Sports Journalism Tumblr: A Black self-insert character called Jabaal Abdul-Simmons

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euphronius: Feb 18, 2009

This one is pretty bad
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/writer/scott-miller/23254410/yasiel-puig-needs-to-get-a-grip-before-dodgers-lose-theirs

quote:

Scott Miller
Senior Baseball Columnist
Yasiel Puig needs to get a grip before Dodgers lose theirs

You can see it coming from here to the autumn leaves.

Crowd screaming. National television cameras blazing. Game 4 � or 5 � or 6 of the playoffs. And Yasiel Puig runs into an out, overthrows a cutoff man, commits some egregious mistake that costs the Dodgers the game. Maybe even costs them the playoffs.

Postseason odds
Dodgers are Series favorites

The Dodgers go home for the winter. Their fans are left hugging only their chipped and faded 1988 World Series champions coffee mugs.

And Puig jets off to join a South Beach conga line for the winter. Party on!

Hoo, boy.

Talk about win-win and no-win converging at the corner of Chavez and Ravine.

Puig clearly has the talent to lead the Dodgers to an October title. And he clearly contains the recklessness to push the team bus straight over a cliff. Self-made man meets self-destruction, head on.

That said ... this side of the Braves' Turner Field Waffle House, do you know where baseball's biggest pile of whipped cream is located right now? In the admonitions of all of those suddenly scolding the Dodgers to get control of this guy.

Do you think they haven't tried? School is in session every day with Puig. Manager Don Mattingly talks with him. Coaches lecture him. General manager Ned Colletti schools him. Teammates from Juan Uribe to Adrian Gonzalez try to teach him.

So far, Puig doesn't appear to be much for school. Or lessons.

Or umpires, or sleep.

So what do you do if you're the Dodgers?

Wine and dine him even more?

Sit him down indefinitely?

Sit him down for six innings, then insert him into the game in a sixth-inning double-switch?

Wait. They did that last one Tuesday. And Puig emerged from his time out to immediately stroke a game-winning home run. The guy can do no wrong even when he does wrong.

That pretty much was a microcosm of the entire Dodgers/Puig existence.

He showed up 35 minutes late Tuesday. He was in the worst slump of his career, only 2 for 17 in the first four games in Philadelphia and Miami, striking out in four of his previous 11 at-bats.

The weekend Phillies series was a kaleidoscope of errors and misjudgments: Puig missed two cutoff men, was picked off a base and was thrown out attempting to advance on a shallow pop fly.

He also is hitting .352/.412/.567 with 12 home runs and 28 RBI in 68 games. And the once-woeful Dodgers are 28 games over .500 when Puig steps onto the field, 48-20.

NL Rookie of the Year
It's down to two

The Dodgers owe their season to this guy. Before Puig, they were the Houston Astros in better uniforms.

Yet with each home run and highlight-reel moment, the monster grows.

Biggest question this season now is this: Can the Dodgers eke a Kirk Gibson moment out of Puig this October before they get a Frankenstein moment?

This Tasmanian Devil of a player has mesmerized a community and captivated a baseball nation. He is Must-See TV, one of the game's most exciting talents. What Mike Trout and Bryce Harper were last year, Puig, to some degree, is this year.

Yet this late-night carousing, cutoff-man missing, curfew busting phenom borders on going berserk-o out of control. Did you see the tantrum he directed at plate ump John Hirschbeck after striking out Monday in Miami? Holy smokes.

"All the things that we see are part of the maturity of a guy coming from a different country who is in the major leagues all of a sudden and having huge success," Mattingly told reporters in Miami. "And part of our job is to help him mature and handle all that.

"And I don't know if we can do that overnight."

I think we know that answer to that one.

Scouts last year watched minor-league games in which Puig opted to chill in the bullpen, rather than run all the way to the dugout from right field, during half-innings in which he wasn't going to bat. Playing for Double-A Chattanooga in April, Puig was arrested for reckless driving, speeding and driving without proof of insurance. The police report said he was driving 97 mph in a 50 mph zone.

