I've only been blogging since September but I've read and heard a lot of comments from established media sources that go a little something like this: "These losers without jobs sit around in their underwear, without doing any research and just write whatever the hell they want." From Sam Smith (scroll down to the bottom) to this little discussion (courtesy of True Hoop via Celtics Blog) to any number of other criticisms of bloggers it happens all the time. Numerous bloggers have risen up to defend us with strong, well thought out arguments. So I will only say the following:
We're talking about sports. It's not as if a group of people with no experience are going around building nuclear reactors or performing surgeries. Most bloggers have been involved with sports in some capacity their entire lives. It's like older generation criticizing the youth during 70s who were getting to third base just by saying hello. Deep down the older people were really just upset that they spent three years holding hands. And for the record The Jordan Rules (Sam Smith) seems like a good book until you read Playing for Keeps: Michael Jordan and the World He Made (David Halberstam). To put it another way, consider this analogy:
The Last Banner (Peter May): Unfinished Business (Jack McCallum) as The Jordan Rules: Playing for Keeps.
That basically says it all. There's a big difference between well written sports books and collections of great anecdotes about interesting subjects.
2 comments:
Sooner or later they have to succumb to the much wider access to the craft due to the pure scope that the internet brings. I've worked really, really, really hard to gain credible "journalistic" badges of honor, not to mention obtaining an undergraduate degree in the field, since starting my blog and it has at least landed me a chance to attend a practice (usually closed to only "credetialed" types) and some decent financial gain. I think that if the "think tanks" that run these leagues truly want the best for their business they will not choose to ignore the power of a heavily read blog. For instance, I have a strong following in Brazil, due to Nene, that relies on me, (Their words, not mine) to give them more than just the standard 16 bars that the newspaper provides. These type of passionate fans want the straight dope and are willing, if the content is kept fresh and is on point, to seek it out.
The bottom line is this: Newspaper style writing is great, but it does not allow the freedom of style that writing a blog does. There is formula to good newspaper writing, whereas there is no set standard for what makes a blog truly great. It's called the evolution of media, folks. How do you think radio felt when TV made its imapact?
I say evolve or go the way of the dodo to all that try to discredit what a blog is all about. The best blogs are being run by those who have strong journalistic ethics, often times training in the trade, a passion for the craft, and a knowlege of the topic.
Like I said "Numerous bloggers have risen up to defend us with strong, well thought out arguments."
Thanks for reading and the comment.
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