41. Here's my full credentials request:
http://cruisermom.blogspot.com/2008/03/dear-mark-cuban.html

And here's my writing sample:
"So what could my blogging do for the Mavericks? In a literal sense, nothing. I have never been able to tell a pick-and-roll from a zone defense, though God knows I have tried to make sense of it all. I can’t brown-nose you, because I know very few important people, except my husband and my kids. I don’t know anyone you know, unless your wife happens to be from the Paris area. Hey - it could happen. Troy Aikman’s wife grew up around here. I don’t know your brother, haven’t met anyone at the Indy Convention Center, and I don’t have a business plan to present to you that is sure to be the Next Big Thing since broadcast.com.

What I do have is a genuine interest in the Mavericks, and you, and other people who pursue professional sports as a way of life, whether as players, or owners, or in some other kind of a support role. Not in a “wow, how awesome you are!” kind of a way, but in how you conduct your lives, and how you interact with people who can ultimately do nothing for you."

Posted at 1:01AM on Mar 31st 2008 by cruisermom

42. Bloggers should be banned from the locker rooms along with reporters. As a former athelete, I never liked anybody in the locker before or after a game in any sport. That was my time to focus, reflect, shower or to get ready. Leave the players alone and have a press conference after the game.

Posted at 1:02AM on Mar 31st 2008 by Homebizseo.com

43. Here are a few excerpts from my posts

From.. Zen and the Art of Dunking.."It would be a safe bet that in the annals of organized basketball no one had ever safely completed, nor lived to tell about what the French media later referred to as “Le Dunk de la Mort” or the dreaded ‘Dunk of Death.’ Vince immediately sized up the situation, took two last steps, crouched down and shot up into the warm Australian air leaping spread eagle ala the Nike Air Jordan insignia, up, up and over a stunned and horrified Weis. Vince leaning in towards the basket with the ball cradled in his right hand and with his left giving Weis the ultimate comb-over and using his noodle like a pommel horse to complete his “now this is happening” moment. Carter finally touched down behind Weis and his royal flush stunned the French so much that they immediately surrendered to the US and to Australia. The French can keep their fries, their toast, and their unsanitary kissing but we will keep The Dunk".

From.. A Cross-over star.."My rewind button on my DVR is almost shot and I still can’t fathom how he is pulling it off. I have seen it live, watched it over and over on ESPN, and replayed it many times on the Internet and it still happens at hyper-speed. I have tried breaking it down frame by frame, as if I am scanning the grassy knoll on the Zapruder film and I’m still left shaking my head in amazement"
…
From Sympathy for Tim Donaghy…To the tune of Sympathy for the Devil….
.."So, games I tanked
holding a senior officials rank,
When the playoffs raged
And the calls? They stank!..

Pleased to meet you
hope you guess my name....

Just as every ref isn’t a criminal
and all mobsters saints
The Gambino family
just calls me Donaghy
when they need a ref on the take"…

From... Calling Dr. Freud.."In the far outer reaches of my right hemisphere, I dig deep trying to dredge up anything from my Psychology 101 class of many years ago. I find nothing but dusty stats from the ’72 Dolphins and, for some bizarre reason, the license plate number from the girl I loved (stalked) in the fourth grade (FHJ111). I have Googled everything from anxiety disorders and multiple personalities to schizophrenia and restless legs syndrome and still have absolutely no clue as to what has happened to the Utah Jazz"
…
From. A Festivus for the Rest of us
"I was fresh off the rebound from my first love, Farrah Fawcett and you were coming off a breakup and was just looking for someone to care. You were new in town and seemed unsure of yourself. So unwanted! So vulnerable! You walked into my life, the aroma of Cajun jambalaya still thick in the air, a lone string of Mardi Gras beads hung haphazardly around your neck. Yet, you looked so incredibly HOT in that wacky getup! What was it? PURPLE, GREEN, and GOLD? Elvis Presley himself couldn’t have pulled that off! But somehow you did. Utah Jazz, you had me at Hello!"