The Dodgers' task is to keep him playing at close to 100 mph while preventing him from driving 100 mph.

Last thing they want to do is break his spirit on the field, or go all Larry David and curb his enthusiasm.

Best -- and most realistic hope -- simply is that they can smooth out the rough edges. They are not going to completely remake him. You wouldn't want to completely remake him.

Talent like this is rare, and it doesn't play at half-speed.

Problem is, neither do the mistakes.

# ? Aug 22, 2013 15:48

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# ? Apr 28, 2024 00:05

FairGame: Jul 24, 2001; Der Kommander

How dare that loving Cuban be awesome at baseball in a way that is not pleasing to me, the crotchety white sportswriter!

Here are some hypotheticals that may happen as a result and they would all be really bad! Did you see the nerve of that guy hitting a game winning home run when he should've struck out and then felt appropriately bad?

# ? Aug 22, 2013 17:33

Mornacale: Dec 19, 2007; n=y where
y=hope and n=folly,
prospects=lies, win=lose,

self=Pirates

I like how everyone arguing about how Puig will totally kill them in the playoffs completely ignores how valuable he's been in actually getting to the playoffs.

# ? Aug 22, 2013 18:49

FairGame: Jul 24, 2001; Der Kommander

Not to flog Scorekeeping or anything, but the whole finding was "announcers are biased against foreign-born players." Couple that with the fact that I had like 2 observations for Ichiro and Kuroda or whoever, and "foreign-born" really just referred to Latinos. Craig Calcaterra argues the exact same point while simultaneously telling Scott Miller he's a jackass.

FairGame fucked around with this message at 19:34 on Aug 22, 2013

# ? Aug 22, 2013 19:04

Mornacale: Dec 19, 2007; n=y where
y=hope and n=folly,
prospects=lies, win=lose,

self=Pirates

FairGame posted:

Not to flog Scorekeeping or anything, but the whole finding was "announcers are biased against foreign-born players." Couple that with the fact that I had like 2 observations for Ichiro and Kuroda or whoever, and "foreign-born" really just referred to Latinos. Craig Calcaterra argues the exact same point while simultaneously telling Scott Miller he's a jackass.

Your link is just to the front page of HBT. I presume you meant this article about Yasiel Puig?

# ? Aug 22, 2013 19:12

FairGame: Jul 24, 2001; Der Kommander

Mornacale posted:

Your link is just to the front page of HBT. I presume you meant this article about Yasiel Puig?

Yep. And fixed in my post; thanks!

# ? Aug 22, 2013 19:34

morestuff: Aug 2, 2008; You can't stop what's coming

ESPN is pulling their name off of the NFL concussion documentary they were co-producing with PBS. I kind of wondered why they partnered on something like that in the first place.

# ? Aug 23, 2013 02:39

Politicalrancor: Jan 29, 2008

FairGame posted:

Not to flog Scorekeeping or anything, but the whole finding was "announcers are biased against foreign-born players." Couple that with the fact that I had like 2 observations for Ichiro and Kuroda or whoever, and "foreign-born" really just referred to Latinos. Craig Calcaterra argues the exact same point while simultaneously telling Scott Miller he's a jackass.

yeah I was gonna say that "Yasiel Puig can't aww shucks his way out of it because of the language barrier" comment was bang on.

# ? Aug 23, 2013 10:36

Groucho Marxist: Dec 9, 2005; Do you smell what The Mauk is cooking?

morestuff posted:

ESPN is pulling their name off of the NFL concussion documentary they were co-producing with PBS. I kind of wondered why they partnered on something like that in the first place.

It's really weird that the NFL waited this long to do this. I mean that damning trailer was released like a month ago.

# ? Aug 23, 2013 14:18

Toddofodd: Jun 6, 2008

morestuff posted:

ESPN is pulling their name off of the NFL concussion documentary they were co-producing with PBS. I kind of wondered why they partnered on something like that in the first place.

The New York Times on the split.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/24/s...tw-nytimes&_r=0

# ? Aug 23, 2013 14:41

euphronius: Feb 18, 2009

That Calcaterra article is weird. He starts off by saying no one is racist but then described a lot of racist behavior! I guess he is just being polite.

