Monday, May 03, 2010
Lifted
Nice dongfest for us tonight. We needed to finally have a true blowout.
Lately I've been trying to live (a little) healthier. Running, not drinking as much soda, not eating out of boredom, and thinking about things I can give up on the way from vegetarian ism to vegan. Is it any coincidence that I'm also giving up the horrible Boston (and other) sports radio stations, newspapers, and web sites? Dirt Dogs is a distant memory. ESPN and SI, I haven't seen in at least a year. Recently I was getting really fed up with various people at the Globe, on EEI, and on 98.5. I was really thinking about a full-on boycott. This is always tough for me because I like to hear what people are saying so I can have a chance to rebut. But I have to realize that being able to tell a few people what I think isn't worth my mental health. So in the last few weeks, I had a few "last straw" moments on each of those outlets I mentioned, and decided to begin what won't be a diet, but a change in lifestyle.
Last Straw 1: Pete Abe had the nerve to ask why "everyone" is picking on David Ortiz. Besides the fact that no one I know in real life was picking on him, and that neither me nor the other blogs I read had (and that's documented), Gee, could it be that the people who were picking on him were influenced by Pete and the rest of the Boston sports media who drilled into their heads words like "the end of his career" before a fucking game was even played this year? So that was it for the Globe and Extra Bases. Bye-bye.
Last Straw 2: Tony Mazz on 98.5 mocking the Red Sox and Fenway for the Opening Day ceremonies, acting like the whole day was some kind of travesty, when everyone there including me had the time of their lives. But Tony is somehow offended at a perfectly fitting ceremony, despite the fact that his new job at that radio station seems to be reading "naughty" sexist scripts describing boobs while giggling like a schoolboy the whole time. This guy used to be a sportswriter. It's amazing what FM radio will do to a person. So between him and the other hosts on there, all of whom are the type to make fun of things like god forbid the Red Sox doing things their fans enjoy, I said g'day to them.
Last Straw 3: EEI. Did I need a last straw? It was really just a combination of all those horrible people--the scarily right-wingedness of the morning fuckfaces, the dumber-every-day Dale and Holley, and the Locker Room Hell of the afternoon fatass (whose voice I still can't believe isn't a Simpsons parody of a "sports guy") and his cronies.
So that was it. Just like that. I feel better already. I get the FAN in my car, so I'll still put that on if I just want to hear "talk," but mostly I listen to satellite radio in there. It came with my car and it rules. And it's made it that much easier to not flip over to the crap stations. It's great to listen to almost all music. With no commercials.
I'll check redsox.com and watch NESN before and after games, maybe check the Projo or something, but for the most part, it's just the game for me. And, of course, the true Red Sox fans who do their own blogs, a million times better than the paid people do it. But even NESN can piss me off--TC tonight said that "everyone" thought the Red Sox "wouldn't hit so well" in 2010. It's like the media has somehow brainwashed themselves.
So you'll get the same stuff here you've always gotten from me, only without any commentary on the crappy media. Who needs 'em?
Lately I've been trying to live (a little) healthier. Running, not drinking as much soda, not eating out of boredom, and thinking about things I can give up on the way from vegetarian ism to vegan. Is it any coincidence that I'm also giving up the horrible Boston (and other) sports radio stations, newspapers, and web sites? Dirt Dogs is a distant memory. ESPN and SI, I haven't seen in at least a year. Recently I was getting really fed up with various people at the Globe, on EEI, and on 98.5. I was really thinking about a full-on boycott. This is always tough for me because I like to hear what people are saying so I can have a chance to rebut. But I have to realize that being able to tell a few people what I think isn't worth my mental health. So in the last few weeks, I had a few "last straw" moments on each of those outlets I mentioned, and decided to begin what won't be a diet, but a change in lifestyle.
Last Straw 1: Pete Abe had the nerve to ask why "everyone" is picking on David Ortiz. Besides the fact that no one I know in real life was picking on him, and that neither me nor the other blogs I read had (and that's documented), Gee, could it be that the people who were picking on him were influenced by Pete and the rest of the Boston sports media who drilled into their heads words like "the end of his career" before a fucking game was even played this year? So that was it for the Globe and Extra Bases. Bye-bye.
Last Straw 2: Tony Mazz on 98.5 mocking the Red Sox and Fenway for the Opening Day ceremonies, acting like the whole day was some kind of travesty, when everyone there including me had the time of their lives. But Tony is somehow offended at a perfectly fitting ceremony, despite the fact that his new job at that radio station seems to be reading "naughty" sexist scripts describing boobs while giggling like a schoolboy the whole time. This guy used to be a sportswriter. It's amazing what FM radio will do to a person. So between him and the other hosts on there, all of whom are the type to make fun of things like god forbid the Red Sox doing things their fans enjoy, I said g'day to them.
