Le Batard taking year off from paper

[Simon_Cowbell]

Tard has been beyond loyal to 1HP. He could have bolted any day for the past 10 years. Yeah, we too grew tired of reading his copy-and-paste "you want a bad ass in the huddle on fourth down, don't expect a choirboy at the club at 2 a.m." column every time an athlete got in trouble. So what?

If your choice is to play with him or compete against him, you'll be a lot happier with option A. There were many mornings that Tard's reporting and writing made the Herald look good and the S-S look lost.

Classic Tard: Big news goes down about 11:50 p.m., 25 minutes before we're off the floor. We have it alone. Tard calls in, wants to scrap his column, rewrites. We tear up the front. Twenty minutes later, in addition to the news that he helped gather, we get Tard's perspective. Screaming headline. Next morning, S-S has the result of the previous game. A complete beatdown. We didn't always win that convincingly, of course, but on the big stories, Tard frequently provided beat writers, editors with tips, insights. Skeptics will say that's because he's riding to games with Ricky Williams. Whatever works.

If we were drafting columnists, he'd be a lottery pick.

Utterly disagree.

As a feature writer, he's pretty forking good. No doubt.

But...

He broke news about a half-dozen glorious time with Papa Dreadlock, and that was it.

As a columnist, he's a shallow race-baiter. And as disingenuous as the day is long. Doesn't know sports, doesn't care to, it seems.

His radio show, when, again, his racism doesn't get in the way, is pretty entertaining. He's better at that than he is as a columnist, by far.

I stress "radio". He's awful to look at on TV. Though I enjoyed his Franco Harris phase.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

LeBatard is racist?
Offer of proof, please.
(And asserting in a column, no matter how often, that black athletes get a raw deal from a largely white media isn't it.)

 

[Ben_Hecht]

SC didn't say "racist", from what I can see here.

He said "race-baiter".

The latter is a subject for legitimate debate.

 

[hondo]

I will never, ever understand why certain people in our business begrudge others' success. If you want their fame, go after it. If you don't, ignore it. I don't care if the guy is a jerk or the journalism equivalent of Tony Dungy. He has a nice deal in place. Good for him! I'm allowed to work from home. Good for me!

I love the people who insist they wouldn't put up with this "superstar bullshirt." Hate to break this to you, but the superstar establishment exists in your daughter's grade school class. It's pretty much the American way. Or are you saying you'd rather everyone make the same amount of money, work the same hours, have the same vacation days? I'm sure that environment exists someplace in this world. Feel free to explore.

Another thing: Columnists or beat reporters who talk on television or host their radio shows bring credibility to the section. The highest editors at these papers love -- no, that's not strong enough ... LOVE! -- the exposure. Funny thing about it is, almost every time I walk into a pro or college media room, I hear a reporter doing a radio interview. So it's OK to appear on these shows, just as long as you don't host them? These are confusing times. And please don't tell me that a columnist should focus all his energy on the newspaper. NO REPORTER SHOULD FOCUS ALL HIS OR HER ENERGY ON THE PAPER.

I don't know why DLB took his leave of absence. And truth be known I couldn't care less. I do, however, know about five people who will immediately start making calls just to see if there's the slightest chance that job opens. That's productive. This isn't.

Look, this guy would be considered a brick if he covered prep lacrosse. No one begrudges the multi-media success of Mike Wilbon or Tim Colishaw, mainly because they're good people.

 

[Pancamo]

Anybody know if this is just a polite way of allowing him to walk away from the paper with his rep intact? It sounds like he wants to "spend more time with his family."

Unless I'm mistaken, he doesn't have a wife or kids...

What about Ricky?

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

LeBatard is racist?
Offer of proof, please.
(And asserting in a column, no matter how often, that black athletes get a raw deal from a largely white media isn't it.)

What's your definition of a racist?

 

[silentbob]

The above deck Vitale comparison doesn't work. But if you want to use it, I could throw out that Dickie V puts out a preseason magazine, and I'm pretty sure it sells pretty well.

Those who bring up DLB's "race-baiting" remind me once again why diversity is so needed in newsrooms.

Those who say DLB isn't a nice person should ... I guess I don't know what to say about that.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

LeBatard is racist?
Offer of proof, please.
(And asserting in a column, no matter how often, that black athletes get a raw deal from a largely white media isn't it.)

What's your definition of a racist?

You first, since you brought it up.
And, Ben -- he also wrote this,
"his racism doesn't get in the way"

 

[Simon_Cowbell]

LeBatard is racist?
Offer of proof, please.
(And asserting in a column, no matter how often, that black athletes get a raw deal from a largely white media isn't it.)

What's your definition of a racist?

You first, since you brought it up.
And, Ben -- he also wrote this,
"his racism doesn't get in the way"

Listen to his show for a month. Then you can get back with us.

The way you behave, you two could one and the same.

 

[Mighty_Wingman]

You first, since you brought it up.
And, Ben -- he also wrote this,
"his racism doesn't get in the way"

That's the worst haiku I've ever seen. 5-7-5, for God's sake!

 

[beardpuller]

Anybody know if this is just a polite way of allowing him to walk away from the paper with his rep intact? It sounds like he wants to "spend more time with his family."

Unless I'm mistaken, he doesn't have a wife or kids...

What about Ricky?

Ok, that's really good.

 

[scalper]

To be fair:
1. Le Batard has talent. Even if you hate him, he has talent.
2. He long ago started selling out the column for cash (sad, but somewhat understandable).
3. He has an agenda (don't we all?), but so much ego that he believes anyone who is ever on the other side of the argument must be a moron.
4. A public ass-kicking would do him a world of good.