My apologies for indulging in this post, which doesn't relate to the Bruins or even BN much at all. But, I wanted to say a few words about the dust up last week regarding Will Leitch's appearance on HBO's Costas Now.
As you may have heard, Leitch, of Deadspin.com fame, made an appearance on Costas last week only to be ambushed by Buzz Bissinger, writer of Friday Night Lights. In case you didn't catch the program, the video is here and here. Take a look, it's pretty amusing to watch a grown man almost lose control of his facilities.
Yes, Buzz, I'm mocking you. And I'm saying this as someone who has spent 34 years perfecting the craft.
I'm not all that interested in the "new media" versus "old media" debate. I don't need to point out, again, how embarrassing Bissenger's profanity laden meltdown was. I don't need to note sharply declining newspaper readerships or the employment fears of traditional writers. There's no need to point out that there are good and bad professional journalists, just as there are good and bad blogs. I don't even need to chuckle about some folks inability to discern the difference between a comment and a front page blog post. Those points, and many others, have already been made (among other places, here, here, here, here, here, and here).
I prefer a slightly different angle. As a blogger on BN, I don't spend my days worrying about how I'm perceived by professional journalists, or, frankly, anyone beside our community members. I'm not looking for links. I'm not hoping to see my post quoted in the paper. And, while I can't speak for the rest of the front-pagers, my only interest is talking about the Bruins and sharing information of interest to the Nation.
I don't need to be evenhanded. I'm proudly partisan. I don't care to mediate a detente between the media of new and old. I'm only care to bleed blue and gold. I'm not part of any movement. I'm a proud Bruin alumni. I'm not a journalist, and don't pretend to be. I'm a fan who enjoys stepping away from my hectic life to talk Bruins with my friends. In the end, I view Bruins Nation as first and foremost a community. At that's it.
So, when something like the Buzz Bissenger episode comes along, I can only shake my head, and wonder how so many people can not get it, and why so many of those people care. Sure, some folks may think blogs are the end of sports news as we know it, but I'll just keep blogging about UCLA and won't spend a moment worrying about what's got Buzz's undies in such a twist.
(HT: the Wiz)
So, for the record, if anyone here posts another photograph of Matt Leinart boozing with teenage co-eds, please know that were not trying to show he's "a real human being." He's an ex-player for our main rival, and we're making a joke at his expense. And, yes, we're also trying to embarrass him (in whatever infinitesimally small way we can).
Oh, and also talk about UCLA.
GO BRUINS.