ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio and the giant stick up his ass

I've often linked to Mike Florio's ProFootballTalk.com because of the entertainment value he provides. Despite the fact that he is a shameless self promoter, deals only in speculative rumor, and has an annoying way of posting Sprint adds in his content, Mike will often write some funny nuggets. These nuggets must always be taken with a grain of salt as Mike has a nasty habit of quoting unnamed sources that provide him "insider information" on teams. He also has a habit of stating rumors as fact, which is a big no-no if you want to be considered a serious journalist.

However, it seems Mike does not care to be taken seriously. The check he receives from Sprint (his site sponsor) is enough for him. I enjoy Mike's site. It is often very funny. The one thing he could do without is the snarky comments that, oftentimes, misinform rather than inform. Like this one:

Ah yes, another Peyton Manning-basher trying to sound witty and cute. Alas, Mike's comment is neither because his statement about Shaun King isn't true. Tony Dungy coached Peyton Manning and the Colts in the AFC Championship game in 2004. Tony Dungy also coached Shaun King and the Tampa Bay Bucs in the NFC Championship game in 2000. So, unless Mike ranks the NFC Championship as "getting closer to the Super Bowl" than the AFC Championship, I'd say Mike doesn't know his facts.

Then again, facts are what journalists deal in, and Mike doesn't want to be confused with that. He deals in rumor, and enjoys spending his Sprint checks on lunch for his unnamed "league sources."

For Mike, we offer this advice: if you are trying to be witty and cute, it helps to actually know what you are talking about. When the witty and cute comment is not even factually correct, it kind of makes you look like a schmuck with a giant stick up your ass.