More DMN blog sniping

by Adam J. Morris on May 27, 2007 8:09 PM CDT in News Comment 14 comments

Ugly baseball tends to make people testy.

Apparently, even the writers.

Tim MacMahon takes a couple of subtle shots at Evan Grant today regarding Grant's defending of Jon Daniels:

I'll buy the great Evan Grant's belief that Jon Daniels has genius GM potential and has experienced growing pains expected of a young guy thrust into such a tough gig.

Grant responded thusly:

While I prepare to get on a flight for San Francisco and Tim ponders how to offer more cheap shots at everybody on the planet, including putting words in my mouth (never called Jon Daniels a genius, just say I believe he's the right man to take this team to the World Series -- it shouldn't take a genius to do it),

Which result in MacMahon taking the gloves off:

Jeez, Evan, I sure am sorry about putting words in your mouth. I shouldn't have assumed that Jon Daniels' ability to win a World Series with a franchise that has won one playoff game in its history makes him a genius.

In the future, I'll paraphrase your work much more carefully. Or perhaps I should just stick to straight quotes. Like this one:

"The Rangers are going to win the AL West this year."

Don't feel like you need to defend that pre-season prediction. I'm sure Richard Durrett will pop on here soon enough to explain why you were right and make sure any feathers I ruffled are put back in place.

In related news, the team with the league's worst record just tied the score on Mark Teixeira's three-run homer.

Ouch.

I have to wonder how long this arrangement over at Seamheads is going to last.

Having read MacMahon's stuff at the Mavs blog the past two playoff series, it seems that his schtick is being antagonistic...I imagine that, so long as the Rangers have the worst record in the league, he's going to make reference to that whenever possible.

But I'm not entirely sure whether this series of increasingly acidic exchanges between the baseball guys (or Grant, really...Durrett hasn't really gotten real involved in it) and the newcomer is just schtick, or is as personal as it is beginning to appear from the outside.

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Hey!

Now this could be really fun to watch! :)

by northtexan95 on May 27, 2007 8:11 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

seamheads

as much as i dislike tmac, this blog war sure is funny.

"Pimps be damned, it's harder out here for a Rangers fan!" "If you don't throw strikes first, you're last."

by rentz on May 27, 2007 8:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

These guys are geniuses

They know how to keep traffic coming their way, that's for sure.

"Fire Jon Daniels!" Someone has to start it.

by chief on May 27, 2007 8:14 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

They are trying to generate interest. Not going to be possible if the Rangers are actually the story.

by gp on May 27, 2007 8:29 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Everyone pull up your chairs for the blog war!

Evan Grant vs. the Giant Douche.

by Athos on May 27, 2007 8:23 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Nobody likes TMac

That's the beauty of it. He realizes he can be a jerk, because he wasn't expecting anyone to like him anyways.

He's there for the schtick. Nobody actually thinks he has the brains to actually analyze something rationally or present any logical ideas for the future. He's simply there for schtick.

by rangeressary on May 27, 2007 8:31 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yeah...

Evan "The Face" Grant is your Hulk Hogan for MacMahon's heel of a Ted DiBiase.

by ghostofErikThompson on May 27, 2007 9:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Paraphrase

Of course, Evan explaining that saying JD was the man who would eventually take the Rangers to the series, did not mean he thought he was a "genius". I guess it just meant he was gonna be very smart (but below the Mensa cut off, I guess); or very lucky; or could find a way to be very good; or something.
After a couple of earlier skirmishes, sure looks like Evan's retreating to desperate semantics.
Fact probably is, Evan, an old hand, has been thru the mill with Hart and company, cut off from the communication that is his life's blood, and now will do anything it takes to stay in the good graces.
And, he's getting edgy about anybody rattling that cage.
By the way, did you see TM's support of Evan to a commenter on one of today's other posts: "That's bull " I spar with Evan, but the man has proven himself, over time, as one of the best beat writers in baseball".
Two different missions, two different ages, two different guys.
But blogs are all about the hits! Look to Sefko and Moore on the Mavs. for a model that has worked for years

by dog named blue on May 27, 2007 10:17 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Yep

Good analogy. If anything, Grant has gotten better over time. He finds ways to indicate how it "is", without ever really offending the club.

Time does funny things. The worst of which is, it keeps moving when you don't.

by Ed Coffin on May 27, 2007 10:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Grant sucks

once you start mouthing a company line, how can u be respected as a journalist? MacMahon may not be a true journalist, but at least he keeps the sell-outs on their toes.

by chrispi on May 28, 2007 12:42 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

did it ever occur to you

that he actually believes it? because a few people on the blog believe it and they wouldn't really be considered sell outs.

Forget Johnny Bench, we got Gerry "the Jet" Laird

by ab03 on May 28, 2007 1:33 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Nah, not him

Everyone is an idiot to this guy...

Dozens!!!

by Brian Thomas on May 30, 2007 6:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Disagree

McMahon just sounds like an idiot trying to bait everyone he comes across... Blogs of (paraphrasing) "Hicks sucks", "Fire JD", "Fire Wash", "This team sucks" are not very original and have been said here and elsewhere long before he said it. Has he had an original report or thought yet?
I'm a little surprised that a newspaper would put up with crap this bad. Of course, it is the DMN......

by stltxfan on May 28, 2007 1:37 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think Evan has to worry about access.

I think he may be to close to the ball club and has lost a little bit of objectivity. You may just be right because access has to be a primary concern for a reporter. However, he does work for the paper that has always been ultra supportive of Ranger management and willing to do their dirty work. How else can those hit pieces they used to run on players be explained? It used to seem that every time the Rangers got ready to trade or release a player of repute or with fan support the DMN would have one of those player extra pieces on the back page of the sports section and completely eviscerate the player. A few days later and the player would be gone. That is one of the reasons why I question everything I read, especially from sportswriters. Evan Grant certainly is no exception.

by gp on May 28, 2007 5:39 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs