Ok, enough fake drama, because the real news is dramatic enough. I have moved to Sports on My Mind. For the last four months, I've been quietly exploring blog partnerships with many of my favorite sports bloggers. I believe that the time when a solo blogger could make a difference is passing, if it isn't already gone. Although my traffic in the last two months has been higher than ever before, I also realized that the blogger environment was changing. Smaller bloggers were being snapped up by the big sites, or quitting the game altogether. What blog sites need are several writers, united around a common theme and keeping a site updated with content. And after weeks of searching, I suddenly was offered a great opportunity to partner with some of the most intelligent and unique sports bloggers I know.
I'm excited to be joining D-Wil (formerly of dwil.wordpress.com), Modi (formerly of cosellout.com), and StopMikeLupica (formerly of stopmikelupica.com) on the new site. We are different in racial heritage, in beliefs, in sports preferences, and in writing style. But we are united by the value we place on finding the hidden stories and getting the big story right, even (or should I say especially?) if it doesn't fit mainstream biases.
I'm trying not to make this announcement sound as if I am insulting other media or bragging; that's just disrespectful. Let me just say that if you want a different perspective on the big sports stories of the day, a perspective that is willing to challenge ordinary thinking and so-called common sense, you will find it on this site. Come with an open mind and read us all at Sports on My Mind. I'll be posting temporary links to my material there for the next few weeks before making my move there permanent. I hope you will join me there!
Showing posts with label No More Love for MCBias. Show all posts
Showing posts with label No More Love for MCBias. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Response to "Is There a Sports Blogging Glass Ceiling" Post
The original post did not make the clean point I had hoped to make. It has been deleted. It's critical to remember that when arguing issues and ethics, real people are also involved.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Book Review of Will Leitch's God Save the Fan
Note: For those of you wondering about "MR CAPS", he's a running joke on this blog (see previous entries here).
I drove over to my local Borders and sunk $25.00 of my not-so-hard-earned income into Will Leitch's God Save the Fan. After finishing this book, I can't believe how different it seems than Deadspin.com. I almost feel like I should differentiate Deadspin Will from Book William. The book is not as funny as Deadspin. But Book William's analysis was sharp and I have had similar thoughts myself, or wish I did. I enjoyed the book immensely! Its division of Players, Owners, Media, and Fans felt natural and made the book seem like 4 mini-books. In fact, I
NOW JUST HOLD ON THERE MCBIAS! YOUR UNABASHED FAN ACT IS EMBARRASSING! MR CAPS MUST INTERRUPT BEFORE YOU ORALLY AND TYPOGRAPHICALLY PLE-
MR CAPS, Herschel Walker's new book on his multiple personality disorders isn't an invitation for you to reappear on these pages!
-AD WITH WILL FOR ANOTHER DEADSPIN LINK TO HELP PROMOTE HIS BOOK. PATHETIC! THE BOOK WAS TERRIBLE! MR CAPS MEASURED IT AS BARE OF TRUE INSIGHT AS YOUR AS-
Terrible? What are you talking about? It was great! Did you not read Book William's recap of the Carl Monday affair and how blogs kept overbearing local media in check? Did you miss the nice words for my favorite causes such as the WNBA and Christian athletes? The cold weather and your lack of social interaction with girls other than your mother has frozen your intellect. You are not going to savage my adoring book review for Book William. Don't listen, BW!
-SURANCES THAT YOUR COMMENTERS DON'T LIKE MR CAPS. THEY ADORE ME! MR CAPS ADMITS THAT WILL'S PROGRESSIVE THOUGHTS ABOUT STEROIDS, BLACK ATHLETES, LACK OF CRITICISM OF THE NFL, AND THE SHAMEFUL ACTIONS OF OWNERS SOUNDED INTELLIGENT...THE FIRST TIME, WHEN HE HEARD D-WIL, THE STARTING FIVE, DAVID ZIRIN, STOPMIKELUPICA, AND EVEN MCBIAS MAKE SIMILAR POINTS! THOSE THOUGHTS ARE NORMALLY AS BANNED FROM DEADSPIN.COM AS POT ROAST AND GRAVY. WHY IS SLICK WILLIE TURNING INTO WISE WILLIAM NOW, AFTER YEARS OF IGNORING THOSE BLOGGERS?
Bill Clinton wants his nickname back, MR CAPS. So what? You should be happy that a major blog writer like Will shares similar views on such topics. Shut up and appreciate that finally someone is writing a book on those issues, ok?
MR CAPS NEEDS EXPENSIVE THERAPY.
You mean for other reasons than the mundane borderline-insane issues?
HE READ WILL'S ASSERTION THAT CLEVELAND FANS SHOULD HAVE SUPPORTED THE BALTIMORE RAVENS AFTER THEY LEFT CLEVELAND. BY SIMILAR LOGIC, MR CAPS WONDERS IF THE POLES SHOULD HAVE SUPPORTED HERR HITLER AFTER HE EVACUATED POLAND. MR CAPS HOPES THAT THE LOCAL DRUG STORE STILL CARRIES PROZAC.
Oh trust me, MR CAPS needs therapy for bigger reasons than that. Your first Hitler reference, and only halfway through the post! Congrats!
MC BIAS, YOU NEED THERAPY AFTER WALLOWING THROUGH THOSE GLOSSARIES AT THE END OF EACH CHAPTER! MR CAPS SURMISES THAT WILL WROTE THOSE LENGTHY, AWKWARD GLOSSARIES TO GET THE BOOK OVER 250 PAGES. HOW BAD WERE THE OTHER CHOICES IF THAT WAS WILL'S BEST CHOICE? SURELY THE ALTERNATIVE WAS HIRSHEY WRITING A 30-PAGE CHAPTER ON FAMOUS JEWS OF THE EPL!
Don't bring David Hirshey into this, MR CAPS! Our mutual, inexplicable fondness for ethnic-looking men with mustaches and a vague resemblance to Saddam Hussein covers David! He is one of our chosen people. Back off!
MR CAPS APOLOGIZES, AS LONG AS MC BIAS DOES NOT OFFER THE SAME HIRSUTE COVERING OF PROTECTION TO AJ.
Why not? I thought his chapter on the Super Bowl was highly entertaining. Although AJ only wore a temp 'stache. I'm not sure he kept it long enough to be numbered among the brotherhood of the lip-shaders.
YOU ENJOYED THE CHAPTER ONLY BECAUSE OF THE VISUAL OF AJ COWERING BEHIND AN SUV AS SEAN SALISBURY PASSED, HOPING THAT SEAN WOULD NOT BEAT THE CUSTARD OUT OF HIM.
That's enough Deadspin insider jokes for one post. OK, so I would have enjoyed seeing that picture on Deadspin.com, ha. But leave AJ alone. That was a good chapter.
MR CAPS CONCLUDES WITH A PARTING SHOT FOR BOOK WILLIAM, WHO CLAIMED THAT FANTASY FOOTBALL IS NOT JUST FOR NERDS. BOOK WILLIAM IS RIGHT. FANTASY FOOTBALL IS ALSO FOR HEN-PECKED HUSBANDS, WOULD-BE ATHLETES WHOSE GROWTH PEAKED AT 5'8", COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO CANNOT AFFORD REAL ENTERTAINMENT, DATELESS AND BALDING 30-SOMETHINGS, AND INTERNET ADDICTS WHO NEED TIME TO RECUPERATE INBETWEEN VIDEO GAME AND PORN BINGES.
Oh dear. I think that's enough out of you for one day. I need to conclude my valentine to Book William without interruption. Book William, I especially liked how you adopted Rick Ankiel as your own personal athlete and symbol of changes in your life. That's so 20-something coming-of-age of you, and we've all done it at one time or another. And I liked that you mocked beer commercials, and called yourself a contrarian! You even like Arrested Development! And you did the delightfully nerdy act of referring to ladies in the 4th person impersonal when you said "As anyone who has ever had the misfortune to date me knows" on pg 233 of your book! I do that too! We have more in common than I ever realized. Call me, Book William, and we'll go out for tea and muffins! No, it wouldn't be awkward, it would be manly! and Midwestern!