From Captain Underpants revealed…."Michael Jordan is still hovering high above the Delta Center floor. He’s above a bruised and broken Byron Russell; above everyone else on the court. The ball has just left Jordan’s hand and is in mid-arc right below the shot-clock, where 6.6 is forever emblazoned; 6.6, a new number of the beast. 6.6 could have represented how many fouls he got away with"…

http://galunga.blogspot.com/

Posted at 2:27AM on Mar 31st 2008 by Alan Hinckley

44. I really don't have much of an argument for inviting me to cover the game. I love basketball but, I read this blog for alot of other reasons. Don't comment much but do use the thoughts that your posts provoke to write and discuss within our office.

Covering the Mavs for a day would be incredible, I would rather be the completely insignificant blogger than got to cover a day in the life of Mark Cuban, the business/lifestyle side of this blog is really more the reason I read than the splash of NBA that gets tossed in.

Anyhow, I love the game, Dallas is a great town, Your business history and philosophy are inspiring and I would be a dumbass not to throw my name in the hat.

Thanks...

Cody

Posted at 6:30AM on Mar 31st 2008 by Cody Heitschmidt

45. Mark,

Here's my personal blog. I will gladly bring my video camera to AAC and video, then blog any shenanigans I can get into having been allowed access into the Mavs locker room.

http://www.grantgannon.com/2008/03/26/what-did-you-do-on-st-pattys/

Posted at 8:41AM on Mar 31st 2008 by Grant

46. You should auction off the right to be a locker room blogger on Ebay. It'd be worth trying once as a publicity stunt.

I wrote about this on my blog.

http://fskrealityguide.blogspot.com/2008/04/dallas-mavericks-and-bloggers.html

Posted at 11:39AM on Mar 31st 2008 by FSK

47. Howdy Mark,

I am part of the hockey blogging community. The NY Islanders started a blog "box" program last season that gave us access to both the media room and eventually, the locker room. There was an article about us in Sports Illustrated by Richard Dietsch.

Link: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/richard_deitsch/10/08/islanders.bloggers/index.html

We were attacked, almost right out the gate by the previous blogging establishment. As the Isles picked wristers, bloggers and/or fans based on our writing skills, we somehow infringed upon their own perches.

Their criticism:
http://sports.aol.com/fanhouse/2007/10/09/the-islanders-blog-box-fails-the-new-media-test/

I think my response might capture some of your points made in the last few weeks. I have followed the blogging flap with great interest.

My Blogged Response: http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=567&post_id=2810


Regards,
BD

Posted at 1:49PM on Mar 31st 2008 by B.D. Gallof

48. Mark,
I've commented several times on your blog. I think you are spot on with this.

Here's my blog:
http://www.smithmediafusion.com/blog/?cat=6

Love the blog. Keep it up.

Dan
(Jazz fan)

Posted at 2:48PM on Mar 31st 2008 by Dan

49. HERE IS A SAMPLE OF MY WORK. I'm 20 years old and in college. I write for enjoyment and may pursue it further one day.

March 25, 2008

As most of you know, Mavericks star power forward and former MVP Dirk Nowitzki is going to miss at least two weeks with what is being characterized as a mild high ankle and knee sprain. If you did not see the injury, it is a pleasant surprise that he only sustained sprains to the ankle and knee. (You can see a video of the injury here http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3308109) The Mavericks lost Sunday to the Spurs dropping them to four games out of first and a mere half game ahead of the eighth seed Golden State Warriors in the ultra competitive Western Conference. Here is the Mavericks' remaining schedule:

Tue, Mar 25 LA Clippers 8:30 PM EST
Thu, Mar 27 @ Denver 8:00 PM EST
Sun, Mar 30 @ Golden State 9:00 PM EST
Mon, Mar 31 @ LA Clippers 10:30 PM EST
Wed, Apr 2 Golden State 9:30 PM EST
Fri, Apr 4 @ LA Lakers 10:30 PM EST
Sun, Apr 6 @ Phoenix 3:30 PM EST
Tue, Apr 8 Seattle 8:30 PM EST
Thu, Apr 10 Utah 8:30 PM EST
Sat, Apr 12 @ Portland 10:00 PM EST
Sun, Apr 13 @ Seattle 9:00 PM EST
Wed, Apr 16 New Orleans 8:30 PM EST

It looks like he may return when the Mavericks host the Sonics April 8. If that is the case, the Mavs will be Dirk-less for a few games that could make or break their chances for a playoff berth. The two games against Golden State and the TNT primetime game at Denver will probably determine their playoff fate.

