I’m happy to finally have John Ourand from SportsBusiness Journal on the show. It had been in the works for a while now, but when Richard Deitsch suggested I have bigger names on the show so Ourand would write about it so everyone in the industry would know to check out the show, I figured why not just cut out the middle man and have Ourand, himself.

We talk about SBJ and SBD, what the target audience is for both publications and who he, specifically, sees as competition. Also, with SBJ/SBD being behind a paywall, how has technology changed the way they do business? Obviously if they want publicity for certain stories – or traditional links on the internet – it’s hard to do that when most of the people who click through are unable to read the story. We discuss how they handle that challenge, which involves opening up some big, breaking stories to the masses in a “there’s more where this came from” kind of way.

We talk about Jerry’s World winning venue of the year, then spend a good deal of time talking about the 2104 Super Bowl that will take place in New York. Was there really as much descent as the NY media wanted us to think? Wasn’t it just OTHER media people complaining because they want to go to Florida for a week in February instead of New York? And to that point, shouldn’t the New York media want the game in Florida too? They spend the whole rest of the year cooped up in the city that never sleeps. I’m sure some of them could use that nap on the beach.

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This is totally two shows crammed into one, which is always fun and something we haven’t done in a while.

First, Jon Tannenwald of Philly.com’s soccer blog The Goalkeeper joins the show to talk about the USMNT following their pre World Cup match against the Czech Republic last night. What did we learn? Who will make the final squad and hop on the plane to South Africa?

We run through the night, the players and take a look at Saturday’s match in Philly where, presumably, the starting 11 will take the field.

Following that, at around the 19 minute mark for those only interested in one of our two topics today (please listen to both), joins the show, not to talk baseball, but to talk PUCKS. We run through the recent history of the Blackhawks and talk about bandwagon jumpers this time of year (which I am probably one).

I’ll be honest, I thought we’d talk more trash, but it became a pretty reasonable conversation. Oh, and we do have our bet mayoral bet set up for the Stanley Cup….Eli’s Cheesecake vs. TastyKakes.

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We start with some talk about the Flyers making it to the Stanley Cup Finals, but in no way do we gush like we have in the past about the Phillies. We’re unabashed bandwagon hoppers this year.

Oh, we’re having a mayoral bet with Kevin Kaduk of Yahoo’s Big League Stew. What should be ask for from Chicago? We’re putting up some TastyKakes. And for the record, , but do not expect them to do so.

PRINT’S NOT DEAD

We talk about the Dwayne Bowe story that’s circulating from ESPN the Magazine about a chicken in every pot, or in this case, a woman in every room. Should this get him in trouble with the team? Is his “bad judgement” as Nick put it the fact that he was a part of this or that he told the media about the clandestine situation that has been going on for FIFTY YEARS? And that’s our question: when did this start to become news? Hasn’t this kind of thing happened since professional sports began, but what wasn’t news decades ago — a secret kept by the media from the public for the players — is now front-page stuff.

And this story didn’t come from a gossip blog. This was testimony in a national magazine. We discuss the transition of the media going from being on the player’s side of this imaginary line to being on the public’s.

We also touch on the story from Friday on Deadspin about the woman who defecated in a trash can (due to, what she claims, were medical circumstances). Why is that on Deadspin? Because it happened at ESPN. Nick and I take both sides of the way Craggs handled the story.

We talk about NBA, NHL and MLB. But mostly we talk about how I want Phil Jackson’s huge chair.

Oh, and as per my post at Sporting News, what announcer would you want to do the commentary for a video game of your life? Must be alive and a sports broadcaster.

Leave in the comments.

Remember yesterday when we linked to what I called one of the most obnoxious posts in all the internet? Well, Todd Zolecki, who was discussed in the post, wrote about it yesterday and took the high road in defending his position. I called the author names on Twitter (and on the show).

(Note: I have been up since 2:45am and spent TWO HOURS trying to get a baby to sleep. Note2: That does not sway my opinion on this matter one bit, but may, in fact, add to my cantakerousness. I’m okay with that).

Here’s the link again and please read it while you listen or before you listen or after you listen. Bill Baer wrote it, and he could be the nicest guy on the planet. I may love him and want to drink 1,000 beers with him. But he sure writes like a pompous twit. There’s not a brush broad enough to compare to this tripe. What’s glaringly obvious to everyone (except perhaps the author) is that in writing such a missive toward those who don’t agree with your stance on any topic – be it Sabermetrics or whether or not the Earth is round or flat – he is doing exactly what he admonished those same people for doing to him! Was that on purpose? Was the entire post a work just to rile up people like me? I can’t believe it’s not somewhat tongue in cheek, right?

Maybe it’s just bad writing and he doesn’t realize how entirely pompous, disrespectful and flat-out wrong he sounds. It has to be. And look, I’m friends with people on all sides of this big media landscape and see the lines graying between MSM and new media every single day. But I’ll be the first to admit I still have a bit of an MSM chip on my shoulder. I really try to protect the blogs from my ire, focusing more on those who we feel have gotten too big for their media britches. But blogger or not, this is as MSM-elitist as a post can get.

It’s not, however, as terrible as this post (the original has since been taken down) by Paul Ladewski of the Pirate Report who ripped the Penguins for not being…good?