Last Straw 3: EEI. Did I need a last straw? It was really just a combination of all those horrible people--the scarily right-wingedness of the morning fuckfaces, the dumber-every-day Dale and Holley, and the Locker Room Hell of the afternoon fatass (whose voice I still can't believe isn't a Simpsons parody of a "sports guy") and his cronies.
So that was it. Just like that. I feel better already. I get the FAN in my car, so I'll still put that on if I just want to hear "talk," but mostly I listen to satellite radio in there. It came with my car and it rules. And it's made it that much easier to not flip over to the crap stations. It's great to listen to almost all music. With no commercials.
I'll check redsox.com and watch NESN before and after games, maybe check the Projo or something, but for the most part, it's just the game for me. And, of course, the true Red Sox fans who do their own blogs, a million times better than the paid people do it. But even NESN can piss me off--TC tonight said that "everyone" thought the Red Sox "wouldn't hit so well" in 2010. It's like the media has somehow brainwashed themselves.
So you'll get the same stuff here you've always gotten from me, only without any commentary on the crappy media. Who needs 'em?
Comments:
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I tossed my tv a long time ago. Found it to be a time suck. Why watch other people have lives when I can go out and have a life? The only radio I listen to is NPR and like you I get my information from blogs and various web sites. Welcome to the world without crappy media. You'll be much happier here.
Amen, Jere. I have my own boycott of the NY media. I've given up the NY papers. I do my best to avoid FAN, especially when Francesa is on. God, the hot air that comes out of him is just overbearing...
It's weird, there's definitely a lot to make fun of about the Fan, but at least for me, hearing Boston sports radio on a regular basis made me realize how good the Fan actually is. Relatively speaking, of course.
good call jere.
I 'quit' sports radio years ago. it used to make me depressed!
but I won't stop checking Extra Bases. As much as Pete Abraham is a douche- he does have some good scoops and his perspective can be interesting sometimes. On my good days I skip the Comments. on my bad days I obsess over them. that's where I need to do some work.
One bright spot I would recommend is Gordon Edes blog on ESPN Boston. http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox
He is a friendly, cheerful dude who doesn't seem to bring the condescending attitude to his material. If you check it out, let me know if you agree.
but more than anything, Joy of Sox and RSFFPT is where it's at for me. so thanks for posting. i truly enjoy coming here.
I 'quit' sports radio years ago. it used to make me depressed!
but I won't stop checking Extra Bases. As much as Pete Abraham is a douche- he does have some good scoops and his perspective can be interesting sometimes. On my good days I skip the Comments. on my bad days I obsess over them. that's where I need to do some work.
One bright spot I would recommend is Gordon Edes blog on ESPN Boston. http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox
He is a friendly, cheerful dude who doesn't seem to bring the condescending attitude to his material. If you check it out, let me know if you agree.
but more than anything, Joy of Sox and RSFFPT is where it's at for me. so thanks for posting. i truly enjoy coming here.
For me with XB, it just wasn't worth getting mad about something every time I read it.
You're right, Edes has always been good--I even said hi to him at Fenway once and he said hi back. When he's on NESN or whatever, I usually think, Wow, just a regular guy talking about the team without some over-douching aura about him. I agree, he's inoffensive. I really have a problem with ESPN though...too bad that's where he is now.
Thanks.
You're right, Edes has always been good--I even said hi to him at Fenway once and he said hi back. When he's on NESN or whatever, I usually think, Wow, just a regular guy talking about the team without some over-douching aura about him. I agree, he's inoffensive. I really have a problem with ESPN though...too bad that's where he is now.
Thanks.
Does not listening to the Boston media mean that you'll stop with the Drew bashing? I keed, I keed...
I was ahead of the curve in not reading the Boston media...I stopped paying attention to Gammons ten years ago when he was pissed at Duquette, and decided to start fawning over Jeter and the Yanks in retaliation in pretty much every column.
The Fragile Freddy's blog, which I don't think you link to, provides excellent game recaps along with thoughtful analysis.
And I haven't looked at Deadspin in a few years either, mostly because it got pretty boring after a while, but I presume in your case it was because they goofed on the Sox at some point? I guess Will Leitch has left that site, but their snark got old a long time ago.
I do like Chad Finn's blog a lot though, and I know he pissed you off somewhere along the line.
I was ahead of the curve in not reading the Boston media...I stopped paying attention to Gammons ten years ago when he was pissed at Duquette, and decided to start fawning over Jeter and the Yanks in retaliation in pretty much every column.
The Fragile Freddy's blog, which I don't think you link to, provides excellent game recaps along with thoughtful analysis.
And I haven't looked at Deadspin in a few years either, mostly because it got pretty boring after a while, but I presume in your case it was because they goofed on the Sox at some point? I guess Will Leitch has left that site, but their snark got old a long time ago.
I do like Chad Finn's blog a lot though, and I know he pissed you off somewhere along the line.
wow fragile freddy's is great! Cant believe it's been going strong for about 5 years and i had never seen it.
thanks ajm!
thanks ajm!
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