The Mavericks do have talent outside of Dirk, but Dirk's points must be covered by committee. I have not heard officially, but I expect the starting lineup sans Dirk to be this: PG Jason Kidd, SG Jerry Stackhouse, SF Josh Howard, PF Brandon Bass and C Erick Dampier. This lineup is far from sub-par, but it does significantly change the Mavericks' rotations. Bass has been very productive as Dirk's backup, but his size, or lack thereof, will create some defensive mismatches. Malik Allen will have to backup Dampier in Dirk's absence. Howard, who has played Robin to Dirk's Batman, will have to play up to last year's All-Star campaign. Howard is a unique talent that has the ability to catch fire from the field, drive to the basket and get to the free throw at will. He must play up to his ability during this stretch. Stackhouse and veteran sixth man Jason Terry will need to step up and provide the leadership and scoring ability that each possess. A few points from Kidd wouldn't hurt either.

Bottom line, making the playoffs is not going to be easy. The West is stacked and is not a cake walk like the NBA's illegitimate child otherwise known as the Eastern Conference. My hope is that this injury will bring the team together. The Mavericks still have enough talent without Dirk to make a run at the playoffs, but do they have the chemistry? Only time will tell.

- Chris Stuckey

Posted at 3:11PM on Mar 31st 2008 by Chris Stuckey

50. The Second Unit
March 31st, 2008
I feel as if everyone’s coming to terms with Sam’s principle of keeping the well-playing guys in the game. It just would have seemed wrong if they had reinserted Bosh or Parker, even if it would have given them a better chance to win the game. And I don’t think anyone’s feelings get hurt now, primarily because of the positive non-reaction by Bosh to sitting out the entire fourth earlier in the season when K-Hump was having a terrific game. Not a bad coach, this one.

Also, this three-way tie for the seventh seed in the west is insane. Each team has an All-NBA point guard, too, which means that we won’t be seeing any heroics from one of them come May. On the plus side, we do get to see Mike Bibby get schooled by Rajon Rondo and Sam Cassell. So, there’s that.

Posted at 3:34PM on Mar 31st 2008 by Pardis Parker

51. Mark, thank you for your blog. My question is how can the NBA lift the ban from a locker room in a building that you own? I understand that there is some kind of agreement with the networks and radio/TV folks, but does there authority include all things involving the Mavericks?

Posted at 4:19PM on Mar 31st 2008 by Leonard

52. First off your invitation: "you will get an email invite to get credentialed to cover a game in Dallas (its up to you to get there)" is insincere at its worst but ultimatly ibertarian at its best. If you were really searching for the best available "Joe" out there you wouldn't have included that in your post. Many "average Joes" don't have the resources to fly off to the home of JR unless it were for a legitmate shot at a job that pays real money, not web site hits. On the other hand placing a sense of burden upon the hopeful Joes
is a nice way to scare off some of the riff-raff.

For the first go round, I think your team would be better served to have your winner cover the locker room during some sort of "make a wish" event. It is bad enough for your guys that they have to have professional reporters invading their space, but I can only imagine how thrilled they are going to be having some shmuck off the street, in their space, trying to get a photo they can sell to a tabloid. However if you were to have the blogger cover this once in a lifetime experience for some sick kid, it would probably leave a much better impression on everyone involved. Not only would it give the blogger specific direction, it would also take the focus of the players away from the blogger.(the best thing would be if your winner was from the "make a wish foundation"....you can make that happen....right?) After that, the edge will be
off and it won't seem like such a big deal to have that annoying fan hanging around taking pictures.

In the end what needs to be remembered is that this is about the fans. Without them any professional team is nothing. Your winner needs to be a fan. Having season tickets, murals of the Mavs, or license plate that says MAVFAN1 is not what I mean. I'm talking about the guy/gal that bleeds Mavs basketball. Having a true fan around once in a while can rarely be a bad thing for your team. Your guys need to remember, that their true fans agonize every loss as much as they do, if not more. These people can be anyone from any background. They could be people who normally wouldn't give each other the time of day, but once they realize thier common bond can talk for hours. That is what blogging and open forums do. They allow people who otherwise would never associate a place to come together, if not in person, and complain about Matt Millen or coach Avery.

