OT: Buzz Gets It Right

by gary varsho on May 5, 2008 2:45 PM CDT

No doubt most of us saw Buzz Bissinger's vitriolic confrontation with Deadspin 's Will Leitch on Bob Costas' HBO "State of Sports Media special. I voiced my displeasure here, as did several others. Well, Buzz sat down for an interview with...a sports blog! Somehow, The Big Lead got him to sit down and do this interview and I must say, the candor and openness with which Buzz confronts the situation is refreshing. I found this nugget particularly compelling:

I am a man of passion and my passion truly got the better of me. I should have considerably toned it down, in particular in terms of my treatment of Will Leitch. Without going into details, I have taken steps to remedy that. I have also publicly apologized on several radio shows that have been widely disseminated. Those apologies are sincere, just as my passion was sincere if terribly misplaced. I treated Mister Leitch like the worst kind of blogger.

...

I should also point out, just for the record, that I have gotten many emails applauding what I said because they feel that Deadspin in particular does routinely go too far. But still does not excuse profanity on my part.

I've been a fan of Bissinger's for a long time and I was pretty disappointed with the way he carried himself on that interview, so here's to you Buzz, for taking responsibility for your actions and being willing to change. It gives me hope for your medium.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or Al Yellon, managing editor (unless it's a FanPost posted by Al). FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable baseball fans.

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I read the whole interview.

While he apologized for the tone of what he said, he doesn’t seem to have changed his position about bloggers in general.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on May 5, 2008 3:17 PM CDT reply actions

Yeah.

The position seems the same and I guess you’re never going to get rid of the elitism in the newspaper crowd (no offense, Bruce!), but at least he’s was willing to admit where he was wrong, something Leitch seemed unable to do.

"I've always felt that starting pitching is the most important part of the rotation." - Joe Morgan, Sunday Night Baseball 8-12-07

by gary varsho on May 5, 2008 3:19 PM CDT up reply actions

In fairness...

I can understand his viewpoint. He has a degree in journalism and has made a career out of journalism. But in the era of the internet, that medium is becoming less relevant. That has to be a frustrating thing to deal with.

Is it completely rational? No, but most people’s opinions aren’t completely rational.

by SouthernCub on May 5, 2008 3:29 PM CDT up reply actions

I can understand the frustration...

... but there are constructive ways of criticizing and destructive ways. Unfortunately for Bissinger, he chose the latter.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on May 5, 2008 4:09 PM CDT up reply actions

I agree, which is why he apologized...

but that doesn’t mean he has to change his position on bloggers.

I didn’t mean to imply that the way he handled himself in the interview was remotely appropriate. I just meant that his viewpoint is completely understandable.

by SouthernCub on May 5, 2008 4:43 PM CDT up reply actions

Why is this a surprise

A blog is a free form, no holds bar forum for the anonymous to opine, be inflammatory, epouse the ugly, act as predators, etc. There are 85 jillion blogs devoted to all manner of the newsworthy, the interesting, the sick, the violent, the offensive, etc.

Only when you have a gatekeeper like Al Yellon can blog integrity be maintained. How many blogs have journalistic integrity? Heck, how many blogs have the majority of members who are normal law abiding citizens?

Comparing blogs in general to a well-established newspaper is just silly.

by MDBNIU on May 5, 2008 3:34 PM CDT reply actions

There's an entire

body of mass media and mediated communication scholarship that finds the comparison of print media to the so-called “new media” any thing but silly.

"When you have a fat friend there are no see-saws, only catapults." --Demetri Martin

by Reddevil on May 5, 2008 4:07 PM CDT up reply actions

Prepare for a fisking.

Why is a surprise

Obviously, as per your usual, you know nothing about the situation, yet this does nothing to prohibit you from providing usless, syntactically challenged babble. It’s a surprise because of Buzz’s vitriol in the Costas special. It’s a surprise, because Buzz can admit he’s wrong. Perhaps you should take notes.

A blog is a free form

Yes, but this does not give one carte blanche to impugn the character of others, and or be obscene just for the hell of it…or at least that what Buzz thinks.

There are 85 jillion blogs devoted to all manner of the newsworthy, the interesting, the sick, the violent, the offensive, etc

Thank you for this irrelevant, overly broad descriptive claim. Your observations are as keen as a spatula’s edge.

