Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Wednesday Blizzard

Blogging
Daily Norseman takes on Stephen A. Smith's recent comments against blogging. One particular statement in the quoted passage particularly struck me:

"someone with no training should not be allowed to have any kind of format whatsoever to disseminate to the masses to the level which they can."

While I can't know Smith's intentions, doesn't that sound a lot like censorship? People without training (what sort of training? training from whom?) "should not be allowed" to "disseminate" ideas? The First Amendment guarantees us all the right to disseminate our ideas: we don't need approval, qualifications, or training to do so. And as Gonzo points out, if you don't like those ideas, you don't have to read them.

Many journalists embrace or tolerate blogs (some journalists blog themselves, or do interviews with bloggers). Journalists critical of blogs often have similar features in the criticism: a conservative traditionalism (blogs are a threat to an old way of doing things), an elitism (there is some special trait that makes journalists fundamentally different--and superior--to bloggers), and generalization (acting as if all blogs--and all bloggers--are fundamentally the same, when in reality blogs have great diversity in focus, methods, ideas, and goals).

Vikings: #10 in scoring and #10 in points allowed
The Vikings currently rank, well, #10 in scoring and #10 in points allowed. The other teams in the top 10 in both categories are Pittsburgh (#6 and #1), Indianapolis (#3 and #3), New England (#1 and #5), San Diego (#8 and #9), and Green Bay (#5 and #6). We'll see how they rank at the end of the season.

49ers this week
I couldn't be more excited about the Viking game at San Francisco Sunday. I'll write about it in detail in "National Friday League," but of course (like a lot of Viking fans) I'm thinking about last season's 9-3 loss at San Francisco (one of several games last season in which the Vikes held opponents to 0 or 1 TD and still lost). Big fun, though I hate 3:00 games.

Viking offseason
As the season has progressed, I've had all sorts of ideas about Viking needs in the offseason. I'm putting them all off until the offseason. The season is too fun, and our focus should be there; the offseason is too long, and we'll have plenty of time for offseason posts.

Links
After the T-wolves latest loss, Britt Robson notes that we're "losing reason to care."

The Vikings rank 9th in Football Outsiders DVOA, and 12th in Dr. Z's Power Rankings.

Roy S. Johnson wanted Tony Dungy to be Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year, not Brett Favre.

Sports Law Blog continues to discuss free speech issues at sporting events--really good stuff.

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:53 PM

    The most ridiculous part about that the Smith quote over at Daily Norseman is the fact that when read it appears that Smith is an elitist that believes the "masses" are unable to tell the different genres apart.

    Seriously, when I read a Peter King article I tend to read it differently than say a Deadspin article. Only because of Peter King's connection to sources. What annoys me is that somewhow "we the masses" are being called idiots essentially by those attacking blogs. Give the reader more credit, you elitist snobs and while you are at read some Marxist literature since they tend to do a good job explaining coding/decoding within language. Of course their "training" probably didn't include social theory and social analysis around language, etc.

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  2. Smith is a buffoon who thinks his opinions actually carry some weight. I have never understood how he got to be an ESPN talking head or write for the major Philly newspapers (who have plenty of excellent beat writers and columnists.)

    I can't remember one inciteful thing Smith has ever said or written. I'd rather read Bob Sansevere.

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  3. Anonymous3:29 PM

    Steven A. is definitely highly trained....

    As for Dungy for sportsman of the year, please don't forget that he is a full-fledged and open gay-basher. He frequently speaks for the KKK of the gay bashing world. Denying any group the right to enjoy their own lives as they see fit is wrong, and supporting such a group is called discrimination.

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  4. Believe me, as much as I admire Dungy, he was tainted for me when he accepted that award from that "pro family" group. While I don't think he's a bigot (his views are based more on religious faith than on prejudice, and he has said he would treat a gay player on his team with respect), it certainly saddens me that he accepted an award from a group that doesn't believe gay people should have equal rights.

    If you're interested in what I wrote about it at the time, it's in the March archives (on the 28th).

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  5. Anonymous10:36 AM

    most people who write about sports are opinionated jerks with no connection to reality.

    tony dungy is a very good coach. but brett favre is the most important figure in american history. no, western civilization.

    rk

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