# ? Aug 23, 2013 14:48

Nerdfest X: Feb 7, 2008; UberDork Extreme

Mornacale posted:

I like how everyone arguing about how Puig will totally kill them in the playoffs completely ignores how valuable he's been in actually getting to the playoffs.

It seems to be the opposite with Miguel Cabrera. He costs the Tigers a run about every other game on the basepaths, yet nobody says anything because he is money with a bat in his hand.

# ? Aug 25, 2013 16:29

Badfinger: Dec 16, 2004; Timeouts?!

We'll take care of that.

http://espn.go.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/9589625/the-match-maker

A 40 year retrospective on The Battle Of The Sexes explores whether Bobby Riggs, a notorious gambler, would and could have fixed the match for the mob.

Whether you think the premise is bullshit or not, the perspective on who Bobby Riggs was is fairly eye opening as someone who wasn't alive until this was ancient history.

# ? Aug 25, 2013 17:16

OJ MIST 2 THE DICK: Sep 11, 2008; Anytime I need to see your face I just close my eyes
And I am taken to a place
Where your crystal minds and magenta feelings
Take up shelter in the base of my spine
Sweet like a chica cherry cola
-Cheap Trick; Nap Ghost

Lets take a look at what the ESPN Ombudsman has to say on reneging on the documentary.

quote:

So what just happened? Beats me.

# ? Aug 26, 2013 04:11

MourningView: Sep 2, 2006; Is this Heaven?

What happened is that they're (justifiably) terrified of losing the rights to the NFL and are going to cave to anything the league wants. It's not really a mystery.

# ? Aug 26, 2013 04:14

OJ MIST 2 THE DICK: Sep 11, 2008; Anytime I need to see your face I just close my eyes
And I am taken to a place
Where your crystal minds and magenta feelings
Take up shelter in the base of my spine
Sweet like a chica cherry cola
-Cheap Trick; Nap Ghost

MourningView posted:

What happened is that they're (justifiably) terrified of losing the rights to the NFL and are going to cave to anything the league wants. It's not really a mystery.

I know. I just think that line is hilarious coming from an ombudsman who gets to about 99% of the way to saying what really happened, and then immediately pulls out of making a definitive statement.

OJ MIST 2 THE DICK fucked around with this message at 04:20 on Aug 26, 2013

# ? Aug 26, 2013 04:15

Kwik: Apr 4, 2006; You can't touch our beaver.

Toffile posted:

I know. I just think that line is hilarious coming from an ombudsman who gets to about 99% of the way to saying what really happened, and then immediately pulls out of making a definitive statement.

To be fair, if you look at the full quote, he does express some disbelief about the fact that ESPN suddenly discovered out of the blue that they had no editorial control:

quote:

So what just happened? Beats me. At best we've seen some clumsy shuffling to cover a lack of due diligence. At worst, a promising relationship between two journalism powerhouses that could have done more good together has been sacrificed to mollify a league under siege. The best isn't very good, but if the worst turns out to be true, it�s a chilling reminder how often the profit motive wins the duel.

He also makes mention of ESPN shuffling Outside the Lines from 9am on Sunday on ESPN to 8am on ESPN2 once football season starts. We really need another hour of pregame? But, really, after Playmakers, is it a huge shock at all that ESPN is going to bend over backwards if the NFL is a bit uneasy?

# ? Aug 26, 2013 05:34

FuzzySkinner: May 23, 2012

Kwik posted:

To be fair, if you look at the full quote, he does express some disbelief about the fact that ESPN suddenly discovered out of the blue that they had no editorial control:

He also makes mention of ESPN shuffling Outside the Lines from 9am on Sunday on ESPN to 8am on ESPN2 once football season starts. We really need another hour of pregame? But, really, after Playmakers, is it a huge shock at all that ESPN is going to bend over backwards if the NFL is a bit uneasy?

They're literally replacing it with a Colin Cowherd Sunday Pregame show, if memory proves correct.

