It cracks me up how some people in MSM get the idea of blogs can email you and actually contribute positively to the current state of media at the moment (they know who the are). Then there are the Pat Forde’s of the world who decide to use a 2-year old joke to describe the medium. From Inside The Hall via Wrigleyville

Since I am an old-school newspaper guy, I do have some issues with blogs as they exist today. First, how many bloggers actually report news themselves? Do they throw rumors at the cyberwall and hope one or two stick? Do they simply repeat other people’s gossip? Do they know how to conduct interviews? (Props to you all for at least reaching out and asking questions.) And if they don’t report news independently, where would they be without the mainstream journalists who do? What I don’t like are blogs that exist simply to snipe at mainstream media that does the heavy lifting of reporting the news.

Also: While I support everyone’s right to sound off on public affairs and events, I don’t find a lot of it interesting or entertaining. Everyone wants to be Bill Simmons, but to my knowledge there’s only one him. Two hundred thousand bloggers cracking wise from their living in their underwear all want to be the next Simmons, but how many of them are being paid (handsomely) to do it?

I find it funny that he chose Bill Simmons name. Does he think that Bill Simmons is/was a blogger? Also, what if I want to be the next Pat Forde??? I guess I would have to become a smug dick on television and not just on the internet (tough to do I’m sure). He also spent a paragraph before this stating that they are are good thing.

But in all seriousness…..I’m really less concerned with his weak jabs at blogs than his use of that joke. Does everyone who uses that description think they are the first person to say it? Is it a plagiarism thing, or do they really think it bothers us??? Inquiring minds want to know (and please don’t give me the “I’m just bitter” line. I’m really curious). Usually by the time you’re the 40th person to make a joke to the same crowd it gets pretty old.

Pat Forde Imagines You In Your Underwear (Wrigleyville)
Q and A: ESPN’s Pat Forde (Inside The Hall)

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