Posted in On the DL Podcast
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02/22 2011

DL528: Carmelo, All-Star Ratings, Bissinger v NBA Fans, Wahl v Blatter (v Simmons), Me v Me

Posted by Dan Levy.

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We talk about Carmelo going to the Knicks and wonder if the Dolans were reading Bleacher Report last week and saw the headline that had him going to the Lakers and thought “what…when did that happen?” which ultimately got a deal done in New York. Hey, it could happen. I mean, it’s entirely plausible they’d read B/R, so that’s a start.

I kid. They probably don’t even read. But is this a good trade for NY? Of course it is.

This trade seems to fit into the grand master plan that has NBA teams becoming good — and relevant — in the right markets again. That can, and will, help ratings as much as the product on the court. Of course, not everyone agrees. Enter Buzz Bissinger, who penned (typed?) a column for The Daily Beast ripping the NBA, claiming the league is losing popularity because white fans can’t root for black athletes.

I swear this wasn’t written eight years ago. Or in the 50′s.

My editor thinks I should write something about professional basketball. The timing is certainly right—the National Basketball Association’s All-Star extravaganza starts today in Los Angeles, culminating in the All-Star game on Sunday night.

The problem is, I don’t really know what to say about the NBA other than I almost never watch it anymore.

Rather than stop there and let someone who actually follows the sport write about it, Bissinger goes on a rant about how the game lost white fans, which is actually wrong. Sure, maybe attendance is down, but nobody can afford to go to any sporting event anymore (even the NFL) and everyone watches on TV. Ratings for the NBA are actually up. But maybe only black people get those channels, I don’t know.

This leads to a chat about the general columnist and whether or not some columnists do more harm than good to their reputation by trying to be an authority on all topics. Sometimes you’re going to sound like a moron, so it it worth it in today’s specialized media world to still try and comment on everything? And is it fair for me to rip someone like Bissinger for giving his (paid) opinion on the NBA when we barely watch and spent the first ten minutes of our show talking about the same thing? Can I write a paragraph questioning the need for the “general sports columnist” when I’m ostensibly trying to be one?

That said, is having an opinion on every story better or worse than becoming one?

Which leads to the last part of our show: Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated is on the short list of best soccer writers in the country and, coming from a nation not exactly known for its soccer coverage, one of the most respected journalists covering his sport in the world. Oh, he’s also a super nice guy.

But did he make himself the story last week when he announced he wants some FIFA nation — any FIFA nation — to nominate him to run against Sepp Blatter?

After careful consideration, I have an announcement to make: I’m running for the presidency of FIFA in the election to be held on June 1. And no, I’m not kidding. Have you seen who else is running? That’s right: Sepp Blatter, the 74-year-old Swiss strongman atop the world’s most popular sport, is campaigning for his fourth term. Blatter’s most prominent rival, Qatar’s Mohamed Bin Hammam, may run as well, but he’s just another FIFA insider in an election that desperately needs an outsider.

So I’ll raise my hand. Someone has to.

His point is totally spot on: Blatter needs to go if FIFA will ever “uncorrupt” itself. And Wahl became a master of promotion, getting this story into every corner of the planet, at the very least helping to expose much of the wrong-doing of the Blatter era. Was that his goal, or does Wahl actually want to become the FIFA president? When you start your column with that premise and follow with “And no, I’m not kidding” we have to assume you are, in fact, NOT KIDDING.

How is this different than Bill Simmons lobbying to become an NBA GM a few years ago? And could it work this time? Probably not, as Wahl himself admitted that none of the FIFA nations would dare promote another candidate against the current FIFA boss, because hell hath no fury…like a Blatter scorned.

We also discuss the role of social media in all of this. Would Simmons have had a better shot at becoming a member of an NBA front office had he tried his campaign in the “Twitter age?” Twitter and Facebook have a way of turning a small story into a revolution, so can Wahl let the one column speak for itself and allow the idea to grown through social media? Can FIFA become the next Egypt???

Most importantly, is it right for a journalist to make himself the story like this? And would I be killing another person for trying this stunt, but since Grant is — as I said before — a super nice guy, I’m totally on board with him?

Thanks for listening.

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Posted on February 22, 2011 at 10:48AM

 

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  1. Jack Pierce
    02/22 2011

    Let’s just say while a lot of other people are on board with Wahl, I’m not one of them. Maybe I’m just too cynical anymore, I don’t know. I don’t care if he’s the nicest guy in the world, he’s also got a book (albeit a couple years old) to sell, and he won’t hurt SI’s profile to pull this stunt. Which is what it is. A stunt.

  2. Mike L. White
    02/22 2011

    I saw what Matt Millen did in Detroit, so no on Wahl for FIFA prez. Total stunt.

    Also, I guess I shouldn’t care about my favorite NBA team since they aren’t in a “major” market. For a league that cares so much about relevance of in major markets–and the biggest in Boston and LA being very good for years–you’d think it would add up to big money, but league-wide debt is massive. Maybe some parity could help, since there have been only 9 different title holders since 1980, and only 3 of the 9 franchises during that span receiving only 1 title.