MLB Network DMCAs Video Of Bob Costas Torching MLB Pitcher, Which We'll Now Discuss At Length

from the swing-and-a-miss dept

I have to admit, I didn't see this one coming. We recently discussed how Bob Costas reacted to a video of him being more than a bit hard on Cubs MLB pitcher Pedro Strop by going full-tirade on the internet and social media. Within that post was the embedded video of the broadcast segment that featured Costas wondering aloud whether Strop pointed up to the heavens while walking off the field (something very common in sports) was him imploring a dead relative for forgiveness for his awful performance. That video, I should mention, was up and working at the time the post was being written. By the time it was published, however, it had been taken down with a notice that someone had filed a copyright claim on it.

What's strange about this is that it was an MLB Network broadcast, meaning the likely party requesting its removal would be Major League Baseball itself. I say it's strange because MLB is really good when it comes to advanced media and the internet. No other sport does as well in getting videos and content out there for people to enjoy. A party so good at the internet, however, should know better than to try to hide an embarrassing moment for a broadcaster through obscurity via intellectual property.

Because, thank you Streisand Effect, now we're talking about it again. Oh, and the video is still available from a ton of places, including on YouTube from a variety of uploaders.

The result? Well the conversation continues when this whole thing could already have been put to bed. Costas reportedly apologized to Strop. Strop reportedly accepted the apology, saying he didn't want to be the kind of person to judge anyone. And it would have been over.

But now it's not, because for some reason MLB (most likely) thought it could hide what had happened when it couldn't. I suppose MLB could start an ineffectual game of whac-a-mole with all the other sources of the video out there if it really wants to, but it shouldn't. It never should have taken the first video down in the first place. Going any further would really get the tongues wagging, which was the exact thing the league was hoping to prevent.

Filed Under: baseball, bob costas, copyright, discussion, streisand effect, takedown
Companies: mlb

Bob Costas Rails Against The Internet After Criticism For Going Nuclear On MLB Pitcher

from the standards dept

You would only really know this if you're a baseball fan, but Bob Costas went ahead and stepped in it recently while calling a Cubs vs. Cardinals game. You see, relief pitcher Pedro Strop came out to work from the bullpen and promptly crapped himself on the mound (not literally). This, of course, is only in good keeping with the Chicago Cubs tradition of sucking, but apparently Costas decided to go in pretty hard on Strop when the pitcher pointed at the sky as he exited the game.

Whoa. That's more than a little harsh relative to most MLB broadcasts and Costas heard about it from many internet sites and social media circles. Baseball fans tweeted, asking him what the deal was in delivering such a harsh line at a pitcher who simply had a rough outing. Websites, like Deadspin, offered up typically reasonable articles with equally reasonable headlines like "Holy shit, Bob Costas." As a result of all of this, Costas has said he would apologize for his remarks.

But this is still all the internet's fault, obviously.

“We can be disingenuous about it if we want, if it suits our purposes, but we all know this: We live in an age of faux outrage, of disproportionate outrage. Everything is shocking, over the top. ‘He savaged Pedro Strop’ — I mean, come on, come on. Let’s get a handle on this,” Costas said. “I could have done better and I will apologize. But . . . that’s just Internet stuff. I’m going to take care of it the same way I would have taken care of it if it was 1986. And that’s going to be that.”

In addition to those comments, the link includes an audio clip from a Costas interview on WFAN, in which he laments the fact that the internet took notice of his national broadcast and decided they didn't care for it all that much. Costas hit the usual chords whenever someone from a traditional media outlet rails against the internet and social media: something something overreaction, something something fake outrage, something something we're still the real media. But my favorite line was:

"The mainstream, which can be criticized, we have our own shortcomings, but we're supposed to hue to a higher standard, both of ethics and of quality. The idea that in some desperate attempt to remain relevant, and to get more clicks, that we should dumb ourselves down to adopting the ethos of the mob, that's something that I'm not good with."

Look, I know I don't really count as valid, because I'm from the internet, but I have a suggestion: it might not be the best plan to trot out the sacred and storied tradition of journalistic ethics in the broadcast media in reaction to a story about you going nuclear on a reliever, such that you, yourself, felt the need to apologize. Those two things mashed together don't make any sense. Come on, Bob, it ain't the internet's fault you came of like a jerk.

Filed Under: baseball, bob costas, criticism, internet, opinions, pedro strop

Reporter Curses Out Sports Blogger -- Bemoaning That Blogs Are Filled With Cursing

from the is-this-irony? dept

Last week, we pointed out the amusing contrast of a corporate blogger winning respect for his coverage of the beer industry, while a supposed trade industry journalist admitted that his coverage was impacted by the fact that he felt this blog was competition. In the latest example of a reporter's actions against a blogger making a much bigger point than his words, Pulitzer Prize winning reporter (and author of the book Friday Night Lights) Buzz Bissinger went on a curse-filled rant against bloggers on Bob Costas' show. The rant was mainly directed at Deadspin author Will Leitch. Amusingly, Leitch (who Bissinger accused of being crass and unprofessional) remained calm, thoughtful and respectful through the conversation. What was so amazing is that Bissinger displays almost every trait that he trashes Leitch and other bloggers for.

Of course, this sort of rant from a traditional reporter is nothing new -- but it's based on a misunderstanding of what's happening. He cherry picks some examples of silly blog posts, and then assumes that represents the entire concept. That, of course, is exactly wrong (though, perhaps not as ridiculous as Costas, who later in the show suggests he doesn't understand the difference between blog posts and blog comments). No one denies that as you expand the "long tail" of content out there, that you get a lot more crap. That's not even worth pointing out. But, that doesn't mean that the good stuff doesn't rise to the top -- and it does so by finding an audience. What Bissinger's attack is really saying is that he knows he's losing to the competition, and rather than up his game, his only response is to trash talk. It's a rather sad position for such an esteemed journalist, and it's insulting to his readership, as he's suggesting that they're too stupid to understand the difference between good writing and bad writing.

Filed Under: blogging, bob costas, buzz bissinger, deadspin, journalism, will leitch