AND eMASCULATING! MR CAPS WILL HIT "PUBLISH POST" ON THIS POST BEFORE YOU START ASKING BOOK WILLIAM TO SCRATCH THAT SPOT ON YOUR BACK YOU CAN'T REACH. REVOLTING.
Ok, but I did enjoy the book.
AND MR CAPS ENJOYED RIPPING THE BOOK TO SHREDS.
Unfortunately, your shredder failed to do the same for your credit card orders last month. I didn't know the WWE still sold Hulk Hogan vitamins.
THAT WAS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! MR CAPS NEEDS HIS VITAMINS TO GROW STRONG AND MANLY!
Trust me, the Val Venus under garments on the same bill won't help with that.
I drove over to my local Borders and sunk $25.00 of my not-so-hard-earned income into Will Leitch's God Save the Fan. After finishing this book, I can't believe how different it seems than Deadspin.com. I almost feel like I should differentiate Deadspin Will from Book William. The book is not as funny as Deadspin. But Book William's analysis was sharp and I have had similar thoughts myself, or wish I did. I enjoyed the book immensely! Its division of Players, Owners, Media, and Fans felt natural and made the book seem like 4 mini-books. In fact, I
NOW JUST HOLD ON THERE MCBIAS! YOUR UNABASHED FAN ACT IS EMBARRASSING! MR CAPS MUST INTERRUPT BEFORE YOU ORALLY AND TYPOGRAPHICALLY PLE-
MR CAPS, Herschel Walker's new book on his multiple personality disorders isn't an invitation for you to reappear on these pages!
-AD WITH WILL FOR ANOTHER DEADSPIN LINK TO HELP PROMOTE HIS BOOK. PATHETIC! THE BOOK WAS TERRIBLE! MR CAPS MEASURED IT AS BARE OF TRUE INSIGHT AS YOUR AS-
Terrible? What are you talking about? It was great! Did you not read Book William's recap of the Carl Monday affair and how blogs kept overbearing local media in check? Did you miss the nice words for my favorite causes such as the WNBA and Christian athletes? The cold weather and your lack of social interaction with girls other than your mother has frozen your intellect. You are not going to savage my adoring book review for Book William. Don't listen, BW!
-SURANCES THAT YOUR COMMENTERS DON'T LIKE MR CAPS. THEY ADORE ME! MR CAPS ADMITS THAT WILL'S PROGRESSIVE THOUGHTS ABOUT STEROIDS, BLACK ATHLETES, LACK OF CRITICISM OF THE NFL, AND THE SHAMEFUL ACTIONS OF OWNERS SOUNDED INTELLIGENT...THE FIRST TIME, WHEN HE HEARD D-WIL, THE STARTING FIVE, DAVID ZIRIN, STOPMIKELUPICA, AND EVEN MCBIAS MAKE SIMILAR POINTS! THOSE THOUGHTS ARE NORMALLY AS BANNED FROM DEADSPIN.COM AS POT ROAST AND GRAVY. WHY IS SLICK WILLIE TURNING INTO WISE WILLIAM NOW, AFTER YEARS OF IGNORING THOSE BLOGGERS?
Bill Clinton wants his nickname back, MR CAPS. So what? You should be happy that a major blog writer like Will shares similar views on such topics. Shut up and appreciate that finally someone is writing a book on those issues, ok?
MR CAPS NEEDS EXPENSIVE THERAPY.
You mean for other reasons than the mundane borderline-insane issues?
HE READ WILL'S ASSERTION THAT CLEVELAND FANS SHOULD HAVE SUPPORTED THE BALTIMORE RAVENS AFTER THEY LEFT CLEVELAND. BY SIMILAR LOGIC, MR CAPS WONDERS IF THE POLES SHOULD HAVE SUPPORTED HERR HITLER AFTER HE EVACUATED POLAND. MR CAPS HOPES THAT THE LOCAL DRUG STORE STILL CARRIES PROZAC.
Oh trust me, MR CAPS needs therapy for bigger reasons than that. Your first Hitler reference, and only halfway through the post! Congrats!
