Pretty much everyone and their mother has commented on "Friday Night Ligts" author Buzz Bissinger making an ass out of himself while trying to bully Deadspin founder Will Leitch on Bob Costas' HBO Show the other night. Costas, famous on the blogosphere for trashing bloggers and then apologizing afterwards, did a special show on the explosion of blogs and how they are changing media. Some of you have asked me to give my opinion on this Bissinger v. Leitch sissy slap brawl, but it wasn't until yesterday evening that I got a chance to sit down and watch it.
All I will say about it is Buzz Bissinger did more in 20 minutes of white knuckled ranting to legitimize blogs than I could do in 20 years of actual blogging. It says something when a subject like blogs threatens an Ivy League educated Pulitzer Prize winner to the point where he goes on television and makes a complete fool out of himself. If his intent was to win people over to his brand of thinking (that blogs are dumbing people down), then he failed miserably. Bissinger came off as an angry, entitled, bitter, old man scolding Will for walking on his front lawn.The bottom line is Bissinger would rather you learn about sports (and other important topics) from smart people like him rather than collectively gathering together on a common place, like an Internet blog, and learning as a community.
If you haven't seen the clips, check them out at Deadspin.