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Tag Archive - markcubaniskindofnuts

Thoughts From A Blogger Covering A Dallas Mavericks Game

April 11, 2008 in by with 6 Comments

If you’re just joining this little Drama Club, I’d suggest quickly checking up on this tripe and this schlock.

So now I’ll tell you, the rest of the story. Once Cuban opened up the locker room and invited bloggers in, I got in touch with the Mavs’ Basketball Communications office. The kind folks there were helpful, if slow to respond, what with all the “handling of media affairs for a pro basketball team” stuff. They said to submit a formal application with my name, website, and contact information and they would get back to me. Then Cuban dropped the “you must appeal to me on BlogMaverick” business, and I decided not to stoop to that level. I would just wait for BC to get back to me.

And I waited.

And waited.

And dropped a follow up email.

And another.

And a voice mail.

And it’s at this point that I start feeling like Favreau in Swingers, just repeatedly leaving messages for someone who will never call back.

Meanwhile, Cuban tells FireAvery.com that the stipulations are for “only Mavs-specific blogs that have been around for at least six months.” I figure I’m screwed, since I fill neither of those requirements. And I’m bummed, but I can’t blame Cuban. I said there should be some sort of standard and he set one. What I didn’t know was that that stipulation applied to the BlogMaverick submissions. Not general credentials. So that afternoon, when I received an email from a very helpful guy inside the BC office letting me know I was in, I was over the moon. OH, SWEET, SUCCULENT VALIDATION! VALIDATE ME! VALIDATE ME!

This is followed, of course, by a follow up email by the head of the department asking about a specific level of credentials I got for the All-Star weekend. “Oh, no!” I thought, “The jig is up!” I was pretty certain that would be the doom of me, especially since there was no “Hi” or “Dear Sir” or “This won’t be a problem, just checking on something” in the email. It was like a hall monitor quizzing me on why I wasn’t headed straight for the restroom. I thought I was sunk again. Either that or word had gotten to Cuban and I’d had the kibosh put on me. Yeah, because Mark Cuban gives a rat’s ass what I do with my time.

Finally, after the interview with DallasBasketball.com and talking with FireAvery.com, I decided there was no way it was going to happen. Which was okay, new Office would be on and the Thursday night games were good anyway.

And then I got an email saying I was all set.

OMG…WTF?

I decided not to ask any questions, to keep my head down and just try and get to the game. Bear in mind that I had an actual column I was working on (and will be published soon), that actually would benefit from talking to some of the Mavs’ players. I wasn’t just going for the “free game, free food, and free parking.” (Note: While I did get access to the game, I didn’t eat the food and parking, most definitely, was not free.)

I debated whether or not to write this post, but I imagine there’s some interest out there, and an important blogger made the point that like it or not, it is a story, albeit a meaningless and completely unimportant one.

So here are some brief notes about my experience covering an actual National Basketball Association Game.

