Fire Joe Morgan calls it quits
by VORP is too nerdy on Nov 14, 2008 10:37 AM PST
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PrintFor those of you who are interested, the famous sabermetrically-inclined blog, Fire Joe Morgan, announced last night that they are going to call it quits.
I began reading the site sometime in 2006, and frankly, it was a breath of fresh air at the time. There were virtually no media outlets through which I could relate my frustration with sports media except for my friends. Fire Joe Morgan analyzed, dissected, and made fun of media stupidity.
Joe Morgan was at the center of this stupidity, and rightly so. The guy is an Emmy award winning broadcaster on the #1 sports network in the world, and he seems to know next to nothing about baseball. I'm not talking about how to play baseball, as Joe has a wealth of information there, but he seems to have no idea about what's going on in baseball. His numerous weekly gaffes were inexcusable.
But FJM also highlighted and exposed bad sportswriting, of which there is no shortage. Multiple times a week FJM would feature poorly-written and thought out baseball articles which they would then "disprove" and make fun of.
It came out some time ago that the writers of the blog are actual television writers.
I have to admit that I did not consistently read FJM over the last year or so for a number of reasons. First, the blog did not post as regularly as it had before. Second, it was getting kind of stale. It was no longer unique. You can only make fun of the media obsession with David Eckstein and other similarly short, crapy players for so long. I think that bad sportswriting is more universally recognized now throughout the internet.
The Joe Chat transcripts featured every Tuesday were epic. Baltimore Oriels.
In any case, for those of you interested in at least checking out the blog...
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Forgot to mention..
that another part of the reason I think they went stale is the fact that, in the last year or so, they began talking about other sports in what had been a baseball-specific blog. They began posting just as many if not more posts related to basketball/football/the olympics as they did baseball.
by VORP is too nerdy on Nov 14, 2008 11:02 AM PST reply actions
I didn't mind that...
…bad writing and announcing covers the spectrum of the sports world.
by FormerHuntsvilleStar on Nov 14, 2008 4:30 PM PST up reply actions
The real story?
They’re jealous of Nate Silver’s success – their Bob Barr fixation got them nowhere. His click-through rates were too low.
I actually think this is true.
Politics became the new hobby of the smart kids this year…fighting against bad sportswriting and stupid gms is so….2003.
"...in baseball you wear a cap." -- george carlin
A thought about Joe himself that makes me cringe...
— The issue of Joe returning to ESPN Sunday Night Baseball next year is apparently not settled.
— The A’s are leaving Channel 36 and will move some or maybe all of their games to another outlet.
— Joe lives in the East Bay (Blackhawk).
— Somebody at either the A’s or the new TV outlet might want to add a little variety in the color commentator’s chair. Fosse could work more games as the radio analyst. In that case, you would be looking for someone who’s available, and preferably local, to sit in with Glen Kuiper on some of the television games.
Sorry…it’s just something that has occurred to me.
And remember, Joe Morgan has already been a Bay Area broadcaster in the past
Last of the Ninth - Photography Site / jamesvenes.com - Blog
if that happens
i will watch every game on mute. but do you think joe morgan would really work for the a’s? and would the a’s really hire joe? i dont think so. not after all the dumb shit hes said in particular towards moneyball and bb
I'd take Joe Morgan over
Joe Buck and Tim McCarver every day of the week and twice on Sundays. Of course, I would also take the dulcet, calming sounds of a cheese grater repeatedly scraped across a large piece of slate over those two.
I see a deranged rabbit, on fire, cowering away from a vagina. I await the results of the Rorschaschererer. -Nico
by Leopold Bloom on Nov 14, 2008 9:30 PM PST up reply actions
He already has.
Joe Morgan was part of the A’s TV broadcast team in 1995.
Root for the Giants? Not even if they're playing al-Qaeda!
I hope the Office gets canceled so they have nothing better to do
but bring FJM back.
On another note: as far as I can tell, they didn’t invent “LOOGY.” FJM started in April 2005, and in the same month THT had an article on LOOGYs. And I’m pretty sure I was using that term before because I’m weird and have this odd affection for Kelly Wunsch (and a few others, but not Mike Myers. He sucks.).
by thejd44 on Nov 14, 2008 11:22 AM PST reply actions
I think Bpro first used LOOGY regularly.
Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeeds hopscotch.
Okay.
I removed the reference. Bonus VORP points to whomever conclusively discovers the origin of LOOGY.
by VORP is too nerdy on Nov 14, 2008 1:16 PM PST up reply actions
Hell no.
" I hope the Office gets canceled so they have nothing better to do
but bring FJM back."
OH NO YOU DIDN’T.
This.
Well, I don't watch/will likely never watch the show
But I want my FJM back!
by thejd44 on Nov 14, 2008 1:31 PM PST up reply actions
you're only cheating yourself
for not watching it
"If you hit .440 with 20 bombs, you don't have to do s---. You don't have to bring a glove to practice, just hit and leave whenever you want. You can bring a 40 and smoke a cigarette and call me from the parking lot asking me what time the game is, and I'll tell you. You can even say 'F--- you, Steve!' Actually, don't say that, that wouldn't be very nice." -Steve Friend, Head Coach, Chabot College Gladiators Baseball
The American version is tough to watch...
… if you have already seen the original (UK) series.
Root for the Giants? Not even if they're playing al-Qaeda!
I disagree
I think it’s the first import in the history of imports that is as good (if not better) than the original.
If Life on Mars can keep it up for a couple seasons, it might be the second. It’s off to a good start.
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
The American version of Whose Line is like winning a billion dollars in the lottery
The British version is like getting a limb caught in a wood chipper.
by thejd44 on Nov 16, 2008 2:41 AM PST up reply actions
All In The Family, hands down
It’s a matter of taste, I suppose. The American version of The Office seldom ever makes me laugh out loud. The English version had me either laughing or cringing throughout each episode.
Root for the Giants? Not even if they're playing al-Qaeda!
I think that, generally speaking, "British comedy" is one of the world's great oxymorons.
by thejd44 on Nov 16, 2008 2:40 AM PST up reply actions
Is Monty Python "specific" enough to escape that dictum?
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
Actually, I was going to say "Monty Python is the only exception" because I do like some of that
by thejd44 on Nov 17, 2008 10:57 AM PST up reply actions
I would add Coupling and The Office as outstanding British comedy series.
Root for the Giants? Not even if they're playing al-Qaeda!
I actually find Blackadder (but not the first season) pretty reliably funny
"There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want" -Bill Watterson
Definitley, Blackadder!
A terrible omission on my part.
Root for the Giants? Not even if they're playing al-Qaeda!
They write for The Office?
I knew there was a reason I liked FJM.
by whiteshoes40 on Nov 14, 2008 4:02 PM PST up reply actions
According to imdb
Ken writes for The Office, Junior has been a consultant for South Park, and dak writes for Frank TV and Last Call with Carson Daly/
by thejd44 on Nov 16, 2008 2:45 AM PST up reply actions
Someone actually writes for Carson Daly?
I didn’t think he needed help achieving his level of mediocrity.
The monster at the end of this blog.
Oooh, really?
I’ve heard him talk about writing for the show and playing Mose, but I never knew he was connected to FJM. Sweet.
by whiteshoes40 on Nov 17, 2008 11:29 AM PST up reply actions
FJM is one of my favorite sites
im sad to see it go. im hoping that joe/others will make some particularly egregious comment or write a terrible article and leave the FJM guys no choice but to critique.
what, no ray ratto love, or in this case, hate
"If you hit .440 with 20 bombs, you don't have to do s---. You don't have to bring a glove to practice, just hit and leave whenever you want. You can bring a 40 and smoke a cigarette and call me from the parking lot asking me what time the game is, and I'll tell you. You can even say 'F--- you, Steve!' Actually, don't say that, that wouldn't be very nice." -Steve Friend, Head Coach, Chabot College Gladiators Baseball
Maybe pair the two...
…in a good cop/bad cop routine.
"I have more questions after these."-WaddellCanseco
by Gaijin_Suketto on Nov 14, 2008 1:57 PM PST up reply actions
What's a "Chael Urban"?
