04/18/24
May 08, 2003
What about banning espn links for two weeks, forcing people to post from their local papers and seek out news coverage that we're less likely to see on their own. I think most spofi users check espn at least as often as we look for new posts here - so why not elimate the duplication and see what happens?
posted by djacobs to editorial policy at 10:53 AM - 36 comments
I don't mind the espn links at all, especially if you are linking to a sports news event. I could really care less about the link, I just want the forum to discuss the event in. Local papers and news are fine for opinion pieces. Just banning espn links will just make more people post cnnsi, cbs sportsline, foxsports, and the sporting news links. Same thing.
posted by corpse at 11:02 AM on May 08, 2003
cnnsi, cbs sportsline, foxsports, and the sporting news links. The spirit of the rule would be to force creativity. On the other hand, I haven't seen a ton of sporting news links around. There are many days when 50% or more of the links on the front page is espn. Imagine if 50% of the front page links on mefi were cnn, or the new york times.
posted by djacobs at 11:06 AM on May 08, 2003
My $.02 is that I don't have a problem with espn links because I don't go there to read it daily. I just read my mainstream sports news from Google. So I always miss the the espn stories unless I'm following a link from here or some other weblog. While I understand your sentiment...if I posted only from local sources then I would be hamstrung because local media in Seattle is B-list on their best days. For instance, yesterday the Diablos opened the PSSBL season by absolutely waxing the Zephyrs. The final was 14-4 and wasn't even that close. Our starting pitcher threw an absolute gem, baffling Zephyr batters with his change of pace. But when I opened the Seattle P.I. this morning, was there any mention of it anywhere? Nope. Only some guy named Mussina.
posted by vito90 at 11:49 AM on May 08, 2003
It's a good idea DJ, and you make a good point with the Mefi/CNN reference, but Corpse is right - you're going to get a bunch of SI, foxsports links instead. The problem with that is, they are all the same article anyway. With the exception of feature stories by columnists, just about everything else [from espn, cnnsi, foxsports] is ripped from the AP or Reuters wires. I'm just glad to have the discussions going.
posted by jerseygirl at 12:12 PM on May 08, 2003
I check ESPN regularly (okay, obsessively) and yet still often miss items linked to by other members. I vote status quo.
posted by kloeprich at 12:58 PM on May 08, 2003
Building on dj's idea: How about making it OK to post links from any of the national behemoth sites (ESPN et al) but requiring an additional local link in the post (e.g., ESPN link heads off the Jordan debacle, followed by what the Washington Post or some other tabloid said)? Let's do it for a week and call it LOCAL WEEK. dj will be appointed LOCAL WEEK MARSHAL and will go in to comments and give a star (*) if it contains at least one local link. (Or posters can just put it at the beginning of the post.) Posts with exclusively local links get two stars (*)(*) (hee hee).
posted by worldcup2002 at 01:10 PM on May 08, 2003
yeehaw!
posted by worldcup2002 at 01:29 PM on May 08, 2003
We have been sadly lacking in fishing derby links.
posted by kloeprich at 01:53 PM on May 08, 2003
I never check ESPN, so the links are fine by me.
posted by squealy at 02:19 PM on May 08, 2003
Oh sure...I make one or two posting suggestions and everyone leaps down my throat and makes plans to burn me at the stake. djacobs makes one and he's hailed as a hero. grumblegrumblegrumble ;)
posted by grum@work at 04:33 PM on May 08, 2003
And for the record, I support this plan to "Go Local" for a week.
posted by grum@work at 04:34 PM on May 08, 2003
grum: I was actually going to post to the locker room that I have rethunk, erm, rethought your suggestion, and want to go one better. Next week only, 0:00 PST Monday May 12 - 0:00 PST Mon May 19: In honor of grummy and dj, I will post non-soccer threads only AND try to use only local links. I will also attempt to bring unconventional perspectives on the sports that I post. NOTE: The aforementioned statement neither excludes or precludes the below-mentioned poster from commenting in soccer-related threads in any area of the site, nor from posting his last EPL report in the Locker Room.
posted by worldcup2002 at 04:50 PM on May 08, 2003
The problem with saying "no ESPN links" is that we're not a hive mind all reading the same sites. I'd worry more about the uniqueness and quality of the link than about the site the link is from. ESPN has a lot of great stuff that's not just recaps. (I know, if I love ESPN so much, why don't I marry it?) If it's a good link, it's a good link. I love to see offbeat sites and the local take on things, but part of the nature of sports is that it's inherently newsy and a lot of the information is a commodity.
posted by kirkaracha at 05:35 PM on May 08, 2003
WC, while you're at it, how about getting started on another interview? I'm going through withdrawals. I nominate Grum.
posted by kloeprich at 05:43 PM on May 08, 2003
I'm all in favor of going loco for a week. Wooo! Crack a beer, boys - It's gonna be a seven-day party! (on preview- Oh. Sorry.) I also pledge, as wc2002 has done, to only post non-hockey related links. I might use ESPN links though. You're not the boss of me.