MC BIAS, YOU NEED THERAPY AFTER WALLOWING THROUGH THOSE GLOSSARIES AT THE END OF EACH CHAPTER! MR CAPS SURMISES THAT WILL WROTE THOSE LENGTHY, AWKWARD GLOSSARIES TO GET THE BOOK OVER 250 PAGES. HOW BAD WERE THE OTHER CHOICES IF THAT WAS WILL'S BEST CHOICE? SURELY THE ALTERNATIVE WAS HIRSHEY WRITING A 30-PAGE CHAPTER ON FAMOUS JEWS OF THE EPL!
Don't bring David Hirshey into this, MR CAPS! Our mutual, inexplicable fondness for ethnic-looking men with mustaches and a vague resemblance to Saddam Hussein covers David! He is one of our chosen people. Back off!
MR CAPS APOLOGIZES, AS LONG AS MC BIAS DOES NOT OFFER THE SAME HIRSUTE COVERING OF PROTECTION TO AJ.
Why not? I thought his chapter on the Super Bowl was highly entertaining. Although AJ only wore a temp 'stache. I'm not sure he kept it long enough to be numbered among the brotherhood of the lip-shaders.
YOU ENJOYED THE CHAPTER ONLY BECAUSE OF THE VISUAL OF AJ COWERING BEHIND AN SUV AS SEAN SALISBURY PASSED, HOPING THAT SEAN WOULD NOT BEAT THE CUSTARD OUT OF HIM.
That's enough Deadspin insider jokes for one post. OK, so I would have enjoyed seeing that picture on Deadspin.com, ha. But leave AJ alone. That was a good chapter.
MR CAPS CONCLUDES WITH A PARTING SHOT FOR BOOK WILLIAM, WHO CLAIMED THAT FANTASY FOOTBALL IS NOT JUST FOR NERDS. BOOK WILLIAM IS RIGHT. FANTASY FOOTBALL IS ALSO FOR HEN-PECKED HUSBANDS, WOULD-BE ATHLETES WHOSE GROWTH PEAKED AT 5'8", COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO CANNOT AFFORD REAL ENTERTAINMENT, DATELESS AND BALDING 30-SOMETHINGS, AND INTERNET ADDICTS WHO NEED TIME TO RECUPERATE INBETWEEN VIDEO GAME AND PORN BINGES.
Oh dear. I think that's enough out of you for one day. I need to conclude my valentine to Book William without interruption. Book William, I especially liked how you adopted Rick Ankiel as your own personal athlete and symbol of changes in your life. That's so 20-something coming-of-age of you, and we've all done it at one time or another. And I liked that you mocked beer commercials, and called yourself a contrarian! You even like Arrested Development! And you did the delightfully nerdy act of referring to ladies in the 4th person impersonal when you said "As anyone who has ever had the misfortune to date me knows" on pg 233 of your book! I do that too! We have more in common than I ever realized. Call me, Book William, and we'll go out for tea and muffins! No, it wouldn't be awkward, it would be manly! and Midwestern!
AND eMASCULATING! MR CAPS WILL HIT "PUBLISH POST" ON THIS POST BEFORE YOU START ASKING BOOK WILLIAM TO SCRATCH THAT SPOT ON YOUR BACK YOU CAN'T REACH. REVOLTING.
Ok, but I did enjoy the book.
AND MR CAPS ENJOYED RIPPING THE BOOK TO SHREDS.
Unfortunately, your shredder failed to do the same for your credit card orders last month. I didn't know the WWE still sold Hulk Hogan vitamins.
THAT WAS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! MR CAPS NEEDS HIS VITAMINS TO GROW STRONG AND MANLY!
Trust me, the Val Venus under garments on the same bill won't help with that.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
An Open Letter to Amanda Beard
Unlike some other blogs, Moderately Cerebral Bias is written by only one person. Thus, he must fake multiple personality disorder when he wants another voice on his blog. Today, it's a 14-year-old female swimmer and a male chauvanist writing Amanda Beard, the Olympic swimmer who recently posed for Playboy magazine, with a special MC Postscript.
