This might only catch the eye of Angelinos (unless one of these schmucks has gone national [I would hope that their collective mental blight has not been inflicted upon others]) – but these 3 journalists have been terrorizing me for years with their jaundiced brand of journalism. I have used The Letters section of my beloved Times as my corroborating barometer for what most Times readers think of these guys…
For those not-in-the-know, Plaschke and Simers are sports journalists and Goldberg gets stuff published in the Editorial section of TheTimes.
As I try to enjoy my Times readings, I have often had to beware of the landmines that these three pose to me. Basically, all three love to be incendiary – and I’m gathering that’s why all three continue to be paid by The Times – because folks love to hate them (dare I suggest that one-or-more-of-them perform fellatio on The Times top brass?)!
Let’s start with Plaschke, since he’s managed to piss off my Summa Cum Laude, lawyering son, Nick. Nick wanted to kill him a few years back after some nasty aspersions were cast towards Michigan football. Now I’m not saying that I didn’t agree with Plaschke’s assessment of Michigan football – but I am saying that he has that knack of really pissing people off with his comments; while, paradoxically, having the Times Sports audience suggesting that he’s written some of the most powerful and poignant sports articles ever! Go figure, I guess the fellow likes to be an enigma: a never-know-what-yer-gonna-git type.
Not so Simers…this guy is universally hated! I’m pretty sure that even his wife and daughter – (whom he uses as foils in his articles) — loathe the fellow. Getting past Page 2 of The Sports (where Simers is wont to be posted) can be very tricky at times: because T.J. gets those clever eye-catching headlines to hook you in for-a-hot-second. This guy gets nothing but negativity on Saturday’s sports’ letters. I call this Karma – since his articles issue nothing but negativity (not to mention that he demonstrates only minimal understanding of athleticism) and his pretended interviews of L.A. sports figures, though clever in its inception – are becoming quite clichéd. I always celebrate with an extra cup of coffee when I read that T.J. is on vacation.
And now for Goldberg? Who is this asshole?? From his name, I can only assume that he’s Jewish – and the way in which he supports neo-Nazism (in its myriad facets) is truly a stupefying irony…I’m betting that Goldberg has a shrine in his home for Dick Cheney (La Cucaracha incidentally, is running a great series on Cheney and Scripter Lalo A. concurs with me that Cheney is the devil – [which makes Goldberg the devil’s disciple]). Goldberg is more rife with contradiction and controversy in a single editorial than Palin and Bachmann could probably fuel in an entire campaign (this guy has to have an idiot patron supporting him). The only reason I believe he hasn’t been shot yet is because everyone is flabbergasted by the insane ramblings of a Nazi Jew and don’t quite know what-to-make-of-the-guy.
Sandy Banks has some cute sentimentality to her often, banal and inane column, while Megan Daum, who researches a bit AND writes extremely well – is still provincial and jingoistic in her approach. I like economist Michael Hiltzik – but he doesn’t consistently kick ass like he might. Steve Lopez used to be the poor man’s hero – but now seems to have settled into soft middle age and is more the lion rug than the roaring lion.
But…they all get published…and they all get paid…and I…I languish in The Doctor’s Inn, with a tiny (but loyal) readership…one-of-these-days…