Interview with Will Leitch (Director’s Cut)
I went to the Deadspin Super Bowl party last Thursday evening in Tempe. It was cold — and not just by Arizona standards. We’re talking in the 40s.
I met some bloggers I previously knew by name only, like Matt Ufford from With Leather, and the Mighty MJD. And I met a couple of Arizona Republic reporters. And I ate some onion rings.
I brought my video camera along to interview Will Leitch. You can see the edited version of that interview here. Below you’ll find the entire interview, unedited, just as God intended.
You can also see a pic of my autographed copy of “God Save the Fan” after the jump.
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Dialogue or diatribe? You decide!
Among certain of my friends, the phenomenon of “Sarah’s Angry Emails” is not unknown. Something sets me off (usually involving politics, sports, ex-boyfriends, feminism, a particular downstairs neighbor, or some combination thereof) and before I can stop myself, I’ve seized my keyboard and pounded out a single-spaced screed. This happened recently in regard to a post I wrote that got picked up by Deadspin (always interesting, the folks that wander over here from Deadspin). Only instead of Sarah’s Angry Email, it was Sarah’s Angry Blog Comment, and instead of going only to an ex-boyfriend/my e-mail drafts folder/the spam filter of one of these columnists, it ended up on the Interwebs for all to see.
Though the ranting began because of a particularly limp Bob Ryan column, the weakness rampant throughout sports journalism had actually been a topic of discussion between Nick and myself for some time. (And of course, it’s been a frequent topic on UmpBump is well, thanks to the likes of Murray Chass, Jay Mariotti and other MSM folks and their questionable writings or uninspiring broadcasts.) So after a recent spate of emailing between us, Nick and I decided what the heck, let’s post this private conversation and open it up for public comment.
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Breaking: White Sox Suck!; ESPN just realizing they do!
I hate to point out the obvious, but ESPN.COM is late to the game. I also hate to revel in my favorite team’s demise, but, again, ESPN.COM is late to the game.
A full 12 days late to be precise.
Yes, a week and a half ago, we here at Umpbump realized the White Sox stank, but just now Jerry Crasnik has gotten a wiff off of that stinking South Side cheese.
Well, now they know.
What the White Sox lack in excitement value, they make up for in predictability. They went into the quintessential hitter’s park Monday night against a starter, Adam Eaton, sporting a 5.99 ERA, and summoned their usual nada. They managed five hits, all singles, in a 3-0 loss at Citizens Bank Park.
“It’s like watching ESPNEWS after 11 o’clock at night — the same thing over and over and over for 24 hours,” Guillen said. “That’s what it feels like right now.”
Guillen is almost as inventive with his batting orders as his imagery. When he wasn’t making waves on Chicago sports talk radio, he was running out 49 different lineup combinations in the team’s first 59 games. No matter who’s leading off or batting ninth, Chicago’s lineups have shared the same nagging aversion to crooked numbers.
I was actually surprised ESPN picked up the Phillies-Sox game (must’ve been one of those “hey, they never play each other, let’s see what happens when they do” kind of games.
I mean, last week the mother-ship also carried our game but that was simply because the Rocket was scheduled to pitch. They weren’t there for us, they were there for the game in which a certain 44-year-old pitcher was slated to return.
Yes, we suck – bad. But, c’mon ESPN, let’s keep closer tabs on the sport we’re supposed to be covering. Don’t want to be out-foxed (and out-scooped) by bloggers, now do we?
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