BFD: A stupid-spective
May 1, 2008 BFD's Real Doll, Beer, Bloggerating, Dancing With the 'Tards, I really dig my readers
Unless you live in a cave on the Internet, or you think newspapers still have a ton of upside, you may have missed this at deadspin.
Look, I know that I’ve gone off on the Jurassic media before. Don’t worry, that’s not my intent here, even though I could easily type 1000 words on the subject.
Yesterday, I saw what one of the best bloggers in the biz, Orson Swindle, had to say. In the spirit of his post, consider this an open thread for questions about me. Yes, it’s ego-centric and arrogant and serves absolutely no purpose whatsoever. However, after the Christmas Ape got dooced and this dust-up about the blogosphere and credentials and whatever, I think it’s worth a go – though I can’t exactly go too far.
With apologies to Matt, Steph, and all of you who don’t give a shit, here we go:
Why the fuck do I blog: Because I like to write. I have an undergrad in English from THE University of Texas at Austin. I like to write. I don’t suck at it…too badly. I’d put my body of work against the chron’s any day. I love sports, and I love to talk about sports. Being able to express my opinion is fun. I encourage all opinions at a reasonable level of discourse.
Why do I blog anonymously?: See dooced above. I don’t do this full-time, and I really can’t afford to lose my job. You’ll notice that I don’t talk about my job and I don’t say for whom I work. This is done on purpose. As long as people like Christmas Ape can be fired for no particular reason other than blogging, I am paranoid. Add that I work in a conservative industry, all the more so.
Do I live in my mother’s basement?: No. First, in this part of Texas, there really aren’t any basements. The only known basement is Tim’s mother’s. I live in Austin. In 15 years or less, I will own my house outright. It’s not a big house, but it’s what I like. I live in the middle of the city, but I have awesome views and I can bike to a ton of places.
So, why the fuck is it OK for you to blog?: I never said it was. I blog because I can. I blog because I want to. If blogging is no longer fun – even this post will take an hour to put up – I will quit. Blogging is harder work than it looks. If you don’t believe me, ask Steph of Tim or Hilton. It’s not easy. And when you don’t do it full time, it’s even harder. Still, I love the Texans, and that’s why I’m here (well, that, and Matt’s temporary lack of sanity).
Have you been spayed or neutered?: Why, yes! Yes I have. Thanks for asking. Jerk.
Religion/Politics: I only add this because Orson did, but I am going to skirt the issue a little. Just as I believe all people should be able to express their opinion, they should be able to express their religion. Politically, I am socially liberal and fiscally conservative.
Edumacation: As mentioned, English undergrad with several minors, and I am working toward my MBA (I’ll go into homework mode right after this post).
Career: Not much to say here, but I have been published in over 100 magazines, newspapers, pamphlets, and websites across our great nation (and SE Asia). Unfortunately, I did all this as a ghost writer, so little of it is to my credit. As a special note to Little Dickie Justice, age 12, and Pancakes McClain: I make more than you both do, so bite me. Oh, while in school, I was the co-host for a sports show for three years. So, yes, I know the power of credentials (and they mean SHIT!).
Family: Wife and two kids: a son of 5 and a daughter at 1 1/2.
What do I look like?: Something about like this:
Dramatic Ending: I’ll end on this note. I hate the traditional media. I don’t watch TV, and when I watch sports, I rarely have the sound on. One of my minors is journalism, and somebody on deadspin.com reminded me of this: as a journalist, you are told you are the gatekeeper of information. Hasn’t this gatekeeper mentality gotten us into enough trouble already? That’s why I blog, and it’s why I read blogs. I’m not saying there’s no place for the traditional media – we need somebody to be the stenographer for coaches and managers and players and politicians – but I strongly believe that the best quality of work is at blogs.
Any questions? I’m ready to move away from these inane discussions, but as long as dinosaurs like Buzz Bissinger stalk the earth, these are slightly necessary. Kinda.
/being arrogant ass
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May 1st, 2008 at 5:35 pm
And Braylon Edwards was there because…?
Buzz’s (Buzz’, Buzzes ?) semmed to have more of a problem with the comments than the bloggers. Read any newspaper now, and most have a place to comment after the article. Even though those articles are written by scholarly journalists, the comments still personally attack, call names and make off-color remarks. His contention that the tone of the article sets the tone for the comments may be true, but it also works the other way, too. Justice and McClain banged the VY drum before and after that draft and the comments to them all had to do with McNair being clueless, the franchise being a joke, etc.
It almost seemed like he took offense at fans having a (gasp) opinion. If everyone here worked at Wal-Mart, you could bet your ass that on an October Monday morning we would be having the same type of discussion there that we have online here. I can’t have a Texan discussion with Giants and Jets fans. I could come here and celebrate or commiserate as if I lived in Houston. Blogs were made for getting more than the score.
Whether they want to believe it or not, writers have to slant toward the team they cover. It’s where their bread is buttered. You can’t blast someone on Monday and expect to get cooperation for a story on Tuesday.