You have come up with a great opportunity, that you've created, as a tool for strengthening and increasing your fan base, not just some publicity stunt. The closer that your fans feel to the players, the more loyal and willing to spend money they will become. And don't worry, dealing away a player fans feel close to will not change this. The Pistons dealt away Big Ben at the height of his popularity with non-existant damage to ticket or merchandise sales.

"Until the Federal Government ruins net nuetrality we retain the opportunity to spew out whatever nonsense we can pour onto the screen with the potential of millions of people to view and believe it."

We may as well enjoy it while it lasts.

BigC

also, what do you think about the plan to "restructure" the Fed.?

Posted at 4:28PM on Mar 31st 2008 by Clint A. Schaefer

53. If you can write, you can write. Different perspectives coalaescing into a more complete, more whole, more encompassing experience. Gimmee more! :)

Posted at 4:45PM on Mar 31st 2008 by dmtmark

54. Mark, great idea about the bloggers.
I'd just like to put my blog up for consideration.
This is just a sample, my latest sports posting:

Futbol, Beckham, and the MLS
So... in this month of March I became a proud FC Dallas season ticket holder. The first game I attended (an exhibition match to be fair) recorded an attendance of just under 6,000 people at Pizza Hut Park with a capacity of over 20,000. For a point of reference, consider that last October, the exhibition match between the Dallas Mavericks and the Chicago Bulls at the American Airlines Center recorded an attendance of just over 19,000.

Now, to keep the numbers as fair as possible, I'll include the fact that yesterday the FC Dallas home opener scored a recorded attendance of 17,000 which was to me quite surprising, considering that this season home opener for the Dallas Mavericks scored an attendance of 20,000, last season's home opener for the Texas Rangers had 51,000 attendees, the Dallas Stars sold at least 18,000 tickets for theirs, the Dallas Cowboys 1-upped them all (no surprise really) at 63,000 faithful, while the Dallas Desperados scored only 12,000.

So what does this tell you? That soccer in this market, as perhaps part for the whole of the country, is somewhere more popular than arena football, surprisingly not too far behind the NBA, and just about tied with hockey (and with the decline of the NHL there's no real surprise here either) for 4th place.

Now, as a side note, I'm not defending my numbers here, I got them off the web. Also, I concede that there are other things to consider like average attendance over the course of a season, merchandise and television revenue... ect... But I also concede that I neither have the time nor desire to do that kind of extensive research.

But it really doesn't matter because, as I sat in my season-held seats, I pondered one question. Was the LA Galaxy's acquisition of David Beckham worth it? Did it increase the popularity of the MLS thereby increasing attendance and revenue? Simply put, do more Americans like soccer now than they did when David Beckham still played across the pond?

Well, despite what many of my favorite analysts will say (Jim Rome, Michael Wilbon, Tony Kornheiser, and the ATH boys to name a few...) that the Beckham project is as much of a bust as the Jason Kidd for the entire present and future of the Dallas Mavericks trade, I might beg to differ just a bit.

First of all, there's the 'ol adage that any publicity is good publicity, which isn't bad for the MLS since until the David Beckham acquisition the MLS basically had no publicity at all. Sure there were players we remembered we knew once every four years like Landon Donovan, but no real marketable stars that would bring the MLS into the American consciousness. So then began the circus. Will Beckham play? Will he not play? Will he have a reality TV show? And what's in Posh's closet?

Say what you want about Beckham and whether or not he will save the MLS. Say what you want about trying to promote the world's most beloved sport in a country where the NFL crushes all like bugs. But it seems that whatever you say, if you care anything about having an informed opinion, it seems you can only say that Beckham has been great for the MLS and American soccer in general. Like I said any news is good news.

But the fact that Beckham has been great for the MLS leaves me wondering and wanting to ask those powers that be--those millionaires who have invested millions of dollars in making money off of the MLS. Why did you wait till now to throw stupid money at an international soccer star? But more than that, why isn't anyone throwing stupid money at Christiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Zinedine Zidane, Andy Rooney, ect.?

