no one ever said you did. all I'm saying is that the site has really evolved into a great site. It wasn't great a year ago or even six months ago. I wonder if Klosterman not having much or any say now has helped?
Grantland
- Thread starter Leather
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It must be financially successful, too, otherwise there wouldn't be so many people (SportsonEarth, Nate Silver, Jason Whitlock, Peter King) openly trying to copy it.
The pop-culture bracket thing is so played. But knowing Grantland, they'll probably keep plugging away. The logical next step is to introduce a Champions League / World Cup group stage format soon and do round robins before the knockout phase.
Clears Cleaver said:
Of course it is nothing like the fairly literary site they started with: it's just a giant collection of slapdash pieces by a bunch of fairly unknown younger authors. Some are good (I generally like Greenwald and Barnwell) some are not but the Gladwell/Eggers/Klosterman/Wright Thompson/oral history of the national/seven articles about people who learned to live life through hoops after their dad died website just never happened.
The music choices were solid. Although they didn't really mesh with the Grantland audience which are most likely older rockists and younger indie rock bros.
Of course it is nothing like the fairly literary site they started with: it's just a giant collection of slapdash pieces by a bunch of fairly unknown younger authors. Some are good (I generally like Greenwald and Barnwell) some are not but the Gladwell/Eggers/Klosterman/Wright Thompson/oral history of the national/seven articles about people who learned to live life through hoops after their dad died website just never happened.
That's because that model won't make Disney money.
That's because that model won't make Disney money.
eh... That stuff is still on the site. I just glanced at the front page.
Here's piece on the myserious death of a high school kid with on the scene reporting
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9626413/the-mysterious-death-17-year-old-football-player-valdosta-georgia
Here's a personal piece by the great Brian Phillip that uses the X Files to talk about growing up in a small town
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9610046/the-x-files-20th-anniversary
Here's piece on the myserious death of a high school kid with on the scene reporting
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9626413/the-mysterious-death-17-year-old-football-player-valdosta-georgia
Here's a personal piece by the great Brian Phillip that uses the X Files to talk about growing up in a small town
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9610046/the-x-files-20th-anniversary
Clears Cleaver said:
Yup--that was my guess on the Grantland thread before this one. They were clearly toying with the idea of it being a higher-end location for long form journalism but the economic reality is that you're better off having a webpage that is 95% Barnwell and other young staff writers churning out column inches.
You make it sound like Grantland is buzzfeed. Brian Phillips, Alex Pappademas, Charlie Pierce, Bryan Cutris, Zach Lowe, Jonah Keri, and Wesley Morris are all elite writers.
I like Barnwell more often than I don't but wow, couldn't get through his article on how the NFC West went from the joke division of football to the best.
Interesting topic, but all he brought to it was a list of transactions in the division by date with almost no actual analysis. Possibly the most boring article I've struggled to make it halfway through in a very long time.
Interesting topic, but all he brought to it was a list of transactions in the division by date with almost no actual analysis. Possibly the most boring article I've struggled to make it halfway through in a very long time.
This was really interesting and really well written:
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9681627/baseball-archaeologist-david-block
This kind of story pops up pretty often on Grantland, which is why I keep going back. I grew up believing in the Doubleday myth, even had some kids books explaining it, so I've been interested in reading about the game's true origins for a long time. This kind of evolutionary beginning to baseball is so logical, I wonder why this isn't a more prevalent theory in the mainstream.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9681627/baseball-archaeologist-david-block
This kind of story pops up pretty often on Grantland, which is why I keep going back. I grew up believing in the Doubleday myth, even had some kids books explaining it, so I've been interested in reading about the game's true origins for a long time. This kind of evolutionary beginning to baseball is so logical, I wonder why this isn't a more prevalent theory in the mainstream.
So at this stage of his career, you'd think pretty much everything that can be said about Peyton Manning has already been said, but I actually thought this piece was quite good
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9761407/quarterback-peyton-manning-37
Personally, for me the closest comparison for Manning at this point isn't even in football, but rather baseball--at this point, he reminds me of Greg Maddux. Neither his fastball, nor his personality, are intimidating. But he's just so smart and well prepared, and even though "badass" is really the last word that should normally fit a guy like that, there is something sort of wierdly badass about that sort of dedication to doing your homework.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9761407/quarterback-peyton-manning-37
Personally, for me the closest comparison for Manning at this point isn't even in football, but rather baseball--at this point, he reminds me of Greg Maddux. Neither his fastball, nor his personality, are intimidating. But he's just so smart and well prepared, and even though "badass" is really the last word that should normally fit a guy like that, there is something sort of wierdly badass about that sort of dedication to doing your homework.
Which is why, as a self-professed Bill Belichick devotee, I often feel conflicted in saying I don't like Peyton Manning. They both value work ethic and preparation more than anything else, and seem to approach the game in similar ways.
Peyton used to shit on his OL and gets that stupid blotchy helmet-forehead. That's been enough for me for over a decade!
Well, he's also had the world handed to him since high school.
