The Athletic Thread

[tennbengal]

huh

I will just assume that is gonna be bad.

[Nonlinear FC]

Should I finally buy a subscription before NYT jacks everything up? (I only read the link/headline.)

About once a month something gets linked over there and I'm tempted.

[tennbengal]

Should I finally buy a subscription before NYT jacks everything up? (I only read the link/headline.)

About once a month something gets linked over there and I'm tempted.

I can't believe you don't already have it. yes, it is worth it. Especially at the specials they keep running. I re-upped at full price with no regrets each of the last two years.

[Nonlinear FC]

Should I finally buy a subscription before NYT jacks everything up? (I only read the link/headline.)

About once a month something gets linked over there and I'm tempted.

I can't believe you don't already have it. yes, it is worth it. Especially at the specials they keep running. I re-upped at full price with no regrets each of the last two years.

I'm just incredibly (weirdly) stingy about monthly subscriptions, mainly because we have (too many) TV subscriptions.

I used to pop for a couple of podcasts, but dropped those many years ago for this reason.

[Brontoburglar]

uh, they undercut the value of it and sell it for like $10 a year sometimes

[mister d]

Well … I’m atleast half-right in that they never viewed this as a long term model.

[A_B]

uh, they undercut the value of it and sell it for like $10 a year sometimes

Yeah, I got it for $1.50 a month when I was going to cancel. But I admit I don't visit the site every day. It's nice to have access to their features, but the daily reporting doesn't do a lot for me.

[wlu_lax6]

huh

Rumor that they were positioning for a sale has been going on for a few months.

[mister d]

This is definitely better than a PE purchase so that's nice?

[sancarlos]

huh

So, Bronto, as a writer yourself, what do you see as the likely implications of this for The Athletic, its readers, and its writers?

[wlu_lax6]

huh

So, Bronto, as a writer yourself, what do you see as the likely implications of this for The Athletic, its readers, and its writers?

Lots of athletic writers are contract and not employees. That was a big part of their business model early on.

[EnochRoot]

huh

I will just assume that is gonna be bad.

Why? I mean, it’s a neat app on my iPad that I can customize by sport, league, team, etc., but the content is too often milquetoast, smacking of writers too concerned with maintaining access to clubhouses and locker rooms.

If this means I’ll no longer have to hand $ over to The Athletic and it folds into my digital subscription to the NYT, then, points!

[tennbengal]

huh

I will just assume that is gonna be bad.

Why? I mean, it’s a neat app on my iPad that I can customize by sport, league, team, etc., but the content is too often milquetoast, smacking of writers too concerned with maintaining access to clubhouses and locker rooms.

If this means I’ll no longer have to hand $ over to The Athletic and it folds into my digital subscription to the NYT, then, points!

The Bengals beat writers are fantastic. So are the Reds beat writers. I hope this doesn't change that. I worry it will. I also love the national writers they have assembled in the NFL and NBA especially. I fear change when media companies are acquired because it is usually very bad for the good stuff.

[EnochRoot]

huh

I will just assume that is gonna be bad.

Why? I mean, it’s a neat app on my iPad that I can customize by sport, league, team, etc., but the content is too often milquetoast, smacking of writers too concerned with maintaining access to clubhouses and locker rooms.

If this means I’ll no longer have to hand $ over to The Athletic and it folds into my digital subscription to the NYT, then, points!

The Bengals beat writers are fantastic. So are the Reds beat writers. I hope this doesn't change that. I worry it will. I also love the national writers they have assembled in the NFL and NBA especially. I fear change when media companies are acquired because it is usually very bad for the good stuff.

You’re right about that, cuz it usually means consolidation.

Local news coverage is sorta hilarious when you get someone writing about “Patterson’s Park was the scene of a mugging last night.”

No, it’s Patterson Park.

[Brontoburglar]

huh

So, Bronto, as a writer yourself, what do you see as the likely implications of this for The Athletic, its readers, and its writers?

I have no idea!

[mister d]

They did another mega-draft, this time baseball, where they have one drafter for each real franchise:

Pitcher
Position player
Owner (Must be one of 30 current owners)
Manager (Must be one of 30 current managers)
GM (Free pick, could be literally anyone)
City your team will reside in (Must be a current MLB city; cities with multiple teams will be designated by neighborhood/location of existing ballparks — eg. South Side Chicago and North Side Chicago, Queens and the Bronx, LA and Anaheim)
Ballpark (Must be one of the 30 current MLB ballparks; this will magically be transported to your city of choice because why not)

Drives me insane that anyone would see these rules and then pick a player/GM early on. Always pick the limited resource.

[The Sybian]

They did another mega-draft, this time baseball, where they have one drafter for each real franchise:

Pitcher
Position player
Owner (Must be one of 30 current owners)
Manager (Must be one of 30 current managers)
GM (Free pick, could be literally anyone)
City your team will reside in (Must be a current MLB city; cities with multiple teams will be designated by neighborhood/location of existing ballparks — eg. South Side Chicago and North Side Chicago, Queens and the Bronx, LA and Anaheim)
Ballpark (Must be one of the 30 current MLB ballparks; this will magically be transported to your city of choice because why not)

Drives me insane that anyone would see these rules and then pick a player/GM early on. Always pick the limited resource.