Dear Amanda,
Hi! I'm really excited for your photoshoot!!! That's great! I'm a swimmer too at my high school, but I am not even CLOSE to being as good as you! And now you're showing the boys that us swimmers are hotties too. You go girl! But I'm a little confused. You did this to show people what an athlete's body looks like, right? I thought your shoot was going to be really cool because of that! No airbrushing or anything. You know, you'd show people what it looks like to be FIERCE and FINE even if you have birthmarks! But, um...your photoshoot skin looks perfect. Where are the scars? Where is the weird tan from the goggles for swimming? It doesn't look like me at all. Oh well. Maybe I'll have perfect skin like that when I get older, and the boys will like me. For now, it's back to the pool. Can you sign my poster from the magazine and return it? Your fan, Michelle Bias.
Dear Future Kitchen Inhabitant Amanda,
I have to admit, you had me concerned. You female athletes and career women were ruining what Hef and thousands of men like him worked so hard for all these years. Women were making noises about "careers" and "taking care of myself" and "don't need men." But Hef didn't get that excellent taste in loungewear by doing nothing, uh-uh. Now, you women realize that "career" is just another step on the long road to becoming a sex object for males. Hef wins again! It's just another clever strategem in the War Between the Sexes. We've just modified the system so now it's "Sex Object and...Athlete" or "Sex Object and...Engineer" instead of just plain old "Sex Object"! Oh, it's cute to think that you're "empowered" by working for Hef, but I ask you, who is your boss? who is your audience? Why it is men, and men again. And if taking naked pictures of yourself is "empowering", why don't you do it for free? Belinda from Accounting still is not falling for my logic on this. Ah, Amanda, it's days like these that makes me happy to be the pig I am. Now, how about a little more skin next time? Perhaps a video?
Signed, Male Pig Bias.
And finally, a word from MC himself:
Dear Amanda. As if it wasn't hard enough already to convince people I liked the WNBA and women's volleyball as sports in their own right, now this. Thanks but no thanks for making sure to perpetuate the bias that women cannot be appreciated in their own right for what they do unless they are hot/sexy too. Cheers, MCBias.
Dear Amanda,
Hi! I'm really excited for your photoshoot!!! That's great! I'm a swimmer too at my high school, but I am not even CLOSE to being as good as you! And now you're showing the boys that us swimmers are hotties too. You go girl! But I'm a little confused. You did this to show people what an athlete's body looks like, right? I thought your shoot was going to be really cool because of that! No airbrushing or anything. You know, you'd show people what it looks like to be FIERCE and FINE even if you have birthmarks! But, um...your photoshoot skin looks perfect. Where are the scars? Where is the weird tan from the goggles for swimming? It doesn't look like me at all. Oh well. Maybe I'll have perfect skin like that when I get older, and the boys will like me. For now, it's back to the pool. Can you sign my poster from the magazine and return it? Your fan, Michelle Bias.
Dear Future Kitchen Inhabitant Amanda,
I have to admit, you had me concerned. You female athletes and career women were ruining what Hef and thousands of men like him worked so hard for all these years. Women were making noises about "careers" and "taking care of myself" and "don't need men." But Hef didn't get that excellent taste in loungewear by doing nothing, uh-uh. Now, you women realize that "career" is just another step on the long road to becoming a sex object for males. Hef wins again! It's just another clever strategem in the War Between the Sexes. We've just modified the system so now it's "Sex Object and...Athlete" or "Sex Object and...Engineer" instead of just plain old "Sex Object"! Oh, it's cute to think that you're "empowered" by working for Hef, but I ask you, who is your boss? who is your audience? Why it is men, and men again. And if taking naked pictures of yourself is "empowering", why don't you do it for free? Belinda from Accounting still is not falling for my logic on this. Ah, Amanda, it's days like these that makes me happy to be the pig I am. Now, how about a little more skin next time? Perhaps a video?
Signed, Male Pig Bias.
