This Just In

Shaughnessy is still a dweeb. Seriously. I don't even read his column anymore, I haven't seen the guy on TV lately, and yet still, news of his suckiness comes to me from a blog called Scott's Shots, as referenced by Universal Hub.

I really hate Dan Shaughnessy. I hate him. Most people I've ever heard from seem to agree. I mean, not just not caring for him or disliking him, but hating him. At this point he seems so loathed (and avoided whenever possible) among Boston's actual sports media audience that the fact that he still has a job at all makes me wonder if the MSM in this arena hasn't really lost touch...

Comments

[Runan]

God, I hate Shaughnessy too. I hate his columns, and his opinions, and his stupid made-up drama, and his hard-to-spell last name, and, and...*seethes*

[Andrew]

It took me a little while to ome around to truly despising Shaughnessy, mostly because I used to umpire for his daughter's softball team, and he was always perfectly nice to me (in a suburban league where parents treat umps like comlete dirt). But since that time, his constant shrill whining, his rumor-mongering, and his clear targeting of minority players has driven me completely nuts. Now, it looks like Holley chose the wrong battle on this, but he's right about the war. Shaughnessy is pretty clearly a public bigot, and on top of that a truly poor sportswriter. For either of those things he should be fired; for both, he deserves to be called out publicly, fired, and run from town.

[Boston Fan in Michigan]

Woah now.

I hate the CHB with the best of 'em, and he's done his level best to run various ballplayers right out of this town, and I could really do without him around... maybe we could trade him to Tampa Bay? They could use someone to stir up some controversy and interest down there.

But I don't quite think you can call him 'a public bigot' with dead certainty until you get something a little more concrete than this. Butting heads with Carl Everett does not mean you are a bigot, as Carl Everett is pretty much insane. Bringing up Carl Everett when he's trying to argue with Holley is stupid and looks rather bad, but let's not lose all perspective here.

[beth]

yeah, i have to disagree with that one, too. i think he has many problems, but bigotry isn't tops on my list. in general he just seems to be a fairly miserable, cynical, backstabbing person. i'm tired of it.

[mr bandw]

CHB sucks. I go out of my way to avoid reading his stuff.

[Andrew]

Maybe overly strong language, but Shaughnessy has a definite history of targeting minority players. It was most obvious with Everett, but also right there on Vaughn, Pedro... In reading that article on Holley, it seemed to me that Holley ws reacting less to the quote than to a perception of Shaughnessy's bias in general. I recall similar jabs at him when Holley was with the Globe, rebuttal peices, etc. So, I'll admit, I was hot-headed when I wrote the above, but Carl Everett is not the only time when Shaughnessy has overtly called out minority, and especially black, ballplayers. Apologies if the above ofended.

[beth]

nah, it didn't offend. i just don't really see it that way, but it's ok. we agree on what's important, that the CHB is a dweeb.

[Boston Fan in Michigan]

Again, I'm not sure you can use that as concrete evidence against him. He also ran Mientkiewicz out of town. And Nomar. Is Nomar white? I'm calling Nomar white. He's basically white. He's like Eric Chavez-white.

I still hate the crank and think he's a pisspoor sports writer and certain individuals we have in the blogosphere (*cough*Beth*cough*) could replace him and the mainstream media would instantly benefit. But I'm not sure we can call him a total racist.

[amy]

I have to second Boston Fan in Michigan.. Beth and other bloggers are far more interesting to read than the "MSM" writers. I don't read any of them any more, but try getting me away from the bloggers, just try it.

Keep up the great work, Beth!

[beth]

now, listen. i appreciate the kind words, but there is a vast difference between blogging and what shaughnessy does. in many ways, part of shaughnessy's job is politics, rumor-mongering, gossip, intrigue...his tendency toward that (and, really, talent for it) is not what i criticize, to be honest. i just think he goes too far when it comes to wanting to create a negative spectacle. many other successful columnists feel far less of a need to meddle, lie, obfuscate and instigate the way he does. it's unecessary.

but still, let's give credit where credit is due, here. i hate shaughnessy, you hate shaughnessy, we all hate shaughnessy, and i appreciate that you enjoy my blog. but it oversimplifies to say that your favorite blogger should be a globe columnist. i couldn't hack it, for sure.

[Boston Fan in Michigan]

I was referring more to just plain ol' writing ability...

[beth]

yeah, i know what you're saying, but that's not all that's involved, though i wish that wasn't the case...

[are you guys serious?]

None of you have any idea what it takes to be a sportswriter. zero. none. can any of you honestly say that you have what it takes when you really have no idea what it takes? No. I'm familiar with the whole process, and while I don't agree with what guys like Shaughnessy say sometimes, I certainly have respect for getting the job done in the circumstances they write under. These guys (not just Shaughnessy, everyone) have to write articles in less than 30 minutes under deadline. Do you think that any of you would be able to write well under pressure like that? My bet is absolutely not. So why doesn't everybody just disagree with these guys instead of saying you could do their job. Because you can't.

[beth]

actually, aygs, i know more about it than you probably realize. and i believe what i was saying above was exactly what you were trying to say, except you took a much more needlessly nasty tone with it.

meanwhile...you do realize that you're yelling at people in a comment thread that's two years old, right?