And why do you want to fire yours?
"That's not a Sherman tank, it's Frank Thomas!" - Monkeyball
:(
FJM was also one of my favorite sites….I would still check in every few days only to find the posts getting rarer and rarer to my dismay. I wonder why call it quits, I mean, you can just post seldomly whenever you have the desire opposed to shutting it down, unless it costs that much to operate that site (?).
Gas to Chicago- $23.87 A's/White Sox Tix- $28 Watching the A's whipping the Sox in July 05'- Priceless
They do say they're keeping the archives open
And may occasionally post if they’re so inclined. But it sounds like they probably won’t be inclined very often.
by thejd44 on Nov 14, 2008 2:53 PM PST up reply actions
And in the end
Joe Morgan wins. At least there are rumors of Morgan being fired. Bleck!
by Tyler Bleszinski on Nov 14, 2008 3:19 PM PST reply actions
That's the sad part...
Shutting down when they’re SO close!
by FormerHuntsvilleStar on Nov 14, 2008 4:32 PM PST up reply actions
Am I the only one who didn't like that site?
Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeeds hopscotch.
David Eckstein?
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
And…
…presumably the blog’s namesake, too!
by PositionPlayerProd on Nov 14, 2008 6:42 PM PST up reply actions
No, this poster appears to be shorter
I like Cindi. A. She never pretends to know more than she does. B. She has unbridled enthusiasm for her "Hotties," and isn't afraid to show it. -IM4Oakgal
Dammit!
I refrained from using that joke and here you go showing just how freakin’ funny it was!!!
The monster at the end of this blog.
I was amazed that no one bit on
this line.
“Measured”? How much more obvious could it be?
"Dispatch knuckleheadedness with Bond-like aplomb." –74mk
Yes.
Sorry, but hand in the keys to AN, please.
I thought it had its moments
but the crankiness wore thin after awhile.
"You know, a long time ago being crazy meant something. Nowadays everybody's crazy."
-Charles Manson
by kaweahkaweah on Nov 14, 2008 8:20 PM PST up reply actions
I liked it for a while
but then it became like some Beatles, Rolling Stones, etc. songs that just get played too often on the radio. You hear the first few notes and it’s, here we go again with the same stuff. FJM was doing the same thing over and over. There was nothing bad about it, it just became repetitive. I had it bookmarked for a while but deleted it quite some time ago.
sure they were always arguing the same point
but their jokes were usually unique, with a few inside jokes thrown in.
"It's like déjà vu all over again." -yogi berra
Here was my problem with the site.
In their criticism of MSM articles, they would frequently cite “sabermetric” stats as evidence that they were right and the author was wrong. But their use of statistics read like someone who got a subsription to BPro and all of sudden thought they knew everything about sabermetrics. Using garbage stats like WXRL, WARP, or FRAA – stuff that serious sabermetricians don’t use – really made me cringe. They didn’t know half as much about baseball as they thought they did, and while they were funny when they weren’t being repetitive (“fuck the heck?”), they weren’t particularly well-informed.
It was like someone who watched “An Inconvenient Truth” thought they knew everything they needed to know to combat global-warming skeptics. Yeah, they’re “more correct” than their foes, but still not actually right.
Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeeds hopscotch.
I actually thought about it once.
Children, until we have taught them better, will be perfectly happy with a seasonal round of games in which conkers succeeds hopscotch.
Legitimate criticism.
This is why I enjoy AN more; the baseball discussions are far more in depth and legitimate, and franky, smarter.
by VORP is too nerdy on Nov 15, 2008 9:18 PM PST up reply actions
I agree
Usually the points they were making were right, and I knew this, but their arguments weren’t always great from a sabermetric standpoint.
Their best moments were, clearly, in their humor/wit. And most importantly, while they might have gotten it a little bit wrong in their statistical methods at least they were trying, unlike most of the “journalists” they were criticizing.
I’m no musical expert, but I can safely say that Lindsay Lohan should not have a singing career. If I tried to make that argument using musical terms and whatnot, I’d look silly. But if I said listening to her sing is like having somebody pound a railroad spike into my ear, I don’t know too many people who would disagree. That’s what I loved about FJM.
by thejd44 on Nov 16, 2008 2:50 AM PST up reply actions
Glad to see mr. I go!!!!!