Now that the Penguins have gone belly-up in the playoffs for the fourth time in five years in the Sidney Crosby era, maybe we’ll hear less about how their ownership will turn around the Pirates in no time if given the chance.

It’s amazing, and Ladewski has been getting crushed all over the place for this ridiculous post, with some in Pittsburgh media going so far as to question his journalistic integrity. Yikes.

Look, in both cases I understand that writers can play to their audiences and some sites are for more narrow groups of readers – be they snobby elite statheads, Pirates fans or anyone in between. And this show isn’t some rant about how I think I’m some great shakes as a writer. Everyone should have confidence when they write. Everyone should, in theory, think what they are writing is in some way adding to the greater discourse. Just know, when you do that, sometimes other people are reading it too. And sometimes, your words are going to make you look like a putz.

Today’s show we talk about the following things: • The NBA Draft Lottery • Tim Donaghy’s book publisher woes, and who to believe when there’s a criminal involved who may, in fact, be telling the truth. • Dancing is mentioned. It’s not pleasant. • ESPN Upfronts, including 3D and lots more Michelle Beadle. • Yankees [...]

We talk about my wife’s grandfather’s funeral. Have you ever heard Taps played by a uniformed man with a horn at a funeral, then watched two other soldiers fold up an American flag and hand it to someone you care about? It’s an amazingly powerful moment.

We ask two questions about sports today: would you rather see a short series with close games or a long series with blowouts that lead up to a competitive culmination? How much power does “game seven” have? Plus, if you’re a fan of a team, do you embrace bandwagon jumpers, especially if your sport is looking for fans?

Last, we tackle the Deadspin rumor about Bill Simmons new contract.

If this show were a boxing match, the last time Richard Deitsch was on the show, I lost on all cards. Perhaps I have been ducking him ever since. Alas, he’s on today and it’s a doozy. If you are a regular listener of our show, I’m going to assume it’s shows like this that makes the subscription worth it. At the very least, frank discussion and the occasional moment where I get put in my place is good for ones posture…or something. I think I need a raw steak to put on my eye.

We talk about Deitsch’s Media Power Rankings with includes another Levy (David) in the industry. We also talk about Ernie Harwell’s passing and how different the world of broadcasting and sports media has become. There’s a good amount of back and forth on how I’m too easy on my guests and how I complain that Jimmy Traina of SI’s Hot Clicks is a de-facto publicist for Erin Andrews, yet I’m a publicist for everyone who comes on my show. To Deitsch, there’s little difference.

We talk about Jon Gruden and wonder why people love him so much. We also dovetail that into an interesting conversation about someone’s comments on the record or sources off the record. Jay Rothman said, on the record, that he gave Gruden the last day of the draft off. But PFT wrote, and many of us heard, that Gruden didn’t want to do it — for a number of reasons — and THAT’S why Rothman gave him the day off. So, do we believe Rothman when he goes on the record, even if sources indicate otherwise?

Another example of this issue is how we figure out what the heck happened with the Dez Bryant situation. Do we believe the leak that came out from the Dolphins, which seems entirely plausible, or do we believe Bryant, who vehemently denied that version of the story when he spoke with Mike Silver of Yahoo? Silver believes Bryant because he can use his name next to the quotes. But is Bryant telling the truth? Is Ireland (or whoever the Dolphins source is)? Is going on the record equatable to being more truthful?

We talk about the Brian Cushing DPOY re-vote and discuss if the AP voters were right to do so. Doesn’t this open up a can of worms with every vote that’s ever been cast by the organization? Was this more a point to the NFL that the writers were upset that the information wasn’t given to them by the league, even though the rules of confidentiality were collectively bargained? Could it be that the MSM just wanted this handed to them, rather than doing a little leg work? Someone had to know about this failed test, right? Why didn’t this come out when it happened?

Or do I just have a big chip on my shoulder from all the years handing media people stories while they eat in the press box. And yes, as Deitsch points out, eating in the press box is MSM for writing in my parent’s basement. And no, as Deitsch points out, I’m not better than that.

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I love the “and more” tag at the end of headlines. But this show with Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy is seriously one big “and more”. I love talking with him — it’s the two guys from Jersey thing — no matter what we discuss. This time, it’s mostly about hockey, with very little heavy lifting for those not following the action. It’s actually a decent primer for those who may want to start paying attention now. So get on it and listen. You’ll sound smart if you say whatever he says.

We talk about the timing of having a kid in the next few days (him, not me) and what his schedule will be like. He likens himself to a player that knocks up his wife after the season. Something about a small window, but I didn’t probe. Wait…

We talk at length about the pending Winnipeg situation and get into the deep-roots of Wyshynski’s total anti-Canada stance. It’s amazing how much he hates Canada.

We also talk a lot about the playoffs, who will win, who the NHL wants to win (note: not the Canadian teams or, in my opinion, the Sharks) to help TV ratings and why so many players have been getting hurt this year.

Of all our recent shows, this felt the most to me like the listener was sitting in on a one-on-one conversation. I hope that’s a good thing.

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The headline basically says it all. And I wish we knew about the latest Cushing details before we recorded. Alas…click to listen.