Comments on: Credentials for Sports Bloggers http://redlegnation.com/2008/03/13/credentials-for-sports-bloggers/ A Cincinnati Reds Blog | Dishing out hot, creamy bowls of bloggy goodness Sat, 20 Mar 2010 07:41:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: doug http://redlegnation.com/2008/03/13/credentials-for-sports-bloggers/#comment-879990 doug Fri, 14 Mar 2008 03:19:24 +0000 http://redlegnation.com/2008/03/13/credentials-for-sports-bloggers/#comment-879990 Maybe its because Trent works for 1530 now, but recently he was getting on Brandon Phillips pretty hard for his jealousy of other players getting attention. Maybe its because Trent works for 1530 now, but recently he was getting on Brandon Phillips pretty hard for his jealousy of other players getting attention.

]]> By: Chris http://redlegnation.com/2008/03/13/credentials-for-sports-bloggers/#comment-878409 Chris Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:40:21 +0000 http://redlegnation.com/2008/03/13/credentials-for-sports-bloggers/#comment-878409 I just read Cuban's post, which I hadn't seen when this story broke earlier in the week. What he actually writes is perfectly logical, and to a degree, I agree (as McWax says, it's not <em>impossible</em> to sort out "legitimate" bloggers into the rest. I also don't buy for a minute that this decision wasn't directed at the DMN guy. Cuban just "happened" to learn that he was a blogger, and banned the only blogger who'd been credentialed right after McMahon wrote a somewhat-controversial story, yet Cuban never read that story? Please. I find his bigger points about newspaper bloggers quite interesting. I had a limited debate with Trent Rosecrans about this last year, when he expressed the opinion that he was subject to different standards (of objectivity, of formalism, of newsworthiness) on his blog than in the paper. (Specifically, I think the debate was over whether it was appropriate for Trent to criticize Brandon Phillips in the blog (pretty mildly) for being difficult with Trent, when he admittedly wouldn't do the same in the daily paper.) I think Cuban is saying that there <em>are</em> different standards, but that in following them, the blogging newspaper repoters somehow debase themselves. I just read Cuban’s post, which I hadn’t seen when this story broke earlier in the week. What he actually writes is perfectly logical, and to a degree, I agree (as McWax says, it’s not impossible to sort out “legitimate” bloggers into the rest.

I also don’t buy for a minute that this decision wasn’t directed at the DMN guy. Cuban just “happened” to learn that he was a blogger, and banned the only blogger who’d been credentialed right after McMahon wrote a somewhat-controversial story, yet Cuban never read that story? Please.

I find his bigger points about newspaper bloggers quite interesting. I had a limited debate with Trent Rosecrans about this last year, when he expressed the opinion that he was subject to different standards (of objectivity, of formalism, of newsworthiness) on his blog than in the paper. (Specifically, I think the debate was over whether it was appropriate for Trent to criticize Brandon Phillips in the blog (pretty mildly) for being difficult with Trent, when he admittedly wouldn’t do the same in the daily paper.) I think Cuban is saying that there are different standards, but that in following them, the blogging newspaper repoters somehow debase themselves.

]]> By: McWax http://redlegnation.com/2008/03/13/credentials-for-sports-bloggers/#comment-878347 McWax Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:23:19 +0000 http://redlegnation.com/2008/03/13/credentials-for-sports-bloggers/#comment-878347 Perhaps, blogging can be treated like making the cut for the PGA Tour. The issues seem to come down to numbers and weeding out the riffraff. Some means of rating the blogs for their contribution and seriousness, whether by the general public or the organization, could be given annually and the top x bloggers get credentials. You could possibly have tiers like the PGA had the Nationwide tour and another "junior" professional tour for the class of golfer that didn't make the PGA cut. Locker Room/Interview Room/Phone/Mailing List/Banishment could be an example way of distinguishing them. Perhaps, blogging can be treated like making the cut for the PGA Tour. The issues seem to come down to numbers and weeding out the riffraff. Some means of rating the blogs for their contribution and seriousness, whether by the general public or the organization, could be given annually and the top x bloggers get credentials. You could possibly have tiers like the PGA had the Nationwide tour and another “junior” professional tour for the class of golfer that didn’t make the PGA cut. Locker Room/Interview Room/Phone/Mailing List/Banishment could be an example way of distinguishing them.