And finally, a word from MC himself:
Dear Amanda. As if it wasn't hard enough already to convince people I liked the WNBA and women's volleyball as sports in their own right, now this. Thanks but no thanks for making sure to perpetuate the bias that women cannot be appreciated in their own right for what they do unless they are hot/sexy too. Cheers, MCBias.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
A Dear John Letter to Females who Love Sports
Dear Females who Love Sports,
It breaks my heart to say this. We've gone through a lot together, ever since those sweaty, happy days of full-contact basketball in middle school gym class. I've stalked, err, seen you at more sporting events than I can count, either playing or happily supporting your team. You have a special place in my heart, right up there with "Females who Share MCBias's Religious and Political Biases" and "Females of an Certain European Ethnicity".
But I believe the time has come for us to part. I don't know when the music (played, of course, by a collegiate marching band) stopped for me.
* Maybe it was the n-th time you hijacked my favorite sports sites with some less than witty innuendo or sloppy avatar of your cleavage that kept the witty commenters panting for pictures of you. Or, even worse, seducing sports blogger X (and Y, and Z) into quoting your less-than-amusing reports and chats on his blog. This stopped them from writing jokes to amuse me, and I had to get back to work sans humor boost.
* Maybe it was when your looks in the audience during the game became more talked about than the game itself. We both know that those looks are to be discreetly monitored by those blessed with excellent peripheral vision, not trumpeted by the announcers. Personally, Erin Andrews and Jenn Sterger were old news a year ago.
* Maybe it was when the ordinary members of your demographic took full advantage of the 10-1 ratio (and I'm being kind) of males to females at sporting events to convince guys that they were extraordinary. I do not come to your movie nights and fake passion for chick flicks, and neither should you come to my sporting event and claim lifelong devotion to the team whose colors match your eyes the best.
* Or maybe it was something like this (click to enlarge):
I have given you more than your share of my waking and thinking moments. (Note: waking does not imply thinking. But you knew that.) But when you mess with my love of sports to force me to pay attention to your ordinary self**, I can no longer adore you. Depart from my favorite sports blogs and events, and trouble them no more! Or, remain, but stop using sports as a means to an end (or my end, or anyone's end) instead of enjoying the game itself. By all means, have sports crushes. I'm not saying check your gender at the door. But please, spare us the public, distracting, desperate ploys for male attention.
Sincerely, MCBias.
**Dear Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson. I meant someone else. Thursday still good?
It breaks my heart to say this. We've gone through a lot together, ever since those sweaty, happy days of full-contact basketball in middle school gym class. I've stalked, err, seen you at more sporting events than I can count, either playing or happily supporting your team. You have a special place in my heart, right up there with "Females who Share MCBias's Religious and Political Biases" and "Females of an Certain European Ethnicity".
But I believe the time has come for us to part. I don't know when the music (played, of course, by a collegiate marching band) stopped for me.
* Maybe it was the n-th time you hijacked my favorite sports sites with some less than witty innuendo or sloppy avatar of your cleavage that kept the witty commenters panting for pictures of you. Or, even worse, seducing sports blogger X (and Y, and Z) into quoting your less-than-amusing reports and chats on his blog. This stopped them from writing jokes to amuse me, and I had to get back to work sans humor boost.
* Maybe it was when your looks in the audience during the game became more talked about than the game itself. We both know that those looks are to be discreetly monitored by those blessed with excellent peripheral vision, not trumpeted by the announcers. Personally, Erin Andrews and Jenn Sterger were old news a year ago.
* Maybe it was when the ordinary members of your demographic took full advantage of the 10-1 ratio (and I'm being kind) of males to females at sporting events to convince guys that they were extraordinary. I do not come to your movie nights and fake passion for chick flicks, and neither should you come to my sporting event and claim lifelong devotion to the team whose colors match your eyes the best.
* Or maybe it was something like this (click to enlarge):
I have given you more than your share of my waking and thinking moments. (Note: waking does not imply thinking. But you knew that.) But when you mess with my love of sports to force me to pay attention to your ordinary self**, I can no longer adore you. Depart from my favorite sports blogs and events, and trouble them no more! Or, remain, but stop using sports as a means to an end (or my end, or anyone's end) instead of enjoying the game itself. By all means, have sports crushes. I'm not saying check your gender at the door. But please, spare us the public, distracting, desperate ploys for male attention.
Sincerely, MCBias.
**Dear Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson. I meant someone else. Thursday still good?
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