Bob Costas Is Unhappy With Us

Part of the reason why this blog exists is my prevailing belief that there are people who want to read about sports who won't head for the hills when they read words like "prevailing." That sense of being underserved has permeated every part of my relation with the other parts of the newspaper (news, editorials, business, and especially the comics page, where the tyrannical reign of Gil Thorp and Marty Moon's media jackal empire both need to come crashing down in bloodshed -- but I've probably shared too much).

Of course, smart people can be annoying too, only it's much more disappointing when that happens. Witness today's exercise in flabby thinking from Bob Costas:

"But it's one thing if somebody just sets up a blog from their mother's basement in Albuquerque and they are who they are, and they're a pathetic get-a-life loser, but now that pathetic get-a-life loser can piggyback onto someone who actually has some level of professional accountability... that, in most cases, grants a forum to somebody who has no particular insight or responsibility. Most of it is a combination of ignorance or invective."

Now, far be it for me to defend the entire sports blogosphere, which does combine ignorance and invective with cheerful aplomb, and Bob clearly forgot to mention titty and curse words, which are the other pillars of Blogfrica. But, um, Bob? How is any of this any different from what Your Industry does?

(See what I just did there? I complained about flabby generalist thinking with flabby generalist thinking. Wheels within wheels here, kids.)

Oh, and for once and for all, we're not all blogging in mom's basement. Some of us are blogging at work, or on the train, or at the public library. All of it is punctuated by shaking hands with the unemployed, though. Especially the female sports bloggers. It's amazing they can even walk.

I also don't understand the hate for Albuquerque. I've met the same number of dumbasses, or a per capita basis, in a New York City subway. But then again, Bob doesn't live in New Mexico, so that must not be a place where smart, qualified and accountable people live, right?

And finally... I don't want to come off all high and mighty and stop clicking the ads here, but... I make more money than a sports writer. A lot more. I have ever since I, well, gave up sports writing. So just who's lacking a life now, Bobaroo -- me in my ManSpace compound (my *own* damn basement, not my mother's, thank you very much), or the badly dressed food scrounging no lifer who has spends his life waiting around putrid locker rooms, for a fraction of what I make?

Look, here's the plain and nasty truth about the brave new Internet world... people HATE the media. In all forms. They feel that it is a tool of corporations, that it's as dumb as a post, that it doesn't give them what they want or live in their world or reflect their values.

And that's true no matter where you are on the political spectrum, and whether or not you are a sports fan, too. Even if you've got your degree from Syracuse. (And by the way, Bobby -- I went there too. In the immortal words of our fellow alum Derrick Coleman, Whoop De Damn Do.)

And now that everyone has the ability to switch off the media and remain somewhat informed? Boy and howdy, are they doing that. According to recent polling from WeMedia/Zogby Interactive, "67% of Americans believe traditional journalism is out of touch with what Americans want from their news. In addition, the survey found that while almost 70% of Americans think journalism is important to the quality of life in their communities, though two thirds are not satisfied with the quality of journalism in their communities."

Some media -- the very best of it, really, and almost none of it involving sports -- is completely great. Bloggers, for the most part, are remora around it. And if you are really threatened by remora, you've got a lot more in common with them, not the productive animal...