  • The AAC staff and Mavericks Basketball Communications staff were incredibly helpful and approachable. I didn’t feel watched or second-tier in the least, and it speaks to their professionalism as an organization.
  • I kept my head down in terms of talking to other folks. I didn’t want to all of a sudden have a gaggle of beat reporters aware that I was a blogger. Most of them wouldn’t care. But one prominent writer was cracking jokes about “how ridiculous blogs are.” So that kind of made me keep to myself.
  • You know how on television, the press conferences seem like they’re in this huge room? Well for a regular season game, they’re in one that’s about the size of my first apartment, only without the cockroaches and constant moaning from the upstairs neighbors. For the pregame press conference with the media, Avery sat down on the stage and everyone just kind of gathered around him like it was a campfire sing-a-long. He was more polite and laid back than he comes off on television, where he comes off as, you know, a complete lunatic.
  • I did not interview the following: Avery Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki, Jerry Stackhouse, Jason Terry, Josh Howard. Why? Because if you wanted that, you’d read the Dallas Morning News or the Fort Worth Telegram. If talking to them could have helped the column, I would have.
  • Yes, the locker room interview is as messed up as it sounds. You wait for a guy to get back in from a shower, he dresses with his back turned, while you’re just hanging out behind him, all in a gaggle, and then as he finishes putting on his thousand diamond bracelet, he turns and you can start asking questions. Pretty much the most bizarre thing I’ve ever encountered. I’ve been in locker rooms before, but just examining the process, as necessary as it is, really makes you step back and see how strange it really is.
  • I’ve made my fair share of “Haha, Jason Kidd’s small” jokes in my time. I mean, really, it’s a quick laugh, and look at him on screen! He’s tiny. I turned around and the first time I saw him I thought he had swollen like he’d eaten a Mario Bros. mushroom. I won’t be making any more of those jokes. Terry, however, is exactly the size you’d think he is.
  • Dirk Nowitzki had feet so big I vowed never to let him meet the Paroxywife.
  • The AAC Mavericks experience is an absolutely amazing marketing scheme. The entire thing, from the moment you step in the doors to the second you get in you car,makes you appreciate the way Cuban has installed an organization that devotes itself to being top level in everything it does.
  • Cuban was not, at least when I was in there, on the treadmill.
  • There is enough room in the locker room, even with five players dressing at any one time, to fit approximately 30 of me, and probably 45 to 5o Skeets or Abbotts. Tim McMahons? Maybe 20. Big, tall dude, compared to most of the journalists in attendance.
  • I got a chance to introduce myself to Tim and he was a really nice guy, not at all the self-aggrandizing jerk he’s been made out to be in some circles of the web. He said something I thought was interesting. He told me that he’d “much rather deal with Mark Cuban than an owner who’s not accessible and isn’t passionate about his team.” Sounds about the same for everyone who’s dealt with Cuban.
  • I want you to imagine the nicest hotel room you’ve ever been in. Now add the biggest TV you can think of, and put 12 little TVs all around the room. Now throw a bunch of little imaginary socks around the room. That’s an NBA locker room.

Like I said, I had a hard time on whether or not to post this, since it reveals, pretty plainly, just how much awe I had to contain last night. I like to think I was no different than any other first time beat reporter being intimidated by the level I was now covering. On the other hand, though, to not post this would be deceptive. Because I’m not a journalist. I’m a blogger. I write columns and coverage of the NBA from a blogger’s perspective. Not only am I not expected to have the same perspective as a member of the traditional media, I’m specifically read because I don’t do that. I can say, with full confidence, that I can’t do what those guys do. They have training, experience, and a set of guidelines and deadlines on which they operate. However, at no point was I a problem for anyone, there is going to be a column out of this (whether or not it’s a good one is up to debate, much like everything else I’ve written on here), and the Mavs got more exposure because of it.

See? We CAN all get along! Kumbaya, MSM! Kumbaya!

In Due Respect: A Mavs Moneyball Writer On Cuban’s Request

March 31, 2008 in by with 5 Comments

This comment popped up in the other post, and I wanted to post it to get people’s thoughts on it. I’m tempted to respond in a myriad of ways, including challenging him on the fact that he did apply on Cuban’s blog, and certainly to answer the calls that I’m being arrogant by not applying. But this is a place for discussion, and his voice certainly warrants being heard. Maybe he’s right, even though I’ve actually done some legit reporting on here. The only thing I will say is that when I posted the piece about not applying, the unanimous response (up until this comment) was “Don’t sell yourself short.” So even though I may not think I’m that big of a deal, certain bloggers I respect (and I’d mention my readers do too), advised me to stick with my guns.

Here’s the comment:

As I wrote about on mavsmoneyball.com, I applied for credentials way back in July of last year. I was turned down because the front office policy wasn’t to credential Internet-only sites. So, in my opinion, Mark is simply giving the little guy a chance. He’s done it in a rather awkward and easy-to-criticize way, but I’m sure he really doesn’t much care.