# ? Aug 26, 2013 05:42

LARGE THE HEAD: Sep 1, 2009; "Competitive greatness is when you play your best against the best."

"Learn as if you were to live forever; live as if you were to die tomorrow."

--John Wooden

An oral history of Playmakers would be the holy grail of sports journalism.

# ? Aug 26, 2013 06:01

MourningView: Sep 2, 2006; Is this Heaven?

That show was terrible so good on the NFL for getting it killed.

# ? Aug 26, 2013 06:08

uublog: Jul 19, 2012; "World Champions. WORLD FUCKING CHAMPIONS." - Chase Utley, October 31, 2008; Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA

FuzzySkinner posted:

They're literally replacing it with a Colin Cowherd Sunday Pregame show, if memory proves correct.

nooooooooo why!!!!!!!! what the gently caress does cowherd contribute that is so important that they need to give him more airtime?

And it's a shame that Playmakers didn't work for whatever reason, because it's something I'd really like to see done well by someone, somewhere

# ? Aug 26, 2013 06:13

FuzzySkinner: May 23, 2012

uublog posted:

nooooooooo why!!!!!!!! what the gently caress does cowherd contribute that is so important that they need to give him more airtime?

I'd really, really like to continue this in the Sports Broadcasting thread.

MourningView posted:

That show was terrible so good on the NFL for getting it killed.

Yeah, it just really wasn't well done.

Strangely, "Blitz the league" which was written by the creators of the show was actually a decent game to play.

# ? Aug 26, 2013 06:27

MourningView: Sep 2, 2006; Is this Heaven?

Seeing the dude from Wild and Crazy Kids smoking rock was cool though, I'll give them that.

# ? Aug 26, 2013 06:36

Meat Recital: Mar 26, 2009; by zen death robot

I still remember 15 years ago when I was first introduced to Colin Cowherd when Tony Kornheiser's ESPN Radio show was canned and Cowherd replaced it. My feeling at the time was that this new guy sucks, I cant imagine he'll last long, and they'll let Kornheiser have his show back. 15 years later, and Colin Cowherd is not only still around, but has moved up in the world :negative:

# ? Aug 26, 2013 06:37

LARGE THE HEAD: Sep 1, 2009; "Competitive greatness is when you play your best against the best."

"Learn as if you were to live forever; live as if you were to die tomorrow."

--John Wooden

MourningView posted:

Seeing the dude from Wild and Crazy Kids smoking rock was cool though, I'll give them that.

Omar Gooding's drug test is one of the very few scenes of that show that has stayed with me.

# ? Aug 26, 2013 06:55

soggybagel: Aug 6, 2006; The official account of NFL Tackle Phil Loadholt.

Let's talk Football.

The show was awful. Which made it funnier that the NFL cared that much.

Wasn't there an episode where a guy (i think the running back) smoked crack right before a game?

# ? Aug 26, 2013 07:35

Tender Bender: Sep 17, 2004

Having barely followed the NL this year, what's the deal with Puig? He's really good and makes an error now and then and so the media hates him?

# ? Aug 26, 2013 08:06

Monicro: Oct 21, 2010; And you could feel his features in the air
A wide smile and perfect hair
He had complete control of the rising tides
And a medicine bag hanging at his side

In the flowing blue world of the death-dealing physician

Tender Bender posted:

Having barely followed the NL this year, what's the deal with Puig? He's really good and makes an error now and then and so the media hates him?

He more or less plays like Bryce Harper except he's not white. He's viewed in the media accordingly.

# ? Aug 26, 2013 08:34

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

You guys missed the best part of the Ombudsman column: the part where the president of ESPN calls Frontline, of all the programs in the world, to be sensationalistic:

quote:

Upon screening it, Skipper said he found the trailer to be �sensational.� He particularly objected to the tagline -- �Get ready to change the way you see the game� -- and to the final sound bite in the piece, from neuropathologist Ann McKee. Referring to brain injuries, she says, �I�m really wondering if every single football player doesn�t have this.�

Skipper said he found that comment to be �over the top.�

# ? Aug 26, 2013 19:18

Alfred P. Pseudonym: May 29, 2006; And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss goes 8-8

uublog posted:

And it's a shame that Playmakers didn't work for whatever reason, because it's something I'd really like to see done well by someone, somewhere

Have you seen the British drama Dream Team, which follows the trials and tribulations of Harchester United Football Club?

