Fox Sports-1’s Jason Whitlock is the kind of no-nonsense sports analysts who is never afraid to call people out and capitalize on truth-to-power. Whitlock was a former ESPN regular who would largely fill in for either Tony Kornheiser or Mike Wilbon when one of them had the day off on “Pardon the Interruption.”
That’s why Fox Sports gave him his own show alongside co-anchor Marcellus Wiley on “SFY” or “Speak for Yourself.”
And FS-1’s Jason Whitlock blasted the Deadspin writers as hypocritical and cowards.
When it comes to journalistic practices and ethics, no news institution is worse than CNN and MSNBC. The amount of anti-President Trump vitriol thrown around 24-hours a day on both of those networks is beyond insufferable.
In the last few years it has spread like a cancer to other news industries; particularly sports media. ESPN is generally the worst sports news in the business because they, too, have entered into the same stratosphere.
But Deadspin is another one.
This week there was a mass exodus at the online sports magazine because the bosses issued a “stick to sports” mandate to all the writers.
On Monday, G/O CEO Jim Spanfeller’s editorial director issued a memo telling Deadspin writers — who primarily cover sports, but also write, about politics, media and culture — to “write only about sports and that which is relevant to sports in some way.”
Amongst the most prominent writers to leave were Kelsey McKinney, Lauren Theisen, Tom Ley. Laura Wagner, Chris Thompson, Albert Burneko, Patrick Redford, Samer Kalaf, Drew Magary, Giri Nathan and Dom Consentino. Many of these writers whined about it on Twitter as if it was the employer’s loss.
But it isn’t really a loss because Deadspin is one of the poorest sports institutions the industry has to offer.
For instance, some of the top performing articles on Tuesday featured, “Woman Furiously Sh-ts on Floor of Tim Hortons, Throws it At Employees,” as well as “What Did We Get Stuck in Our Rectums Last Year” and “The Hateful Life and Spiteful Death of the Man Who Was Vig the Carpathian.”
That’s some highbrow entertainment, huh?
FS-1’s Jason Whitlock called all the whiney writers out on Twitter this week and didn’t hold back.
Whitlock wrote, “Note to the alleged journalists who can’t see how much damage Deadspin did to sports journalism and how unethical their tactics were. This is why no objective person takes your social justice stances seriously. You’re not for fairness. You’re a coward and a poser.”
Note to the alleged journalists who can’t see how much damage Deadspin did to sports journalism and how unethical their tactics were. This is why no objective person takes your social justice stances seriously. You’re not for fairness. You’re a coward and a poser.
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) October 31, 2019
As you can probably imagine, Whitlock was attacked for calling the situation like he saw it.
Whitlock added, “Note to all Deadspin bots, apologists, sympathizers. Deadspin and their former Single Token Black Sports Writer inconvenienced me with their failed attempt to cancel my career. I dislike Deadspin because they actually harmed people who were unable to push back. Deadspin = thugs.”
Note to all Deadspin bots, apologists, sympathizers. Deadspin and their former Single Token Black Sports Writer inconvenienced me with their failed attempt to cancel my career. I dislike Deadspin because they actually harmed people who were unable to push back. Deadspin = thugs
— Jason Whitlock (@WhitlockJason) October 31, 2019
Whitlock is right about Deadspin ruining sports journalism. Even conservative host on ESPN, Will Cain, has mocked them since he got his own show.
When you read the writers’ articles it almost feels like it is self-mockery, but the reality is that it’s meant to be taken seriously.
Deadspin’s legacy will always be known as the biggest joke in sports media.
Whitlock is right.