Le Batard, Deadspin, the HOF vote

Someone going from 70 - 75%, maybe 65 - 75%, ok.

Going from 35, 40, 45% to 75%, I'm not buying.

 

Sorry, but how is Le Batard any different from Bayless, S.A. Smith, Cowherd, Chris Russo and the other mindless hucksters and screamers doing sports fluff and talk? As was said before, he's a clown. And like many of the other clowns in the circus, deep down they are very sad.

 

Re: Le Batard, Deadspin, the HOF voter

So we're terming him a clown. Fine.

Le Batard is different because of what he did. You can't tie the Colin Cowherds of the world to that.

 

Why not?

People procrastinate. It's in their nature.

They file their taxes on April 14. They wait until year 2 or 3 to decide on Craig Biggio. Year 11 or 12 to decide on Jim Rice.

 

They still send in a vote, so procrastination should have nothing to do wtih it. It's not like they are skipping years.

I can understand how over time someone's opinions can change, especially now that we have far more information than we ever have had. It's also going to become more of a regular thing with the logjams that are being created.

 

It's just the culture that's been created. I think it's probably going to change now that there is a lot more attention and scrutiny on it. I think the culture around the ballot was that you wait to consider borderline guys.

I also think that these things take on a life of their own. Fifty percent of the voters think, "no way," regarding Bert Blyleven, and then see that half of their peers voted for him. So that gives them the go-ahead to do it, as well.

But, like I said, now that these ballots are discussed and scrutinized and widely available more than they ever have been, I don't think we'll see the meteoric rises we saw in the past.

 

The BBWA needs to have a get-together instead of having this internal debate VIA the vote for the HOF. Cut the list of voters because too many people don't have any qualms of making a "personal statement" figuring it will cause no harm. Or maybe the BBWA elects a committee with rotating terms.

 

This is a solution in search of a problem.

What harm is being done by the current system? A few people turn in idiotic ballots. So what? It doesn't affect the result. What slam-dunk Hall of Famer has been unjustifiably kept out?

 

Biggio missed by 2 votes. People voted for Jauqes Jones and Armando Benitez. I would think writers would be more offended by a peer voting for Benitez and Jones than what LeBetard did. Whether it is harmless or not,voting for players like those two shows how little you value your vote

 

I don't understand why one vote each for Jacque Jones and Armando Benitez calls for an overhaul of the system. It's very possible someone just accidentally checked the wrong box.

Craig Biggio, who is a borderline candidate who is going to basically sail in compared to past borderline candidates, was the victim of a crowded ballot.

 

Well, Be does come before Bi so yeah, POSSIBLE some schmoe checked the wrong box.

 

I detect a bit of frustration from the online masses that this was not the ... I believe the term was "game-changer" ... that some expected it to be.