Lets Talk About Drew Magary

[dirtynine]

Maybe we should have a Magary thread. I read him and think he’s one of the good guys, but his tropes have definitely gotten old. I don’t know if he’s the progenitor, or just the main torch-bearer, of the Deadspin house style of opinionated writing, but it’s infuriating. I’ll underscore that by putting an exclamation point at the end of this sentence! That should show how charmingly legitimate this line of thought is! I’ll capitalize SEVERAL PHRASES to show I’m WRITING. I’ll talk about food because I like it, but without nuanced or critical commentary. Typical of BIG PUNDIT.

I like Magary. He’s not bitter, pretending, or a shadow of what he was. Most of his peers are at least one of those. I think he’s got real legit talent. Not sure how or if that gets expressed in the future, but IMO it’s there.

 

[InstaFace]

I'll read just about anything I come across by Magary, but only because I can tune out the over-the-top rage when I feel like it isn't justified (and enjoy it when I do), because underneath it is a guy who thinks deeply about a lot of things, and only has the time and inclination to walk you along a certain fraction of his leaps of reasoning or stream of consciousness. And I enjoy seeing where his thinking takes him, even if he uses 300 words when 1000 would do, and half of them are rage.

It seems like barely half of Magary's work these days is sports-related. If he's going in a Bill Simmons direction towards general pop applicability that's fine, but he does seem to aim a little higher-brow than that.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

I read everything that I can by him too and really like him, though skip his first book, "Men With Balls" it might be one of the worst books that I've ever read. I haven't read his other books yet and probably won't. I can really only take his voice for so long.

I find myself liking his GQ pieces a lot more than his Deadspin pieces. I think that the former, especially when he does longer narratives, show that he is a thoughtful writer who can turn a phrase. He also is a bit more articulate -- though he does get formulaic sometimes. Especially when he does something that he thinks will be lame or dumb and he ends up liking it (the Kid Rock cruise, hanging out with Guy Fieri) but I think that he's starting to grow out of that.

His Deadspin stuff can either be hit or miss, yesterday's entry on the Russian soccer team was Men With Balls bad, but I can appreciate where he's coming from and I share a lot of his angst and frustration with the NFL. His Jamboroo is required Thursday reading during the football season and I like his weekly mailbag columns, though he is running into SportsGuy territory where his readers think that writing like him will get them in column.

Speaking of the Sports Guy, I think that Magary turned into the writer that I wished Bill Simmons became.

 

[Spacemans Bong]

The Deadcast with him and David Roth is excellent. Roth is hands down the most perceptive writer on Trump the person. Funny as hell too.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

The Deadcast with him and David Roth is excellent. Roth is hands down the most perceptive writer on Trump the person. Funny as hell too.

Agree about Trump. Roth is also great on Deadspin when it comes to the "Remember Some Guy" videos too and he's a good follow on Twitter.

 

[MarkBT]

I'm a big fan of Roth's Twitter musings and his writing on Deadspin. "A People's History Of Bill Simmons Making Up Corny Things For Boston Fans To Chant" is one of the funniest things I've read on the internet this year: https://deadspin.com/a-peoples-history-of-bill-simmons-making-up-corny-thing-1826267364

 

[Spelunker]

I'm a big fan of Roth's Twitter musings and his writing on Deadspin. "A People's History Of Bill Simmons Making Up Corny Things For Boston Fans To Chant" is one of the funniest things I've read on the internet this year: https://deadspin.com/a-peoples-history-of-bill-simmons-making-up-corny-thing-1826267364

That led me to the below, which is wonderful.

https://www.theringer.com/nba/2017/7/7/16077712/nba-first-name-game-e1a2249dcab0

 

[TSC]

The Post Mortal, Someone Could Get Hurt, and The Hike are all really good reads. I like Magary a lot and his long form/books showcase a side of him that isn’t the typical ALL CAPS RAGE stuff he posts on Deadspin.