I think my point is, sure Beckham is great and all, and every time he visits a city, you can all but guarantee a record turn out, but he doesn't improve the overall quality of the product the MLS is peddling. What I suspect is that for more than any other reason the popularity of soccer in America suffers from exactly that--a poor product. Anyone that knows anything about soccer can very quickly tell the qualitative difference between a game between Manchester Utd. and Arsenal, and a game between FC Dallas and the Houston Dynamo. It's why nobody cares about the playoff race in the Eastern Conference in the NBA, why nobody cares about the NIT when the NCAA is going on, and why nobody watches golf tournaments when Tiger Woods isn't teeing off.

There's one thing about us Americans, we are consumers and we demand the best or we're not going to buy it. It's the real reason that the XFL was an experiment in futility. You see, I'm interested in seeing the LA Galaxy vs. FC Dallas game because I'm a soccer fan, and I'd like to see Beckham much in the same way people would roll out to see a Dallas Mavericks game in the 90's... if they happened to be playing Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls on that given night. So sure, I'll take the Beckham circus, because it reminds everyone that soccer does in fact exist in this country, despite the best attempts of the last US National Team at the last World Cup to destroy it. I'll take it but I want more. I want a league where Beckham and Ronaldo go head to head this week and Zidane and Ronaldinho go at it next week. Can you imagine the MLS marketing not only that caliber of stars but also that caliber of competition? Can you imagine that kind of league? In this country?

And you might ask, but why would they leave Europe to play here? To which I would say, why would Beckham leave Europe to play here? FOR THE MONEY! For the stupid money that the LA Galaxy owner was willing to throw at Beckham. And if you ask me, Christiano Ronaldo is aging, and should be prime target A for any MLS team wanting to increase both the quality of their product and their revenue by dramatic fashion.

Why do I want to say, "If you build it, they will come?"

Posted at 6:00PM on Mar 31st 2008 by Jeremiah

55. MR. CUBAN,

I was a Maverick's ball-boy for three years in the late 90's. I was there for your mid-court speech after you purchased from Perot Jr. I sat under the goal preparing to sweep up Pat Ewing's sweat while getting the evil eye from Jim Guy. I rebounded for the Dream, I witnessed Chris Anstey's St. Patty's day barrage and the likes of Martin Murrsepp and Sasha Danilovic.

I went to the Six Flags employee appreciation day and shook hands with you all, even Bruno Sundov's.

I'm a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. Check out my website when you get the chance. I'm also in the process of writing a book - "Ode to Victory."

I often write rhymes and poems that are sports related. I would love to chronicle the Mavs.

Also you need to sign our framed picture with the "Cliffhanger" hangin in the backdrop.

Best,

Nick

Posted at 6:49PM on Mar 31st 2008 by Nicholas Williams

56. I've got to hand it to you Mark. You're either hacked because of the blogger ruling or, just for fun, you want to see what people are willing to go through for the opportunity to find themselves in the locker room and they have lined up here for the chance. Brilliant.

I don't blog. No one cares about my opinion about anything, except for my grown boys who think I am the wisest person they know, especially if they are short on cash. However, I do read blogs to find out the state of education in these United States and especially here in Texas. What I have read here would make most grammar teachers weep. I really have to wonder about people who claim to be college students and then write as if they are in middle school. Does anyone pay any attention to proper punctuation? My 10 year old granddaughter has better writing skills than what I have read here. I would have talked her into writing a nice blog, but the fact is she hates basketball (loves Dirk though; thinks he is really cute).

I love the game. I shout at the television. I tell Mark Followill to shut up a bunch because he can annoy the hell out of me at times. I pray Bob Ortegal gets back to doing the television announcing because the radio delay doesn't work with the action on the tube. Brad Davis is probably one hell of a nice guy, but he bores me. Perhaps it is this season making me hyper-sensitive to the television annoyances. Who knows for sure. I do know this. I love this team. The Kidd trade was a good trade, I only wish it had happened last summer so that this team could have gotten a real chance to get all the kinks worked out long before mid season. I still believe in Avery Johnson as a coach. I still believe it is all about the "D". And I believe unhoned talent graces the bench, waiting for the moment to shine. Do I believe in fairy tales? Yep, sometimes I do. If it isn't meant to be this year, I will eagerly await next fall.

At any rate Mark, good luck. And good luck to all the would be bloggers who think that no education is a good thing and why waste all that time when any idiot can write like Randy Galloway.

PS - The 8th grader's stuff kind of intrigued me.