posted by Samsonov14 at 05:51 PM on May 08, 2003
Wow, kloeprich: Another interview fan! I was wondering when someone would egg me on. squealy (our last interviewee) has asked me to interview billsaysthis. But bill said I should try Samsonov because he's from Boston (wtf?). Now, you nominate Grum. I think I'll follow universal logic, and pick ... Beckham! No, seriously. I'm pretty busy this week so I'll come up with something when I'm good and ready (or when the whining and gnashing of teeth has reached an acceptably painful level). Meanwhile, you guys nominate people, but please give me a compelling reason, dammit! And all nominees must explicitly accept here! No shuffling of feet or handing off. YES or NO!
posted by worldcup2002 at 07:08 PM on May 08, 2003
How about making it OK to post links from any of the national behemoth sites . . . but requiring an additional local link in the post That sounds like the best proposal to me. Complimentary local links shouldn't be too hard to find.
posted by yerfatma at 07:40 PM on May 08, 2003
I nominate grum, or anybody that will be heavily baseball-centric.
posted by corpse at 08:21 PM on May 08, 2003
If you're dragging the bottom of the lake and decide that I'm the one you want to interview, I'll do it. But give me the weekend to go out and do outrageous things so I'll have something to talk about in the interview!
posted by grum@work at 08:21 PM on May 08, 2003
local sports are boring, most papers run the AP stories anyway
posted by jbou at 10:44 PM on May 08, 2003
Grummy, you're on. Do something crazy and come back with wild stories next week! (When should we start?) I think billsaysthis might have been too soccer-oriented anyway. Think we should go non-soccer for a bit. (See? I'm starting already.) Besides, he'll probably be coming to my house someday soon anyway. (We're practically neighbors.) Oh, and Happy wedding, bill! Awright, catch you next week, grummy.
posted by worldcup2002 at 11:18 PM on May 08, 2003
Think we should go non-soccer for a bit. Amen. I dug Squealy's interview since he was the first furriner involved, but get away from the Soccer scene already :)
posted by Ufez Jones at 11:54 PM on May 08, 2003
Since wc2k2 doesn't have an email address listed, I'll suggest we start on Monday. I'll probably be answering most of the questions while at work, so to make sure I'm still employed afterwards, I may have to be a bit slower than normal on repsonses.
posted by grum@work at 07:17 AM on May 09, 2003
Think we should go non-soccer for a bit. *gasp* worldcup, i am beginning to think you are bi-polar...
posted by StarFucker at 08:34 AM on May 09, 2003
Grummy: Everybody says they're going to be slow with their responses. But when the interview starts, they're tapping out responses like there was no tomorrow. Don't worry about it. Your rhythm will be the interview's rhythm. Ommmmm ...
posted by worldcup2002 at 09:57 AM on May 09, 2003
SF: I'm not bi-polar! I'm really angry you said that. Now, I'm happy you noticed my comments. But now I'm mad again! Hahahahaha. I'm so happy!
posted by worldcup2002 at 09:58 AM on May 09, 2003
The pressure of the interviews is clearly getting to WC. Do we have a backup in case he cracks completely?
posted by kloeprich at 12:00 PM on May 09, 2003
I'm new to this 'locker room' thing, but it would seem I'm a pretty bad violator of hockey only/ESPN heavy posts & links. I'm glad the consensus is for having free & open debate. But I'll now try and expand my data base.
posted by garfield at 12:05 PM on May 09, 2003
Well, since it WAS my idea in the first place(HA, watch worldcup lose it here)...sure, we have a backup...
posted by StarFucker at 12:24 PM on May 09, 2003
Well! Plotting a coup, I see! As it is, Ufez has already proven he is capable of being my backup. SF, you're a second-backup. Hahahahahaha. (... All the pretty colors. Oooo. Unicorns. I hate you! Hee hee hee ... Ponies.)
posted by worldcup2002 at 12:34 PM on May 09, 2003
*dances circles around the fooker twice in one week*
posted by Ufez Jones at 01:06 PM on May 09, 2003
Folks, if you limit me to a local paper, I'll be giving you University of Evansville baseball stories. For those of us who lives in the boonies, we rely on ESPN and the big dogs. And anyhow, my link today about Steve Lavin and Purdue is 1) Local to me, because even though I live in southern Indiana, no local paper did a story on this and 2) Couched in larger terms than just the Purdue/Lavin story. I want to know why sports franchises insist on hiring coaches that have already failed once or twice as opposed to bringing in new blood. I have some answers, but I want other opinions. Now why would I go looking for a link from the Doorknob Gazette for that?
posted by wfrazerjr at 01:31 PM on May 09, 2003
When I read the Florida Times-Union here in Jacksonville, I'm always looking for interesting stories that haven't been covered nationally. If everyone does this with their local sportsrag, it should be a good cure for ESPNitis.
posted by rcade at 03:33 PM on May 09, 2003
wfrazerj: Do whatever the hell you want. It's just for fun, ya know.
posted by worldcup2002 at 07:54 PM on May 09, 2003
Sounds good...