Remind me to call around to some magazine editors this afternoon and see if anyone needs a full-time columnist to provide them with in-depth coverage of NCAA cheerleaders and barbecue ribs. Lots of big news happening in the world of cheerleading and barbecue, and I’m just the guy for the job. Besides, all this politics stuff is getting boring lately . . .
TV sports personality Jenn Sterger says NFL quarterback Brett Favre sent her cell-phone photos of himself masturbating in 2008, according to a report at the blog Deadspin.
The startling allegations about Favre — a married father of two whose first grandchild was born in April — have threatened to overshadow recent reports that the 11-time Pro Bowl quarterback is finally ready to retire at age 40.
Sterger, a 27-year-old former Florida State University cheerleader who parlayed her surgically enhanced figure into a career as a sports commentator, was hired in 2008 as a host for the New York Jets’ “Gameday” pre-game TV program. She appeared in Maxim and Playboy and wrote a Sports Illustrated column.
According to Deadspin’s A.J. Dauleiro, Sterger said “Favre first began to call her early in the season and leave strange, friendly messages on her voicemail.” While the messages were at first merely friendly, Favre’s calls later “started to turn weird . . . flirty and strange,” Daulerio wrote in a report published Thursday at Deadspin, a sports site that is part of the Gawker Media network.
“Sterger claimed she spurned Favre’s advances because he was married, but also because she was working for the Jets at the time she didn’t think it was the best idea to start a torrid affair with the team’s highest profile player,” Daulerio reported, and Sterger didn’t want to complain for fear “she might lose her job.” Eventually, however, Favre began sending her pornographic photos of himself:
But then, one night, Sterger received a picture on her phone which was so shocking that she just tossed it across the room. It was his [penis]. Brett Favre’s [penis]. And it happened multiple times. In fact, Sterger claims that, in one of the photos Favre allegedly sent her, he’s masturbating — while wearing a pair of Crocs. In another photo, Favre is holding his penis while wearing the wristwatch he wore during his first teary-eyed retirement press conference.
Daulerio said Sterger was reluctant to be named in the Deadspin report but wanted “to expose this dude for the creepy douche he is.” In an e-mail to Daulerio, Sterger wrote: “I just want to make it clear I never met him, saw him, etc. . . . because I don’t roll that way. That way meaning old . . . or married. Some big boobed hoes have morals and souls believe it or not.”
As Green Bay’s starting quarterback for 16 seasons, Favre led the Packers to victory in Super Bowl XXXI. He holds many NFL records, including most most career touchdown passes and most career passing yards. His personal life has been marred by several tragedies. In 2003, Favre started a Monday night game against the Oakland Raiders the day after his father died, and threw for nearly 400 yards in a 41-7 victory. In 1996, he was treated for addiction to prescription painkillers. In 2004, his brother-in-law was killed in an accident and his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.
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I wrote that in straight-news style because Deadspin’s A.J. Daulerio writes like a damned blogger. Excuse me for using that as a pejorative expression, but this is becoming a problem that needs to be addressed.
OK, when you’re just snarking on the headlines — stuff previously reported by regular news organizations — you can write any way you please and nobody cares. However, when you are doing first-source original reporting, or aggregating news in a way that aspires to be taken seriously, it is important to write clearly and concisely.
The straight-faced Joe Friday “just-the-facts-ma’am” style of writing works because it conveys authority. If the story is truly newsworthy and you’ve got your facts nailed down cold, there’s no need to tart it up and make it clever or sensational. There was certainly no need for Daulerio to write this kind of story with the gossipy Perez Hilton-style lede he used:
Here’s another reason Brett Favre should stay retired this time: Turns out The Daily Line’s Jenn Sterger has kept a ridiculously disturbing (but HILARIOUS) secret about her interactions with The Gunslinger while they were both part of the Jets organization.
If it is a serious story — and these kind of accusations against a married sports star certainly are serious — then it deserves to be reported in a serious way. Dial down the snark, avoid loaded labels and sensationalism, and try to play it straight.
Knowing that my friends in the blogosphere may resent this advice, I’ll add that this is an argument I often had as a desk editor working with professional news reporters who, when they got a really juicy scoop, would yield to similar temptation. Despite having garnered a reputation as an ideological hatchet-man during my decade at The Washington Times, there were actually several times when I’d be the guy taking out loaded phrases (“left-wing,” etc.) from news stories. The bigger the story, the more important it is to report it with that objective Joe Friday style.
Blogging is a form of journalism and, at its best, blogging can have as much credibility and impact as the New York Times. There’s no reason why bloggers should limit their effectiveness by always writing in “snarktastic” mode. You’ll notice, for example, that Dan Riehl uses a different style of writing when he’s doing actual reporting than when he’s just linking and commenting.
Having worn many hats over the course of a quarter-century — music critic, news reporter, sports editor, columnist, feature writer, news editor, blogger — I have never felt that versatility was a detriment in journalism. The emerging reality of the New Media environment, where downsized news organization are working with smaller staffs and waging a 24/7 competition for “eyes” involving every SOB with a Blogspot site, makes versatility more crucial than ever.
The ability to switch from opinionated snark-slinger to Mr. Neutral Objectivity on a moment’s notice will, I predict, become recognized as a necessary skill in 21st-century journalism. And I also predict that Brett Favre will become sports columnist for The American Prospect.