 

[Reverend]

The Post Mortal, Someone Could Get Hurt, and The Hike are all really good reads. I like Magary a lot and his long form/books showcase a side of him that isn’t the typical ALL CAPS RAGE stuff he posts on Deadspin.

 

[thebtskink]

I recommend The Postmortal to a lot of friends. It's written well and has a great concept and structure.

I've been reading Magary for 10 years now. His ALL CAPS stuff can get tiresome at times, but he has a real coversational tone about him that keeps me coming back. His Boston hatred has been something I've wanted to ascribe a backstory to for a while now, but I dont think the truth could ever match up to what I have in my head.

Anyways, the below essay on #metoo struck me at the time and is still great on reread:
https://deadspin.com/the-reckoning-always-comes-1819874125

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

His Boston hatred has been something I've wanted to ascribe a backstory to for a while now, but I dont think the truth could ever match up to what I have in my head.

I'm convinced that his Boston hatred has to do with his year PG in Maine, I believe it was at Bates. He's written about it before, but he was teased a lot that year and wasn't very happy. I think that while he puts a lot of that on himself (he's said he was a real asshole), I think that he also puts a lot of it on the kids he went to school with (who were mostly from Massachusetts). Though he had the same experience when he went to the University of Michigan for two semesters, but doesn't seem to hate Michiganers that much.

The story that he wrote for GQ about Trump supporters was really good.

 

[bigq]

The story that he wrote for GQ about Trump supporters was really good.

Fully agree. I especially liked this part:

And it’d be a political disaster too, if the Trump Presidency weren’t already an eternal bag of dogshit aflame on everyone’s doorstep.

The end result for me was being angry. I’m not sure if that was the intent but I tend to not make the best decisions when I am angry. I feel like a big reason for the mess we are in now is too many people are angry and talking past each other.

 

[Spacemans Bong]

I'm convinced that his Boston hatred has to do with his year PG in Maine, I believe it was at Bates. He's written about it before, but he was teased a lot that year and wasn't very happy. I think that while he puts a lot of that on himself (he's said he was a real asshole), I think that he also puts a lot of it on the kids he went to school with (who were mostly from Massachusetts). Though he had the same experience when he went to the University of Michigan for two semesters, but doesn't seem to hate Michiganers that much.

The story that he wrote for GQ about Trump supporters was really good.

Also, Boston's won 10 championships in 17 years. With a decent number of fans that take WEEI seriously.

Speaking of that, how did Magary not wedge in that Kevin McHale was at that rally?

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

There's a new "Let's Remember Some Guys" video with David Roth that was just posted today.

Honestly, I could watch a two-hour LRSG movie-length documentary and then ask for another one. It is, without a doubt, my most favorite piece of content on Deadspin.

 

[dirtynine]

Deadspin is closing Compete, their esports crossover site. Can’t say I’m sad.

 

[dirtynine]

I enjoyed this Magary piece on dealing with a Wagyu steak. He kept his dorky catch-tropes to a minimum and also channeled what I’d probably try.

https://thetakeout.com/drew-magary-ruins-wagyu-steak-1827996474

 

[The Gray Eagle]

Magary's Why Your Team Sucks series is reliably hilarious. I love the latest Broncos one.

"I know you Broncos fans are spoiled little shits who think that 5-11 was a blip on the radar, but John Elway is a horse-toothed idiot whose terminal inability to find decent players in the later rounds of the draft will keep the Broncos down and out for the foreseeable future. In a few years, people will remember that 2015 Broncos’ title as an aberration and wonder if it really happened, like that one title the Bucs won. But I look forward to this team deliberately taking out all the other QBs with head shots and ruining the NFL for the rest of us."

"Let’s remember a guy who sucked: Aforementioned turd Bill Romanowski, who was a dipshit his entire career but found a whole new level of dipshittery playing for Mike Shanahan. I hate him so much. I can’t believe he hasn’t been given a Cabinet post yet."

The paragraphs about how Denver and Colorado both suck now are gold. And I love the comments from the fans, it's great that even Broncos fans now realize that John Elway is a horse-faced, bucktoothed moron.

