Regarding Feigen, I specifically meant inside Rockets information. I seriously doubt any of the Chron writers are immersed in the NBA like many here. No doubt most of them don't even watch every Rockets game, much less a boatload of other NBA games.
Back on topic, Justice is the most notorious flip-flopper around. It's comical. I do however, like him on the radio (but perhaps it's only b/c I listen to him once every few weeks) Awesome to see someone call him out on it. Thanks for the laugh, Max
i don't like justice but not because he flip-flops; he's lazy and i don't respect his constant courting of the LCD - i don't know: maybe the flip-flopping is a component of that. but i'm ok with a mea culpa columnist - there are A LOT of papers with unadulterated jerks who draw a conclusion once and then hammer it home forever. there are plenty more who hold grudges and grind axes. we had a taste of that with blinebury and fowler back in the day - it gets old, imo. solomon is actually pretty insightful; fair-minded, less knee-jerking - i've grown to like him. btw, who's the third columnist? am i missing someone?
Precious few of RJ's flips and flops are of the mea culpa sort. He presents all of his drivel as if it were the newest insight to shine from heaven to earth through his piehole. Less knee-jerking, but still likes to stir the pot. We disagree on Solomon--but I'm out of here before I get another lecture from his biggest fan.
right and you found it... on his blog - which he has complete control over including which comments get published; like those that call out his flip-flopping. he's actually fairly contrite on his blog - he owns up (often) to the flip-flopping. the fact he has to flip-flop so often - not that he's flip-flopping - is my issue. that means he's wrong too often. just as egregious: he's rarely, if ever, insightful. when has justice ever been ahead of the curve on ANYTHING? has he *ever* been able to post an "i told you so" column with a straight face? if a team is good, he'll write about how good they are; if they're bad, he'll dump dirt on their grave. if the season hasn't started, he'll lazily lean on his favorite crutch: "we just don't know yet" (note how often he runs to this - you're a columnist! go out on a limb!). it's so easy and predictable.
You mean those he never answers? Look through some of his responses. Any moron can be sarcastic. His responses are almost all sarcasm-laden swipes at posters with whom he disagrees (the "low-hanging fruit" posts, mind you--not the well-stated ones) or politically charged insults. What a dirtbag. He *brags* about it. The *last* word that springs to mind is "contrite".
wait... i thought he never answered. look, i'm not sure your point: i'm not defending him; i vehemently dislike him... but not because he flip-flops. and ok - i'll retract "contrite" - but he does own up to his flip-flopping: he smothers it in an avalanche of smugness, sure - but it's there, ie he published the note MM referenced...
Only that he never answers the ones that call him out for his sorry act. Yeah, I wasn't disagreeing with you, just pointing out the smugness and the selective answering.
I sincerely doubt that Richard Justice: 1. sits at the computer all day long choosing which comments get published; 2. is entirely in control of what comments get posted to a blog on the houston chronicle's website. I certainly could be wrong. agree entirely with the second part of your post.
he often mentions the approval process, as do the posters. mcclain does as well. they certainly have the power to veto content. and btw, i have a new reason to dislike justice: he's a spineless mouthpiece. heard him yesterday on 1560 after the two texan strength coaches were let go. in very nearly the same sentence, he: a) admits to knowing - and liking - the two disposed coaches as far back as their redskin days; b) out-of-nowhere rips - and i means RIPS - rick smith (who i can't remember him ever ripping before, and certainly not so personally); c) relates a story about smith to back up his ripping that only a player or coach could have possibly witnessed... hmmmmmmmmmm... i can't connect those dots - anyone else? be a little less transparent, richard.
He posted a blog about it today (I can't help but read his blogs sometimes just to see how much of a joke they are) ripping Kubiak and Rick Smith for their firings, implying they don't have a clue what they're doing. He used no factual or even logical evidence as to why they were let go, only that 'Kubiak doesn't understand the importance of strength training' and Rick Smith 'was just waiting for the opportunity to dump them for his own guys'. He told a story about Kubiak yelling at Dan Riley after a loss a couple of years ago because Riley was smiling in the weight room...something that even if true, certainly wouldn't get out in the press. It's definitely possible that Rick and Gary prefer to have their own guys over ones they inherited, but they did use these guys for 3 years. It's not like they were obligated to those contracts...coaches are let go all the time while under contract. They were probably let go because we've been killed by injuries the last two years, and we get manhandled up front against teams with good, strong lines like Pittsburgh and Tennessee. I'm pretty surprised Bastin was let go though...once Dunta got back from Dr. Andrews, Bastin led the rehab process.
Justice isn't a flip flopper, he's a professional troll. He doesn't care if he's consistent, he only cares about generating controversy. I've said this before and it's worth repeating, I seriously doubt he believes half of what he writes. I don't think it's just the Chronicle, either. I think the overall quality of sports writing has really declined over the past few years. All I ask is that a columnist be either insightful or entertaining. If they can accomplish one of those two things, I'll always follow their work, but if all they do is spout the obvious and do so in a lazy boorish way, we'll I can get that anywhere. Hell, I can even do that myself.
declined from what? its sports, maybe the overall fan has taken it to seriously. I used to be all over the sports media, they have the easiest journalism jobs in the world because its sports. Its just sports. and I've made my life a little less stressful not really paying much attention to these "journalists"
From what it was even ten years ago. Justice, for example, sounds more like a 15-year-old's daily blog than someone with a college education. I guess you can say the decline has gone from "prose" to "drivel". I want to see good writing, whether it's sports or economics or politics. Is that too much to ask? So you agree that they're not on the same level as other journalists? Me, too.