Only when you have a gatekeeper like Al Yellon can blog integrity be maintained

One, just stop with the patronizing, falsely magnanimous comments. Two, “blog integrity?” Are you Dwight Schrute?

How many blogs have journalistic integrity?

Several, in fact. Moreover, some newspaper writers actually have their own (gasp!) blogs.

Heck, how many blogs have the majority of members who are normal law abiding citizens?

I’d wager, most, if not all of them. I;m not even sure what you meant to demonstrate with this nonsense.

Comparing blogs in general to a well-established newspaper is just silly.

Yes, yes it is; but no one’s done that here. Not even Buzz. Strawman arguments are fun, but there easily recognized and yours is laughably constructed.

READ THE POST YOUR ARE COMMENTING ON / REPLYING TO; IT MIGHT MAKE YOU APPEAR LESS STUPID.

"I've always felt that starting pitching is the most important part of the rotation." - Joe Morgan, Sunday Night Baseball 8-12-07

by gary varsho on May 5, 2008 4:09 PM CDT up reply actions

Heck, how many blogs have the majority of members who are normal law abiding citizens?

Wow. That may be the stupidest thing we’ve seen you say here. And that’s quite an achievement.

2008: The year we put it all together.

by drewishdrewid on May 5, 2008 4:11 PM CDT up reply actions

No, Buzz still has it wrong

This stinks of a publicity move to try and put out fires that have been raging across the Net.

Buzz is still a good author, but he should just be quiet about all this. He said what he wanted to, it was idiotic and misinformed, and it completely backfired.

by lamentir on May 5, 2008 4:20 PM CDT reply actions

I prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt.

I’ve said some really stupid things while angry and I’m glad that people trusted my apologies were honest and well-intended.

"I've always felt that starting pitching is the most important part of the rotation." - Joe Morgan, Sunday Night Baseball 8-12-07

by gary varsho on May 5, 2008 4:22 PM CDT up reply actions

I'm with lamentir

I don’t think Buzz has changed his view on blogs, but the blowback from the Costas show finally got to be a bit much so here comes the apologies. Spewing BS in heat of the moment is a time honored tradition in the world of sports but Buzz came at Leitch with both claws out from word one during that interview and never let up or conceded on a single point- he knew what he was doing.

by GSG on May 5, 2008 4:37 PM CDT up reply actions

I don't know...

...this guy was soooo fired up, I doubt his mind changed much at all. Seems like a PR move more than anything…I wonder if he’s working on a new book in the upcoming months that may need to be published…

Dan

Evey Hammond: Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici. V: By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.

by dtpollitt on May 5, 2008 10:56 PM CDT up reply actions

+1

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on May 6, 2008 3:58 AM CDT up reply actions

It looked like

Buzz was looking for a fight from the get go. And for such a fact checker, why did he rant about the Matt Leinart affair being all the fault of bloggers, when in fact it was the mainstream journalists who were coming down on Matt the hardest. I loved “Friday Night Lights”, but he came across as kind of a bore on the Costas show. BTW, has anyone read his “Three Nights In August”, which was about a Cubs-Cardinals series?

"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball"

by Bump Bailey on May 5, 2008 5:10 PM CDT reply actions

"Three Nights In August"...

... was excellent, I enjoyed reading about both LaRussa’s and Baker’s methods of dealing with a key pennant race series.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on May 5, 2008 7:38 PM CDT up reply actions

Seconded.

"I've always felt that starting pitching is the most important part of the rotation." - Joe Morgan, Sunday Night Baseball 8-12-07

by gary varsho on May 5, 2008 9:29 PM CDT up reply actions

One of the best I've read...

...and the in-depth analysis of the games were great. I audiobooked it for a road trip, and it was brilliant.

Dan

Evey Hammond: Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici. V: By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the universe.

by dtpollitt on May 5, 2008 10:56 PM CDT up reply actions

Thanks..

I’ve been meaning to read that for awhile now. I’m going to pick up Billy Williams’ new book tomorrow, so I’ll look for “Three Nights In August” as well.

"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball"

by Bump Bailey on May 5, 2008 10:29 PM CDT reply actions