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Wednesday, May 21, 2008

CStB: Cosloy: Web 2.0, Finally Sorted Out By Skip Caray

During the 5th inning of Atlanta’s 6-1 defeat of the Mets earlier today, Braves broadcaster Pete Van Wieren suggested the visitors’ recent clubhouse turmoil was particularly hard to cope with, given the New York market’s plethora of beat reporters, talk radio screamers and “websites”.

After a lengthy pause, colleague Skip Carey weighed in.

“The bloggers are the ones that are tough. Some of ‘em are pretty good. They write their opinions…others are guys that sit around the house, have a few beers and just make stuff up. Send it out on the internet as if it’s gospel.”

Caray’s been in poor health of late, and with that in mind, there’s not much sport in picking on the radio veteran. But it would be fascinating to know which blogs in particular he considers guilty of “making stuff up.” Keep in mind, neither the Los Angeles Times nor Boston Herald can technically be considered blogs.

Repoz Posted: May 21, 2008 at 12:07 AM | 25 comment(s)
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1. danup Posted: May 21, 2008 at 12:20 AM (#2789176)

I'm a coke man, myself, but otherwise he pretty much described my blogging technique.

2. NTNgod Posted: May 21, 2008 at 12:26 AM (#2789186)

"Web 2.0"

/barf

3. Ricky C. Posted: May 21, 2008 at 12:30 AM (#2789196)

If you follow the link in the article, Skip really has some major health problems. I always have thought he was one of the very best. You wish the best for him, but given his litany of medical issues it doesn't look promising at all.

4. Halofan Posted: May 21, 2008 at 12:41 AM (#2789201)

Diet cokes, but yeah, so?

5. MM1f Posted: May 21, 2008 at 01:22 AM (#2789214)

Uh, even if he wasn't in poor healthy why would you be picking on him?
What he said is exactly right.

All this petty, insecure "whine about the media if they don't praise us" crap some bloggers spew is nauseating. People have this crap notion that blog=good.

6. Gold Star for Robot Boy Posted: May 21, 2008 at 01:49 AM (#2789218)

But it would be fascinating to know which blogs in particular he considers guilty of “making stuff up.”
On Skip's behalf, I nominate Badger Blog or whatever it's called.

7. Crashburn Alley Posted: May 21, 2008 at 01:50 AM (#2789219)

What #5 said. Carey was on the mark.

8. Shock Posted: May 21, 2008 at 01:56 AM (#2789224)

I'm just glad he didn't use the "Mother's basement" quip. Good on him to have some originality.

9. Belfry Bob Posted: May 21, 2008 at 08:16 AM (#2789264)

I could care less what the media thinks of my webpage. When I'm made aware that the front office and some players read it, that's all the feedback I need.

And sure, there is a lot of irresponsible/inaccurate stuff posted about baseball - and movies, celebrities, healthcare, politices, law, music, ways to save at the gas pump, weight loss, and do-it-yourself lasik procedures. Get over it.

10. BhamWhiteBaron Posted: May 21, 2008 at 08:49 AM (#2789274)

As opposed to his dad who sat around drinking beers and making up stuff.

11. Chris Dial Posted: May 21, 2008 at 08:55 AM (#2789276)

Uh, even if he wasn't in poor healthy why would you be picking on him?
What he said is exactly right.

He said "others are guys that sit around the house, have a few beers and just make stuff up. Send it out on the internet as if it’s gospel.” "

Cite? Point to one where there is any readership that does such a thing.

12. bunyon Posted: May 21, 2008 at 08:56 AM (#2789277)

If a blog purports to just be someone's journal, then I have no problem with their just making stuff up. But if they want to be treated like journalists and "break news" then they should be just as accountable as any other journalist. There isn't a ton of accountability in journalism, but if Skip Carey goes on the radio and tells people that Bobby Cox is about to be fired, he'd better have some sources and be right. If he's wrong enough, he'll be out of a job.

Sure there is a lot of inaccurate stuff on the web. But I think that is what Skip is saying: there is all this information and it isn't clear who is reliable and who isn't. How do you deal with that? Do you just write everyone on the web off? That probably is too extreme, but you can't really just accept everything either. I thought it was a very reasonable and thoughtful opinion from the guy.

13. Levi Stahl Posted: May 21, 2008 at 08:57 AM (#2789278)

Hey, I have to give the guy some credit: he started off with "Some of 'em are pretty good." That alone shows that he has at least a basic understanding of the difference between medium and content, something that a lot of other commentators have yet to even care enough to grasp.