Buzz, get a clue. I don’t think society is dumbed down because sports fans (who enjoy watching other adults play GAMES) aren’t as “tuned in” as you and don’t know all the nuances of a split-finger fastball but like to discuss it anyway. Buzz, you played what sport professionally? It’s not like we’re watching Stephen Hawking propose theories and ripping him for his thought process. We make fun of people like David Carr because he curls up in a fetal postion when he says biggger people running at him. Oh, and he wears mittens, too.
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May 1st, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Ech. I hate typos.
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May 1st, 2008 at 6:28 pm
bfd- I read about his first on PFT and I hadn’t actually seen the clip so I thought it was no big deal,but today I went on Deadspin and watched the actual footage and I was just amazed at how much of an asshat “Buzz” came off as. Reading the comments off as if they were written by the bloggers instead of the readers is just irresponsible not to mention stupid(and sean salisbury is a fuckface). I don’t know what the media is like in other cities but here it is just awful when it comes to The Chronicle and they are the only major source of media in this city and they know it and so they feel they can report any way they want because they aren’t going to get fired anytime soon as there is no competition. I prefer tol come on here and BRB and read Steph’s post on Fanhouse because they are not journalists and they are feeling the same way that I am about the team and they are often doing it on their own free time because they love their team and want to talk about them with other fans.
The biggest problem that dinosaurs like “BUZZ” have is not that people blog but rather that people read blogs instead of the paper and they sense that the time of the backstage party with the local sports pro’s is coming to an end and they are freaked. If I was Mario Williams I wouldn’t even give the chronicle the time of day as they are so Pro-Vince and Pro-Titans that it makes me sick to read it and so I don’t.
I am not a big Deadspin reader but I respect Leitch a hell of a lot more than I did before that joke of a forum.
Jersey Bill- Ya Edwards had NO business being onstage with those two, If Bissinger was over the line Edwards was so far away from the line that he had no idea where the line was. Totally unneeded for him to be there. Also Costas has always been a little bitch but at least he was asking the questions that other people weren’t but he totally set up Leitch and was blatantly on Bissingers side.
A big thanks to bfd,Matt,Steph ,Tim and the whole crew at BRB for providing all of us fans a place to talk about our team in a open enviornment and a place where Travis Johnson can fake ask the pope to bless his cock.
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May 1st, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Dude, do you still have the car?
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May 1st, 2008 at 7:59 pm
@Shake: I wish! But, when I got married, I had to get rid of it. Kitt was the best wing-car evar.
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May 1st, 2008 at 8:35 pm
in the spirit of this I must open up as well…
Why do I blog…I don’t
Why do i blog anonymously? So your wives don’t show up at my house.
Do I blog in a basement: no..fuck you
Why is it ok for me to blog: Because I said so you ass wipe.
Have I been neutered? Come sit on my lap and you’ll find out.
Religion: I believe in belief you fuck wad.
Education: Honky Tonk U, and others
Career: I get paid more than you…get it?
Family: better looking than yours
What do I look like: a BFD, and BFD looks like a Sprint can you here me now guy.
I hope this means we all like the new draft picks! I think we’re gonna be awesome as we develop next year. Oh and Shake is a fine looking young guy and Solis is in some branch of the military with a close cut. God bless us all….God??
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May 1st, 2008 at 8:40 pm
Beautiful, 1Tex, just beautiful. And I don’t care if you were mocking me in the process, either.
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May 1st, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Wow, could Buzz have been more of a dick? And nice attempt at objectivity by Costas. That reminded me of the Animal House hearing.
They should have read some of the drivel Justice wrote after we drafted Mario. It’s more offensive in my opinion, and it’s proof of the fact that journalists aren’t held accountable for what they write any more than bloggers are.
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May 1st, 2008 at 10:53 pm
BFD, not mocking you my man, just looking at what we have
to do to voice and opinion. Silly, stupid, and we all have
a voice, except mello, uh the chron.
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May 1st, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Hells yeah – blogging ain’t easy… but for me its a worthwhile diversion. Drinking beer – another worthwhile diversion. Watching sports – diversion. So combine the three and it becomes a big ol’ sloppy taco of diversion. And I love it.
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So to recap – I enjoy it, probably way more than I should, but its not illegal, and as long its readily available, I’m gonna do it.
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When I was a little boy my dad took me to a car show. I got to watch some Scooby Doo on Kit’s in-dash screen. I never figured out why Michael Knight didn’t watch cartoons on the show… because he really should have.
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May 2nd, 2008 at 8:01 am
@BFD:
Those who can write (with insight) do and those who can’t don’t……they make Texan related videos with Miss Piggy.
Seriously, you, Matt, Solis, et. al. present your thoughts in an concise, articulate, and entertaining manner…..keep on keepin’ on.
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May 2nd, 2008 at 12:52 pm
@BFD, rock’ on’ brother! Even Jim Rome needs J. Stew…
I’ll shovel, y’all run the train!
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May 3rd, 2008 at 7:21 pm
@1Tex- You left out the part about smuggling things into the States using a bag of coffee grounds to keep the drug-sniffing dogs at bay.
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May 4th, 2008 at 8:20 pm
Shake…ya don’t have to smuggle scotch!
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May 6th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
In the words of Ron Burgandy:
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“Mmmmm, Scotchy Scotch Scotch.”