Fire Joe Morgan Fans

by Travis Buck Nuckin on Feb 6, 2008 11:21 PM PST Comment 34 comments

The writers of firejoemorgan.com, which have endorsed AN, released their names.

"Ken Tremendous (Michael Schur), Junior (Alan Yang), and dak (Dave King) are all TV writers. We live in Los Angeles, in places other than our mothers' basements."

I'm pretty excited about this!

Michael Schur is one of the main writers for The Office, and previously wrote for Saturday Night Live! He also played "Cousin Mose" in the infamous farming episode of The Office.

Pretty exciting news, especially since I know several AN fans also read FJM, and also because "Ken Tremendous" has endorsed AN.

Also The Office is the best show on TV.

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Yes.

I commented on this earlier. I'm a staunch pro-FJM man myself.

Others (xbx, salb918 apparently) find it to be a one-trick pony. Fair criticism, but I happen to likes my baseball-themed writing to be funny, not arrogant (I love BPro, but THT takes it too far). Following baseball's nothing more than a (fairly major) hobby of mine. I like to have fun with it, primarily. Which is why I find FJM to be so great.

The fact that FJM and The Office are related is fantastic. Possibly the greatest bit of info ever. Think about it, I watched Ken Tremendous s***ing in an outhouse, and had no idea it was him. My head is spinning.

"He says lots of stupid things on the television set. He seems lazy and foolish to me." -Michael Lewis, on Joe Morgan

by BWH on Feb 7, 2008 12:07 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Err, you don't like arrogance in your baseball

writing, but you are a staunch pro-FJM man?

For me, FJM defines arrogance. FJM is probably the most arrogant wannabe-stathead site I've ever come across.

ZIPS: Milledge: 466 HR, 485 2B, 2282 hits, 278-379-524

by rfloh on Feb 7, 2008 4:49 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

It's the "wannabe" part that bugs the crap out of

me.

stat-addled alien overlord

by salb918 on Feb 7, 2008 6:21 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm also curious (not offended, mind you)

what it is about THT you find unfunny/arrogant.

stat-addled alien overlord

by salb918 on Feb 7, 2008 6:21 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The difference, I think,

is FJM is arrogant in a "trying to be funny" sort of way. And they never really use anything more advanced than WARP. Sabermetrics in general have been made accessible and easy-to-understand to pretty much anyone who wants to learn, it's nothing too complicated anymore. Most of the articles they bash center around things like RBI, a reluctance to use OBP, and terrible writing (see; Paige, Woody).

THT tends to throw ut a whole bunch of charts made with a TI-92 and tell me it's all relevant. They've got some good stuff over there (Rich Lederer vs. Buster Olney, for example), but an article titled, "The Probabilistic Concept of Value" and the style in which some of those guys write seems as masturbatorily self-indulgent as the screenplay to, "Juno" (which I actually kind of liked. Shoot me.) Really, do we need a chart titled, "Correlation Coefficient Variation"?

A lot of THT's stuff says to me, "We have a degree in Mathematics, and we did a whole bunch of research, now read our article." Guys like Neyer/BPro use a lot of the same kind of analysis, but don't come off nearly as high handed about it.

"He says lots of stupid things on the television set. He seems lazy and foolish to me." -Michael Lewis, on Joe Morgan

by BWH on Feb 7, 2008 9:38 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Huh.

I guess I'll have to respectfully disagree. (Full disclosure: I write for THT.)

I can't speak for the rest of THT, but I do think there is a heavy focus on intelligent visual displays of information, whether in chart or table or plot form. I suppose that's not for everybody, but I think that makes sabermetrics more accessible, not less.

It might also be a matter of perception. BPro isn't really a sabermetric research site, with the exception of Nate Silver. They've got mainstream reports and interviews (Perrotto and Laurila - the latter is one my favorites), columns (Sheehan), analysis (Kahrl, another favorite), and scouting (Goldstein), history (Jaffe and Goldman). Only Silver is still actively engaged in sabermetric research. Otherwise, they have a neat package of statistical blackbox tools that drives their non-sabermetric coverage.

THT is definitely slanted more heavily toward the sabermetric research side, mostly John Walsh, Josh Kalk and to a lesser extent John Beamer, David Gassko, and Dave Studeman. That might where you get your perception. But THT also has the column-writing type of analysis (Brattain, Gray) as well as history (Treder, Barbieri). I'm not seeing the "high-handedness," but I can see - if I squint - that THT might have more TI-wielding sabermetric sporkers.

stat-addled alien overlord

by salb918 on Feb 7, 2008 10:00 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

What Sal said ...

I think it's pretty amazing that he was able to respond without coming across as terribly arrogant ...

Smarter =/= Arrogant

"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback

by devo on Feb 8, 2008 11:32 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe they're lying

In the comments to the FJM thread linked above, two other FJM writers identify themselves as Diablo Cody and Robert Altman.
And yesterday this kid Hart said he was being recruited by Cal and Oregon.

Brainless Automaton #439

by rubin sierra on Feb 7, 2008 1:07 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

This seems pretty damning.

http://41miles.wordpress.com/2008/02...

"He says lots of stupid things on the television set. He seems lazy and foolish to me." -Michael Lewis, on Joe Morgan

by BWH on Feb 7, 2008 10:29 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Is it just me

or is The Office a pale shadow of The Office ?

by green star oakland on Feb 7, 2008 1:23 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Steve Carrell is great...

but he can't touch Ricky Gervais. The BBC Office was absolutely brilliant.

It's Rhodes Scholar Night at the Coliseum tonight.

by Scottbass on Feb 7, 2008 2:07 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

the same, but different

different types of comedy, but both are brilliant.

