Still A Blockhead

Regarding Jeff Pearlman, author of one of the two new books of unsubstantiated claims about Barry Bonds, has come to our attention before. What a surprise, it was for a piece bashing Barry Bonds, who, it's quite clear, Pearlman detests because Bonds is a bastard to those hardworking, truthseeking journalists.

From Jim and Bob's Palatial Baseball Site, October 17, 2002:

JEFF PEARLMAN IS A BLOCKHEAD

Thanks to Sports Illustrated columnist Jeff Pearlman, we discovered this week that there is a new method of determining league champions. It has nothing to do with who scored the most runs in four games out of seven. It has everything to do with which team provides the better feel-good stories for the media.

Like a lot of media people, Pearlman apparently hates Barry Bonds. Bonds is a terrible human being, don't you know. He doesn't talk much to media folk like Pearlman, thereby making their jobs harder by having to come up with something to write about all on their own.

Oh, and Pearlman seems to feel that Bonds has an ego, as well. Wonder why Bonds would feel that way? Maybe his hard work and incredible play entitles him to some pride in his accomplishment? Accomplishments which will be remembered long past the time that Pearlman's will have been forgotten, which I plan on doing about ten minutes after I'm done writing this.

It seems Kenny Lofton is a jerk, too. Whatever. I don't know how many more times I need to stress this to people like Pearlman, but we just don't give a rat's hindquarters. We care about the game on the field. That's what gets recorded in Total Baseball. All the off-field stuff exists only to keep people like Pearlman employed.

I mean no disrespect to the Cardinals, who certainly suffered greatly this summer. We salute their achievements in the face of adversity.

But games on the field are not decided by personalities, or by who makes better copy for Jeff Pearlman. The cold hard fact is that what matters is who wins more games. And that trick was accomplished by the Giants.

Regarding Pearlman's snide comment about Bay Area TV personalities, again, who cares? These people live here, and many have been Giants fans for most of their lives. Should we be surprised that they are happy by the outcome of the series?

Silly me, I forgot. "Professional journalism" means a dispassionate attitude towards everything, unless it's a heartwarming story like Daryl Kile's son being the team batboy for the series.

Oh, one more thing. The Hall and Oates of arrogance? I guess it takes a second rate writer to use a second rate musical act as his metaphor. I was thinking that if you want to portray Bonds and Lofton as being the pinnacle of arrogance, maybe you should use a duo who also represents a pinnacle? The Lennon and McCartney of arrogance, if you want to keep it a musical metaphor? The Ruth and Gehring of arrogance, if you want to keep it in the ballpark? The Bush and Cheney of arrogance? Actually, Bush and Cheney are the Bush and Cheney of arrogance, so we'll give them that.

Sorry that your good guys didn't win, Jeff. Hope you haven't lost faith in the Tooth Fairy, too.


Once a blockhead, always a blockhead, so it appears.