Another columnist who can't write

Little college school girls? Hmmmm, let me ponder that for a minute. Can they have short plaid skirts and moonlight at the local strip club?

So you admit that barking down this commentary because of a slip up is a bit silly. I'm just wondering why you did it? Hypo makes a good point and it's exactly what I thought. This message board can be a really great tool for blowing off steam, pressing reporters to be better at what they do, etc. But your post smacks of an individual that was just demoted, passed over or was forced to take the buyout (my bet is demoted). And if that's the case, I'm sad for you...even more of a reason you should make a better case if you want to say Jacques is a poor writer. There are many columnists that are poor writers, Galloway would have ended up as a janitor if he was graded on writing ability. His MO was to call people out on their bullshit and I guarantee you, save for the use of expletives in print, Galloway has called many a coach and manager a motherfu--ing idiot to their face. Jimmy Johnson and Bobby Valentine come to mind. He's also had a beer with them about an hour after that most of the time. He's earned their respect. Taylor will do that as well.

I'm OK with ripping Jacques...he's only got a few weeks before the honeymoon is over and I'll be the first to rip his ass if he's halfway up Jerry Jones or Bill Parcells ass. But consider this one, from Jacques' column today, "Parcells sold his coaching soul for T.O." Now, tell me when Blackistone did this? Tell me when Cowlishaw did or does this? So instead of beating someone up over peanuts, why not rip the people that have caused the heartache at DMN and start with the section's leader. All I can say to your "rude and crude" comment toward me is, thanks for reading.

To answer your question, "Shouldn't words matter." Yes, words that can sell a newspaper. 95% of the readers of DMN never caught the lie/lay error. But a wonderful prose writer who quotes this, "It was just a good team effort," should be fired.

 

Maybe JJ got it right and the desk changed it.
Been known to happen...

 

You want to question JJT's writing skills or whether he's columnist material? Fine. But there is absolutely no doubt he's one of the best reporters in the biz. All the dude did was dominate one of the most competitive beats in the country.

If he's better at high-fiving than breaking news, the man must be one hell of a high-fiver.

Feel free to continue your petty, bitter anonymous attacks, Blushing.

 

I would suspect that a writer making the transition from reporter to columnist struggle to find his voice. My goodness this is the guy's second column. I agree with Gandhi that at least it's a an opinion. There are columnists in town that can speak the King's english and bore you to tears.

Also, while the lay-lie deal comes off as a grammatical error, that column appeared on the front page of the sports section. How many copy editors didn't catch that mistake? Especially on a column that's non-deadline. It's only the friggin' section front, the first thing people see. Copy editors can make a story better and save a writer's ass. They can also edit in a mistake, press the wrong button and mangle a headline or just fall asleep. Much of a copy editor's job is about quality control and there was slip up on the writer's part and the CE's part.

It's called being human.

 

Wait. It wasn't?

Pretty nit-picky thread. I'm sure it will die soon.

 

I agree with Blushing.

And gandhi's vehement disagreement just reinforces to me that Blushing is on to something.

 

What is the point of tearing apart someone's writing? Do you get gratification from that? Constructive criticism is one thing, but to jump on someone who is new in a position is just cruel.

I know of a certain black female columnist who was ridiculed at length here in the past. Last fall, when I started reading her stuff, I didn't find much to praise. Within the past month, however, she has made me laugh out loud, cry and nod my head in agreement on a key issue relevant to journalism. I have a feeling that she'll end her career as one of the top female sportswriters ever. She has improved dramatically, and that's probably because she has a great attitude and a willingness to listen and learn.

Remember that personality accounts for much in the hiring process. People who drop the gauntlet on a fellow columnist probably will lose a lot of jobs to people who are friendly and show a willingness to learn...even if the latter person might not know the difference between lay and lie. You can teach someone the difference between two verbs, but it's much more difficult to teach someone to stop being a dickhead.

 

try reading rob parker...that is torture

 

Except when they fail to stop a column with glaring errors from appearing in every newspaper in which it was syndicated.

 

Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel.

A total preening peacock. Read his crap, you'll agree.

Not a pretty face either. Looks even worse with the stupid head-shave.

 

I value reporting in a columnist, but even good beat work can't save routine, uninspiring writing. Of course, it's been a long time since Dallas' columnists have been particularly inspiring.

 

mike bianchi is an outstanding columnist and journalist.....and he's an even better person.