Mikey Miss is back.
RADIO and MEDIA WARS are back.
And therefore, I am back.
- Descartes
John outlined the absolute stone cold chaos and hilarity that ensued yesterday as the radioheads expressed their assorted contempt for the Phillies and local "media" celebrating the team's first division championship in 13 years.
If you missed it:
Mike Missanelli talking about how some media members were celebrating in the Phillies locker room last night.
Mentions @ConnorThomas975 and @jelynchjr for "celebrating" on Twitter.
Video: @975TheFanatic pic.twitter.com/NbuHqIigUf
Hilariously, Lynch said he wasn't there, and was backed by others in the media, including former minor league reporter Jessica Quiroli, who thinks he's a woman:
https://t.co/LZwGWb5Ooj pic.twitter.com/tNCssbX5P3
Spike Eskin, who raised pick-swap trade champion Sam Hinkie's jersey to rafters at Xfinity, cast his own, fun-hating stone:
Here’s @SpikeEskin’s thoughts on Phillies celebrating last night.
“They should be happy about [winning the division], they should have a good night and go out for a steak dinner somewhere...I wasn't asking them to not be happy about it, I'm asking for them to not get black out… pic.twitter.com/w1FVva8Jla
Now that you're up to speed, here's what happened this morning as Jon Marks defended his PHLY colleague Lynch from the attacks by Missanelli, with this demand polite request for his former partner:
As first reported yesterday by @OnPattison, @MikeMiss25 & @BillColarulo accused @jelynchjr of taking selfies in the Phillies Clubhouse after they clinched the NL East, which was not true. Here's the recap pic.twitter.com/18e6Ytep8I
Our social guy Dave keeps digging this stuff up and amplifying it, single handedly driving the online conversation in Philly sports over the last 24 hours. And I am here for it.
There is so much hypocrisy from Missanelli, who started this whole thing about JOURNALISTIC INTEGRITY, that it's hard to know where to begin, but I'll kick things off with the name of this 40-minute segment from his show:
Rich.
Some #takes on this whole thing:
Take 1: There is not a person in Philly sports who likes to swing down more than Mike Missanelli.
Mention a random former host whom he beat out in the ratings in a blog post? Expect a text from Missanelli demeaning that host and inquiring why you’d bother to waste digital ink on them.
Compliment someone he deems inferior in a different blog post? Expect a text telling you why you’re wrong.
Give some pub to his competition in a blog post? Expect a text, or maybe even an email, outlining why they STINK.
Granted, he's not the only current or former mid-day host to do this sort of thing, but he's the most prolific of the small men.
So perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise that Missanelli chose yesterday, of all the days, to lambaste media members who ostensibly celebrated the Phillies clinching their first division crown in 13 years— an undoubtedly joyous and positive event for virtually everyone associated with Philly sports.
For Mike, it was just yet another chance to swing down at someone.
Take 2: Missanelli, like many in the sports media ecosphere, has this weirdly-held belief that their work is somehow on par with covering topics that actually impact people’s lives.
Newsflash: Sports are entertainment. In this case, we’re talking about an event which the press gathered for the sole purpose of producing view-porn of shirtless 20- and 30-somethings pouring beer, liquor and champagne all over each other for 60 minutes, so women could conjure up weird fantasies...
... and that dudes like me could blast Shouse in their living rooms at 11 p.m. at night to feel like they themselves had accomplished something and like JT Realmuto might one day be their friend, too.
The idea that someone has to remain a fully impartial observer in all of this is absurd, because…
Take 3: … sports media is a conduit for the fan to get closer their favorite game, teams, or player.
Often the best way to serve that fan is to be critical of the team or player, and not simply cheerlead every action. But sometimes the best way to serve the fan is to put on your own fan cap (or goggles!) and help relay the experience, especially when things go well.
The media doesn’t have to be fans of the team, but I’d argue it helps way more than it hurts. Wonder if Mike excoriated his buddy Johnny Airports-- their next Bruce concert is going to be real awkward if so.*
*Love John btw, he's excellent
Take 4: Mike longs for the way things used to be, when scribes attended games for the sole purpose of relaying what happened to people who couldn’t be there to see it live. The days before TV, cable, and the Internet, where the best recap of a sporting competition was 750 words of text.
That’s no longer the case. Most people these days who miss the game can simply walk into their kitchen, ask out loud who won, and then watch one of three different devices spring to life, eager to serve up a score, video highlights, or summary.
There are much better ways to find out what happened in a game, or even during a press conference, than by reading an article.
So sports reporters these days serve a different role. They are there now not only to summarize, but also, and mostly, to contextualize, analyze, extract new information, and occasionally, yes, entertain.
How many more examples do we need to see of the Barstools, Pat McAfees and, ahem, Crossing Broads of the world before the old guard realizes that, maybe, just maybe, it’s OK for media members to channel their inner fandom, inform, and entertain sports fans. In other words, have fun.
Take 5: Lastly, and most hilariously, Missanelli, while pining for days of yore when men were men, women weren’t in the press box, and reporters were reporters (and also probably men), was flat out wrong in accusing someone who wasn't even there. You can't soapbox (verb) on journalistic standards and then just completely whiff on an easily provable fact.
Incredibly, he's doubling down on the take:
Dude, grow up. We “asked” if it was Jamie.
a
The war theater has evolved. The lines between digital and radio are increasingly blurred. The radio types are sensing a renewed threat from digital influencers in their quest to control the narrative and THE JOURNALISTIC STANDARDS, DAMMIT. I believe this calls for my music:
