Why’d This Story Get Ignored at ESPN.com?
Uncategorized December 6th. 2007, 11:49am
To everyone who watches the Wire: a reader sent us this LZ Granderson column at ESPN.com and pictured the author as Omar Little. Accurate? We should start off by saying it’s probably the best thing we’ve read at Page 2 this year (keeping in mind that we haven’t read all that much). It’s almost difficult to believe, right? There’s some mind-blowing stuff in here that you rarely read in a mainstream outlet: the N-bomb is dropped, LZ talks about holding a gun, taking a baseball bat to the head, and surviving a drive-by shooting. That’s pretty bad-ass. Next question: we read the story and then expected to see a few thousand comments at the bottom – but there were only 116. Huh? Why are people ignoring this story? Guess Rob King felt we needed another 48 hours of ‘Uni Watch’ out front.
The danger of street cred (Page 2)
23 Responses to “Why’d This Story Get Ignored at ESPN.com?”
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December 6th, 2007 at 11:53 am
There’s a new Uni-Watch column up!? See ya later…
December 6th, 2007 at 12:11 pm
Do you think Whitlock read this column? Sounds like something he’d write…
December 6th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
I read this yesterday and was very surprised at the language and situations discussed, a solid read. That said, I think the lack of responses has more to do with the name recognition (Jemele Hill posts frequently and has been a target for sometime, LZ contributes only sparingly).
As to discuss the actual content of the article, I think it’s spot-on. Why on God’s green earth would anyone want to be perceived as having street cred if it involved getting shot at, your ass kicked, or dealing in drugs/prostitutes. That sounds awesome!
December 6th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
I work at a high school just South of Chicago as a substitute teacher and I want so badly to print out this article and show it to so many of the students that pass in and out of my life every day. There are literally hundreds of kids in this school alone who will not graduate. A recently expelled student was gunned-down in front of a junior high not too far from here. I would print it out and show it to some, but last year a teacher was fired for showing an episode of The Boondocks in which the N-word was dropped. In a nearby school district, they are banning books with the N-word in them written by white authors but if that word appears in books by black authors, they are keeping it in the curriculum. Call it what you want: racism, double-standards, discrimination, whatever. The problem is prevalent throughout this country regardless of location. Someone needs to step up and be a positive role model for these kids.
December 6th, 2007 at 12:17 pm
I thought it was brilliant…absolutely brilliant. Finally, someone telling other African Americans to look in the mirror, rather than at white America. Of course racism still exists (I was born, raised, and still live in the south…I should know), and many whites foolishly try to keep African Americans down. But whites aren’t the cause of ALL of their problems.
December 6th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Great article! LZ should keep writing with this type of quality and passion and maybe someday he will get off the bottom of page 2 and make it all the way to the front…but not above our beloved Sportsguy. Maybe LZ can switch placed with douche easterbrook and take a shit on his face that would give him street cred in my book.
December 6th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Because it makes far too much sense.
December 6th, 2007 at 12:41 pm
Damn. I saw the title of this entry and thought you were going to talk about the Reggie Bush USC scandal.
December 6th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
Ironically, LZ is 10 times the author that Jemele Hill is.
Another bit of irony? A lot of people gave LZ shit for coming out of the closet a while back.
December 6th, 2007 at 12:56 pm
That was well said.
December 6th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
Best article I’ve read on Page 2 in a long time, besides anything Klosterman wrote.
December 6th, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Hey jgp, what have you heard about Reggie?
December 6th, 2007 at 1:24 pm
sportsgal, I think the reference was to the title of the post and comparing it to the previous stories that kept running on Yahoo that never made more than a blip on ESPN, not any specific current information.
December 6th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
Most pointed and eloquently written piece I’ve ever read on this subject. Hopefully LZ will not be limited to merely Page 2 but can make it out to spread the word.
December 6th, 2007 at 1:33 pm
Thanks, Ben!
December 6th, 2007 at 2:05 pm
Of course I read this column. It’s really good.
I’m a bit surprised it’s not drawing more attention. There’s a lot of explosive information in this column, especially for a mainstream web site. I didn’t like the use of the n-word. It’s unnecessary. Other than to shock us, I can’t think of another purpose for its use. I’m sure Scoop and Stu Scott are upset they weren’t the first to use the n-word on ESPN.
OK, it sounds like I’m nitpicking. The column is good. And it should definitely be drawing attention. The writer has acknowledged being gay in previous work, admits he was involved in drive-by shootings, says he has an 11-year-old son and uses the n-word. Sounds like an Oprah episode to me.
December 6th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
It only has 116 comments because he didn’t say that the SEC is better than the Big 10, duh. That would induce some emotion and outrage, not a thought provoking piece of work like this.
December 6th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Woah! Big Sexy!
While you’re here, if you are still here, I just want to tell you that you are one of the best writers in America. Sports or otherwise. Keep Speaking your mind.
As for the article, it’s good stuff. This is only the second article I’ve read by LZ, (though I have been unlucky enough to catch him on 1st and 10 with Skip B.)and it’s the second one that has really caught my attention, in a good way.
Anyone know where I can read his work besides Page 2?
December 6th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
ESPN would rather promote mediocrity that is Stephen A. “Me luv Blogs” Smith than good reporting.
December 6th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
Maybe only 116 or so people commented because everyone else read LZ’s story, then nodded their head in agreement at his conclusion.
If Scoop wrote something on this topic, there’d be 500 comments asking him to translate it into English.
December 6th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
Thanks for that article. I spend very little time on ESPN.com and I have not seen any reason to change my behavior. Maybe I will read this guy now. Sports Guy is a joke. It amazes me that people still read him and complain about him.
LZ comes across much better than Whitlock, Wilbon or Bill Cosby. They all seem to talk down to the people they are supposedly trying to help.
LZ’s tone seems much more genuine and real. Thank TBL
December 6th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
LZ has been a hidden gem on Page 2 for a while. I always go over there checking out what he has to say. I wish he’d write more often, but he is smart and knows how to write. I saw this article by him and it was another fine example of his tremendous work.
We should all keep an eye on him
December 7th, 2007 at 11:13 am
Awesome article.