NY Times to buy The Athletic for ….

[GunnerBill]

22 minutes ago, HamSandwhich said:

Wow, you have an axe to grind don’t you? I don’t have a dog in this fight. I know what satire is, and it can be used to troll. Just as you did. I’m not interjecting my political beliefs, you are reading what you want from what I’m saying. I’m leaving that up to you to determine. I personally don’t care what happens here, and if you’re admitting this is a political thread and you continue to post political things, I’m not sure how you don’t get suspended for talking politically?  
 

My entire premise is, it’s fair for someone to not want things to change in a direction that they feel would ruin the publication based on track record of what they’ve seen happen. That’s an opinion, not right or wrong, it doesn’t need to be made political, that’s what you’ve done with your “smart” responses, antagonizing. 

 

The point is people only tend to see political in content when it contradicts to their beliefs. The NFL is the classic example of that. Singing the anthem is political, the salute to service is political, the crucial catch campaign is political. The same people who say "keep politics out of sport" when it is about taking a knee or NFL teams hiring women onto coaching staffs have never bothered about the political elements before, because they agree with them. 

[HamSandwhich]

4 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

The point is people only tend to see political in content when it contradicts to their beliefs. The NFL is the classic example of that. Singing the anthem is political, the salute to service is political, the crucial catch campaign is political. The same people who say "keep politics out of sport" when it is about taking a knee or NFL teams hiring women onto coaching staffs have never bothered about the political elements before, because they agree with them. 

I’m not wading into that conversation, this is all besides the point. Sports should be about sports, that’s what the subscribers have come to expect and they have a reasonable expectation that it remains that way. They can surmise from previous situations where buy out like this has happened and hope that the content does not change, can they not? 

Edited January 7, 2022 by HamSandwhich

[BringBackFlutie]

9 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

I steal ketchup packets from Chick Fil A.

 

You know Applebee's already has ketchup, right?

[GunnerBill]

32 minutes ago, HamSandwhich said:

I’m not wading into that conversation, this is all besides the point. Sports should be about sports, that’s what the subscribers have come to expect and they have a reasonable expectation that it remains that way. They can surmise from previous situations where buy out like this has happened and hope that the content does not change, can they not? 

 

Nor am I trying to start a debate about the rights and wrongs of some of those political interferences. My point is that the bolded is a completely unreasonable expectation. Some of the excellent journalism that the Athletic has done about the Bills stadium situation, for example, does necessarily stray into the political. 

 

Sport has always been political. It will never stop being political. Expecting coverage and or reporting of it to remain totally apolitical is just not realistic. 

 

When I look at the top five stories on my personal Athletic feed this morning they include:

 

- my soccer team wearing a different kit on Saturday as part of an anti-knife crime campaign;

- the rule changes on combine interviews;

- the way that soccer's African Cup of Nations is going to try and manage covid.

 

All three of those stories have overtly political elements. Politics in sport has always been here and it is here to stay. There were no halcyon days where the two didn't mix. And if you believe there were then it is probably because for the most part the political elements there previously were ones that already fitted with your own conceptions. 

[HamSandwhich]

3 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Nor am I trying to start a debate about the rights and wrongs of some of those political interferences. My point is that the bolded is a completely unreasonable expectation. Some of the excellent journalism that the Athletic has done about the Bills stadium situation, for example, does necessarily stray into the political. 

 

Sport has always been political. It will never stop being political. Expecting coverage and or reporting of it to remain totally apolitical is just not realistic. 

 

When I look at the top five stories on my personal Athletic feed this morning they include:

 

- my soccer team wearing a different kit on Saturday as part of an anti-knife crime campaign;

- the rule changes on combine interviews;

- the way that soccer's African Cup of Nations is going to try and manage covid.

 

All three of those stories have overtly political elements. Politics in sport has always been here and it is here to stay. There were no halcyon days where the two didn't mix. And if you believe there were then it is probably because for the most part the political elements there previously were ones that already fitted with your own conceptions. 

You’re wading into something I have opinions on but is not pertinent to what we’re talking about. I’ll leave it at that 

[GunnerBill]

5 minutes ago, HamSandwhich said:

You’re wading into something I have opinions on but is not pertinent to what we’re talking about. I’ll leave it at that 

 

Of course it is pertinent. This is an topic arguing that there is a risk that sports reporting becomes political. 

 

My argument is it has always been thus. Politics and sport have been intertwined since the beginning of time. Mussolini's World Cup. Hitler's Olympics. Sport is politics and politics is sport.

 

And now we are worried in case what? In case the Athletic does a few more stories about institutional racism? 

Edited January 7, 2022 by GunnerBill

[HamSandwhich]

6 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Of course it is pertinent. This is an topic arguing that there is a risk that sports reporting becomes political. 

 

My argument is it has always been thus. Politics and sport have been intertwined since the beginning of time. Mussolini's World Cup. Hitler's Olympics. Sport is politics and politics is sport.

 

And now we are worried in case what? In case the Athletic does a few more stories about institutional racism? 

It’s not pertinent to my point. 

