sportspage Dan wrote:Thank you for picking up theSPORTSpage Weekly. We are the only Sports weekly in Dallas since 2002. You can find it at over 1000 metroplex locations and subscriptions are available. We are proud supporters of SMU athletics.
Really? Interesting, and I hope it's true. However, after reading the publication many times, I find that hard to believe. To wit:
-- Every year, there is a story asking (or declaring) that Texas Tech is about to break through, join the big boys, challenge for world (or Big 12) supremacy, etc. I'm guessing that the editor (Scott somebody) is a Tech grad, or at least a fan. Maybe he's related to The Leach or Bobby Knight.
-- Weekly Big 12 write-ups, but nada on Conference USA, even though C-USA includes the only college in Dallas .... which, presumably, is not lost on the good folks at SportsPageDallas (as it says on the cover of the publication). It's like the DMN in tabloid format, but at least the DMN supports the university somehow (trading advertising space in exchange for its name on the scoreboard at Ford Stadium).
-- Full-page, word-for-word regurgitation of "interviews" by those renowned sports "journalists" at the Ticket! Woohoo!
-- In the weekly football predictions, SMU was never included, at least in any of the issues I saw. Never. Not once. (Admittedly, I didn't see it in the week before SMU/North Texas, so maybe it was in there then, since there were two Metroplex teams playing. But it wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't listed then, either.)
-- Love the writers in the paper, and how they're identified: you've got some guy named Ben, who touts his own (music? pyramid marketing? adult?) website like that's the only way he can keep the heat on and refers to athletes as if they're his fraternity brothers and drinking buddies, while offering a level of sports insight that could be gleaned by asking questions of a cocker spaniel. He also is identified as "a grown-ass man," which might well have some humor behind it, but shouldn't a writer with a funny name/nickname also write something either useful or funny? You've got "Skin" -- who actually goes by that name, making any other information unnecessary. However, to be fair, the man knows his basketball, so he can't be mocked for having a goofy name.
-- There are restaurant reviews (unless Kobayashi is involved, eating is not a sport -- and even then, it's hard to call it a sport) .... and lo and behold, every restaurant that gets reviewed (always very positive) also has an adverti$ement in the paper -- how shocking that the reviews are all "great." Every place reviewed is a "great burger, great beer, great atmosphere, etc." What's the chance that we'll ever see "it's OK, but not worth the trip...."? Never.
-- If it's free, why would anyone subscribe? Go get a haircut -- you'll find it there.
Posted: Mon Jan 15, 2007 4:15 pm