]]> By: Chris http://redlegnation.com/2008/03/13/credentials-for-sports-bloggers/#comment-878296 Chris Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:03:55 +0000 http://redlegnation.com/2008/03/13/credentials-for-sports-bloggers/#comment-878296 Here's the thing about Cuban: His ban on bloggers is a (unfortunately more and more typical from him) petty response to a story he didn't like. <a href="http://mavsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/03/cubans-policy-bans-bloggers-from-locker.html" rel="nofollow">The "blogger" whose (perfectly legitimate) actions led to this ban, works for the Dallas <em>Morning News</em>. </a> It's not the "some nut in his pajamas" that comes to mind. Here’s the thing about Cuban: His ban on bloggers is a (unfortunately more and more typical from him) petty response to a story he didn’t like. The “blogger” whose (perfectly legitimate) actions led to this ban, works for the Dallas Morning News. It’s not the “some nut in his pajamas” that comes to mind.

]]> By: doug http://redlegnation.com/2008/03/13/credentials-for-sports-bloggers/#comment-878216 doug Thu, 13 Mar 2008 17:32:54 +0000 http://redlegnation.com/2008/03/13/credentials-for-sports-bloggers/#comment-878216 Chad, I think that the Mavericks have it right. Bloggers for the interview room seems like a great way to get them in and do what they intend to do. They can ask questions of players there. I don't think its much of an issue that they don't gain access to the locker room. To be honest, while there are some real good bloggers out there, they aren't likely held to the same standards as actual members of the traditional media. One yahoo getting the wrong access could really mess things up in a locker room situation. Maybe something that could be worked out is after so long of being a credentialed blogger (say a year) one could earn the right to get access to the locker room or something similar to that. It seems that the minor leagues in general do seem to be much more generous to granting access to the players and teams. I have a friend who does a prospect website that is growing quite a bit right now and the last two years he has been granted press passes for both the AFL and Futures Games without anything more than a request. The Dragons are one of the more fan friendly teams on the planet and have been very willing to help out. In the past, I have had a very good working relationship with the Louisville Bats as well. This year, I haven't talked with anyone though since their Media Relations Director from the past several years took another job. MLB is the least tech savvy billion dollar company in existence probably. They will eventually join in and allow Bloggers access, but if its in the next 5 years, I would be incredibly surprised. Chad,
I think that the Mavericks have it right. Bloggers for the interview room seems like a great way to get them in and do what they intend to do. They can ask questions of players there. I don’t think its much of an issue that they don’t gain access to the locker room. To be honest, while there are some real good bloggers out there, they aren’t likely held to the same standards as actual members of the traditional media. One yahoo getting the wrong access could really mess things up in a locker room situation. Maybe something that could be worked out is after so long of being a credentialed blogger (say a year) one could earn the right to get access to the locker room or something similar to that.

It seems that the minor leagues in general do seem to be much more generous to granting access to the players and teams. I have a friend who does a prospect website that is growing quite a bit right now and the last two years he has been granted press passes for both the AFL and Futures Games without anything more than a request. The Dragons are one of the more fan friendly teams on the planet and have been very willing to help out. In the past, I have had a very good working relationship with the Louisville Bats as well. This year, I haven’t talked with anyone though since their Media Relations Director from the past several years took another job.

MLB is the least tech savvy billion dollar company in existence probably. They will eventually join in and allow Bloggers access, but if its in the next 5 years, I would be incredibly surprised.

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