Frankly, I’m rather shocked by the arrogance on display by the hobbyist bloggers. We aren’t at all journalists here. We’re part-time guys getting our opinions and analyses out. As much as I think the Dallas sports media generally stink, they reach hundreds of thousands of people and it makes sense for the Mavs to credential them. Should every Tom, Dick, and Harry blogger get credentials? C’mon, you read the comments to Cuban’s post. Some of them in the locker room would be downright embarrassing.

Henry at Truehoop is right that there should be SOME kind of criteria, because I do think there are some pretty good part-time bloggers out there doing better work than lazy mainstream media journalists. But how do you decide? Cuban is basically saying, “Submit a writing sample,” which is about as good a way as any at this point.

If people think that having to audition for free game tickets, parking, and access to the locker room is beneath them, then they need to have their egos brought under control.

Update: BlogABull agrees with Jake. I should put a “Is Matt A Douchebag For Thinking He’s Credible?” poll or something. Wait, Corn will flood the poll with “Yes” answers.

Why Must You Tempt Me, Mark? Why?

March 29, 2008 in by with 5 Comments

So after all the hub-hub on Friday, I got in touch with the Mavericks’ media office. Some very nice people fielded my call and told me what to submit and said they’d have an answer for me in the beginning of next week.

But that wasn’t enough.

Cuban’s now asking for personal submissions. (Thanks to Dallas Basketball. Both for the kind words and the link.)

Oh, Holy Christ.

It’s such a brilliant move. By basically calling us before the throne, he single handedly manages to wrangle control of the situation. The submissions in the comments range from pretty good to “Oh, Dear God, Please No. “

So what to do, is really the question? I asked for bloggers to treat this situation professionally. And I’ve done everything I can to pursue credentials to that end. But should I take advantage of this opportunity and ask Cuban? I could shoot him the D-League prez interview, that was pretty well received. The Ball Movements may not impress him so much. My analysis pieces get good run.

But the more I think about it, I can’t. I respect what Mark’s trying to do, he’s trying to push the envelope, testing the waters. And that’s cool. But I can’t go there and petition myself. To do so would be hypocritical and while not necessarily beneath me, because that’s a pretty small space, it would be in complete contrast to everything I’ve asked of the blogosphere on this issue.

So, I’m not going to do it. I just feel that if we go out there and try and sell ourselves, we’re saying that we need special attention from Mark. And we shouldn’t. There’s a lot of people that don’t need it, and shouldn’t get credentials. I really hope he doesn’t use this to make us look like idiots. That would be bad. And relatively easy, using this new approach.

I don’t blame any blogger for submitting their stuff for approval in the comments. I just don’t think I can in good conscience.

(If any of you wanted to, though… no, that’s wrong too… but maybe… no… Jesus, the battle between my pride and my desperate need for approval is epic!)

Wouldn’t it be funny if I didn’t get credentialed and the guys that comment did?

Oh, and Mark? You’re absolutely right that a lot of the bloggers have no business in the locker room because they just don’t need it. The problem is that if this ends badly you set a dangerous precedent for us getting access at all. And that’s not good for the medium.

And if any of you were wondering what we would get out of it? Trust me, I have a column I’m working on that would benefit quite a bit from asking some locker room questions.

I find myself in a pretty dangerous position. And an interesting irony. If for whatever reason, I’m left out because I don’t apply on Cuban’s blog, I’m unable to represent the blogosphere as an independent blogger while someone with less credibility could get credentials, thereby proving a point for those that think we don’t belong there. And that upsets me. But then, isn’t that probably how the beat writers from the Dallas Morning News or Fort Worth Telegram feel about us?

I expected a variety of opinions when I announced I was going to apply. I asked folks if they honestly thought I should. There were basically two opinions. One, “Absolutely. Yes you should.” and two, “This has nothing to do with bloggers and is really stupid and quit messaging me on GChat while I’m watching reruns of the Hills.” And because I tried to take the high road in this situation, I may miss the trip completely.

