Nothing too low to "brand"

Nice to see that, even in a hardcore, old-fashioned news story about the stabbing in Beijing, the WorldWide Leader feels compelled to brand its reporting. In the 24th freaking paragraph:

A USA basketball spokesman told ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan that the U.S. men's basketball team was briefed on the attack by its director of security, Bernie Tolbert, and by the assistant executive director of men's basketball programs, Sean Ford. The team had no further comment.

Guess it just wouldn't have worked to say "The USA men's basketball team was brief on the attack, a team spokesman said..." Such abso-freaking-lutely special information, that.

 

Odd. In the follow, I'm seeing in the final graf:

Joe Williams told SportsJournalists.com's Sporty Spice that the rest of Sports Journalists Nation was briefed on another potential injury to an ESPN.com staffer caused by excessive reaching to pat himself on the back for getting a run-of-the-mill quote and doing a base part of his job. SportsJournalists.com's Sporty Spice reports that the story also had a period at the end of the final sentence.

Watch for it on ESPN News' ticker.

 

This SportySpice is quite cool and perceptive as all get out. I'm impressed, which happens about as often as someone else in my house (other than Mr. Flicker) unloads the clean dishwasher without being threatened. Mr. Flicker must refine the previous proposal to write in Joe Williams for prez on the first Tues in Nov. to upping it to writing in a ticket featuring Joe W. and SportyS. Such a ticket would prove irresistible, and certainly be in the nation's best interest.

 

Branding is about as stupid a practice as I see these days. I don't care if it's an exclusive or whatever. Just put what happened and what was said in your story. As a reader, I don't care if Joe Blow "told ESPN.com" this or just "said" it. I'm not paying attention to the attribution. I'm paying attention to what was said. Lots of reporters I've been around get a hard-on from branding and use it quite excessively. It's just stupid.

 

ESPN's Chris Mortenson reports that SportySpice felt "thankful" for the nomination and that he owes it all to Joe Williams. Also, Mort reports that Fox's Jay Glazer has learned Brett Favre just removed his left shoe, which will be discussed at length on tonight's Sunday Conversation.

 

I've been hearing Fox Sports Radio promos all weekend long with the audio from the guy who breaks the report that Chad Pennington signed with the Dolphins.

Okay, glad-handing yourself over breaking Brett Favre's trade, I can see because it's an "In your face!" to the WWL. Glad-handing yourself over reporting where Pennington signed, um, not so much.