All he ever said was I !!!!!!!!! good bye to that ego.
i think you missed the point
"If you hit .440 with 20 bombs, you don't have to do s---. You don't have to bring a glove to practice, just hit and leave whenever you want. You can bring a 40 and smoke a cigarette and call me from the parking lot asking me what time the game is, and I'll tell you. You can even say 'F--- you, Steve!' Actually, don't say that, that wouldn't be very nice." -Steve Friend, Head Coach, Chabot College Gladiators Baseball
One serious criticism of blogs of this type:
The primary goal of FJM was to be humorous, which I think it was very successful at. However, I think the overall subject needs to be taken more seriously. Certain media outlets (ABC, Fox, NBC, CBS, ESPN) have taken over sports. Virtually all sports. The result is hideous presentations and sports that lack entertainment. I often get more enjoyment out of games from putting my TV on mute. This should never happen. Ever. Millions of dollars are spent on broadcasts that totally suck. Joe Buck.. Kevin Kennedy.. these guys are absolutely horrible.
Why?
I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that most baseball fans have little to no knowledge of baseball. These are the people who think Ken Griffey Jr. was a great pick up by the White Sox, or that David Eckstein was an extremely valuable player to the Cardinals because of “grit” and “heart”. They think Jason Varitek is a hall of fame catcher merely because of his ability to “call a game”. Remember when Scott Rolen was voted into the ASG in 2005 despite the fact that he only played in a handful of games that year before injuring his shoulder? Thank you, baseball fans.
We may not notice it because we surround ourselves with informed, like-minded people. Speaking from personal experience, I had trouble understanding voter behavior while I was studying Poli Sci in undergrad because I was informed about politicians, the issues, etc. A large percentage of the voter population is not very well informed. At all. I overlooked this because I was surrounded by other well-informed Poli Sci majors/grads. The point is, there are a lot of people out there who don’t know very much about baseball, and so broadcasts are catered to the least common denominator.
On another note: It’s incredibly embarrassing when a guy like Joe Buck says something like “Why doesn’t he swing on 3-0? If that was me I’d be swinging.” That’s why you don’t play baseball, Joe.
by VORP is too nerdy on Nov 14, 2008 9:33 PM PST reply actions 1 recs
great post
"If you hit .440 with 20 bombs, you don't have to do s---. You don't have to bring a glove to practice, just hit and leave whenever you want. You can bring a 40 and smoke a cigarette and call me from the parking lot asking me what time the game is, and I'll tell you. You can even say 'F--- you, Steve!' Actually, don't say that, that wouldn't be very nice." -Steve Friend, Head Coach, Chabot College Gladiators Baseball
It's not just the play-by-play and color men.
The way games are produced so piss-poor these days. The games start off a series of graphical interruptions showing lineups, defensive allignments, and player profiles. This stuff should be covered during the pre-game show so we don’t have to miss any of the action on the field. Once the game starts, show the game! Then we have the horrid, scripted cuts to smiley women on the sidelines who have nothing of substance to offer. Enough already! We also have mindless yammering about everything but the game. Mike Terico(sp) on ESPN is the worst. He acts as if the game is interrupting his ongoing conversation with his partners in the booth. I seldom get through an entire game without setting it to mute. The Toronto Blue Jays games are an exception. Rance Mullinicks(sp) is quite good.
Root for the Giants? Not even if they're playing al-Qaeda!
You're right
But as bad as it is with baseball, it’s a good fifty trillion times worse (yeah, I’m stealing PT’s hyperbole) with football. Just because anybody can pick an effing fantasy football team a lot of people think they understand the sport, and that’s compounded by some fairly dumb ex-player “analysts” out there who can barely read a teleprompter.
by thejd44 on Nov 16, 2008 2:54 AM PST up reply actions
One last thing on this
I think it’s just as bad with hockey; that sport also lends itself to lots of meathead fandom. I find that basketball generally has the most informed fans, and most of the television analysis is fairly astute (Just don’t listen to Stephen A. ever). That’s not to say everybody should love basketball or anything, but I would much rather talk to the typical basketball fan about the sport than I would for any other sport I like.
by thejd44 on Nov 16, 2008 2:56 AM PST up reply actions
Actually, I love hockey announcing
Mike Emrick is the best play-by-play announcer to do the finals of any major sporting event, and the Sharks guys are head and shoulders above any of the other local teams’ announcing duos.
