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General Discussion => Talk Zone => Topic started by: GreatBagwellsBeard on February 12, 2018, 10:34:15 am

Title: The Athletic Houston
Post by: GreatBagwellsBeard on February 12, 2018, 10:34:15 am
If you're not familiar, The Athletic has built a blog network with professional writers (Rosenthal, Gammons) doing national coverage, and local writers providing more in-depth coverage.  The "catch" is that it's paid only.  It's not unreasonable (the current promo rate is less than $4/month), and there are no ads or clutter.  No 12 page slideshows.

They're launching the Houston site now, and they've already grabbed Jake Kaplan and Steve Campbell from the Chron.  Site is up here (https://theathletic.com/houston/).

I'm debating about whether the (cheap) cost ads any value compared to what I get for free from the Chron and McTaggart.  But it's tempting.
Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: chuck on February 12, 2018, 10:45:11 am
You could subscribe to the Snuffy Smith cartoon syndication and add value to what you get from the Chron and Taggart.
Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: Ron Brand on February 12, 2018, 09:44:26 pm
You could subscribe to the Snuffy Smith cartoon syndication and add value to what you get from the Chron and Taggart.

Whut in tarnation?
Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: Navin R Johnson on February 12, 2018, 10:04:11 pm
Steve Campbell?  MEH
Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: Ron Brand on February 12, 2018, 11:56:47 pm
If you're not familiar, The Athletic has built a blog network with professional writers (Rosenthal, Gammons) doing national coverage, and local writers providing more in-depth coverage.  The "catch" is that it's paid only.  It's not unreasonable (the current promo rate is less than $4/month), and there are no ads or clutter.  No 12 page slideshows.

They're launching the Houston site now, and they've already grabbed Jake Kaplan and Steve Campbell from the Chron.  Site is up here (https://theathletic.com/houston/).

I'm debating about whether the (cheap) cost ads any value compared to what I get for free from the Chron and McTaggart.  But it's tempting.

I'm a big proponent of paying for quality media work because I don't like seeing newspapers, magazines, reporting and journalism dying. Nothing is perfect and bitching about flaws is easy, but if you don't support efforts like this, or local papers, or newsmagazines with good writing, it all gets dumbed down even further until it's virtually nonexistent. Chip in and keep efforts like these alive.
Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: subnuclear on February 13, 2018, 09:09:36 am
I follow a lot of baseball writers on twitter and they keep getting hired by the Athletic. (Jayson Stark for instance) Anyway, seems worth the money if you like reading about baseball.

As a side note, I've subscribed to Michael Brendan Dougherty's newsletter The Slurve (http://www.theslurve.com/) for a few years now and haven't regretted it.
Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: subnuclear on February 13, 2018, 09:10:21 am
Steve Campbell?  MEH

I had to unfollow Jake Kaplan on Twitter, but maybe he is better in article length,
Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: Reuben on February 13, 2018, 03:36:30 pm
I'm a big proponent of paying for quality media work because I don't like seeing newspapers, magazines, reporting and journalism dying. Nothing is perfect and bitching about flaws is easy, but if you don't support efforts like this, or local papers, or newsmagazines with good writing, it all gets dumbed down even further until it's virtually nonexistent. Chip in and keep efforts like these alive.
Well said.
Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: drew corleone on February 13, 2018, 10:48:34 pm
I subscribed for Stewart Mandel and the CFB coverage in August and had the added bonus of Smilin' Ken's baseball content. Glad that Kaplan is going over there. It's well worth the price, IMO.
Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: HudsonHawk on February 14, 2018, 03:03:44 am
I follow a lot of baseball writers on twitter and they keep getting hired by the Athletic. (Jayson Stark for instance) Anyway, seems worth the money if you like reading about baseball.

As a side note, I've subscribed to Michael Brendan Dougherty's newsletter The Slurve (http://www.theslurve.com/) for a few years now and haven't regretted it.

I like reading about baseball, but I don't like Twitter.  It's pointless.  Like online news "articles" that turn out to be videos.  I hate that.  There used to be some good baseball writers out there, but not so much anymore.  Stark is OK.  I always liked Paul White when he wrote for Baseball Weekly, which I used to read religiously back before I had a TV and the internet. 
Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: Reuben on February 14, 2018, 12:39:22 pm
I like reading about baseball, but I don't like Twitter.  It's pointless.  Like online news "articles" that turn out to be videos.  I hate that.  There used to be some good baseball writers out there, but not so much anymore.  Stark is OK.  I always liked Paul White when he wrote for Baseball Weekly, which I used to read religiously back before I had a TV and the internet.
Same here on Paul White and Baseball Weekly. Whatever happened to him? I never cared much for Bob Nightengale, another BW guy.
Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: BUWebguy on February 14, 2018, 04:47:26 pm
Same here on Paul White and Baseball Weekly. Whatever happened to him? I never cared much for Bob Nightengale, another BW guy.

Paul White (and Baseball Weekly) was awesome. I subscribed for a decade-plus, from its first year until a few months after it ditched the baseball focus for broader sports coverage.

White retired in 2015:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2015/05/22/paul-white--baseball-lifer-game-goes-/27778199/
Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: Navin R Johnson on February 17, 2018, 05:13:42 pm

They're launching the Houston site now, and they've already grabbed Jake Kaplan and Steve Campbell from the Chron.  Site is up here (https://theathletic.com/houston/).


Where did you hear that about Steve Campbell, I cant find any mention of him joining.
Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: Reuben on February 18, 2018, 09:59:46 am
Where did you hear that about Steve Campbell, I cant find any mention of him joining.
I was wondering that too, last I heard Campbell had retired from journalism altogether.
Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: GreatBagwellsBeard on February 19, 2018, 09:17:12 am
Maybe just conjecture; he's retweeting practically everything they send out.
Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: Duke on February 23, 2018, 09:46:15 am
FYI for the cheapskates out there (of which I am one), Some of the articles from the Athletic show up on the Astros sub-reddit
Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: moriartp on February 23, 2018, 01:06:48 pm
I subscribed the other day once I saw their student discount. I can't say it's worth it yet, but I'm sure they'll continue to add good writers.
Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: AtascAstro on March 22, 2018, 05:04:33 pm
Just curious...for those that picked up subscriptions, how was the Spring Training coverage?
Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: MusicMan on March 22, 2018, 05:56:21 pm
Just curious...for those that picked up subscriptions, how was the Spring Training coverage?

I enjoyed it a bit more than Tags’ MLB.com coverage.


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Title: Re: The Athletic Houston
Post by: VirtualBob on March 22, 2018, 08:44:09 pm
I enjoyed it a bit more than Tags’ MLB.com coverage.


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Damnationby faint praise? I enjoy poking myself in the eye with a sharp stick more than reading McBraggart.