Posted at 7:21PM on Mar 31st 2008 by Elizabeth Greene

57. Stephen Curry has finally solidified the notion that he is of prepubescent age by the decision he made this week. He has decided to come back for his junior season at Davidson. We (Actually me...The fact that I actually do talk and debate with myself is becoming more and more evident with every blog) here at Basketball Genius have one question for Stephen...FOR WHAT!? Here are a few points to defend my case...

1. Your team was the Cinderella of this year's dance and made a deep run...When a team is the Cinderella of the dance, their star player's draft stock skyrockets (e.g. Joakim Noah in 2006, Bryce Drew of Valparaiso in 1998). This is the time to act on the "he is full of potential" moniker that so many NBA GM's throw at underclassmen. Players that pass this up, end up under a deep microscope their following season. NBA scouts and executives try to find every reason why NOT to draft you when the season prior they were willing to give up a few players in their starting lineup to trade up and get you.

2. Undersized guards easily become distant memories in the NBA scouting world...My perfectly placed and never overused Indianapolis high school basketball reference is going be placed RIGHT...HERE...to help Stephen see the light. Jason Gardner from Arizona was the national college player of the year as a freshman. He beat out Jason/Jay Williams, Mike Dunleavy Jr., his backcourt mate Gilbert Arenas and Carlos Boozer (Notice that I have them listed in their draft order from the 2001 and 2002 drafts...Hindsight is 20/20). Gardner was easily a late first round pick his freshman year and could have been a second rounder with Arenas his sophomore year. Yet, he chose to stay to win that ever so "IMPORTANT" NCAA championship. When he never won a title, he saw 5 of his teammates (all of whom were groomsmen in his wedding by the way) fulfill their NBA dream (Arenas, Luke Walton, Loren Woods, Richard Jefferson and Andre Igoudala).

3. Davidson is not winning an NCAA Title!...With this tournament proving this now more than ever, number one seeds win titles. Yes, there are some upsets every year and I know not every champion is the top seed in their respective region but look at the history. Since 1995, 9 of the last 13 champions have been number one seeds. The other four champs were seeded no lower than a number 4. With Davidson being a mid-major, the likelihood of them being seeded higher than a 5 is slim (especially with fifth seeded Drake getting knocked by the shot of the tournament from the first round this year) and the competition a mid-major plays does not prepare them to win a NCAA title.

Stephen, I know your dad played 16 seasons in the NBA and your mom is still hot as all hell, but let's not be dumb here. You are a first round lock this year and could move into the lottery with a few good workouts. Tell Davidson to kick rocks.

***************** ******************** ******************** **********

I hate...dislike (My mother always told me to never say hate) when fellow IU alums make dumb decisions in life that embarrasses us all. Especially in the sports world. Like when Mark Cuban said Dirk was untradeable, that was dumb. Or when Steve Alford left Southwest Missouri State, a rising mid-major, to coach Iowa who consistently stays in the slums of the Big Ten, that was dumb but I see the financial motivation. But when Isiah Thomas said that "Dan Dakich did a wonderful job this season", that wasn't dumb, it was just ignorant.

Anyone who watched the Hoosiers play after Sampson was let go knows they were a different team. You can factor in the emotional attachment to Sampson that many of the players have and all the negative publicity that was coming from the media, but you don't almost lose to Northwestern. NORTHWESTERN! This is a school that has NEVER been to an NCAA tournament. They are terrible year in and year out. And we almost lost to them because Dakich could not put together a good defensive scheme to stop whatever that dorky kid's name was who was open all night. Northwestern is the red-headed stepchild of the "Big Ten". Every time someone says "Big Ten", it is an insult to Northwestern because they are the 11th. They are an Ivy League school who wanted to be cool and say we are in a competitive conference. They are like taking Karrine "Superhead" Steffans to prom, it's a guaranteed victory! No arguing! No debating! No thinking of clever things to say! At the end of the night, both parties know what the result is going to be. You don't discuss the post-prom plans with Superhead and you damn sure don't barely beat Northwestern.

But what do you expect from the man who took the CBA under, lost with the same Pacers team that Larry Bird (who is another idiot GM, luckily he transferred from IU after his freshman year) won with and has mastered year in and year out how to spend more of Jim Dolan's money, yet make continually make the Knicks worse. IU...Idiot University (If you put that on a T-shirt Purdue fans, I am suing the hell out of you!)