College hoops is fairly good too, particularly now that Billy Packer has finally been elbowed out of the way… although even he was good for a couple of amusing “whouda thunk it” recollections about some random team from the 1950s every game.
If hockey and college hoops fans are dolts, it’s not (primarily, at least) because they learn it from the announcers.
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
I think hockey has some awesome announcers
But what I think of when I think of a hockey announcer is someone like Barry Melrose who I suspect is very knowledgable but falls back on the cliches like intensity, grit, hard-working, hustle, etc. instead of giving me real in-depth analysis.
If this is a product of a poor analyst or working for the Boo-ya Network, I don’t know. And, to be fair, I think some of those “intangible” things might mean a little more in a sport where busting your butt one extra time to get to a puck might actually make a difference.
I’m with you on college hoops. Even the guys who tend to drive me nuts (Bilas, Vitale) I think have a great knowledge of the sport. I think Packer was good, but just kinda losing it. And he appeared so damn angry all the time.
by thejd44 on Nov 17, 2008 11:01 AM PST up reply actions
Apparently the Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t think Melrose was very knowledgeable.
Perhaps we Bay Area folk are spoiled by having Drew Remenda as the color guy; he’s both funny and knowledgeable, particularly when it comes to penalty calls. (I.e. was this really slashing or not, that kind of thing.)
I think Bilas is fantastic, so I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree on that one. Who’s your favorite CBB analyst?
Your 2008 Athletics: It's Nothing Personal.
It's not that I think Bilas is bad
Just kind of annoying. And I can’t really explain why. It’s similar to how Vitale bugs the crap out of me, but to a far lesser extent – and with less obvious reasoning.
I do like Seth Davis, who I’m not sure I’ve ever heard actually do a game. But he’s in-studio stuff and whenever I hear him as a guest on a radio show I feel like I’m learning something. Since CBB isn’t my #1 sport by a long shot, I like feeling like I know more about the players after hearing somebody talk.
I do think we need to make a distinction between in-game color commentators and studio analysts. I’ve sorta been lumping them into one big group, but I probably shouldn’t.
And one last note on hockey: I actually like the Blackhawks announcers (TV and Radio), but it’s hard for me to tell how good they are. This is only the third year I’ve been big into hockey (and the 4th or 5th that I’ve at least passively followed it). When it comes to hockey, I’m probably kinda like that baseball fan who thinks Tim McCarver’s obvious comments are insightful. Sometimes I can sense the BS, but it’s hard for me to say what “Good” actually is right now. Both Hawks color guys are total homers though (Eddie Olczyk and Troy Murray).
by thejd44 on Nov 18, 2008 12:54 AM PST up reply actions
Bingo
Thats how it is and how it has been, at least during my life. Getting everyone to be well informed in baseball or politics or anything is, like, impossible. You’ll always have the common denominator be, well, common and outnumber the well informed. JMHO.
Not saying it shouldn’t change, at least as far as trying to get better announcers and to somewhat teach the people watching more about the game. The only people I enjoy listening to are Gammons, Hershiser at times, Ravech, and Harold Reynolds was fine when I last saw him on TV. There might be more but not many.
Gas to Chicago- $23.87 A's/White Sox Tix- $28 Watching the A's whipping the Sox in July 05'- Priceless
I'd like to see them do away with having to have ex-player commentators.
95% of them just aren’t very good. Not only do they tend to be kind of mundane, they often say the most idiotic things to ever come out of anyone’s mouth. Ever. I mean, listening to Troy Aikman, Joe Morgan, or Tim McCarver makes me honestly feel dumber.
by VORP is too nerdy on Nov 16, 2008 10:00 PM PST up reply actions
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