the blogs have links to other information, other media and other bloggers?!! Bloggers understand that the internet is a tremendous village of content and information. They are happy you stopped here to visit this article and are just as happy to pass you along to another site that they think you might find helpful or interesting. When was the last time you opened the NY Post and they told you to buy the Star Ledger because Garafolo scooped us?!!
6) Cuban and Costas could not have done a better job for bloggers. It is always amazing how (IDIOTIC!) critics of free speech end up aiding their enemies more by opening their mouths than by keeping them shut. It is the classic story of how the (frivolous) lawsuit is filed against a new book coming out, the media reports on the lawsuit so heavily that book sales for this hitherto unknown publication explode, the lawsuit is later thrown out of court for being... idiotic!... and the author lives happily ever after.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Bob Costas and Mark Cuban vs. the Blogs
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4 comments:
Excellent post. I enjoy reading your blog each day. Especially on mornings before I leave for work.(As a pharmacist, during the week, I work 14 hour shifts.)
I laud you for speaking your truth. I support you to continue doing this. I agree with you.
Unfortunately, in the MSM, I think standards are no longer in place. Remember, Jayson Blair. How does the "paper of record" let a reporter fabricate his stories? Former NY Times reporter Judith Miller was perpertrating fraud upon the American public. She was spewing White House lies about the need to go to war with Iraq. At the time, her column was considered "investigative journalism".
I think fans are smart. I think they want honesty. Even in the sports world, I think fans like myself are sick and tired of reading and hearing nonsense. For me, this was motivation for me to start my own blog. I think ESPN is crap. Right now, like most of America, I do not get the NFL Network. I think they have some good guys on their like Maycock. However, there is something missing. What I think is missing is asking the tough, honest questions in a respectful manner. Just like youself, I have been listening to Mike and the Mad Dog for a long time. They kill a guy or an organization. Then when a person comes on, they change their tone. I agree with you for fear of getting shut out. I know they pissed off Strahan. Strahan loathes the "Sports Pope" and the "Angry Puppy". Stray will no longer appear on their program. I think Strahan did not want to be yelled at and disrespected.
I was disappointed with Costas. I think he is a smart guy. For him to use a "broad brush" and consider all bloggers idiots, I think he has a myopic view of bloggers.
I think true nobility is being better than one used to be. I am not in competition with the MSM. I will continue my efforts to writing better posts. Posts which have honesty, integrity, and accountability.
Glenn Warciski
New York Football Giants
www.nygmennfl.blogspot.com
"Blogging works because the content is strong"
Blogging works WHEN the content is strong.......
Brian Cuban
www.briancuban.com
Brian- because/WHEN is semantics. Now we are just fine-tuning the fact that blogging is a powerful medium with no economic barrier to entry, giving many a way to publicly express their views. Having 6B people with blogs will create a lot of noise, with plenty of it nonsense. But the medium is filling a void and that is why the hits and the audience are there. Thanks for posting. I visited your blog and that is how it happens.
Glenn- I keep up with your blog too, even if I agree to disagree with some of the opinions you offer (ie Diehl being wonderful at LT!). Running a blog is not simply typing opinion, because the accountability is STILL here. If we simply post our opinions without backing them up with facts, what valued content is that? And if the facts we cite are weak/incorrect we will lose our following.
Today I posted an interview with an old-timer Giant fan named Arnie. He and Marvelous were in complete agreement on the Top 10 Quarterbacks of all time, but what was interesting was how the Montana and Favre hype of this generation was calmed by their perspective on Unitas, Baugh and Graham. Favre was respected greatly by these two knowledgeable men (and rightly given top 10 status for sure), but the adulation of the moment was given a little bit of a reality check. Where was the mainstream media when this was going on? All your buddies at ESPN were doing is anointing Favre as the second coming. FOR RATINGS. And the rest of the media was AWOL on the prev generation as well. Blogs are here and they are not going away so fast.
My definition of a blog is:
a place to provide healthy commentary on news or a particular subject. This is the reason I am attracted to your blog. I like the tone of your message.
Indeed, I think it is healthy to disagree with someone. I think as long as one does not personally attack a person. This is where some people cross the line. I do not think it is okay to behave in an assailing fashion.
I think this is what angers Costas.
However, lumping all bloggers together as idiots is unfair.
With Diehl, I disagreed with you. In his first year at left tackle, I thought he played very well. As a fan, I think he can improve and become an excellent left tackle. However, you disagreed and I think articulated an excellent case to move him back to his strong suit which is guard. I enjoy a healthy debate where there is no scorn or invective. Keep up the excellent work.
be well
glenn
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