The Ringer has 19 people writing about the NBA

[exmediahack]

One issue I tend to have with the Ringer - especially on the podcasts -- is that each person outside of Simmons comes off as, essentially, the same person.

Unless it's a sport-specific expert (Michael Lombardi on NFL), they all sound like they have the same worldview, same comments on politics, etc.

 

[Azrael]

Sounds like the Ringer has hired Brian Phillips.

 

[typefitter]

Sounds like the Ringer has hired Brian Phillips.

Reading his book now. I love his stuff.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Reading his book now. I love his stuff.

I used to really enjoy his work. That sumo piece pissed me off to a degree that I haven't read anything since. (To be fair, he also left ESPN and I had no idea where he was working.)

 

[typefitter]

I used to really enjoy his work. That sumo piece pissed me off to a degree that I haven't read anything since. (To be fair, he also left ESPN and I had no idea where he was working.)

What pissed you off about it? I haven't read it since it came out, but I'm about to read it again. It's in the book. I'd like to read it with your eyes.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

What pissed you off about it? I haven't read it since it came out, but I'm about to read it again. It's in the book. I'd like to read it with your eyes.

It's been a while, but as I recall it was very, very long and felt like a huge setup for a big payoff at the end. There was no payoff at all. It just ended. (I think much of the article hinged on a question of whether he would talk to a certain person and then we never got an answer, but I could easily be misremembering that.)

People rushed to gush over it because he was Brian Phillips and it was long. Ultimately there was nothing there. At some point clever sentences aren't enough.

 

[Alma]

Unless it's a sport-specific expert (Michael Lombardi on NFL), they all sound like they have the same worldview, same comments on politics, etc.

That's probably not by accident.

Going forward, I think it'd be fair to say conservative-minded writers and podcasters will generally fall under the same media umbrellas. Which is too bad for two reasons:

1. Millennial liberals need to be pressed on things, especially when they're liberal by herd mentality.

2. Some of those conservative media umbrellas kind of stink.

 

[Azrael]

Reading his book now. I love his stuff.

I've admired Brian's work for years.

But he needs an editor. As do we all.

His biggest challenge will always be finding an editor the equal of his writing.

 

[Alma]

Here's what you write when you have 19 people writing about the NBA. Spectialtive bullshirt about 2019 free agency.

Why Would KD Leave Golden State for New York? Basketball Reasons.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Here's what you write when you have 19 people writing about the NBA. Spectialtive bullshirt about 2019 free agency.

Why Would KD Leave Golden State for New York? Basketball Reasons.

Durant's future is going to be one of the biggest running stories in the NBA all season. Even people around the Warriors think there's an excellent chance he's gone. The Knicks are widely viewed as the most likely destination. He's the second best player in the league.

The Ringer would be silly not to write about it.

 

[Alma]

Durant's future is going to be one of the biggest running stories in the NBA all season. Even people around the Warriors think there's an excellent chance he's gone. The Knicks are widely viewed as the most likely destination. He's the second best player in the league.

The Ringer would be silly not to write about it.

Oh, horsecrap. Nobody needs to write about it. If he were on a team that stunk, I'd kind of get it, but he's on a team that's the odds-on favorite to win another NBA title. Why would where he's going before he plays in a title season matter journalistically?

It doesn't. It's what happens when, in the Internet age, we gotta come up with shirt to write about every day because analytics keep track of traffic and heaven forbid there's a Friday dip.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

Oh, horsecrap. Nobody needs to write about it. If he were on a team that stunk, I'd kind of get it, but he's on a team that's the odds-on favorite to win another NBA title. Why would where he's going before he plays in a title season matter journalistically?

It doesn't. It's what happens when, in the Internet age, we gotta come up with shirt to write about every day because analytics keep track of traffic and heaven forbid there's a Friday dip.

Because he's a great player and people are interested in reading about it. And it's not just making things up -- even people around the Warriors think he's leaving, and he has quite intentionally avoided saying anything that would suggest he is staying in Golden State.

The "nobody needs to write about it" stance is silly. People are interested in the topic. They're not making up bullshirt -- he's very likely to leave. Damn near every site has done something on this. So why wouldn't you write about it?