• I'm no fan of the hot-takes approach to commentary, to the extent that ... well, I hate it.
And not just using it myself. I hate reading, seeing or hearing it from anyone anywhere.
The formula's essentially this:
1. Find out about a thing, optimally with little to no actual effort.
2. Concoct some sort of an opinion on this thing, optimally one that'll engage/enrage as many people as possible.
3. Count the clicks! Or listens! Or views!
But here's the reality: Those clicks or listens or views do come. The bait's taken, almost invariably, in big numbers. No matter how vapid and/or disingenuous the premise of the bait might be, no matter how transparent the creator's intention.
Understand, please, I'm not referencing all stances that go against the grain. Those can be authentically held. Take that from someone who spent all of last summer fending off fire from those who thought I was nuts to think the Penguins could be a playoff team this season, and who's spent only about a half-decade attempting to sell everyone that Major League Baseball someday would pursue a salary cap system. I've meant every syllable.
Rather, I'm referencing when the creator doesn't even agree with their own words. They're just attempting to manipulate an audience to react and, in the end, remember their name.
My question to the readership here: Why does this crap work, seemingly like never before?
Are we as a society really that much dumber?
Are those who do this stuff that much lazier?
Or am I the idiot who could be saving myself countless hours of covering teams, interviewing people and traveling across the continent?
I'm welcoming responses in comments.
• Anyone seeing a country other than the U.S. or Canada seriously chasing Olympic gold?
I've liked Finland at times, but I've been deeply disappointed in Sweden to date, and those two, I'd thought, had the best chance to expand the field of suitors. That could change, obviously, but it now looks like it'll have to come via goaltending theft.
As it is, as stacked as the Americans and Canadians obviously are up front -- Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon on PP1, for God's sake! -- the greatest separator between those two and the rest sure seems to have been the mobile defensemen they boast three pairs deep. Once possession's gained, play's flying the other direction in a split-second. And no one's been better in this regard than both Zach Werenski and Jaccob Slavin, with a bonus nod to an oncoming Quinn Hughes.
• Can we take up a GoFundMe to help Werenski escape Columbus? Like, to anywhere else?
• At any age, and maybe even more now, Sid's more cerebral than anyone on any rink. I get that we see that on Fifth Avenue here all the time. It just really jumps out in this scenario.
• Should the Steelers keep Isaac Seumalo or get a left guard out of free agency?
He's 32, and I happen to believe his metrics have had him overrated for a couple years now, but he's also widely ranked among the most prominent pending free agents at his position, so it's possible they're all right and I'm wrong.
Whichever the case, I'd be open to seeing how Spencer Anderson handles another run at guard after having been taught all five spots in Latrobe a couple summers ago. He's a total pro, game for any challenge, and he's still on his rookie contract.
And don't forget, one of Dylan Cook or Broderick Joneswon't be the starting left tackle.
• What'd happen if Mike McCarthy made a rule that active players couldn't have podcasts?
My guess: The NFL Players Association would go apoplectic. And with cause.
• If anyone missed Site Stuff over the weekend, I'll be covering every single game the Penguins play, home and road, the rest of the way, barring some unforeseen collapse that'd plunge them out of playoff contention. The travel's been booked.
• Saving all my baseball for Bradenton, Fla., where I'll be flying tomorrow night.
• Every editor I ever had at either of my two newspaper employers preached that bullet columns were lazy on the writer's part, and that the only people who liked them were the readers.
THE ASYLUM
Grind: Invasion of the hot takes
Good Monday morning!
• I'm no fan of the hot-takes approach to commentary, to the extent that ... well, I hate it.
And not just using it myself. I hate reading, seeing or hearing it from anyone anywhere.
The formula's essentially this:
1. Find out about a thing, optimally with little to no actual effort.
2. Concoct some sort of an opinion on this thing, optimally one that'll engage/enrage as many people as possible.
3. Count the clicks! Or listens! Or views!
But here's the reality: Those clicks or listens or views do come. The bait's taken, almost invariably, in big numbers. No matter how vapid and/or disingenuous the premise of the bait might be, no matter how transparent the creator's intention.
Understand, please, I'm not referencing all stances that go against the grain. Those can be authentically held. Take that from someone who spent all of last summer fending off fire from those who thought I was nuts to think the Penguins could be a playoff team this season, and who's spent only about a half-decade attempting to sell everyone that Major League Baseball someday would pursue a salary cap system. I've meant every syllable.
Rather, I'm referencing when the creator doesn't even agree with their own words. They're just attempting to manipulate an audience to react and, in the end, remember their name.
My question to the readership here: Why does this crap work, seemingly like never before?
Are we as a society really that much dumber?
Are those who do this stuff that much lazier?
Or am I the idiot who could be saving myself countless hours of covering teams, interviewing people and traveling across the continent?
I'm welcoming responses in comments.
• Anyone seeing a country other than the U.S. or Canada seriously chasing Olympic gold?
I've liked Finland at times, but I've been deeply disappointed in Sweden to date, and those two, I'd thought, had the best chance to expand the field of suitors. That could change, obviously, but it now looks like it'll have to come via goaltending theft.
As it is, as stacked as the Americans and Canadians obviously are up front -- Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon on PP1, for God's sake! -- the greatest separator between those two and the rest sure seems to have been the mobile defensemen they boast three pairs deep. Once possession's gained, play's flying the other direction in a split-second. And no one's been better in this regard than both Zach Werenski and Jaccob Slavin, with a bonus nod to an oncoming Quinn Hughes.
• Can we take up a GoFundMe to help Werenski escape Columbus? Like, to anywhere else?
• At any age, and maybe even more now, Sid's more cerebral than anyone on any rink. I get that we see that on Fifth Avenue here all the time. It just really jumps out in this scenario.
• Should the Steelers keep Isaac Seumalo or get a left guard out of free agency?
He's 32, and I happen to believe his metrics have had him overrated for a couple years now, but he's also widely ranked among the most prominent pending free agents at his position, so it's possible they're all right and I'm wrong.
Whichever the case, I'd be open to seeing how Spencer Anderson handles another run at guard after having been taught all five spots in Latrobe a couple summers ago. He's a total pro, game for any challenge, and he's still on his rookie contract.
And don't forget, one of Dylan Cook or Broderick Jones won't be the starting left tackle.
• What'd happen if Mike McCarthy made a rule that active players couldn't have podcasts?
My guess: The NFL Players Association would go apoplectic. And with cause.
• If anyone missed Site Stuff over the weekend, I'll be covering every single game the Penguins play, home and road, the rest of the way, barring some unforeseen collapse that'd plunge them out of playoff contention. The travel's been booked.
• Saving all my baseball for Bradenton, Fla., where I'll be flying tomorrow night.
• Every editor I ever had at either of my two newspaper employers preached that bullet columns were lazy on the writer's part, and that the only people who liked them were the readers.
Those damned readers.
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