On Hot Takes...

from www.sportspickle.com

Came across this tweet. It includes a screen shot of something Clay Travis wrote. (Again, I refuse to actually link to any of his work. You can find it by using the search engine of your choice.)

A thoroughly enjoyable bit of sports media criticism from @ClayTravisBGID: https://t.co/O2YWbnP7Ev pic.twitter.com/KUR478Kb7n

— Jamie Mottram (@JamieMottram) November 5, 2015

I think Clay doesn't understand what a "hot take" actually is.

A hot take is not "a fresh opinion about what America is talking about based on something that recently happened".

A hot take is a bullshit, illogical, nonsensical opinion based on something that recently happened.

It is a specious argument.

It is an idea that only has a gossamer-thin relation to any kind of reality.

A well-reasoned opinion piece during breaking news is not a hot take.

A well-research and sourced article is not a hot take.

Throwing up a bunch of bullshit moralizing? That's a hot take.

So write about current topics all you want. That's not the issue.

The issue is when you say stupid, indefensible things that are lacking in any substance.

That's a hot take, Clay.

Do better.

On Grantland and Sports Media By Way of Food

I was on vacation at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park when I learned about the demise of Grantland via Twitter.

My first reaction was shock. My second reaction was, well, this: 

This was my first thought. Good people got the axe today. Bayless and SAS will be on air Mon. w/o fail. https://t.co/AoNt9aZFbK

— Dave Singleton (@dfsingleton) October 30, 2015

But as I continued on throughout the day, and as some of the eulogies and takedowns have rolled in, I've become somewhat introspective (as I am wont to do).

The main takeaway I've gathered from the demise of Grantland is this:

I don't necessarily think I want to work full-time in sports media anymore.

Every now and then, I've had the itch and I've managed to scratch it in some ways. I do part-time work here on my own site (where I have the pleasure of being able to write whenever I please and whatever I please) and on The Student Section. I've written at Crystal Ball Run, Southern Pigskin, Rock M Nation and at Bleacher Report in the days when that was considered to be a punchline instead of an opportunity. I started on a site way back in the day called E-Sports Media Group.

I dabbled in a couple of podcasts on here, and did semi-regular spots on ESPN Radio in Coastal Georgia. I have been grateful for all of those opportunities.

And yes, during a couple of bouts of (extended) unemployment from my vocation, I probably could have better seized opportunities to turn this sports media avocation into a new career.

The time for that has come and gone, I believe. Some of it because of my age and the fact that I feel it is too late to really break into the game.

Some of it is because of a lack of confidence.

Some of it is plain old frustration with the state of things.