Both Daily Kos and Reemer are pointing to an Athletics Nation interview with Billy Beane where he isn't stingy with his praise for blogs:
Someone emailed me something written on a Cardinals' blog, and they had nailed all the things we were talking about. The economic reasons, the personnel reasons and the reasons we made the exchange. The world of a Web log will lend itself to a lot of investigation. And you will often stumble across the answer more than someone who has to write in two hours to meet deadline just to make sure something is out in the paper the next day.
And here's Kos, with an interesting announcement:
I believe sports blogging will be the next "Big Thing", which is why I've started a company in that realm (details coming soon)... This is a new era of grassroots media. While traditional journalists had to know a little bit about a lot of things, bloggers can focus on their areas of expertise. They can drill like no one else can.
The "next big thing"? Gee, I hope so. I've been at this for almost three years now and am just getting the feeling that more people are starting to notice what we're doing.
One other note: It's hard not to notice that there is a lot of hard core interest in the Washington Nationals these days here in D.C. -- and the evidence can be found in the number of blogs dedicated to team news that have sprung up over the past few weeks alone. If I was working for the Nats, I'd find some way to establish a relationship with these folks and start to treat them just like any other member of the media.
Case in point, one full day before the Washington Post wrote about fans being upset with their seat assignments inside RFK Stadium for the 2005 season, one of the local Nats bloggers had already shot the first signal flare on the issue (not that the Post bothered to quote or acknowledge his contribution to the story).
This is only the start. And if you fancy yourself as running a forward thinking sports organization, you really ought to be paying attention.
Sorry to tell you this, but if Kos (just like Mike Moore) endorses something it’s sure to lose. Every Democratic candidate he raised money still has their day job.
isn’t ‘forward thinking’ code for ‘liberal’?
We’re going to be rich! And famous! Wooohooo!
Actually, I’d just settle for an appearance on the Sports Reporters, and the opportunity to smack Mike Lupica upside the head.