But after every rationalization I make, I come to the same conclusion. I spoke to the media office. I followed the same procedures as any representative of any medium. That should be sufficient. I’m trusting Mr. Cuban to be good on his word.

Breaking News: MSM Still Pissed We Exist

March 28, 2008 in by with 0 Comments

Deadspin pointed out that the Associated Press Sports Editors are ticked that Cuban went back on his word.

Because, clearly, there needs to be a huge separation. I could not possibly be on the same level as Jay Mariotti or a kid that joins at 21 as a beat reporter out of college.

We started off mad as hell at Cuban. Now we find ourselves torn. We’re so confused. Who’s side are we on, anyway?

An Open Letter To NBA Bloggers On Mark Cuban’s New Policy

March 28, 2008 in by with 5 Comments

Dear Blogosphere,
So I woke up this morning and expected it to be a usual day. I’ll write some stuff on the Hornets, talk about how the Mavericks need more production from their bench, play with the dog, have the usual Friday night Sushi with the wife, and watch whatever indie-film the Paroxywife has added to the Netflix Queue.

And then Mark Cuban decided to get all wacky/progressive again.

Here’s the thing. The article I posted about the Cuban policy wasn’t really against Cuban. When Cuban went on to explain himself, I started to understand it a lot more. I agreed that all bloggers or no bloggers should be allowed in. I just didn’t think you had to throw bloggers completely out. You could separate, make different requests, have separate procedures.

Cuban decided if he was going to get so much grief for a restrictive policy, he’d reverse it. On the surface, this seems like some type of petulant, “Fine! If you want it this way, you can have it!” move. But, despite his rather mixed messages on blogs in general, I think this might be something he actually cares about. He has a genuine investment in new media, and the rules on new media, including blogs, are something we as a society are having to define, and redefine, on the fly. It’s new, it’s fast, and it’s uncharted territory. And if Cuban is sincerely interested in trying to explore the boundaries of how to approach this situation, then he should be applauded for that.

Or he could just be out to piss off Tim McMahon. It’s Cuban. Who knows.

But, regardless of Cuban’s intent, if the Mavs organization is serious about this, it could be a huge opportunity for bloggers. Or we could collectively shoot ourselves in the foot before falling off the cliff and hanging ourselves. It’s up to us.

I thought long and hard this morning about how to approach this situation. I don’t want to do anything brash that could be harmful to blogs, and I don’t want to do anything that would embarrass us as a media entity. I’m no TrueHoop, no Skeets, no KD, no Fanhouse. I’m just a blogger that’s worked hard to build an audience, has caught a few breaks, and is reasonably read. At the same time, I’m three hours from Dallas, TX. I asked a few of those guys what they thought about me applying, if I were to go and be professional. They were overwhelmingly supportive, provided I go and be as professional as possible, which I planned on anyway.

So I sent an email for information. I may never hear back from the Mavs regarding the situation. But I wanted to try. I think this could be a great opportunity for us to show that we’re not all a bunch of idiots that (yes, you guessed it) live in our parents’ basements and wait for opportunities to catch athletes in embarrassing moments. (NOTE: Not that I condemn such things. Lord knows they’re in my Reader and I laugh just as hard.) It’s a chance to show that while we’re not journalism, (well, not all of us), per say, we can still be a valuable media source that deserves respect.

It is in that spirit that I say this. I’m asking you, bloggers, the internet, my fine friends in the series of tubes, not to get carried away. Let’s not bombard them with application for anybody that’s got a blogspot. (*Matt checks URL of his own blog.) Okay, bad example. What I’m saying is, if you’re just going to get the access, if you don’t have a genuine interest in covering the game, please don’t apply. If you’re a small blog, and you feel like you have something to contribute? By all means. All I’m saying is, let’s be responsible with this. Basically, we’re being tested.

“Here you go, bloggers! Make complete fools of yourselves! Prove how unqualified you are to be in this situation!”