I read somewhere, maybe it was Deadspin, where the author said "All great QB's have had a period where they had to do more with less; Peyton did it, Brady did it..."
And I thought: wait...when?!
I read somewhere, maybe it was Deadspin, where the author said "All great QB's have had a period where they had to do more with less; Peyton did it, Brady did it..."
And I thought: wait...when?!
Brian Phillips is a really talented writer. Always seems to have a fresh angle on whatever he's writing about.
drleather2001 said:
Peyton through the years:
1998-Faulk (2200 all-purpose yards), Harrison
1999-James (2100 APY), Harrison
2000-James (2300 APY), Harrison
2001-Rhodes (4.7 ypc, 1300 APY), Harrison, Wayne
2002-James, Harrison, Wayne
2003-James, Harrison, Wayne
2004-James, Harrison, Wayne, Stokely (67 catches)
2005-James, Harrison, Wayne
2006-Addai (4.8 ypc), Harrison, Wayne
2007-Addai, Wayne, Dallas Clark
2008-Addai (ehh), Harrison, Wayne, Clark
2009-Addai (ehh), Harrison, Wayne, Clark (100 catches), An. Gonzalez (57 catches), Collie (60 catches)
2010-Wayne, Garcon (67 catches), Collie (58 catches), Tamme (58 catches)
So, in his first 8 seasons he always had at least 2 of the following: Marshall Faulk, Edgerrin James, Marvin Harrison, and/or Reggie Wayne. The year James was hurt Dominick Rhodes rushed for 1000 with nearly 5 yards a pop. 4 of those years he had 3 of them.
And from 2006 on, he was the QB for the emergence of Dallas Clark and had secondary WRs (behind Wayne) of guys like Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie (pre-injury).
Not making judgments, but he's had pretty good weapons most years.
You can make the argument that Brady, outside of 2007 and last season, never had the offensive weapons that Manning has had in any year (except 2006 maybe). Even in 2007, entering the year, Welker wasn't WELKAH and Moss was supposedly almost cut in the preseason.
drleather2001 said:
I saw him in a Waffle House in downtown Atlanta a couple of years ago. He wasn't lookin too good.
DrewDawg said:
2008 was Harrison's last year, not 2009. And that 2010 team was terrible. Manning was the only reason they won more than five games. Wayne was the only decent weapon -- guys like Garcon and Collie and Gonzalez were average at best. The line sucked. They couldn't run the ball at all (3.8 y/a). There's a reason they lost 13 games in a row the next year when Manning was hurt.
This was true pre-2007 but I don't think it has been true since then until this year. Welker-Gronk-Hernandez was as good a supporting cast as any in the league, and the collection of various multipurpose running backs (BJGE, Woodhead, Ridley, Vereen, etc.) the Pats have had over the past 5+ years is better than Addai/Donald Brown/McGahee/Moreno. Also, the Pats lines have generally been good. Not sure I'd say the same for those latter-decade Colts lines.CaptainLaddie said:
CaptainLaddie said:
Nobody thought Garcon and Collie would be that good until they actually got playtime with Manning. The talk going into that year was that Manning didn't have the sort of weapons he used to. That turned out to be somewhat incorrect (although garcon and collie weren't exactly marvin harrison), but its still worth noting.
The later Colts supporting casts weren't great, but they were nowhere near the groups Brady had in 2006 or this year. That team lost 13 games in a row because Curtis Painter was QB ... once they upgraded to a still-lousy Orlovsky, they were competitive. Painter was historically bad.coremiller said:
2011 was the only year the Welker / Gronk / Hernandez group was really in full effect. In 2008 Brady was hurt. In 2009 you had Welker / Moss, but the #3 receiver was Sam Aiken. 2010 brought Gronk and Hernandez aboard, but they were both rookies (neither cracked 50 catches or 600 yards), plus it was Welker's worst year (coming off surgery). 2011 was Welker / Gronk / Hernandez in full effect. Last year both Gronk and Hernandez missed significant chunks of time.coremiller said:
Brady obviously had a better group in 2007. 2009 and 2010 were close, probably slight edge to the Pats. 2012 slight edge to Denver, I think, given NE's injuries. This year and pre-2007, no comparison, obviously.
Kind of a big get for Grantland. Interim landing spot for Nate Silver & fivethirtyeight.
That should drive a fuckton of previously untapped traffic to Grantland. How much of that traffic will stick around to consume other elements of Grantland is open for debate, but still...
http://www.grantland.com/fivethirtyeight/story/_/id/9802433/nate-silver-us-government-shutdown
That should drive a fuckton of previously untapped traffic to Grantland. How much of that traffic will stick around to consume other elements of Grantland is open for debate, but still...
http://www.grantland.com/fivethirtyeight/story/_/id/9802433/nate-silver-us-government-shutdown
BP editor-in-chief Ben Lindbergh is in the midst of a fascinating multi-part series on MLB's Scouting Development Program, held each fall in Arizona for several dozen candidates who've been sponsored by major league clubs. Ben is one of them, and he's been both entertaining and educational in his dispatches from the desert.