 

[Dotrat]

I look forward to Why Your Team Sucks every summer--especially since I emailed the Jets story to a colleague years ago who didn't understand that it wasn't a serious attempt at analysis and instead flew into a frothing digital rage in response.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

I have read all of the "WYTS" yet, but I hope they don't turn out like last year's editions where it was all about how racist each city/team is. After awhile it got really boring and really fucking depressing.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Last year's WYTS was considered one of the weakest he's ever done. Maybe the Pats' win in the SB killed his enthusiasm for it. This year's versions are all to a better start.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Just a heads-up: in today's WYTS edition (The Buccaneers), Drew and friends have put up an unedited picture of JPP's mangled hand after the fireworks accident. There's no warning before you come across it, so be careful. It's fucking disgusting and I didn't appreciate seeing it.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

Just a heads-up: in today's WYTS edition (The Buccaneers), Drew and friends have put up an unedited picture of JPP's mangled hand after the fireworks accident. There's no warning before you come across it, so be careful. It's fucking disgusting and I didn't appreciate seeing it.

Yeah. I got a little sick when I saw it. Pretty shitty move on his part, TBH.

 

[tims4wins]

I love WYTS. Especially the fan comments

 

[InstaFace]

The best one so far, I think, is the Colts one. That was fucking hysterical.

 

[Nator]

The best one so far, I think, is the Colts one. That was fucking hysterical.

He's stepped up his game. The Bears are up today, along with a funny-ass write up, the fan comments are top notch. I'm now going back to read all of the ones I've missed.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

Today's the big day, kids: New England Patriots on WYTS.

I'm sure it will be even-handed and complimentary.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Today's the big day, kids: New England Patriots on WYTS.

I'm sure it will be even-handed and complimentary.

To be honest while I usually enjoy the Pats one, I'm not reading it this year. Far too much vitriol from the readers on the site.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

To be honest while I usually enjoy the Pats one, I'm not reading it this year. Far too much vitriol from the readers on the site.

More than last year? I thought that this year a bit more tame. At the end of last year's run, I was ready to give up the whole WYTS thing.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

More than last year? I thought that this year a bit more tame. At the end of last year's run, I was ready to give up the whole WYTS thing.

I wasn't clear. I've been reading all of the entries this year, but I'm going to skip the Pats one today, which is unusual for me.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

This year's WYTS on the Pats is a bit of a bloodbath. You probably should avoid it.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Not unexpected. He's been nursing a semi on the Pats ever since the Super Bowl. It's not like the Vikings would ever give him sports pleasure, so this is the next best thing.

No biggie.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

Not unexpected. He's been nursing a semi on the Pats ever since the Super Bowl. It's not like the Vikings would ever give him sports pleasure, so this is the next best thing.

No biggie.

Magary wrote last year that he hates the Pats a little more than he hates the Redskins, and he can not stand the Redskins. I know that this is all mostly an act, but I bet Magary really got the shit kicked out of him repeatedly at his prep school in Maine.

Though I have to admit, I did agree with some of his takes about the Pats.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

It doesn't hurt that he's throwing red meat to a crowd hungry for it. Deadspin lives on Pats hate because it generates clicks.

 

[Hoya81]

To be honest, being near the end of the WYTS parade sort of softens the blow a bit.

 

[Jim Ed Rice in HOF]

Magary wrote last year that he hates the Pats a little more than he hates the Redskins, and he can not stand the Redskins. I know that this is all mostly an act, but I bet Magary really got the shit kicked out of him repeatedly at his prep school in Maine.

Though I have to admit, I did agree with some of his takes about the Pats.

I choose to believe it's not an act and that any success by New England teams causes him intense sadness. It makes it more enjoyable me.

I was curious about what prep school he may have gone to up there and came across this article talking about his Colby experience. It doesn't sound like he was a well liked individual.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

I choose to believe it's not an act and that any success by New England teams causes him intense sadness. It makes it more enjoyable me.

I was curious about what prep school he may have gone to up there and came across this article talking about his Colby experience. It doesn't sound like he was a well liked individual.

