Pats Pulpit, SB Nation, and a host of other blogs are where I go for most of my sports information nowadays. Sure I’m under 50, but still grew up an avid reader of the daily newspaper, monthly magazines, and books and am able to appreciate a well written column wherever it is.

Don’t lump yourself in with his arrogant appraisal of his own worth and his dumping on bloggers, because it’s simply not true. Isn’t Mr. Bissinger aware of the lazy, rumor-driven, biased “journalists” in his own profession? They may not get away with outright vulgarity, but the harm they do in perpetuating false impressions, speculation and innuendo is just as cutting. In fact outright vulgarity, while I personally don’t care for it, is a bit more honest than what is printed in certain columns where the writer is assumed to be fair and balanced, or else hides behind the “unidentified source” shield.

I still blanch at the image of NBC Sunday Night Football’s Andrea Kremer, breathless and blinking furiously, reporting from the sideline before the Patriots game 2 vs. the Chargers last year, the rumors of the Patriots wiring helmets, blocking signals of opposing teams headsets, and stealing playbooks out of the visiting teams lockers, frightening poor Norv Turner. No apology or public mea culpa was ever issued once those allegations had been discredited by the league.

Even the most recent articles regarding spygate, when the single item of news was that a date had been reached for Matt Walsh to speak to the league, ESPN posts a multi-paragraph article with the headline, Depending on Walsh evidence, Goodell ready to crack down on Pats. Now just as easily, the same story could have been titled, “Depending on Walsh evidence, Goodell ready to exonerate Pats.” The gist of the article rehashes the charges and then speculates on what the NFL Commissioner will do if they’re guilty. Not biased? (I won’t even get into ESPN’s Gregg Easterbrook and his hate campaign against Belichick, or I’ll need another bottle of Mylanta.)

Buzz has, what my dear sweet mother used to say, a hair across his rear end. If he can’t see the beauty in the blog that’s his problem, not ours. Thanks for taking this thing on.

nullify Bissinger’s point: The National Enquirer and Jayson Blair.
Sorry, Buzz, but it’s about the work, not the medium. If you want to talk about the quantity if c*#p then yes, of course the web wins hands down. That’s simply because there are more people with a voice, and no gates to prevent them all of voicing their opinion. That’s the point. No editors with their own biases deciding who gets to publish. The choice to read is left to the reader, not the editor, publisher, or press pass keeper.
Leitch is right though, this is something to pity not vilify. Buzz is tilting at windmills, but unfortunately for him everyone is watching.