Brain Sabean lol.

by rebus on Feb 7, 2008 2:16 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

+1

"There's no real reason why a flight in which one flies naked should be more expensive than any other."

by Poppy on Feb 7, 2008 6:59 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I go with that.

I go back to the 'celebrity blowjobs' comparison.

Really, does it matter which one is best? They're both incredible.

(And, just quietly, I shockingly find the US version to be better)

Notes From The Nat has a new home: http://www.natnotes.com - Stop by and mock me for getting my domain stolen.

by Ozzz on Feb 7, 2008 9:37 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

agreed

I tried to watch the BBC version, but I could really even get much past the third or fourth episode.

by chri5 on Feb 7, 2008 10:12 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I think the key is to see the BBC version first.

If you're used to the NBC version, the BBC one is a little...uh, British.

It's Rhodes Scholar Night at the Coliseum tonight.

by Scottbass on Feb 7, 2008 2:16 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

US celebrity blowjobs are better than Canadian celebrity blowjobs.

"Ten times thy self were better than ten Hattebergs" -- Monkeyball, channeling Shakespeare

by iglew on Feb 9, 2008 5:56 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

it's not just you

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Feb 7, 2008 9:58 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I didn't like anything about the British version,

but have thoroughly enjoyed the American rendition - though I fear it is falling victim to the same tendency of so many American shows, which is to get more and more "out there" and extreme, even when the low-key plot-lines are what made the show great to begin with.

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

by Nico on Feb 7, 2008 12:48 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Anything?

I thought it was absolutely hysterical. Ricky Gervais is pitch-perfect as the boss. The writing is great, the acting is good, the only negative was the run. I think 13 total episodes, including the Christmas Special.

It's Rhodes Scholar Night at the Coliseum tonight.

by Scottbass on Feb 7, 2008 2:23 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

The first series was brilliant

but in the second series, Gervais character became to unlikeable for my taste, and he went through too much humilliations, become pathetic in the Christmas special.

by jahs34 on Feb 7, 2008 5:56 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

i meant becoming not become.

by jahs34 on Feb 7, 2008 5:56 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I've never seen either,

but British comedy generally makes me want to wage war against that entire effing country. Except some Monty Python stuff is cool.

As for the FJM guys, I love the site but I, too, wondered if the identities were real.

by thejd44 on Feb 7, 2008 10:25 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Right back at ya.

by OldhamA on Feb 7, 2008 10:38 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I would say

that Traffic is a pale shadow of Traffik,
however The Office vs. The Office is a push.

by apilgrim on Feb 7, 2008 11:20 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree ...

the first couple of seasons were way better than the more recent ones. I suspect that it may have to do with them running out of Ricky Gervais written story lines.

I wasn't a big fan of the British version ... I think it has to do with a.) my being American and b.) my having firmly established ideas of who these characters were. The jokes, early one, were largely the same, but the characters are pretty different.

"It's for your own good. Big strong Devo knows whats best for Poppy" -- Mossback

by devo on Feb 8, 2008 11:35 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

One of them writes for freaking Frank Tv

I thought that was hilarious in an ironic way, or is it sarcastic?.

by jahs34 on Feb 7, 2008 12:10 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

I guess that explains the amount of posting

lately. They're on strike.

As for the actual content of the site, I agree with the general tone of what Keith Law said on the BTF thread concerning this: I generally find them humorous and appreciate that they're going after the laziest, most irresponsible forms of sports journalism. Do they add anything to sabermetrics? No, of course not, but I can't find too much fault in them for going off a little over-the-toply against the likes of Woody Paige, Jay Mariotti, and such.

RagingHarden: Yeah if you get 20 starts out of me I'll be shocked. Like, I'll wreck my drawers.

by walk off bunt on Feb 7, 2008 1:05 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Link?

That site is disgustingly badly organized. I cannot find ANYTHING at BBTF.

cardinalprecepts.blogspot.com

by PaulThomas on Feb 7, 2008 3:08 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

bbtf

just bookmark both of these:

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/...

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Feb 7, 2008 3:42 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

link

http://www.baseballthinkfactory.org/...

A's v Giants "is kind of like the difference between going to see the Ramones and going to see the Bee Gees. A's fans will go see the Ramones." -BB 07/27/05

by xbhaskarx on Feb 7, 2008 3:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs

Absolutely LOVE THEM

Fire Joe morgan is one of the best sites around. I love anything that stops the bullshit. They have countered so many articles full of completely terrible writing and terrible misfacts and terrible misinformation and terrible arguments. Thank goddess that fire joe morgan is around, otherwise people wouldn't have a clue how useless joe morgan is as an analyst. KEEP THE FIGHT AGAINST all the lies that writers spread.

by tomoyo on Feb 7, 2008 1:58 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

New info

KT referred to the guy who posts as 'America's Sweetheart' as his best man a while back. A quick Google search informs me that the best man at Schur's wedding was SNL 'Weekend Update' host Seth Meyers.

Meyers is apparently an avid Red Sox fan, so it checks out. Oddly, though, he didn't go to Harvard, like Schur.

And here's some wild speculation; Anthony Baseball is also a registered user on Mindy Kaling's blog. The Office writer/actor, and Harvard grad, BJ Novak is from Massachuschets. And his character's name is, hello, Ryan Howard. Interesting, sort of.

"He says lots of stupid things on the television set. He seems lazy and foolish to me." -Michael Lewis, on Joe Morgan

by BWH on Feb 7, 2008 5:00 PM PST reply actions 0 recs