The Diecast Dude (not shown above), whose lovely blog includes advertising for the Confirm John Bolton movement, takes aim at some of my least favorite bloggers….for reasons I would’ve not previously imagined.

Let’s look (briefly, before the nausea medicine wears off) at the alleged kingpins of sports blogging these days. First you have Deadspin, the sports blog equivalent of creatures from the dirty pictures lagoon who need to be reminded the reason their girlfriend doesn’t perform like a porn star is because those who take part in porn are paid to do what they do. You are aware Deadspin is owned by Gawker Media, right? Home of such upstanding reading material as Fleshbot, which by its own description is “a frequently updated and influential web magazine about the pornography — and the sex culture — that digital technology and distribution has made possible?” And Will Leitch was hired to write Deadspin? And other than occasional feeble attempts at sarcastic humor his standard modus operandi is showering readers with links to other bloggers, while for reasons unknown to all he is hailed as a sports blogging genius? The same “genius” whose contributions to literature prior to being hired for Deadspin include articles for Men’s Health magazine entitled “My Girlfriend’s Kinky Threesome?” Yeah, there’s some great stuff there. Dovetail into this The Mighty MJD, who in-between stints as Deadspin’s weekend editor works his own blog chockfull of obscenity-laden, trash-talking drek saying nothing and greatly impressing himself while doing so. If you want some girlie picks (sic) with your snark, there’s always SPORTSbyBROOKS. And bloggers wonder why the MSM thinks they’re a joke. Quality, intelligent sports writing? BAH! Who needs that nonsense? Give us frat house humor with a side dish of smug and something to leer at for dessert!

I’d just like to make the following as clear as possible. While Mr. DCD saw fit to link to CSTB (thank you, Ricky Bobby) this guilt by association stuff doesn’t wash with me. Having the same ownership as the infinitely more readable Fleshbot is no more or less to Will Leitch’s discredit than Cumbucket Media’s longstanding patronage of this very site. The Mighty MJD cusses from time to time? Who gives a fuck? SPORTSbyBROOKS has girlie pics? While I can’t claim I’ve ever noticed such a thing, any attempt to spice up the sportsbloggery equivalent of The Onion’s Jackie Harvey has to be considered a smart move, otherwise what’s the point?

One of the glorious things about life in a democracy (and someday I hope to live in one) is that we’re all entitled to scratch our aesthetic itches however we wish. So the Spicy Crunchwrap Supreme Eating Motherfucker’s initial efforts were underwritten by a porn biz blog. At least he’s not getting paid to plug John Bolton (yet). So the Mighty MJD has a dirty mouth. As long as he doesn’t kiss his mom with it (and if he does, perhaps Fleshbot can link to the video) it shouldn’t be our concern. Perhaps SPORTSByBROOKS is akin to the Fredricks Of Hollywood catalog narrated by Warner Wolf. Surely there are worse things. I can’t think of them at the moment, but they must be out there.

And by the same token, if The Diecast Dude wants to obsess over a bunch of jumpsuit wearing schmoes driving around in a circle, that’s just awesome. It might not be my kinda thing, but I’m sure there are many intelligent persons who love NASCAR to death. Just because I’ve not met any of them doesn’t mean they don’t exist.