I like Magary as a writer (aside from his anti-NE biases) and one of the reasons why I do is because he seems genuinely honest. Like he knows that he was a shithead and he owns it. But he also talks about the guys he hung around with were dickheads too, which is really the experience of being a late-teen, early 20 something guy at college.

He also said the same thing about his semester at the University of Michigan.

Edit: in other words, he's the anti-Bill Simmons. I don't mean to slam Simmons, but even when he was at Digital City he wrote like he was the coolest guy in every room that he was ever in. And that's not true for anyone.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Magary has admitted that while he was at Michigan he called home and cried every night that he was terribly, totally lonely. Brutally honest is a great way of putting it.

On his Deadcasts with Roth he's very reasonable. The WYTS columns are mostly done for fun and exaggeration, but there's a lot of truth in them regarding his feelings as well.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

I guess no Jamberoo this week.

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Magary was involved in some sort of accident and is in the hospital, apparently.

https://deadspin.com/a-note-on-drew-1830961589

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

Yeah, I was just coming over to post that. I wonder what happened? Without a Jamberoo on Thursday and the Deadspin awards on Wednesday (or Tuesday) maybe it happened then?

 

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

No clue at all. They say accident so it's likely not a heart attack or something like that. Her statement is ambiguous enough to give lead to all sorts of ideas, but it's completely opaque.

 

[dirtynine]

The “injured reserve” line of the Deadspin note seemed light-hearted, but the rest came off as a little grave. I really hope he’s ok.

 

[blueline]

The “injured reserve” line of the Deadspin note seemed light-hearted, but the rest came off as a little grave. I really hope he’s ok.

"Doing well under the circumstances" definitely doesn't sound great.

 

[nattysez]

I know Deadspin has changed a lot since the Daulerio days, but there's some irony in Deadspin, of all places, putting out a statement like this and asking people to honor Drew's privacy.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

I know Deadspin has changed a lot since the Daulerio days, but there's some irony in Deadspin, of all places, putting out a statement like this and asking people to honor Drew's privacy.

I think that you're misreading this line: "but we want to allow him the time he needs to recover without worrying about blogs, and the privacy to do so without us haranguing him." (emphasis mine)

I think that the "us" is the editorial staff in general not bugging him for his latest column, not the "us" as in the population at large bugging him. At least that's how I read it.

 

[NickEsasky]

He's pretty much the only reason to go to Deadspin so hopefully, he gets well soon.

 

[PedroKsBambino]

I think that you're misreading this line: "but we want to allow him the time he needs to recover without worrying about blogs, and the privacy to do so without us haranguing him." (emphasis mine)

I think that the "us" is the editorial staff in general not bugging him for his latest column, not the "us" as in the population at large bugging him. At least that's how I read it.

The first question in the comments asked about the nature of the injury and the response was

"we’re not giving details out of respect for his family’s privacy. Thanks for understanding."

https://deadspin.com/a-note-on-drew-1830961589

I think given that they mean actual privacy, and I agree on the hypocrisy given Deadspin's history on such things. Then again, I don't really like Magary either---though that said, hope the dude is ok too.

 

[jcd0805]

Not giving details out of respect for his family just doesn’t sound good The Haters Guide to the Williams and Sanoma Catalogue is one of the highlights of my year!

 

[dcmissle]

This is a fellow who routinely wishes people to perish in fires. But “respect for the family ...”

Felgeresque, CHBesque ...

Snowflakes are gonna snowflake

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

The first question in the comments asked about the nature of the injury and the response was

https://deadspin.com/a-note-on-drew-1830961589

I think given that they mean actual privacy, and I agree on the hypocrisy given Deadspin's history on such things. Then again, I don't really like Magary either---though that said, hope the dude is ok too.

I didn't see that comment. That's understandable but a little hypocritical, I agree.

This is a fellow who routinely wishes people to perish in fires. But “respect for the family ...”

Felgeresque, CHBesque ...

Snowflakes are gonna snowflake

Uhhhh, okay?