# ? Aug 26, 2013 19:26

stuart scott: Mar 9, 2007

Tender Bender posted:

Having barely followed the NL this year, what's the deal with Puig? He's really good and makes an error now and then and so the media hates him?

He MISSES THE CUTOFF MAN so he needs to be "broken" and "tamed" and no I'm not using coded language why would you sa

# ? Aug 27, 2013 03:19

Dr_Strangelove: Dec 16, 2003; Mein Fuhrer! THEY WON!

Holy balls, Whitlock is on TV with Olbermann :stare:

# ? Aug 27, 2013 04:15

BasicFunk: Feb 26, 2011; How's your Funkentelechy?

Dr_Strangelove posted:

Holy balls, Whitlock is on TV with Olbermann

I'm kinda glad my cable doesn't work right now.

# ? Aug 27, 2013 04:31

GoonGPT: May 26, 2006; Posting for a better future, today!

Dr_Strangelove posted:

Holy balls, Whitlock is on TV with Olbermann

I'll never disparage Tony Gallagher ever again :staredog:

# ? Aug 27, 2013 05:07

C. Everett Koop: Aug 18, 2008

soggybagel posted:

The show was awful. Which made it funnier that the NFL cared that much.

Wasn't there an episode where a guy (i think the running back) smoked crack right before a game?

And during! Playmakers was not that great a show, and I speak as someone who owned the DVD set.

Now, if they were to put it on HBO/Showtime and set it within the SEC, now you got a stew goin'.

# ? Aug 27, 2013 05:15

Crazy Ted: Jul 29, 2003

C. Everett Koop posted:

And during! Playmakers was not that great a show, and I speak as someone who owned the DVD set.

It wasn't, but it's continuing charm is due to the fact that the NFL threw such a giant hissy fit about it. Because, of course, if that show had continued on it was going to make all of America think that the poo poo that happened on that show was an exact recreation of what happens in every single NFL locker room.

# ? Aug 27, 2013 09:36

Groucho Marxist: Dec 9, 2005; Do you smell what The Mauk is cooking?

This GQ profile on Nick Saban is maybe my favorite sports writing of the year
http://www.gq.com/entertainment/sports/201309/coach-nick-saban-alabama-maniac

# ? Aug 30, 2013 02:56

ElwoodCuse: Jan 11, 2004; we're puttin' the band back together

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/pete-prisco/23381962/nfl-can-afford-765m-settlement-but-players-didnt-deserve-it

Does this guy really think that fantasy football and having something to do on fall weekends is more important than the health and safety of football players?

# ? Aug 30, 2013 14:29

haljordan: Oct 22, 2004; the corpse of god is love.

ElwoodCuse posted:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/writer/pete-prisco/23381962/nfl-can-afford-765m-settlement-but-players-didnt-deserve-it

Does this guy really think that fantasy football and having something to do on fall weekends is more important than the health and safety of football players?

I have a feeling that article is going to be pulled by noon today.

Also, eat a dick Pete Prisco. Eat all the dicks.

Here's his lovely article in summary: I got 2 concussions playing pee-wee football and I'm fine, so all these players are liars and fakers.

quote:

Without the NFL, I wouldn't have a job.

Oh wouldn't that be a tragedy. Don't worry Pete, you can always come mop out toilets at my job.

haljordan fucked around with this message at 14:34 on Aug 30, 2013

# ? Aug 30, 2013 14:31

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# ? Apr 28, 2024 00:05

Truther Vandross: Jun 17, 2008

Pete Prisco always looked like a gigantic douchebag to me so I'm glad he's finally confirmed that.

# ? Aug 30, 2013 14:40

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Sports Argument Stadium > Sports Journalism Tumblr: A Black self-insert character called Jabaal Abdul-Simmons

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