Let’s rise above that. Let’s show them that even though we’re newer, even though we don’t feature columns with the same crusty cliches over and over again (well, again, not all of us), even though we haven’t followed the traditional path, we still have something to add to the discourse of sports. Let’s be responsible with the loaded weapon they’ve handed us and not shoot ourselves. Let’s be professional bloggers. Not wanna-be journalists. Professional bloggers.

A well-known blogger when I asked him for his thoughts on this situation said “Nothing will change.” And he’s probably right. But I think, for all our complaints on how the media treats the average audience, and for our insistence that we have something genuinely valuable to add to the discussion, we have an obligation to try, don’t you?

If you’re planning on applying for credentials, we’re looking at the Utah Jazz game on April 10th. Nothing may come of this, but if you’re interested, and apply, give us a shout at the email on the sidebar. Good luck, boys and girls.

Sincerely,
Matt Moore
Hardwood Paroxysm

So About The Internets: Commentary on the Mavericks Blog Ban.

March 10, 2008 in by with 1 Comment

When I first heard the news, I was sad.

I didn’t want to add Cuban to the running list of Top 10 Douchebags in the NBA for Hardwood Paroxysm (that’s a whole other post on it’s own). Luckily the head Maverick came out and explained his position.

But I’m still not satisfied.

It’s funny, because I’ve surprisingly had more than one conversation about this topic. I was asked in New Orleans about it by a D-League exec, and then again by a Toros official. Now, there’s a huge separation between the D-League and the NBA, obviously. Like, oh, say, an average of 15,000 people per game and billions of dollars in revenue. You know. If you care about those things.

But the question is one I’ve pondered over quite a bit. I’ve been inundated with journalist culture for the last 8 years. I went to one of the best Journalism schools in the country. The majority of my friends are either currently in, or at one time were in journalism. My wife’s a journalism grad (double-major in English to be accurate; she’s wicked smaht; and by “wicked smaht”, I mean “brilliant yet underpaid” like all English grads). The blogs vs. newspapers debate is a fairly popular one in my circle. And I’m usually on the minority end of it as a blogger. None of this qualifies me as an expert on the matter in any way, shape, or form, but what else is new?

So the question that Cuban begs in his response over at MavericksBlog is if there is a standard that one can “differentiate between bloggers to the point where (one) should or should not credential one versus the other.” Cuban says it’s impossible. I’m not sure I disagree with him. With the world becoming smaller and one of the central tenets of a free internet being that everyone gets a say, how do you determine that?

On the other hand, there are certain obvious examples. I mean, I’m certain that the Mavericks press office has standards towards newspapers and whether they can get access. I’m pretty sure a high school newspaper isn’t getting locker room access.

But the response I’ve always posed this question of how much access bloggers should have is this:

“It’s not a question of ‘if,’ but a matter of ‘how much’?”

And this is where, it turns out, Cuban and I agree. Towards the end of his post, he has this to say:

“One last little thought. Some out there will take this as my not “liking” blogs. Ridiculous. It’s the exact opposite. What I don’t like is unequal access. I’m all for bloggers getting the same access as mainstream media when possible. Our interview room is open to bloggers. We take interview requests from bloggers. I’m a fan of getting as much coverage as possible for the Mavs.”

This will get glossed over in the questions of hypocrisy (which are valid, but untrue) and selective bias against the blogger in question (which are also valid, and are also probably a little bit true, considering the timing). But it’s the central point, and one that bloggers need to agree on as we move forward.

Here’s the thing.

If you ask me, should any blogger have access to everything that a reporter gets access to, my answer is no. Why? Because our goals are different, our readers are different, and our tones are different. For example, a newspaper would never post a phone call a reporter heard between a blogger and his mistress. It’s not what they cover. You can use the words “beneath them” if you must. But it’s not news. They would never post a tattoo of a ridiculous outfit, tattoo, or personal object. But us?

Oh, hell yes.

