Tennis Influencer Rachel Stuhlmann Takes Over At U.S. Open, Shark Norman Heading To Boston & An Alfredo Sauce Spill In Memphis
Why do Big J journalists hate what they write about?
• Dane in Missouri fired off an email Tuesday that needs to be addressed:
I know you've mentioned this several times on Screencaps, but I was browsing around a car blog today and realized that so many automotive journalists mirror sports writers in their absolute disdain for anything their readers enjoy about the topic they cover.
For example, almost all automotive journalists go out of their way to hype electric vehicles, push climate change alarmism, complain about professional racing and sustainability, etc. Basically 180-degree opinions from what I would guess at least 80 percent of their readers believe.
I need you to enlighten us with your knowledge of the Big Js - why do these people even bother getting into writing about something they so obviously hate? What's the point? There's a ton of stuff I dislike or don't agree with, but I certainly didn't spend 10 years or more of my life obtaining a position to then write about it. I also don't believe there is anyone sitting out there watching a NASCAR race but thinking "You know what would make this more enjoyable? Better fuel economy in line with CAFE standards." What gives with these writers?
As I quickly explained to Dane in a follow-up email, for the most part within the Big J sports world you have nerds who were never good at sports who then become writers as a type of power trip where they can feel important and holier than thou because they have a press pass around their necks. It's why you see so many of these nerds with press passes framed behind them during interviews.
Look at me, I have access you'll never have. Bow down to me.
Trust me, I've had those passes and it's a pretty powerful feeling to stroll up to a UFC cage and sit in the front row with your laptop acting like you're pounding out 2000 words on a guy having his face pummeled.
The Big J might've gotten into the profession with wholesome feelings about the subject. They might've enjoyed cars as kids and working on cars with their fathers. At some point, it becomes a job and we know what happens when those emotions kick in.
The Js become angry. The pay might not be great.
They become jaded as the hours add up. The journey just to get to where an outlet lets them cover games is a huge grind. By the time they've put 15 years -- or way less -- into the business, they hate it.
The Big Js become hollow inside. They get angry. They hate the readers. And they 100% think they're smarter than the reader. The Big Js think you're morons. They don't want to hear from you. They don't want to let you have a voice. I don't know how else to put it, they hate you.
Inside a newsroom, it takes approximately five minutes to figure out which employees think highly of themselves. Just go into a sports department. You'll find out fast which people you'd want to have a patio beer with.
Very few days go by when I don't salute the Internet Gods who told me to learn basic HTML and get the hell out of the newspaper world. Now I get to hammer out America's Best Daily Internet Column as named by the readers and talk mowing.
What a life.
Suck it, Big Js.
College loan bailouts
I'll post the emails tomorrow morning because we have some still trickling in and I want to do one big dump and be done with the subject because football is here and we're going to start cranking on the topics that really bring us together like college football Saturdays.
Needless to say, I'm proud of the Screencaps community for how it has addressed the issue: calm, collected, using logic, humor, data, and using your own real-life experiences.
Like I've always said, pass the word, your friends should be starting their days here.
Tractor pulls and why I love the South
• Mark in Frisco, TX writes:
Good morning. I really appreciate how you’ve approached the college debt bailout. You could’ve taken the “let me pick Pittsburgh in the final four college playoff, just to piss off WVU fans and create a fake controversy” approach, but you didn’t. The fact is that the government (both sides) have figured out how to enrich themselves off of the average Joes and Jills, and there’s very little we can do about it. It won’t change come November. But I’m not writing about that.
I’m writing because I wanted to thank you for posting the tractor pull video. Not because I wanted to learn the physics of tractor pulls(I’m from the South, and have been to a few), but for what that guy did about halfway through. He was talking to that young man(with the Fritos), and when he was done, he made him shake his hand and look him in the eye. That’s exactly how I was taught, and it’s a lost art. I loved that!
Final story on why I love the South. I flew to Palm Springs for work, on a Saturday in the fall(not by choice). An old lady, with a heavy southern accent, was sitting behind me(this was before wifi on planes), and I hear her make a call the second the wheels touched down. The conversation went like this: “Mable, we just landed. Yes yes yes, everything is fine. Everything is…dammit, Mable, shut up and tell me the Auburn score!”
Have a great day.
Grazing boards for guys
You might've noticed that I've been on a big grazing board kick lately.
Don't you mean charcuterie board?
I prefer grazing boards because it's much easier to spell and it makes things way less elite and suburban. Grazing boards sounds like guys being guys, bellied up around a board crushing way too much salami during a 10-hour college football bender.
Because so many of you are Senior Executive Vice Presidents on Linkedin and you run within the grazing board creators within your neighborhoods, it shouldn't take long to receive emails on the following subjects:
• Which items need to be permanently kicked off grazing boards? My buddy Diesel, who clearly knows his foods, says wasabi peas, figs and dar cacao need to be banned, but corn nuts need to be in. Personally, I cannot stand when the grazing board content creators start adding raspberries for color. Get them outta here. They're great in a fruit cup. I don't need them next to pepper jack cheese.
• What goes on a Real Man's Man Grazing Board? I'm calling for deer jerky next to Fireball shots and surrounded by a wall of jalapeno-stuffed steak burritos.
• Look at this board. It looks pretty for an Instagram shoot, but there are blackberries buried in meat canyons where fingers aren't going to fit. To me, this is an instant grazing board violation by elitists who can't stand a little white space on a board.
I have a Notre Dame-OSU party to attend Saturday and I'm sitting here needing help with how I want to construct a grazing board. Tips would be appreciated. Bacon-wrapped jalapenos next to cans of Busch Light?
Send me suggestions.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com
Speaking of Busch
• Guy G. from western New York writes:
Out at the Farm Progress Show in Boone IA this week. Had to show you this harvester displayed.
You get your hair cut where?
• Kevin in Gibsonia, PA writes:
I went camping this weekend, so I like to unplug and just enjoy nature, the campfire and a few Moosehead lights. Therefore, I didn't read Saturday's screencaps until this morning. Please tell me I'm reading this wrong: "Last night, I tipped 20% at the hair salon." First of all, I would expect all of us in this community to go to a barber, not a salon. But I can look past that, maybe…but you said last night - which would be Friday.
Please tell me you didn't spend a Friday night at a hair salon. I'm shook Joe, please walk me back off the ledge. I hope I'm just reading this wrong.
It's true, I go to the $20 hair salon to get the remaining hair on my head trimmed up. As I told Kevin, no barbers for me. I'm not sure a barber has ever cut my hair. When I was a kid, our neighbor was a stylist and she would cut our hair in her kitchen. The more I think about it, I'm not sure I've ever known my dad to have his remaining hair -- he's letting the back grow out way too long -- cut by a barber.
Hard Knocks
• Johnny R. writes:
Hey Joe…it’s been a while since I’ve checked in, but I can assure you I have perfect attendance! Caught this last night on Hardknocks when I paused while my young daughter walked through the room. She saw it and we had a good laugh! Keep crushing it!
It's time to go crush Wednesday. I'm late to my publishing time.
The sun is out. Fall was in the air this morning. My basement cable issue has been solved. Everything is going to be just great today. Give 'em hell.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com