Note: If you wouldn't say it to someone's face, don't say it here. Comments deleted on a whim.
Check out this... more non-positive Jerry Sloan quotes regarding Kris Humprhies... gotta love it!
http://www.brenthanson.net/forum...p?
showtopic=727
Humphries is a native of Chaska, Minnesota, also the hometown of Gophers' center Spencer Tollackson. Tollackson led Chaska High School to the 2003-2004 Class AAAA state title.
Humphries went to Hopkins High instead of Chaska, which is too bad, because it would have been entertaining to see those two battle for shots.
It would surprise me if Simmons' chose not to be on TV b/c of his voice. He's talked a lot about being on the radio, including righting a column about it at one point, if I recall correctly. Can't find it though, b/c I don't have insider.
M. Faulk: 5-10, 211
Tomlinson: 5-10, 220
Barry Sanders: 5-8, 200
Reggie Bush: 6-0, 200
Bush can handle 10 more pounds of muscle and still be as quick as anyone on the field. He's gotten much stronger every year since his freshman season. Having seen every single game of Reggie Bush's USC career, I can definitely say he's a three-down back in the NFL.
Simmons is (or at least was) a semi-regular guest on the Jim Rome show. I don't watch Rome though, so I can't say whether or not Simmons still goes on there frequently.
But who in their right minds wants to watch Jim Rome's show? Say what you want about Mariotti and Paige, but at least the other folks (Smith, Adande, Holley, Blackistone, MacMullen, Cowlishaw) are entertaining. Jim Rome's just whiney.
Aaron - I've always really liked this blog - but the Souhan bashing has got to stop. I would think that you, someone who ostensibly writes for a living, would have a little more empathy for how difficult and challenging the writing process is.
Further, it is a lot harder to try and be funny and clever than it is to link to waffle crappers. I'll give it to you that the one liner tack is not exactly the stuff Pulitzer prizes are made of, but Souhan's essentially a rookie columnist trying to get his sea legs. He may never become one of the greats, but I don't think it's because the guy's not trying. How about a little slack?
Also, comparing a columnist job to a beat writer like Sheldon isn't exactly a fair comparison. (I'm not telling you something you don't already know.) The jobs are radically different. From what I've read, Souhan has logged a fair amount of time in the trenches. I can't imagine the transition is an easy one.
In addition, it's not like Souhan has been an enemy of the blogosphere - depite lobbing back a few cheap shots. (There's plenty thrown his way.) I recall at least 2 interviews he gave to you so-called blog fellas. At least one was with SethSpeaks.net.
I'll give you this - it's a pretty weak field of columnists in this market. There doesn't seem to be the type of writers (like Simmons to some degree) who can just cut your heart out with their writing or make you laugh so hard you cry.
If you're that guy - make it happen and get that newspaper job you so richly deserve.
Yeah, too much bashing can get old. However, in the case if Souhan, there is never enough. Don't get me wrong, he was a great beat writer for the Twins and did a solid job covering MLB for the Trib. As a features columnist, the guy is drowning.
I challenge Souhan to challenge himself to writing a better column. Are his crappy jokes just space filler? Maybe he should ditch all the knee-slapping and just write a 3 paragraph column like Sany does at the P.P. now.
I'm with the guy with the hat... keep your crush on Bill Simmons (the most predictable writer widely available on the internet) to yourself for a while, huh?, its making me uncomfortable, and have a Happy Thanksgiving.
I didn't like Souhan as a beat writer, so was glad when LaVelle got promoted to fill Souhan's space. Then, for about the first 6 months, I loved Souhan's column. But then it started going sour on me very fast. Maybe he had a lot of jokes bottled up and now is writing new ones, maybe they feel less relevant to the story. Whatever it is, he is deserving of most everything that deadspin and ag.com give him. Should he find his "sea legs" I'll give him credit then, but now he's a stand-up comedian as columnist.
Aaron - I've always really liked this blog - but the Souhan bashing has got to stop. I would think that you, someone who ostensibly writes for a living, would have a little more empathy for how difficult and challenging the writing process is.
So writing being difficult excuses someone from doing a poor job? I don't understand this logic, or what it has to do with what I "ostensibly" do for a living.
Further, it is a lot harder to try and be funny and clever than it is to link to waffle crappers. I'll give it to you that the one liner tack is not exactly the stuff Pulitzer prizes are made of, but Souhan's essentially a rookie columnist trying to get his sea legs. He may never become one of the greats, but I don't think it's because the guy's not trying. How about a little slack?
Yes, because all I do here is link to pictures of pretty girls. It's odd that someone seemingly so against criticizing someone like Souhan would throw in a cheap shot or two like this.
Also, comparing a columnist job to a beat writer like Sheldon isn't exactly a fair comparison. (I'm not telling you something you don't already know.) The jobs are radically different. From what I've read, Souhan has logged a fair amount of time in the trenches. I can't imagine the transition is an easy one.
This isn't his first month writing a column, and he didn't exactly wow me when he was limited to covering the Twins either. In fact, I criticized him plenty then too.
In addition, it's not like Souhan has been an enemy of the blogosphere - depite lobbing back a few cheap shots. (There's plenty thrown his way.) I recall at least 2 interviews he gave to you so-called blog fellas. At least one was with SethSpeaks.net.
The number of interviews he does with Seth doesn't impact my experience reading his work. I don't think he does a good job writing his column for the newspaper I get delivered to my house every day, and I say so.
