Comments on: Shadows and Blog

By: Vegas Watch

Vegas Watch — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 23:09:03 +0000

It’s very true that some blogs are great, and some are absolute garbage. And the people who group the entire medium of blogs together are clueless. These are the same people who reject OBP and VORP by saying “Numbers can’t tell me anything because the game is played on the field”, then give the MVP to Justin Morneau because he has a lot of RBIs.

By: Trent

Trent — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:15:25 +0000

Overall, a very objective, well presented entry. My one objection is on the point that journalists face extreme penalties for being wrong. Obviously you can speak much better to that being in the business, but that does not seem to be the case in Detroit. While there are a few good columnists in Detroit (yes, including your boy Rosenberg), there are quite a few that reproduce the same columns every year. And there is little penalties for when they are wrong (like Mitch Albom ‘reporting’ that he saw former MSU basketball players at an elite eight game in 2005 even though they were not, nor was he). The more popular bloggers, on the other hand, have built up their entire site on their reputation. So even though they might not lose their ‘day jobs’, their credibility is at stake w/ everything they post.

One last point on the difference between bloggers and journalists that I have noticed is that there seems to be a better sense of community w/in the blogsphere. Maybe this has to do w/ getting scooped or other competitions, but I appreciate the fact that the bloggers I read do a great job of linking to not only where they got their info, but also linking to other pertinent work by other bloggers and journalists.

By: Rep. Kucinich

Rep. Kucinich — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:17:50 +0000

“Dennis is on a quest of his own. He sees flying saucers and he acts like one, too.” -Rep. Alcee Hasting, D-FL.

Well, my esteemed and honorable friend Mr. Hastings was impeached when he was a federal judge. Maybe I should impeach him again? Or challenge him to a non-violent duel or some sort? Better yet, I’ll have my inter galatic planetary allies, Miryytxc and Bizkalorik, neutralize him!! Boohaaahaaahaaa!!!

By: Atlanta Sports Fan

Atlanta Sports Fan — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:55:56 +0000

You’re dead on, Joe. Very objective. I’m curious if main-stream media members are afraid that bloggers will begin to infiltrate their papers and take their jobs? Not saying they can or would (even though many of the better bloggers are former members of the MSM). Just curious if that’s where a lot of the hate toward bloggers, from MSM, comes from. It seems to be almost universal (except for you, of course).

But again, very objective. There are pros and cons to both. Keep up the good work…

By: AJ

AJ — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:42:30 +0000

I’ve been writing a blog for about three years now, and you are dead on with every single thing you’ve said. It’s almost like a subculture of the Internet…and like the Internet, is wild and untamed.

I’ve often thought myself what mainstream writers think, and it was great to hear an opinion from one that I really admire. (didn’t mean to sound like a suckup there). I know for me personally, it really boils down to a couple of things. 1) I love to write and obviously you do too. In fact, the biggest mistake I made in my life was to turn down journalism school. 2) You need a subject that is interesting. Nobody cares what Joe Blow did last Saturday morning. Nobody. and 3) You have to at least RESEMBLE an actual journalist. Nobody wants to read stuff with run-on sentences, grammar that looks like it came out of a pre-school in Joplin and above all else…know the boundries. This is where…as you put, the fun and the not so fun resides.

Thank you for writing about something that I always wondered about, but was never really able to ask.

By: Old Man Duggan

Old Man Duggan — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:43:14 +0000

Blogs are evil. They’re only full of vitriol and venom. Read mine. That’s proof enough that they’re no good.

By: Grant

Grant — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:50:13 +0000

I guess as one of those psychotic sports fans you’ve nailed my antipathy for mainstream sports writing. So much of it deals with things that I see as obvious and/or irrelevant. Also, a lot of it is hacky. Like the people that FJM make fun of. There are a lot of really stupendously stupid newspaper columnists out there who honestly seem to believe that Eckstein is better for a team than A-Rod. And this infuriates me.

The range on the Internet is much wider, so you can ignore all the bad stuff that is the equivalent (or often worse) than hacky newspaper writing, but there’s very rarely good newspaper writing, just a lot of bad stuff. Obviously, you’re one exception, as is your colleague at the Star, Jason Whitlock (at least I think so). Peter Gammons is generally an exception, as are several of the other espn.com people who never wrote for newspapers (I’m thinking mostly of Rob Neyer, Keith Law, several football guys, etc.).

As for politics? Don’t care enough to read blogs. Newspaper whets my whistle just enough before I escape back to the lands of sports and history.

By: Kev

Kev — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:45:21 +0000

Um………NOT according to Mr. Reese. Kind of loses its edge when you have to submit it twice. *sigh*

By: Kev

Kev — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 03:44:08 +0000

No according to Mr. Reese!

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:15:20 +0000

I’m actually fine with newspaper writing being dispassionate and neutral in approach. Blogs and straight journalism each valid media, and it’s OK to keep the peanut butter and chocolate apart.