Chat Rewind | D.C. SPORTS BOG'S DAN STEINBERG

Chat Rewind | D.C. SPORTS BOG'S DAN STEINBERG

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Question Answer
Waiting for Mr. Tony in Va.: Dan, cheese-meister. With your running around to all the NatsFest activities did you truly feel that the players were into this coming season? Please keep the cheese coming, we need it. I'm not sure how into things anyone will feel when the temperature is in the 30s and it's still late January. Didn't seem like players were exactly there to sell tickets. Stan Kasten and Jim Bowden? They were definitely trying to sell tickets, and to justify the temperature of this hot stove, which has been on the cool side lately.
Herndon, Va.: When people are losing their jobs and houses not to mention the country fighting two wars, should a marginal sport like figure skating hog half the front page? Sports section, Style section, okay, but this shouldn't happen with a serious newspaper.
Most readers probably understand that there are wars and unemployment and foreclosures happening regardless of whether there are five instead of four depressing stories on A1 of The Post. And none of us have stopped paying attention to sports out of some sort of feelings of impropriety during the recession. So if readers still care, I think there's a place for sports on A1.
Van Neezy, D.C.: I'm getting worried about the [Wizards'] collective sanity. It has been a horrible season and it must be miserable for the team to go through, especially Antawn and Caron. Do you see this having any long-term impact on the team's psyche?
Well, it sure seems to have done something odd. The body language you see from Caron, in particular, just seems at odds with the Tuff Juice we've gotten to know recently. And some of Antawn's quotes about the younger kids have been scathing. You wonder how long the kids' memories will be. Antawn wants to win, and isn't getting any younger. Though I guess most of us aren't getting any younger.
Arlington, Va.: What's your favorite story/character the last three, four years or however long you've been doing this for The Post? I don't get to read your blog that often but when I do I always enjoy the offbeatness of it. The Wizards from the beginning of December 2006 till the end of January 2007 was the most fun I've had covering anything, ever. That was when Gilbert said his swag was phenomenal, and when he threw that outlandish birthday party, and when he talked about stuffing the all-star ballot box, and (I think) when he and DeShawn Stevenson had that shooting contest. It's just amazing to think how much has changed in two years.
Baltimore: What's wrong with the Hoyas? Based on the preseason projections, the losses from last year, etc., I think their record is about what you'd have guessed before the year. Maybe one more loss than a Hoya fan would have hoped for, but I don't get the panic.
Reston, Va.: It seems as if you're covering the Nats slightly more recently. Is this a result of the debate over the Nats' TV numbers/WaPo coverage, or has the team suddenly become more boggable? Choice three: "Or is this because the Wizards franchise that you've covered nearly full-time in recent years has suddenly become completely and totally unboggable?" Um, choice three please. (It also has occurred to me that one day the Nats will be good, and suddenly -- as with the Caps -- people will want to read about them, and so it would help me to form a few relationships now.)

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Question		Answer
Waiting for Mr. Tony in Va.: Dan, cheese-meister. With your running around to all the NatsFest activities did you truly feel that the players were into this coming season? Please keep the cheese coming, we need it.		I'm not sure how into things anyone will feel when the temperature is in the 30s and it's still late January. Didn't seem like players were exactly there to sell tickets. Stan Kasten and Jim Bowden? They were definitely trying to sell tickets, and to justify the temperature of this hot stove, which has been on the cool side lately.
Herndon, Va.: When people are losing their jobs and houses not to mention the country fighting two wars, should a marginal sport like figure skating hog half the front page? Sports section, Style section, okay, but this shouldn't happen with a serious newspaper.		Most readers probably understand that there are wars and unemployment and foreclosures happening regardless of whether there are five instead of four depressing stories on A1 of The Post. And none of us have stopped paying attention to sports out of some sort of feelings of impropriety during the recession. So if readers still care, I think there's a place for sports on A1.
Van Neezy, D.C.: I'm getting worried about the [Wizards'] collective sanity. It has been a horrible season and it must be miserable for the team to go through, especially Antawn and Caron. Do you see this having any long-term impact on the team's psyche?		Well, it sure seems to have done something odd. The body language you see from Caron, in particular, just seems at odds with the Tuff Juice we've gotten to know recently. And some of Antawn's quotes about the younger kids have been scathing. You wonder how long the kids' memories will be. Antawn wants to win, and isn't getting any younger. Though I guess most of us aren't getting any younger.
Arlington, Va.: What's your favorite story/character the last three, four years or however long you've been doing this for The Post? I don't get to read your blog that often but when I do I always enjoy the offbeatness of it.		The Wizards from the beginning of December 2006 till the end of January 2007 was the most fun I've had covering anything, ever. That was when Gilbert said his swag was phenomenal, and when he threw that outlandish birthday party, and when he talked about stuffing the all-star ballot box, and (I think) when he and DeShawn Stevenson had that shooting contest. It's just amazing to think how much has changed in two years.
Baltimore: What's wrong with the Hoyas?		Based on the preseason projections, the losses from last year, etc., I think their record is about what you'd have guessed before the year. Maybe one more loss than a Hoya fan would have hoped for, but I don't get the panic.
Reston, Va.: It seems as if you're covering the Nats slightly more recently. Is this a result of the debate over the Nats' TV numbers/WaPo coverage, or has the team suddenly become more boggable?		Choice three: "Or is this because the Wizards franchise that you've covered nearly full-time in recent years has suddenly become completely and totally unboggable?" Um, choice three please. (It also has occurred to me that one day the Nats will be good, and suddenly -- as with the Caps -- people will want to read about them, and so it would help me to form a few relationships now.)