UPDATE II: Another temptation to be resisted: The idea that you have a snarktastic monopoly on saying everything funny or clever. In this case, I must defer to Doug Powers and Cubachi:
UPDATE III: Professor Donald Douglas at American Power scores big: First, as befitting Rule 5 Sunday, he’s got video of Jenn Sterger’s Maxim photo shoot and, second, he reminds us that A.J. Dauleiro was the guy who first linked the notorious Erin Andrews peephole video.
Professor Douglas also notes that CBS News is now reporting the Sterger-Favre scandal. Given that this is opening day of NFL pre-season, I can’t believe the Ace of Spades HQ crew has missed this story, but I didn’t see it on a quick scan.
RUSTENBURG, South Africa — In the end, the U.S. team was undone by what had haunted the Americans throughout the World Cup. By giving up early goals, the Americans fell to Ghana 2-1 on Saturday and were knocked out of the tournament.
With the score tied at 1 at the end of regulation, the game went into extra time. And once again, the USA’s slow start resulted in the game-winner as Asamoah Gyan knocked Carlos Bocanegra off the ball and finished with a pretty left-footed volley to take the lead in the 93rd minute . . .
Also, checking the schedule for Sunday afternoon, I’ll be cheering for England against Germany. (Limeys vs. Krauts — just like the good ol’ days.) A win for the limey poofters would set up a quarter-final match in which the Brits will taunt the Argentines about the Falklands and the Argentines will make fun of the Brits’ bad teeth.
World Cup 2010: If We Can’t Mock Foreigners, What’s the Point?
The World Cup narrows our view and, more than any other sporting event, baits us to give in to nationalism, jingoism and racism. It’s not the Olympics. Not everyone is invited. And no one pretends the month of World Cup play is a reason to celebrate and respect the world’s numerous cultures.
The World Cup owes much of its popularity to hate. It’s the anti-Olympics. It’s an excuse for bigots to mask their biases in sporting patriotism.
Screw you, you commie-loving pinko elitist. Let me tell you what’s going to happen: First, we’re gonna stomp Ghana so bad their children will be born cross-eyed. And then we’ll kick the crap out of whoever wins the Uruguay-South Korea game. After that . . .
Well, who cares? They’re all just a bunch of stinking foreigners anyway and we don’t even like this stupid sissy game.
We just like stomping foreigners. Because we’re red-blooded Americans.
America was three minutes away from being eliminated from the World Cup when midfielder Landon Donovan scored in overtime to give the U.S. team a 1-0 victory over Algeria.
Remember: Soccer is for foreigners and faggots. However, fist-pumping jingoistic nationalism — and defeating impoverished Third World countries — is for red-blooded Americans.
UPDATE: I’ve decided to name this “The Miracle on Grass.” Why? Because we’re red-blooded Americans, that’s why!
In this game for the ages, certainly the most exciting in recent memory, there was plenty of reason to celebrate as the USA is headed to the Round of 16 for the first time since 2002.
Suggestion: Change your paper’s name to USA! USA! USA! Today.
The United States did see an earlier opportunity on goal go in, but the score was disallowed on an erroneous offside call. It was the second time in this World Cup that the Americans had an apparent goal negated by a dubious decision by the referees.
Dempsey slotted Herculez Gomez’s short cross from the right into the back of the net in the 21st minute after a furious and frantic push by the United States. But the assistant referee quickly raised his flag. While the American fans were celebrating, the referee called offside. It looked close, until television replays showed Dempsey was even with Madjid Bougherra, the last Algerian defender.
Of course, all the World Cup refs are American-hating foreigners.
Argentina got second-half goals from Martin Demichelis and Martin Palermo to defeat Greece 2-0, advancing to a round-of-16 match against Mexico. Your average Argentine soccer fan hates Mexico in a way that would horrify Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
Argentina totally dominated Group B — scoring 7 goals to their opponents’ one — and against Greece, controlled the ball by a 2-to-1 margin and outshot the Greeks 22-to-7.
UPDATE II: Argentina fans today celebrate the 24th anniversary of Diego Maradona’s historic “Hand of God” play: “Un poco con la cabeza de Maradona y otro poco con la mano de Dios”
IRENE, South Africa — FIFA will not address the performance of referee Koman Coulibaly, the embattled official from the Americans’ 2-2 draw with Slovenia, before Monday, a spokesman has said. . . . .
For its part, the U.S. is moving on, with no way to appeal the disallowed goal.
“There is no process for appeals for a decision on the field,” team spokesman Michael Kammarman said Saturday. “We have not asked for any official comment from FIFA in regards to the call.” . . .
“I think it’s a good goal, first. I think the only things really that could be called would be penalty kicks for us,” coach Bob Bradley said. . . .
“So you can speculate all you want about which guy and everything, I think it’s a waste of time. All right? I think there was nothing there. I think it’s a good goal. And that’s that.”
The U.S. team has been besieged with questions why soccer referees don’t publicly explain controversial decisions, as umpires and referees do in U.S. sports.
“We’re all accustomed to the fact that if it’s an NFL playoff game and there’s a call that’s in question, there will be a statement by the league from the referees, but FIFA operates differently,” Bradley said.
If anybody can suggest a good, red-blooded, all-American reason to care about this World Cup stuff, please let me know. I might need an excuse, if I ever actually start to care.
Also, can someone suggest a derogatory term for Algerians?