***************** ******************** ******************** *************

Posted at 7:56PM on Mar 31st 2008 by Alton D. Clark

58. Reading these comments, I am more convinced that allowing just any ‘blogger’ media access is a horrendous mistake.
I wonder why 80% of these posters are now suddenly writing about the Mavericks…How strange that their initial ‘coverage’ coincides with the NBA’s statement on allowing locker room access for bloggers.
I’d imagine these bloggers would use such access not for the betterment of their blog, but instead as a “cool experience” to get to hang around the locker room—even asking for autographs. We might as well call this a Media Fantasy Camp, because that is just exactly what allowing any ‘ole blogger media access is the equivalent of.
So let me ask, what is the purpose for your desire to have locker room access anyways?
I have covered college sports since 2001...[in person, for major magazines and newspapers…i.e. legit media. See bio here: http://www.big12hoops.com/about-the-author/ ].
You have your gamers and you have your sidebars and features.
But there is no need for bloggers to write gamers. So I assume the purpose of a blogger getting credentialed would be to write a feature.
There’s no doubt that we are in uncharted waters here with the decline of the newspaper. Hell, most people read their newspaper online instead of in print anyway.
You could say that this era is similar to the newspaper boom, back when major cities had five or 10 dailies. Of course, they were credentialed although the popularity of covering professional sports was more on par with covering the Hooters Tour or the US Indoor Soccer League as opposed to MLB, NBA, NFL, etc.
Also, you also have to consider that those who were credentialed as a writer for one of many daily newspapers were professionals. That was their JOB. That was their source of income. It wasn’t a hobby.
Just from looking around at about 10 of these blogs that have been posted, I did not see a single website that would qualify as a professional blog. [See TrueHoop, Deadspin, Hashmarks]
Some just copy and paste the AP gamer and embed the ESPN video highlights.
Whats the purpose? What are you offering that is different from what The DMN or FWST offer?
What is your background? How long have you been a writer…or a blogger? Or both?
Have you ever even covered a game before? What do you plan on using your media access for?
I suspect that 95% of the answers to the former would be “no”…and just as many to the latter, if they are truly being honest, would have nothing to do with their blog but would be about the individual experience…as a FAN.
That is not work…it’s not professional. How would you feel if I wanted to come in and do your job, requesting the same hard-earned benefits you receive? ; Something that you have a degree in with years of experience climbing that ladder, improving and gaining respect in your profession? And here I come on in and ask for the same rights as you even though I have zero professional experience and zero training.
So I would like to propose a compromise.
Let’s use discretion and allow a limited number of professional bloggers – not Joe Blogger as someone said – but those that deliver unique, insightful content on a daily basis to get the same media access that a beat writer would get. And when I say limited, I’m thinking in the ballpark of 2 or 3 blogs total.
For the rest, add them to the media relations email list. Keep them in the loop and if they are faithful in covering [in this case] the Mavericks on a consistent basis with content not provided by the mainstream news outlets, then they should be considered down the line for some form of limited credential.
Then, if they remain consistent in using their limited access for the purpose of providing original and insightful content to their blog, at that point consider giving them full media access.
It has to be earned. There are no drive-by attorneys. There are no drive-by accountants. The same should apply with writing. EARN the access you are seeking. Let’s see your blog in a year. I wonder how many of these blogs will still be around a year from now and even more specifically how many will be ‘covering’ the Mavs.
This will weed out those that are just fans and allow those that are professional in what they provide to get similar opportunities and access that mainstream blogs like Hashmarks or TrueHoop receive.

Posted at 8:38PM on Mar 31st 2008 by m peterson

59. Hi, Mark I was thinking it'd be pretty cool to cover the Mav's. Here's a link to my blog:

www.alot2learn.com

Sure the content sucks now, BUT toss Mav's coverage in there and I could be averaging over 30 page hits a day. No biggie.

Posted at 8:44PM on Mar 31st 2008 by rick

60. Stay in school or go pro?

It's March. You are tearing up the NCAA Tournament. Everyone is on your bandwagon and has you as the next greatest thing. For the Michael Beasleys and Kevin Durants of the world, you get this year round. What about the Stephen Currys?

