The Kansas City Star’s Bill Reiter wonders “Just how far will bloggers’ roles evolve?”, observing that those of the sporting variety might consist of “sites such as Deadspin.com that attract millions of visitors a month to guys in their underwear taking shots at Buddy Bell or Herm Edwards.” An unpleasant image to be sure, but slightly better than Buddy Bell in his underwear reading Deadspin.
œI think the time is coming when bloggers will be credentialed and at games, said Will Leitch, editor and founder of Deadspin.com. œTeams are always saying it™s very difficult to figure out who™s a legitimate blogger and who is not. It™s not difficult at all. I™m a Cardinals fan, and if I was with the Cardinals™ public relations department, it would take me maybe 20 to 25 minutes to find out who the top St. Louis Cardinals bloggers are.
In what many see as a precedent-setting move, the New York Islanders are planning a blogger™s box for next season ” a press-like area set aside just for them, believed to be the first of its kind.
œWe™ve learned really quickly in the 10 days since we announced this that it appears a lot of other people in hockey and pro sports are keeping an eye on us, said Chris Botta, the team™s vice president of communications.
œWe™ve heard from some other leagues already. I don™t think anybody is looking to jump on board and set up their own blog box for the next season, but I think everybody™s looking at us as the guinea pig. Who knows where this will go?
If the Isles are the guinea pigs for this noble experiment, what does that make the Washington Capitals?