Good luck with your health, Skip.

14. Kyle S at work Posted: May 21, 2008 at 09:07 AM (#2789281)

Skip obviously reads MLBtraderumors.com (or badger blog :)

15. The Politics of Torre: How the HOF Really Works Posted: May 21, 2008 at 09:13 AM (#2789284)

He said "others are guys that sit around the house, have a few beers and just make stuff up. Send it out on the internet as if it’s gospel.” "

Cite? Point to one where there is any readership that does such a thing.

There was an Indians blog a few years ago that was making stuff up. It's probably not a widespread thing if an incident from a few years ago sticks out in my mind.

16. Chris Dial Posted: May 21, 2008 at 09:15 AM (#2789286)

Skip obviously reads MLBtraderumors.com

Badgers blog - hah! But Doesn't that other blog kind of tip someone off that those are rumors? It's right there in the name. And even Badger blog - that's not "like it was gospel".

17. Kyle S at work Posted: May 21, 2008 at 09:16 AM (#2789287)

GGC - I remember that same incident. It was some fake trade for Johan Santana or A-Rod or something.

I'm pretty sure that at least in the past, MLB Trade Rumors would make up trades they thought sounded interesting and then report them as rumors.

18. Kyle S at work Posted: May 21, 2008 at 09:17 AM (#2789288)

Oh, give Skip a break. He sounds like he's going to die on the air. He's got congestive heart failure, for chrissakes. I'm glad he can still do what he loves with the time he has.

19. Chris Dial Posted: May 21, 2008 at 09:18 AM (#2789289)

I'm pretty sure that at least in the past, ~~MLB Trade Rumors~~ Peter Gammons would make up trades they thought sounded interesting and then report them as rumors.

FTFY.

20. Sam Hutcheson Posted: May 21, 2008 at 03:00 PM (#2789625)

Oh, give Skip a break. He sounds like he's going to die on the air. He's got congestive heart failure, for chrissakes. I'm glad he can still do what he loves with the time he has.

I too am glad Skip, who has always been my favorite announcer for multiple reasons, can continue to do what he loves. With that said he sounds absolutely awful on the air. He misses a majority of the action, and the only reason he's still on is that the Braves love him as much as we do. But I can hardly bring myself to listen to his games any more. It's just too brutal hearing him try so hard to eek through a game when it used to come so clear and easy.

21. Mike A Posted: May 21, 2008 at 03:19 PM (#2789646)

I wouldn't go so far as sam, but yeah, it was difficult listening to Skip yesterday. Some days are better than others, but his health is causing him issues in the booth. Sadly reminds me of his dad in his later years.

22. Harold Posted: May 21, 2008 at 03:34 PM (#2789665)

GGC - I remember that same incident. It was some fake trade for Johan Santana or A-Rod or something.

Signing Vlad when he was a FA. Didn't they say after the fact that it was a joke or something? Lame.

23. Boots Day Posted: May 21, 2008 at 03:48 PM (#2789677)

There isn't a ton of accountability in journalism, but if Skip Carey goes on the radio and tells people that Bobby Cox is about to be fired, he'd better have some sources and be right. If he's wrong enough, he'll be out of a job.

Peter Gammons has reported more trade rumors that never happened than any of us could count, and he's never been fired from anything.

24. dugaton Posted: May 21, 2008 at 03:53 PM (#2789681)

As someone who listened to this game on MLB Audio, and Caray's comments, if my memories of the incident are correct this really is the definition of blowing stuff up out of all proportion. IIRC, there was no long pause that Caray then interjected with, it was Caray, not Van Wieren, who was discussing the media in New York about Randolph's position. The quote in the article is butchered only slightly (again IIRC), but while the words might be mostly right, the context the author describes is misrepresentative (like that Caray had an axe to grind about bloggers); he simply remarked some are very good, while some aren't, as part of a longer discussion of how tough the NY media is these days.

Anyone got the verbatim transcript? When I saw the thread title, I couldn't believe it referred to the same conversation I listened to.

25. Fly's New Handle Was Too Long, But Clever Posted: May 22, 2008 at 10:19 AM (#2790840)

Cite? Point to one where there is any readership that does such a thing.

Boston Dirt Dogs does it all the time.

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CStB: Cosloy: Web 2.0, Finally Sorted Out By Skip Caray

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