Stephen Curry wasn't a national name coming into this NCAA Tournament. Most people had heard about him here and there. Some might have watched him against Maryland last year. The only ones who truly knew how dangerous this kid is was Davidson fans, a few good analysts, and maybe a few fans that took notice last year and paid attention to the box scores this year. I'm proud to say I was one of those people but I will also say that I guarantee there is a hidden gem out there that I know nothing about.

Curry went on to light up Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin. Mainly in the second half. Where do you think he is drafted if he declares for the NBA draft? First round. Where do you think he is drafted if he doesnt catch fire against Gonzaga and Davidson gets beat in the first round? I'll take it a step further. He wasn't playing well against Georgetown at all in the first half. He had two fouls. What if Georgetown continues to blow them out and he struggles with his shot and staying out of foul trouble? His draft stock would be no where near where it is now and he wouldn't be the star of this NCAA tournament. Stephen Curry has announced that he is staying in school. This brings me to ask.. is this the right decision?

Don't get me wrong.. I know why Curry is staying in school and I'm glad he is as a college basketball fan. He may or may not work out in the pros. Some feel he needs to be a point guard to be able to contribute to a team. He will be taking on that position next year for the Davidson Wildcats. To be honest.. thats what scares me. This isn't a guy playing for Duke who is going to have the national stage every night. He's playing for Davidson. What happens if he doesnt adjust well to the point guard position? What happens if the team struggles without Senior PG Jason Richards? What happens if they dont make the NCAA Tournament? If they get upset in their conference tournament they could be in trouble as an at large team.

Anyone remember Harold "The Show" Arceneaux? He had one of the most memorable performances in NCAA history when #14 seed Weber State knocked off the #3 North Carolina Tar Heels. He lit them up for 36 points and lit up Florida for 32 in the next round before going down in overtime. His stock was high. Everybody was talking about him. He was going to be a lottery pick. He withdrew from the draft and came back for his senior year. I have never forgotten this because I have been looking for him on NBA rosters ever since. Weber State didnt make it back to the NCAA tournament. "The Show" never made it to the big stage. He went undrafted in the next years draft. Do you think he regrets his decision?

Joakim Noah was for sure the number 1 pick in the NBA draft when he won a championship his junior year. Everyone was on his bandwagon. He stayed in school and dropped a little in the draft. Luckily for him he still went lottery.. but he cost himself millions. Personally I don't think he will be a very good pro and I think he cost himself millions by making that decision.

Matt Leinart. Sure bet number 1 overall NFL draft pick. He wanted to stay in school. He slipped to #10 and cost himself millions. I havent been impressed with him so far. The offense picked up dramatically when he got hurt and Kurt Warner stepped in. What if hes a bust? He cost himself MILLIONS by not being the sure bet #1 pick he would have been had he come out his junior year.

Professional drafts are almost based on hype more then they are actual ability. It's amazing how many times a team will blow a #1 pick because they buy into all the hype off a recent game or tournament. It's also sad that players need to make decisions like this to strike while they are hot. Harold Arceneaux cost himself millions and a dream by going back to a mid major school. Leinart and Noah still got drafted in a good spot because they were on a national stage but Harold Arceneaux was forgotten at little Weber State. Stephen Curry is the same player now that he was entering the tournament. The only difference is the world got to see it against the elite teams. What if he goes back to his mid major school and never makes it back to the big stage? Where will he go then?

Stephen Curry... you just tore up the NCAA tournament.. everyone is on your bandwagon as the next greatest thing. You have been on every major sports show and talked about all over TV. You are a sure NBA first round pick. You are staying in school for another year. I'm glad that you are and everyone will tell you that you are making the right decision. I just hope that next season they are still telling you that and that Davidson is making another run through the NCAA tournament. If you struggle at all or if your team struggles your stock is going to drop dramatically. If you fall off the map and the NBA forgets how good you really are.. it will be a shame. I hate the way a players "stock" can drop so quickly. It's just the way it is. You are this years NCAA Tournament story and it may have been the time to head for the Pros.

I sincerely hope thats not the case and you have another magical season at Davidson. A lot can happen between now and then and as a fan I hope for nothing but the best for you. Your decision is huge for college basketball and I applaud that. I just hope it works out for YOU in the long run.

Posted at 9:01PM on Mar 31st 2008 by Dustin Tinney