Part 1
Part 2
A sampling from today's write-up:
Part 3 comes tomorrow (Friday, 10/11).
Part 1
Part 2
A sampling from today's write-up:
Part 3 comes tomorrow (Friday, 10/11).
Bergs said:
I was pleased to see Silver's voice rang true, only he was allowed to swear. Not that this is a big data set, to put it in familiar terms, by which to judge what an ESPN-based 538 might look like -- or that we necessarily had any reason to think it would be different -- but change is scary. Excited for its unveiling in 2014.
This is a really great oral history on the 89 series and the earthquake. Really well done.
I particularly love some of the Eck stuff. He was combing his hair when it happened.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9859539/the-1989-world-series-earthquake-oral-history
edit - ha nice catch. Believable either way.
I particularly love some of the Eck stuff. He was combing his hair when it happened.
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/9859539/the-1989-world-series-earthquake-oral-history
edit - ha nice catch. Believable either way.
What the hell is McCarver saying here:
A) The quake hit at 5:04 PM local time; it was during rush hour. If the games had started later, the roads would have been less traveled;
B) He's making this odd implication that baseball is forever justified in its start times because of the possibility of earthquake.
C) Or is he implying that people out east were at home, ready to watch the game, and ergo he thinks the earthquake hit the entire country?
A) The quake hit at 5:04 PM local time; it was during rush hour. If the games had started later, the roads would have been less traveled;
B) He's making this odd implication that baseball is forever justified in its start times because of the possibility of earthquake.
C) Or is he implying that people out east were at home, ready to watch the game, and ergo he thinks the earthquake hit the entire country?
I think he's saying that everyone left work early to catch the first pitch due to the start time, whereas if there was no baseball game, everyone would be leaving work at 5 and be on the road. Or not. Who knows.
There was no rush hour during that World Series. People either left work early or had office parties to watch the games.
The roads were as empty as they have ever been for a Bay Area rush hour; if they weren't, hundreds of more people would have died. Imagine a section of the Bay Bridge falling on top of cars during rush hour, or the Nimitz pancaking during bumper to bumper traffic.
The roads were as empty as they have ever been for a Bay Area rush hour; if they weren't, hundreds of more people would have died. Imagine a section of the Bay Bridge falling on top of cars during rush hour, or the Nimitz pancaking during bumper to bumper traffic.
Also,
Does anyone else find it a little shitty that the A's clearly used the quake and the delay to their extreme advantage by pitching Stewart and Moore again?
I dunno. Just seems slightly not-in-the-spirit of things.
EDIT: of course, the Giants did the same thing. So nevermind, I guess.
Does anyone else find it a little shitty that the A's clearly used the quake and the delay to their extreme advantage by pitching Stewart and Moore again?
I dunno. Just seems slightly not-in-the-spirit of things.
EDIT: of course, the Giants did the same thing. So nevermind, I guess.
Also,
Does anyone else find it a little shitty that the A's clearly used the quake and the delay to their extreme advantage by pitching Stewart and Moore again?
I dunno. Just seems slightly not-in-the-spirit of things.
Ah, I see.
I still take issue with his attempt to justify the start times to favor the East Coast (which I personally don't have a problem with). He makes it sound like it was intentional, but only in hindsight. Odd phrasing.
Does anyone else find it a little shitty that the A's clearly used the quake and the delay to their extreme advantage by pitching Stewart and Moore again?
I dunno. Just seems slightly not-in-the-spirit of things.
Spacemans Bong said:
Ah, I see.
I still take issue with his attempt to justify the start times to favor the East Coast (which I personally don't have a problem with). He makes it sound like it was intentional, but only in hindsight. Odd phrasing.
I actually took it to be him telling the East Coast to stop whining that the games start late, since in this instance it may have saved some lives. Or something.
Without probing too deep into McCarver's internal logic, it's often mentioned locally how fortunate the Bay Area was in having a quake at that specific time, since there were so few cars on the road. Most of the deaths were on that one stretch of freeway in Oakland, the Nimitz. Only one person actually died on the bridge, and a handful died in the Marina.
That most of the deaths were in Oakland makes it extra shitty that they skipped town. The Giants were definitely affected more by the quake with their guys being pretty much front and center after the quake, emotionally wrung out; I think Oakland was going to win anyway (they so obviously had the better team) but it wouldn't have been arguably the biggest blowout in Series history.
Without probing too deep into McCarver's internal logic, it's often mentioned locally how fortunate the Bay Area was in having a quake at that specific time, since there were so few cars on the road. Most of the deaths were on that one stretch of freeway in Oakland, the Nimitz. Only one person actually died on the bridge, and a handful died in the Marina.
That most of the deaths were in Oakland makes it extra shitty that they skipped town. The Giants were definitely affected more by the quake with their guys being pretty much front and center after the quake, emotionally wrung out; I think Oakland was going to win anyway (they so obviously had the better team) but it wouldn't have been arguably the biggest blowout in Series history.