Steve19;1097360; said:
I come to BP for two reasons. First, I really love sports and am so incredibly disappointed to see the era of great sports writers come to an end. It is hard to find any meaningful analysis, anything that does not have some commercial intention interwoven into the opinions it expresses. On BP, I find a number of posters who provide objective information, insight, and opinions that I really value.
I was just saying something like this the other day. Sports writing is dead at the highest levels. With all due respect to guys like Schlabach and his peers (and not much is), writing in that arena has denigrated to the point where I can't really tell the difference between one of their articles, and a forum poster like the aforementioned "deezbucknutz." Gone are the days of meaningful analysis (for the most part), and what they deliver instead are shots at schools and fan bases they just don't like. It's 99% sensationalism now, particularly by those who cover college athletics.
It's that climate that's spawned the likes of Adam Jardy. People who feel they can make a name for themselves by being offensive and confrontational. Every major program has parasites like these now. People who flutter around the fringe, and look for opportunities to create outrage (and thus eyeballs), and they love it.
Once upon a time, writers were respected for their ability to tell a story, turn a phrase, or offer perspective on an issue (amongst other points of value). Today, it seems that (s)he who can piss the most people off wins.
I lived on ESPN.com in its early days. Beta'd a number of their offerings, subscribed for the longest time. Got their magazine, SI, SportingNews, all that stuff. Now? For reasons that are not just financial, I don't subscribe to a single sports magazine, or website. I don't visit ESPN.com, unless someone sends me a specific link, and even then, I have pause. Truth is, I'm happier for it. Easier to enjoy the basic truths of college football when it's not polluted by someone else's personal agenda.
Anyway, this is a funny thread. It's interesting to see it pop up again, and I appreciate the comments, PMs, and rep notes it's generated.
That aside, please stop telling people!