Thursday, June 29, 2006

Please Explain Why I Don't Work for ESPN, CNN, etc...

I know that reporters working under a deadline can say stupid things. And when you're working online or blogging these mistakes can be amplified. But Chad Ford of ESPN really outdid himself in his recap of tonight's NBA Draft. Which I missed because I was playing volleyball. And drinking beer. And staring at nubile, underdressed women. Wait, what was my point? Oh, yes. Chad Ford.

Here's what Ford wrote about Rajon Rondo, who was drafted by Phoenix (but traded to Boston):

I've had Rondo ranked as the top point guard in the draft and I believe he'll
end up being better than Telfair.

OK, fair enough. Let's see what Ford writes about Marcus Williams, drafted by the Nets with the very next Selection:

Great pick for the Nets. I think they preferred Rajon Rondo, but they end up
getting the best pure point guard in the draft

'Kay...now let's see what Chad says about Sergio Rodriguez, who was traded from the Suns to the Blazers:

He's the second best pure point guard in the draft behind Marcus
Williams.

So, in the course of 500 words, Chad Ford said:

He believed Rajon Rondo was the best point guard in the draft

That Marcus Williams was the best point guard int he draft

That Sergio Gonzalez was the second best point guard in the draft, behind Marcus Williams.

This is pathetic. I'm sure Ford has watched thousands of games, scores of workouts, and conducted hundreds of interviews. And he's so frazzled by all this data that he can't even keep straight in his own head who the best prospects are? Isn't that, like, his job? Exactly why should we listen to what Chad Ford says, when even he can't keep track of what he's saying? His analysis fails the Transitive Property of Point Guards.

Seriously, I could make shit up just as well as anyone else. I know nothing about scouting prospective NBA players but even I could say that Brandon Roy is the early favorite for Rookie of the Year and that the Grizzlies made great moves in getting Rudy Gay and Kyle Lowry. ESPN, CNN, I'm available. I work pretty cheap. And I'm capable of realizing that I've contridicted myself three times in in 15 sentences. Yeesh.

posted by Gene @ 12:07 AM   |