Now, this isn’t exactly true, because I’m big on scruples, and if an organization is kind enough to let me in the doors, I’m going to respect that. I cover the Toros for the Austin Chronicle Sports Blog (note: not a job), but my credentials extend to HP. If I ask a question off the record over the Toros game, it’s off the record. At the same time, you don’t want that kind of access given to a lot of bloggers.

And not just on account of the odds of them posting something inappropriate. It’s because a lot of blogs succeed as a result of the detachment. Actually, almost all of the blogs succeed because that detachment. It’s an interesting dichotomy. Beat reporters routinely talk to the same guys over and over again, get to know them and their families, but strive to maintain a detached view of the team. A blogger has little or no direct personal connection with the players or personnel they criticize or applaud, but have a distinct bias they don’t deny.

The point is that I believe there is every reason for blogs to be given access to team personnel. I have absolutely no doubt that if the Magic were to give Third Quarter Collapse access that they would be thrilled with the coverage. It’s not like Ben Q. is going to go in and ask a bunch of improper questions. He’s not going to turn around and rip the team unfairly. He’s a fan, for God’s sake. And giving him access is only going to provide another way for your fans to feel “involved” with their team.

On the flip side, there should be a separation. For starters, I think at some point there’s got to be a level of integration, albeit on a sliding scale, for access between bloggers and newspaper guys. And giving mainstream media the “extra” coverage of being in the locker room with Dirk Nowitski’s Dirk Diggler swinging back and forth will give newspaper folks the feeling that they have something more than bloggers. Good for the beat reporters. Bully for them!. Next, if you give bloggers access, but limit it, it’s going to put the PR people a little bit more at ease. It’s a transition-oriented move. It’s a compromise. It means the PR folks for the team won’t be running around their office screaming as though the bloggers have stripped off their clothes, covered themselves in warpaint, and started hacking players to death while asking for autographs. Finally, because there should be a line between bloggers and mainstream media. Bloggers should be able to cover the games just as much as newspaper reporters because as Cuban said, it gets a team “as much coverage as possible.” There’s no downside to having more coverage. But there should be a separation between newspaper access and blogger access, just like there’s separation between what bloggers do and what reporters do. And the locker room is, in my opinion, a pretty good start for the line. Not so much for what it actually provides, but for what it represents.

This is a watershed moment for the relationship between the league and blogs. Even though Cuban comes out clearly in support of blogs being included in access, no one’s going to read that part of it. In fact, the blogs are generally ignoring that point as well, and are coming out against him. The bloggers’ quarrel is a valid point. That is, if Cuban is purposefully pointing out the Dallas Morning News blogger as retaliation, and using blogs as the scapegoat.

The issue this instance creates, however, is a lot larger. It’s not like the Dallas Morning News is going to suddenly be without coverage of the Mavericks. But other teams are likely to use this as a precedent. Scarier, the league is likely to come out and formalize a policy. And I think we all know how that’s likely to come out.

One of the best things about the D-League, and one I mentioned to President Reed in New Orleans, is the way they’ve embraced blogs as a means of building a grass-roots base for the minor league. The thing is that this feeling extends to the whole league. There are so many fans who live outside of the area, but still contribute to the team’s corporate entity through various ways and follow their teams on the internet. And pushing blogs out is not the way to further welcome fans in.

So there should be a standard set. Not too loose, but not equal. Let’s not go down that dangerous road of the phrase, “s______e but e___l” and demean, well, everything, but we’re also not talking about civil rights here. There are things bloggers would want to know about that reporters don’t care about, and vice versa.

The point is that we have to come to some sort of compromise or there’s only going to be more vitriol spit by us at them, and more disdain tossed by them at us. And whether I’m talking about newspapers or the league, I’m not really even sure of myself anymore.

Either way, I hope Cuban, in a pretty clear attempt at punishing a guy and then making a subsequent point, hasn’t just set back the medium by three years.

Oh, and 10 to 1 this standard doesn’t apply to TrueHoop, though Henry will probably abide by it, because he’s that kind of guy.