… Some interesting back and forth on Bob Costas’ unkind words for bloggers that we discussed yesterday. Costas may well have had a good point about how the ability to weigh in anonymously on a subject leads to all sorts of abuses of that privilege, but his intellectual elitist attitude towards an entire community falls flat. I don’t know how you could read his full comments linked to in the original piece and not see them specifically and quite insultingly as a slam to sports bloggers. …
I guess Costas is insulted by our temerity in believing that our views are equal to those who he considers his intellectual equals. The idea that the writings of sports journalists are somehow defiled when non-professionals weigh in on them is just laughable. We’re not talking the Magna Carta or Solzhenitsyn here, Bob. We’re talking about some journalist’s view on who should be the fifth starter for our team. …
And here’s a link to the Miami Herald article, Sports bloggers weave a tangled web
Geez, Bob. I used to like you, but now that I know you just want me to shut up and listen to what the Real Journalists have to say ….
There is certainly a lot of bad writing (uninformed, vulgar, libelous, etc.) going on in BlogLand. But there’s a lot of good stuff, too. Sports, non-sports, whatever. Costas condemns it all. I always considered him a Renaissance Man for his intelligence and wide range of interests. But alas. He is close-minded and petty. And he leaves me no choice:
I have to reject and denounce Bob Costas.
oh, go right ahead and reject, denounce, dis and ignore Mr. C. sheesh, what a divo. (no, not the band from Akron)
I do get the difference between legitimate journalists, and all the dabbling amateur bloggers. (dabbling amateur is the definition of “diletante.”)
my profession is bedeviled by dabblers and pretenders - why aren’t 2×4’s or concrete controlled substances? talented, conscientious professionals have no reason to fear the casual player. Mr. C. should stop whining and be thankful that anyone values his opinion, no wait, he’s a reporter, not a commentator. really, a little humility would go a long way…oh, right…I’ll stop right there.
really, I think Bob C. is cute. I’m fond of…diminutive men, pompous or not. I like a guy I can look in the eye…hee hee
Comment by rrgirl — 17 March 2008, Monday @ 02:35:52
My, my. Costas doth protest too much. Did a BobCostasWatch.com site turn him off to bloggers? Yes, some are bad and some are good. PRobably more bad ones out there than good ones. But not all newspapers are top-notch, either. And there are blogs I’d put ahead of “real” newspapers like the N.Y. Post.
Comment by Barb — 17 March 2008, Monday @ 15:37:22