Martino--Blah, blah, blah

[bmfc1]

What do you think of Martino's Mets article today?

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/2011/04/19/2011-04-19_mets_are_officially_in_last_place_in_national_league_after_losing_to_lowly_astro.html

Here's the first paragraph:

Blah blah blah blah rain blah blah blah Niese blah blah Astros blah blah Mets got spanked. Blah blah, 6-1. We really don't know what else to tell you about this one. But we will try:

I'm not a Tracksuit fan after his comment linking any dislike of Castillo to racism... but this is lazy. It's only April--what's he going to do in August (if this crap continues)?

[Gwreck]

It's just bad writing. Additionally, using the royal "we" is offensive.

[Guest Edgy DC]

He has a story in there, even if his lede says he doesn't.

I actually have had a sneak preview of tomorrow's story.

The Daily News blah blah blah Andy Martino blah blah blah regrettably blah blah blah fired blah blah blah Phillies blah blah blah speedo tracksuit douchey fedora blah.

You're not without skills, Andrew. But it happened to Brad Emaus and it can happen to you.

[metirish]

Just because the team you are covering sucks doesn't mean you should suck too. I'm sure it's no fun being the beat writer for a dead last team but it's your job dammit , surely he can do better than this and whoever approves an article like this can do better as well.

[G-Fafif]

In this guy's defense, he's a great hard news reporter. Remember when he was reassigned from Spring Training to cover a major front page story?

Blah blah blah blah rain blah blah blah tsunami blah blah Japan blah blah earthquakes devastated the country. Blah blah, potential nuclear meltdown. We really don't know what else to tell you about this one. But we will try:

Granted, he did betray a bit of impatience on the second day of the tragedy and had to be sent back to St. Lucie.

[metirish]

G-Fafif wrote: In this guy's defense, he's a great hard news reporter. Remember when he was reassigned from Spring Training to cover a major front page story? Blah blah blah blah rain blah blah blah tsunami blah blah Japan blah blah earthquakes devastated the country. Blah blah, potential nuclear meltdown. We really don't know what else to tell you about this one. But we will try: Granted, he did betray a bit of impatience on the second day of the tragedy and had to be sent back to St. Lucie.

ha!

[stevejrogers]

Anyone see his tweet after the move yesterday? Reminding followers that Castillo was still the better "option" at 2nd. This despite the fact that no one has picked him up since being released by Philly.

Very hacky, especially the dumping on moves just for the sake of dumping on the Mets mentality.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Holy cow... I thought you were kidding about that "blah blah blah" stuff, until I clicked on the link. (My print edition of the News didn't include this story.)

Sheesh!

[G-Fafif]

Kind of the inverse of one of my favorite back pages of all time, from Newsday, June 1986:

Ho-Hum, Mets Win Again

But they waited 'til June when the Mets routinely winning was established as more than a passing fancy.

Since Martino is there to do a job, namely explain why the team he covers lost, he is basically saying here, I don't like my assignment, I wish they'd give me something else to do. And in the spirit of Chico Harlan (who, ironically, has been reporting from Japan, and not on baseball), I say put in for a transfer and turn the beat over to someone who understands this sort of thing happens in the course of a season.

If Andy was a fan, I'd sooner accept his blah-blah'ness with the lightheartedness it was presumably intended.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Anyone see his tweet after the move yesterday? Reminding followers that Castillo was still the better "option" at 2nd. This despite the fact that no one has picked him up since being released by Philly. Very hacky, especially the dumping on moves just for the sake of dumping on the Mets mentality.

POINT OF CLARIFICATION: Dumping on the Mets may be hacky, and the Martino lede may be many other things-- lazy, unprofessional, stupid-- but the lede itself is, like, the opposite of hacky.

Personally, I think it's a little doofy, but not altogether inappropriate. Though I think G-Fafif has a point, I think I'd rather read this and chuckle or rage or whatever than I would another boilerplate "limp Mets lose another one" game story. Like bmfc, though, I wonder what he'll do for an encore-- I don't peg him for a guy with the bag of gimmicks to match his sack of balls.

[G-Fafif]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: I don't peg him for a guy with the bag of gimmicks to match his sack of balls.

Somewhere in there is a cross-promotion with White Castle.

[TransMonk]

Martino gets quoted by SI...as the Mets fall to dead last in their MLB Power Rankings.

[ashie62]

Hey! we are only next tolast in Dubrow's CBS Rankings!

[Frayed Knot]

There's nothing as meaningless as on-line 'Power Rankings'.
That they've grown in all sports like kudzu over the last decade or so is truly a blight on this nation.

[MFS62]

Edgy DC wrote: He has a story in there, even if his lede says he doesn't. I actually have had a sneak preview of tomorrow's story. The Daily News blah blah blah Andy Martino blah blah blah regrettably blah blah blah fired blah blah blah Phillies blah blah blah speedo tracksuit douchey fedora blah. You're not without skills, Andrew. But it happened to Brad Emaus and it can happen to you.

The best example was when a Philly paper finally got sick and tired of Larry Merchant (after he had already been sent packing out of New York). The headline said "Larry Merchant put on waivers".

Later

[Ceetar]

Frayed Knot wrote: There's nothing as meaningless as on-line 'Power Rankings'. That they've grown in all sports like kudzu over the last decade or so is truly a blight on this nation.

What about so called experts spending days and weeks guessing which order guys are going to be selected in the draft?

[MFS62]

Ceetar wrote: Frayed Knot wrote: There's nothing as meaningless as on-line 'Power Rankings'. That they've grown in all sports like kudzu over the last decade or so is truly a blight on this nation. What about so called experts spending days and weeks guessing which order guys are going to be selected in the draft?

Based on the success he's had in those selections the last few years, Mel Kuiper's time would be better spent finding a new barber.

Later

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Tracky's been out of control for awhile. I didn't see the "blah blah" story but even before then his game stories have been exceptionally casual. I get bored of the topic I write about a lot too but a good editor shouldn't allow that, and a good writer ought to be able to remedy the boredom with more digging.