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

https://www.vox.com/recode/22870773/athletic-new-york-times-550-million-explained

 

[BillnutinHouston]

9 hours ago, RunTheBall said:

Some of you are so close minded. I subscribe to the Athletic, the NYT and the WSJ. My politics are pretty opposite of the NYT on most issues but you have to be willing to listen to other points of view even if you disagree with them. If the Athletic becomes some woke sports app than yeah, I’ll bail but I highly doubt that will happen. The Times isn’t buying the app to try and make converts. 

 

See there's a thing called principle.

 

I canceled today.

 

 

[Rochesterfan]

36 minutes ago, HamSandwhich said:

It’s not pertinent to my point. 

 

Of course it is not pertinent to your point - because it just smashed your point to pieces.  
 

You were left with no point to make.  
 

The NYT may or may not ruin the Athletic, but the large group of people early have made a “political” decision that they will stop supporting it because of the politics of the NYTs.  The biggest stated argument is they don’t want politics in sports when as @GunnerBillstated - it has always been there - it just mirrored the beliefs they favored.

 

 

[HamSandwhich]

26 minutes ago, Rochesterfan said:

 

Of course it is not pertinent to your point - because it just smashed your point to pieces.  
 

You were left with no point to make.  
 

The NYT may or may not ruin the Athletic, but the large group of people early have made a “political” decision that they will stop supporting it because of the politics of the NYTs.  The biggest stated argument is they don’t want politics in sports when as @GunnerBillstated - it has always been there - it just mirrored the beliefs they favored.

 

 

It did not but I see it’s gone over your head also. I’m not arguing your political point, my point is apolitical.

If you all want to have a debate on politics in sports, I have strong opinions on that. We can move over to PPP but I’m sure we’ll just have to agree to disagree in the end. 

Edited January 7, 2022 by HamSandwhich

[HOUSE]

Lots of great stories about the Jests

 

 

 

Edited January 7, 2022 by HOUSE

[GunnerBill]

18 minutes ago, HamSandwhich said:

If you all want to have a debate on politics in sports, I have strong opinions on that. We can move over to PPP but I’m sure we’ll just have to agree to disagree in the end. 

 

I am happy to debate politics in sport. But if you dispute the assertion that it has always been there then there isn't really much to debate. Because I think it very evidently has.  

[HamSandwhich]

Just now, GunnerBill said:

 

I am happy to debate politics in sport. But if you dispute the assertion that it has always been there then there isn't really much to debate. Because I think it very evidently has.  

Again, you keep baiting me into trying to talk politics here. When I do the same thing or take the bait, I get suspended. I’m wondering if the same thing happens to others who argue a point that you would likely argue vs my viewpoints.

3 minutes ago, HOUSE said:

Lots of great stories about the Jets

 

 

 

Spags is definitely the authority on Jets info. I would defer to him over any other Jets punditry or journalist. 

[GunnerBill]

8 minutes ago, HamSandwhich said:

Again, you keep baiting me into trying to talk politics here. When I do the same thing or take the bait, I get suspended. I’m wondering if the same thing happens to others who argue a point that you would likely argue vs my viewpoints.

 

 

I am not baiting you to argue politics at all. I am asking if you disagree that politics has always been prevalent in sport? That is a simple yes or no question that does not bait you into debating any political issue.  

[Draconator]

6 hours ago, Dan Darragh said:

I suggest that you test this thesis by asking for a $550 million raise.  Or even $50,000.

If I had over a couple million names with email address and other personal information, I could get $550 Million no problem. 

[HamSandwhich]

10 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I am not baiting you to argue politics at all. I am asking if you disagree that politics has always been prevalent in sport? That is a simple yes or no question that does not bait you into debating any political issue.  

We can debate that in PPP, it’s more than a yes or no question. 

[GunnerBill]

3 minutes ago, HamSandwhich said:

We can debate that in PPP, it’s more than a yes or no question. 

 

It really isn't, but sure. Let's do it in PPP.

 

[BobbyC81]

12 hours ago, Doc said:

It was nice knowing you The Athletic…

Does anyone remember The National?

I thought it was great but it only lasted about a year and a half.

 

[colin]

It somewhat baffles me that with all the anti trust laws on the books, and there were anti trust actions in the past, they are basically DOA now, for both parties (isn't this what the left, or now the seemingly more populist GOP are supposed to stop?).

 

The joy of the internet for many, at least at first, was that you didn't need to abide by what the powers that be want to distribute for your eyes and ears, you can find music not on the radio, you can get sports coverage not from the local or national paper (this message board is a still functioning example of how the internet can fulfill that function).

 

Unfortunately, we seem to be headed back to where we started from, with fewer channels delivering content, more bundling, less actual choice.

 

Totally sucks.  I was planning on cancelling my athletic subscription.  I sort of wanted to continue supporting them cuz i thought they were doing something interesting, but a couple decent bills articles a week is all i get from them.  their boxing and mma coverage stinks, and their kick boxing/thai boxing coverage is basically zero.  oh well, perhaps we will get another one of these in the future.