City first?

I want to look at a list of stadiums and see how many I know what team plays there.

ETA: 15, much easier than I thought, lots have kept their name or have the team name or a major hint.

[L-Jam3]

When they say literally anyone for GM, do really they mean anyone? Like could they Jurassic Park Branch Rickey? Or Nostradamus? Shit. Go with Doc Brown. Or Rick Sanchez. Go crazy folks.

[sancarlos]

Or Rick Sanchez.

Got to admire that out-of-the-box thinking.

[Reaper]

When they say literally anyone for GM, do really they mean anyone? Like could they Jurassic Park Branch Rickey? Or Nostradamus? Shit. Go with Doc Brown. Or Rick Sanchez. Go crazy folks.

I mean, Belichick and Obama were chosen, so yeah.

[rass]

Love that a place can pay someone to spend the time to write an article like this: Watford: The best team in Europe… at nutmegs

[wlu_lax6]

Thousands of words on the water fountain, the pictures, world cup.
https://theathletic.com/1448748/2019/12 ... ed-article

[Gunpowder]

huh

I will just assume that is gonna be bad.

Why? I mean, it’s a neat app on my iPad that I can customize by sport, league, team, etc., but the content is too often milquetoast, smacking of writers too concerned with maintaining access to clubhouses and locker rooms.

If this means I’ll no longer have to hand $ over to The Athletic and it folds into my digital subscription to the NYT, then, points!

Most of these good things are good because they are not part of massive lazy companies.

[A_B]

I am less interested in renewing by the day. And I pay like two bucks a month.

[EnochRoot]

huh

I will just assume that is gonna be bad.

Why? I mean, it’s a neat app on my iPad that I can customize by sport, league, team, etc., but the content is too often milquetoast, smacking of writers too concerned with maintaining access to clubhouses and locker rooms.

If this means I’ll no longer have to hand $ over to The Athletic and it folds into my digital subscription to the NYT, then, points!

Most of these good things are good because they are not part of massive lazy companies.

The Athletic is basically long-form ESPN. Like a Sunday morning ESPN show that delves deeper into a feel good story.

I'm not going to pay for this next go-round. I'd rather pay Defector.

[wlu_lax6]

The Bus....one of the few people my parents gushed over when they lived in Pittsburgh for just how awesome a person he was.
https://theathletic.com/3265171/2022/04 ... raduation/

[wlu_lax6]

From the Athletic Pulse email
$7M a year in baseballs (assuming $24/ball)
https://theathletic.com/3325753/2022/05 ... alls-used/

[Shirley]

The Bus....one of the few people my parents gushed over when they lived in Pittsburgh for just how awesome a person he was.
https://theathletic.com/3265171/2022/04 ... raduation/

I missed this before. What a great story.

[Sabo]

The Unwritten Rules of Shirt Swapping

https://theathletic.com/2899189/2022/06 ... ed_article

[wlu_lax6]

If you have not checked this out, it is another classic MLSist read. Pretty solid research on just a lost person in soccer.
https://theathletic.com/3363062/2022/06 ... ie-mclean/

[A_B]

I am less interested in renewing by the day. And I pay like two bucks a month.

Canceled. Just not enough value for my admittedly low spending bar.

[tennbengal]

I am less interested in renewing by the day. And I pay like two bucks a month.

Canceled. Just not enough value for my admittedly low spending bar.

Interesting. I read a ton and can't get to all the good stuff. No good UK, Browns stuff? C Trent for the Reds is excellent. Their national folks in the NFL and NBA are outstanding. You are not getting $2 a month in value?

[A_B]

I am less interested in renewing by the day. And I pay like two bucks a month.

Canceled. Just not enough value for my admittedly low spending bar.

Interesting. I read a ton and can't get to all the good stuff. No good UK, Browns stuff? C Trent for the Reds is excellent. Their national folks in the NFL and NBA are outstanding. You are not getting $2 a month in value?

I read C Trent, but that's about it. Some of the national baseball stuff is good. I've quit reading about the Browns and the UK stuff is decent, but usually only the profiles and longer form stuff.Day to day stuff just doesn't do it for me.

I gave it two years and just don't read it enough.

[mister d]

Probably because you're shitting less these days.

[wlu_lax6]

I am thinking about letting it go. I love Pablo M (Mlsist) and his articles, but just don't have time/desire to read the other articles that catch my fancy in the emails I get each day.

[sancarlos]

Pretty damning article today about the University of Michigan hockey program. Specifically regarding the head coach and the director of hockey operations.

[brian]

Pretty damning article today about the University of Michigan hockey program. Specifically regarding the head coach and the director of hockey operations.

Yeah his time at UM is probably done. Doubt he's coaching there by this time next week.

[Steve of phpBB]

[mister d]

[sancarlos]

So, The Athletic had an real interesting piece today about my old avatar, Jake Plummer. He’s got a mushroom company and is completely sold on their health benefits. He does come across as being a bit out there, but just as a human interest story, I found it a fun read.