bethlehemshoals: I’m wary of, as a reader,...

4:40 pm - Wed, Jun 8, 2011: 45 notes

I’m wary of, as a reader, being coerced into a holding pattern, or being told that I’m a feral prick if I seek to draw any conclusions before the appointed date (Launch 2?). Grantland isn’t process, or becoming; it’s a major market initiative by a company flush with cash, and whether as art or commerce, should be able to at least make its intentions clear (no, telling isn’t the same as showing). I respect its right to grow and find itself organically. At the same time, at some point its identity has to become fair game. That’s not just about would-be critics, either. It’s about keeping the loyalists awake and charged, too.

Coming soon! My thoughts on Grantland!

Seriously, I appreciate that someone’s mounting a Tet Offensive on Deadspin and even (grits teeth) TheBigLead as alphadogs of the sports scene. TBL has made their power consolidating move in the last year, and Daulerio seems to be going the way of Colonel Kurtz these days on Deadspin. Believe it or not, Lynn Hoppes and his wrestling dolls isn’t getting the attention that the ESPN brass had hoped for.

ESPN might finally be realizing that the they need to fight fire with fire. The only way to really hurt Deadspin is to make them bleed where it matters most … pageviews.

Kurtz went rogue, the US Government was forced to do the same.

But, to have launched in such a manner was, in my humble opinion, a deft touch by the WWL. I agree with Bethlehem’s thoughts, but I truly believe the point of this half-ass launch is to lull readers into the sense that Grantland is the f-up little brother of the WWL. Mom and Dad have given up on getting the damn kid to straighten up and fly right. In Grantland, it’s OK to use the word ‘fucking’ ^[1]in a column. It’s OK soft-launch a website. It’s not totally together yet — give us time to grow into the World Wide Sports Blog Leader, Mom!!! GAW!!!!!

SLAMS DOOR

[BUMPER MUSIC]
THIS SOFTLAUNCH IS BRAAAAUGHT TO YOU BYEEEEEEEE SUBWAY: EAT FRESH
[/BUMPER MUSIC]

It really does remind me of hipsters.

It’s not that there’s any wrong with affecting an effortless demeanor, it’s that it’s such a carefully constructed approach to appear effortless that makes me want to curbstomp them. We all know, that ESPN executives, Bill Simmons, and a host of support staff have been putting this site together for months, and have spent countless dollars and man-hours flying around the country, identifying some heavy hitters to bring in to write for Grantland, along with some very bright up and coming writers to round out the crew.

But at the end of the day, I think we all get that for as wonderful and acclaimed as this site will someday be, this site was built on the initial premise that Simmons was pitching a fit at his editorial restrictions on Page 2. So, Simmons needed a way to continue draw a paycheck from ESPN, but basically allow him to use naughty words.

This site will be a game-changer for sports writing, and will become a mecca for readers, but to think that the haphazard launch was anything but a precisely calculated approach to look like the way Average Joe Blogger would launch a website is what they want us to think. It’s like they reverse Potemkin Villaged themselves into keeping step with the true indie bootsrapping ethos of those pioneering bloggers. Their “earnest” efforts to get Grantland off the ground will look more heroic on such a backdrop.

[1] I don’t have any fucking problem with Simmons using the f-word in his first column, it’s just that it was so ham-handed in his use. We get it, he likes to push the boundaries … now that he has none, let’s see if it doesn’t Howard Stern himself into irrelevance.