I'll give you this - it's a pretty weak field of columnists in this market. There doesn't seem to be the type of writers (like Simmons to some degree) who can just cut your heart out with their writing or make you laugh so hard you cry. If you're that guy - make it happen and get that newspaper job you so richly deserve.
I'm not that guy. I just don't think Souhan is either. (And from the looks of my e-mail box and this comments section, I'm not alone by a long shot.)
I do not think there is anything wrong with criticizing someone even if writing is hard.
We all sit here in the comments section and criticize Nick Punto, Luis Rivas, Ron Gardenhire, Terry Ryan, and tons of others. Playing baseball is hard too, and none of us are good enough to do it which is why we are reading (or writing) blogs instead of playing games. So I don't think saying Souhan is a bad writer is terrible at all.
And I don't even know if Souhan is a bad writer, or if he has bad ideas, he just has a poor approach to his column. Rather than discussing the issues of the day, he picks whatever topic can garner him the most 1-liners.
People read the sports columnists because they want some kind of entertaining insight. Souhan does not usually deliver that.
However, in fairness I read his column for today. No 1-liners, some pretty good analysis, and a pragmatic discussion about why Glen Mason should be given an extension.
Anyone else see that Brent Abernathy has spurned the Twins to sign a minor-league deal with the Brew Crew?
Aaron, two questions for you:
1. How does this alter TRyan's plans to re-shape the Twins infield?
2. What is your favorite moment of the Abernathy era?
Aaron, two questions for you:
1. How does this alter TRyan's plans to re-shape the Twins infield?
2. What is your favorite moment of the Abernathy era?
1) About as much as my decision to criticize Jim Souhan's writing ability alters his career.
2) Definitely when he ran into the wall.
What I presume you hate about Souhan is that while is analogies might be accurate, they are not apropos whatsoever. He reaches all over the place and grabs analogies that paint the picture but do not relate to the subject matter.
If Souhan wrote about a chef who was calm under pressure in the kitchen, for example, it would be alright to say that the chef's pressure melts like the top layer of creme brulee.
But Souhan would say the chef's pressure melts like a racecar tire after 200 laps.
One analogy is apropos because it releates to the subject matter -- cooking. The other is out of left field. Souhan is all too often out of left field.
Nah, I'm all for stretched analogies as long as they're amusing. I just think Souhan isn't very funny and tries way too hard to make his columns way too shticky rather than focus on actually writing something worthwhile to read.
Does it occur to anyone else that perhaps there is a market for Souhan-ese? Toby Keith and Yanni have fans. So does Jim Rome (presumably). They let Alanis make like 5 records. I bet there are a lot of people out there that enjoy reading Souhan's writing that aren't even related to him.
Yes, but it's not as much fun to criticize the market.
The talk of Hank Blalock and his home/road splits has made me wonder:
Dominating the teams in your division is deemed pretty important (a win "in" division perhaps better than one out of) so are there any AL Central "mashers" out there? Guys that hit well in Chi, Det, KC, Cle, and here in MN? There may not be enough ABs to look at, but some stat-head (affectionately) might have the time to check out and see if there's a guy that's either a FA or a viable trade candidate that simply has battered our division and maybe not done so well outside of it, perhaps giving people "Blalock" type concerns and keeping the price down. You never know, there might be a "quirk" guy that fits that mold...
Blalock is getting paid a lot of money to only hit at home and against division rivals. And the Rangers asking price for his services are pretty high. It sure doesn't look like those concerns are doing much to keep his perceived value down.
you can put any kind of price on anything you want, that doesn't mean that it's worth it, or that anyone will buy it. You don't think Blalock's H/A splits concern potential suitors? Plus, I was only using his situation as an example. I was just pondering whether there was a "Moneyball" guy out there whose "claim to fame" was hitting well in AL Central parks, and maybe not so good elsewhere--thus the overall numbers look only mediocre to average.
I doubt that guy truly exists. I don't think hitting against particular teams is an actual skill, though Luis Rivas did tend to look like a real major league hitter against the Royals. It has more to do with the parks and the quality of pitchers that certain teams employ.
*I doubt that guy truly exists.
That's why I asked the 'stat-heads'. Hunting down that kind of stuff turns their gears, and even not finding that person gives you an answer, or leads to another question.
*It has more to do with the parks...
"I was just pondering whether there was a "Moneyball" guy out there whose "claim to fame" was hitting well in AL Central parks"
Isn't that what this says?
Aaron-
Penny for your thoughts on the Thome and a truckload of cash for Rowand deal?
aaron,
arrived home at thanksgiving to a copy of the HT annual. I've enjoyed it considerably. Is the lack of major analysis from you a result of your role as editor in chief?
regardless, great work by all.
I was also wondering about the limited content from the verbose one. I remember the halcyon days of college when Aaron would churn out about 12,000 words a day.
We can each hate Souhan for our own reasons, Aaron.
That isn't the linguist Richard Lederer who writes for The New York Times Magazine, is it?
I just think Souhan isn't very funny and tries way too hard to make his columns way too shticky rather than focus on actually writing something worthwhile to read.
I think Bill Simmons is funnier than Souhan, that his shtick is much better.
But many of his columns are similarly way too shticky and more focused on schtick than substance.
As your anonymous tipster, I can guarantee you the Sheldon is off to the Reds beat. The Twins beat writers took him out for beers last week to wish him well.
And I think Souhan is pretty marginal as well. I'd like to see him have an opinion once in a while rather than either:
A: Using the favorite words of Sid (you know, I, me, my opinion)
B: Simply trying to pull one-liners out of his ass.
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