Example of basic problem with media

The baseball reporter or columnist (who I'm told is terribly smart, objective, & imbued with higher conscience), fills up some blank space, and I'm supposed to repeat the Lord's Prayer and say 10 Hail Marys. As many of you do. A typical example is Hal Bodley's column in USA Today on October 13th.

• His thesis is a broken record to begin with--the 5-game divisional series is too short.

Then he does something really helpful:

• Gets Allen "Bud" Selig on the phone, who astonishingly says owners would never agree to shortening the regular season, and...
• We can't lengthen the season, because the weather gets bad.

Bodley has wasted my time. He advances no new information--OK, he can get Selig on the phone in Milwaukee. Everyone knows what Selig is going to say, and we know Bodley won't question him.

• Mr. Bodley, why? There's plenty of information which may be uniquely accessible to you that could help resolve the problem, one way or the other. Or, it could put the subject to rest (uh-oh).

But, these guys are out of a job if they do that. THE WHOLE POINT IS TO KEEP "THE ENDLESS DEBATE" GOING, AS IN MANY OTHER BASEBALL TOPICS. TO WASTE YOUR TIME, TREAT YOU LIKE HYSTERICAL MORONS, AND KEEP FILLING UP SPACE AND TIME WITH MEANINGLESS GARBAGE.

• Yes, these issues can be resolved. But they'd rather dupe you out of your time and money.

• Since many bloggers aspire to be sportswriters or to be involved with teams, or to advance themselves politically within this arena, THEY DON'T TALK ABOUT THIS.

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