Another Guy Who Hates Bloggers: Bob Costas

I have always respected Bob Costas, and have loved his shows; however, he's off base with his comments on blogs and their importance in the sports world today.

MVN's Anthony Hall has an excellent piece on Costas' words to the Miami Herald, in a piece titled "You're On Notice, Bob Costas", which basically calls out the popular sports personality on his words.

It makes me wonder what the hell he's been reading.

Here's what he says below:

From the Miami Herald: "Costas, speaking before he emceed (and donated $50,000) at Tuesday’s Make-a-Wish sports auction at the Broward County Convention Center, doesn’t understand what compels so many nonjournalist sports fans to seek a forum for their opinions.

“It’s one thing if somebody just sets up a blog from their mother’s basement in Albuquerque and they are who they are, and they’re a pathetic get-a-life loser, but now that pathetic get-a-life loser can piggyback onto someone who actually has some level of professional accountability and they can be comment No. 17 on Dan Le Batard’s column or Bernie Miklasz’ column in St. Louis. That, in most cases, grants a forum to somebody who has no particular insight or responsibility. Most of it is a combination of ignorance or invective.”

What bothers Costas — and he’s not alone — is Internet and talk radio commentary that “confuses simple mean-spiritedness and stupidity with edginess. Just because I can call someone a name doesn’t mean I’m insightful or tough and edgy. It means I’m an idiot.

“It’s just a high-tech place for idiots to do what they used to do on bar stools or in school yards, if they were school yard bullies, or on men’s room walls in gas stations. That doesn’t mean that anyone with half a brain should respect it.”

I thought Bob Costas would be far more liberal, but like with every person you see on TV, you don't really know them until they open their mouth and say what's really on their mind.

Well, I have no disrespect toward Bob or anyone who dislikes blogs, but there's a new reality -- blogs are a part of every day life on the internet.

I would have expected the schism between blogs and the media to perhaps come together at some point, considering almost every newspaper has a blog and sites like Deadspin, The Big Lead, With Leather, Sports By Brooks and others are making their presence on the mainstream.

Look, whether a person is a PhD or living with mom, the advent of the internet has allowed anyone with a connection to communicate and voice their opinions, whether they are on a forum or publishing their own blog or website.

Sometimes I feel as if these sports personalities believe they are the beginning and end of opinion when it comes to their respective topic, and we as fans because of the lack of access they have should agree with them.

As someone in the computer industry, works for an online sports media outlet part-time, and has made the internet a part of their daily life, the more voices out there who are either trying to report on a serious, newsworthy topic or are trying to have fun should have the chance to express themselves.

It the content is good, it's good and they'll keep coming back.

I have no idea why the Costas & Kornheisers of the world are so against blogs -- honestly, if all of them sucked, then no one would read them, right?