Michael Wilbon was on the Mike Tirico Show (that just doesn’t have a ring to it at all) yesterday to discuss many things. One of which was Mike Gundy the Oklahoma State Coach who took it to the Oklahoman reporter. You all know the story.

Well the interview was going along fine and he was saying all of the right things….you shouldn’t criticize college athletes (true), and that no one is questioning the reporters facts (which is true and something she doesn’t get)…..when Scott Van Pelt posed the question of how blogs and credibility play into all of this…..

Mike Tirico Show Audio 9/25 (Start listening around the 4 minute mark)

“I dont know how old Jenny Carlson is, but perhaps if she’s younger and I’m not assuming but if you are a younger writer and that’s why I asked how long you’ve been at it, perhaps you’re more inclined to be more blogger…”- Scott Van Pelt

“YES!”- Michael Wilbon

“….in other words more critical than you would be to to be more towards the side of the guy in the hat wearing….that says press on it…the more journalistic. Do you buy that?”- SVP

“Yes. I do buy it. And I have gone after some of our younger staffers at the Washington Post to say I don’t want to read this again. That’s not what we do. Umm, you know everybody….the notion of blogging scares the hell out of me Scott, and…..this is why. There’s no accountability….stuff isn’t edited. It just goes out there as gospel. What it is is opinion, there’s way too much rumor….”- MW

Okay stop right there. You can listen to the rest if you want, but I don’t want blockquote the whole thing. I have two simple points to make and then I’m opening it up for discussion. One, you say blogs are opinion-based Michael……What the hell is PTI???? You bitch with Kornheiser about whether the Bears should sit Grossman (opinion) and put on masks and pretend to act as someone.

Two, there’s no accountability for anyone anymore in any walk of life. What accountability has ESPN taken for the Harold Reynolds/Sexual Harassment issue(s)? How about when Chris Mortensen claims he breaks stories or gets the facts of the Vick indictment COMPLETELY wrong??? And rumors? Well ESPN.com has a whole section completely devoted to trade rumors, which never come true. Help me out here…..every media outlet is going with the “if it bleeds it leads” approach and you and ESPN are just as guilty as TMZ and Entertainment Tonight.

Mainstream Media just doesn’t get the direction that media is going in. Everyone has an opinion….blogs just come with 1000 times less spin and bias. Be afraid Michael….be VERY afraid. We are a scary lot. We spew lies and have no idea what we’re talking about. Of course that’s not the reason you should be afraid. Blogs allow immediate and critical feedback of our work and in most cases we work and will work harder than you to get our medium accepted. That why you should be afraid…..very afraid. Just wait until teams begin to give us the access that you have.

(Thanks to MM for forwarding on the clip.)