Not since Ali unmasked Foreman in Zaire...Telander knocks out Mariotti

Yeah, nice job by Wilbon. Thanks, Dave.

 

I think Messers Kindred and Forde have already beaten this down, but may I add on Almost Famous' blog stance:

Yes, a FEW people can add insight without being at an event. But if pretty much everybody is analyzing from their couch or even just the pressbox, that gets us nothing. No insight from the participants, no insight from our own eyes, no reporting that could call B.S. on someone. I could go on.

You'll notice that Bill Simmons, the king of the sports bloggers, has gone a bit downhill in recent years, and in the recent SI article talked about moving on and being tired. I would suggest that has something to do with the way he does his job. I can say that every time I go in a locker room or on to a field or court I feel a little refreshed in my work. Every time I have a good interview, and most of the time you have to work hard to have one, I come away not only with a better story but obviously with fresh material that in a way makes me feel better about my work.

There's a place for the bloggers and the Mariottis. But it should be a very small place.

 

Nothing like a trenchant opinion wrapped in good old-fashioned log-rolling. Thanks Mike. Never know when you're gonna need a quote for your dustjacket, right?

 

You don't think it makes his point stronger by saying that he likes the guy before he skewers him? You seem to have a bad taste in your mouth lately. Maybe you should lay off the shellfish for a while.

 

No worse a taste then when ESPN headliners -- Wilbon included, if I recall -- gave Albom a free pass. It was shrimp, then...

 

goal, you raise an interesting point. but i've worked with both of these guys -- and i have no problem saying what i think about pretty much anything -- and there's a big difference between albom and mariotti in print and in private. there's a reason why guys who worked with albom cut him some slack. albom, no matter what you think of his methods and motives, is mostly positive energy. that can't be said for jay. that is in no way a defense of albom's mistake. it's a defense of the way albom's friends in the industry rallied around him.

 

What, you didn't get a copy of Jay's tearjerker, "Wednesdays with Mel Helitzer"? (Just for a handful of OU alums)

 

Jason --
Mistake?
As was said by one of my old philosophy Jesuits, a mistake is 2+2=5. What Albom did was cheating.

 

Just echoing this...I understand completely why a longtime colleague would say 'i like the guy personally' or 'he's been my friend for years.'  This is a small business, you spend years alongside other writers, your careers grow together, you're part of a tiny fraternity/sorority of writers who have reached a certain level of achievement.

In this case, you have a lot of professionals speaking out because, as with the Albom situation, it's an affront to how the readers perceive our work. If you're in the business of issuing public opinion, sometimes you have to call out someone you really like, personally.  That's the job. Nothing wrong with saying, 'hey, i like the guy, but not what he did.'

 

Pat, Dave and Wilbon are all spot-on on this. Thanks for the post, Dave.

 

Just saw this great post on the Heinz/Death of a Racehorse thread, about why that story continues to be such a classic. Seems to sum up the whole story here:

No one is too good or too important.

 

And how are Mitch and Jay this morning?