craig—this is actually an interesting discussion given your asking for feedback about whether you should have posted/ blogged about the mo rivera spitball.  in now way as egregious as deadspin’s assult on the wwl, the mo video was more gossip and less substance.  and you my friend should be all about the substance (and you usually are).

Craig- I gotta say, the lawsuit angle is not attractive at all for ESPN. The discovery session would be nothing short of apocalyptic for them. Even if they were to win the defamation count, the PR nightmare that they would face would be incredible.

You think people want MLB’s steroid list? Wait until the bloggers get a whiff of Chris Berman’s “Special Hugs” list.

This is what’s always been so freakin’ amusing about the so-called Deadspin-Blogger relationship. Simply put, no website that has national advertising and corporate funding can possibly be called a blog. **IT’S A WEBSITE**

Buzzy Bissinger, et al have never quite comprehended that Deadspin, et al are the Internet equivalent of the Weekly World News. Or the National Enquirer. Or Fox News, Or the N.Y. Post—they all make money, but none of them practice Journalism.

ESPN—as much as I detest it because it’s about style 1st and substance 41st—is right to ignore these charges and let them die their quick little deaths.

Because, really, none of this is either new or shocking to anyone, anywhere. At least people who stop to pick up a book every now and then. Men and women in close quarters have always had dalliances, and always will. It’s human nature.

ChrisKoz—I agree with you that ESPN likely doesn’t want any part of that. But if one of the individually named people wanted to sue—say,  Lacey, who was accused of sleeping her way to her current position—she could sue and ESPN’s larger corporate culture wouldn’t be implicated. Granted, she may very well not WANT to sue because her personal life would become an open book, but that’s merely an assumption on our part.

The larger issue here is that when I sit down to write something, I do my best not to think of whether I can get away with it as much as I think about whether I should be writing what I’m writing. Regardless of the litigation angle here, I take issue with A.J.‘s pieces in that basis.

Is it possible to want to see both fighters kill each other in a match? Because that’s what I want to happen between ESPN and Deadspin.

Deadspin was last seen trying to make anybody in the world care about Josh Hamilton supposedly falling off the wagon (result: FAIL). I think they hate ESPN for not picking up THAT story as much as they hate them for any Phillips stonewalling.

Deadspin is awesome when they’re simply making snarky comments and finding amusing photos. Trying to be the Gawker of baseball, they’re hideously awful at.

If ESPN was any better at being an actual sports news outlet, I’d consider taking their side (never mind the corporate edict not to talk about the Roethlisberger allegations - if I simply hear the name “Hamlet” attached to any football player again, ever, I’m going to buy a ticket to Bristol and kneecap somebody).

With this much bile spewed forth by Deadspin so quickly, I would imagine ESPN’s best option is to ignore it and quietly bury the problem with transfers and sexual harassment seminars, while Deadspin turns off all but the crankiest readers.

I will say that, like Grant, Deadspin lost much of its luster when Leitch left.  Daulerio, much as I have hometown-pride reasons to want to like him, has always seemed more interested in handgrenades than writing.  Leitch was occasionally able to invoke his own genuine fandom for a piece, coming off earnest and passionate, rather than shallow and wicked. 

I’m not sure whether what Daulerio does there is wrong: I don’t have much interest in judging his work nor anyone else’s as “right” or “wrong”.  I just don’t find it interesting.  Deadspin updates, what, at least a dozen times a day.  I have a job, and sports aren’t my only interest.  I don’t have time for them.  I read them when someone I read links to them.  Like today. 

This sort of behavior, to me, isn’t shocking.  It’s merely an extension of what Deadspin, and Daulerio in particular have always done.  Once upon a time there were pictures of Matt Leinart.  Now, it’s Katie Lacey.  I fail to see a significant difference. 

This is a strange story for me.  I used to watch ESPN constantly, and I used to read Deadspin devotedly.  Now, I don’t interact with either unless I am sent there.  Neither covers sports, and I don’t need gossip or supposed style.  Neither have content of value to me.  Let them have each other. 

I’ll still be here, watching baseball.

TC - do you truly not see a difference between writing about the personal lives of Matt Leinart and Katie Lacey?  One is a heisman winning QB that is just as famous for his night life and the other is… I have no idea.  I guess this could devolve into a discussion about the right to talk about anyone’s personal lives, but at least there is a part of Leinart’s life that is in the spotlight - his job.

I don’t think Deadspin’s attack is aimed at the individuals so much as it treats them like collateral damage in the war with ESPN, which is probably just as bad.

You’re right, Kevin, it is worse. The individuals are just cannon fodder for Deadspin, and that’s as wrong as it gets.

But please,Emma et al., can we stop calling workplace sex that affects organizational dynamics, relationships, effectiveness, reputation and management “personal”? If it happens in the workplace, during the work day or affects the workplace, it’s not personal, it’s professional, and is workplace misconduct.