Obama, dressed in jeans and Chicago White Sox jacket, certainly looked smooth with his delivery, but the camera angle broadcast by Fox was simply horrendous and didn't really give viewers any indication of whether or not it was a good or a bad pitch, so we're basically incapable of rendering a verdict on our own. However, some members of the media who were in attendance saw the pitch and have already weighed in.

From the New York Times:

Once Obama made it to the mound, he eased into his motion and softly floated a pitch to Albert Pujols. Pujols, the current Cardinals icon, reached in front of home plate to catch Obama's wobbly pitch. The fans cheered for Obama, who then hugged Pujols halfway between the mound and the plate.

From the AP:

Obama's ceremonial first pitch at the All-Star game barely reached the plate Tuesday night. St. Louis Cardinals star Albert Pujols helped the president, moving up on the plate and reaching out to scoop the toss.

From the Chicago Tribune:

As you would expect, President Barack Obama leaned to the left while making the ceremonial first pitch at Tuesday's All-Star game in St. Louis.

While he was lacking in style points on his short southpaw lob to home plate, he certainly made a striking fashion statement — not to mention showing his South Side sentiment — to the worldwide television audience.

From the Weekly Standard:

He may have thrown out the first pitch wearing a Chicago White Sox jacket ("My wife thinks I look cute in it"), but there was nothing in his cool aspect or his broadcast-booth blarney to suggest a true love for the game, like that of, say, our 43rd president. This guy should stick to golfing, or, better yet, to kicking a soccer ball around the White House lawn. It suits him: more Europeanish, less Americanish.

Finally, we text-messaged Deadspin Emeritus Will Leitch, who is actually at the game in St. Louis, for his assessment. Here's what he said:

He isn't as good at throwing a first pitch as Bush. THANK GOD!

So the verdict seems to be that Barack Obama throws like a girl, which probably shouldn't be all that surprising considering that he's a latte-sipping communist. But here's a clip of the first pitch from Fox, not that you'll be able to really glean anything from it, so you can at least try to render your own verdict.

pic via AP

So what magazine would be so desperate for any sort of good news that they'd blitz out a press statement bragging about their lead editor being ranked at the top of his class by a two day old website? Newsweek!

Yesterday we received an email from one of Newsweek's flacks with a subject line that read, "Newsweek's Meacham, most powerful Magazine Editor." Copied into the body of the email was the post by Mediaite's Colby Hall announcing Meacham as the most powerful magazine editor.

Yeah.

After receiving this yesterday afternoon I walked around scratching my head a bit, alternately saddened and angered by the email, but mostly angered. I was angered that a magazine I've enjoyed for a number of years had stooped to such a ridiculous level to try and bring attention to itself. I was angered over the fact that there are people out there who actually give a damn about their ranking on some retarded "Power Grid." So I walked around a bit and thought all of this over and decided that I was going to post something about it on Gawker tonight, only to come home and discover that New York's Will Leitch had beaten me to the punch and written something on the subject at Deadspin that pretty much perfectly captured exactly what I was thinking. Calling Mediaite a "handy reminder of just why everyone hates the media," Leitch wrote:

From my experience, 27 percent of the people who work in media (and I'm using the Mediaite definition of media, which is pretty much "anyone who gets paid for typing, talking or figuring out how to fire people who type or talk") are journalists in the truest sense, out to enlighten the public for common good, altruistic believers in the fourth estate and its power to invoke change. The other 73 percent are pretending to be that 27 percent and really just trying to promote their own personal brand. In the past, this has always been an inside joke, something for media folk to snicker about in private. Mediaite breaks with the pretense and just states what everyone already knew: This is really what it's all about. It's not about informing the public. It's not about being good at your job. It's about being known, and being recognized. Mediaite doesn't damn this, not at all, not nearly as much as they should: They just point it out ... and then they prove it. They're excellent at that.

By far, the most entertaining and popular section of Mediaite is their Power Grid, which ranks reporters, columnists, editors, anchors, executives and talk show hosts by their "buzz" ranking, or some such meaningless word tossed out in a dead conference room somewhere.

But wait, you ask: Isn't the media dying? Yes! It totally is! This is the last gasp. It would make more sense to have a Plumberite, or a Morticianite, or a Forecloserite, you know, professions that are actually growing and have a concrete future. (They make more money than most media people too, and are generally more attractive.) But plumbers and morticians aren't self-indulgent assholes! They don't assume that just because they care about what they're doing, everyone else does. They'd never start a site like that. That's our job.

Yes. Absolutely perfect. The only thing I'd add to this is that the obsession of some over Mediaite's "Power Grid" pretty much confirms something I've long suspected—That of all the narcissism-laden social circles existing in New York City, and I've dipped my toe in most of them, there is none more densely populated with self-important a-holes than the New York media circle. Period. It's actually not even a close race, as the New York media social circle far outdistances all others in terms of pure, unadulterated love of self.

Finally, I feel compelled to add, lest someone accuse me of feeling bitter over my Mediaite ranking or something, that I have no idea if I appear anywhere on any Mediaite "Power Grid" list, though I'm sure someone would have pointed it out to me by now if I did. With that said, is it possible for me to just opt out of any future rankings? I know and like some of the people working at Mediaite, but I don't want any part of this. The whole thing just gives me indigestion when I think about it.

The Real Reason You Should Hate the Media [Deadspin]
pic via

The WSJ speaks to Costas about his HBO show today, and the entire first half of the article is Costas' obligatory rehash of Bissinger's tirade. I'm sure he will never tire of discussing it! And he has obviously perfected his equivocation on the issue by now:

"The truth," says Mr. Costas, "is that this issue was a powder keg waiting to explode somewhere, and ours just happened to be the match that set it off. I think Buzz realizes he did a disservice to the journalistic standards he was claiming to uphold by jumping on Will that way. At the same time, it's easy for many of those in the blogosphere to dismiss Buzz's outburst as representative of the objections the mainstream sports media has to the excesses of the Internet.

Interesting. Any further "on the one hand, on the other hand" formulaic statements of diplomacy you'd like to make, Bob?

"Put it this way: Though I would have preferred more light and less heat on the subject, I think we did a service by putting the issue out there to be discussed. And it won't be the last time that we'll be discussing it. Next time we'll be better prepared. For now, I'll leave it at this — though Buzz is a friend, those who suggest that he was expressing my views on sports blogs are wrong." His own feelings about the Internet, say Mr. Costas, echoing Alan Ladd's gunfighter in "Shane" on the subject of his weapon, is that "it's just a tool. No better or worse than the person using it."

Then he describes his next show, which sounds incredibly boring in comparison.

[WSJ]

The main criticism of the Sporting News' strategy is that its newsletter will come out in the morning, while rabid sports fans will probably have gotten their fill of the news the previous night. It's certainly possible that the entire comeback will be a colossal failure. But getting one of the sports world's most high-profile bloggers on staff (once again—Leitch worked there ten years ago) was a pretty savvy move for the old folks. People will be forced to link to them now!

Publisher Ed Baker's defense of the morning newsletter:

"What if a player gets arrested or traded? Things happen overnight," he said in response to Mr. Padwe's comment. "And if the Mets are on the West Coast playing the Dodgers, how many people stay up till 1 to find out the score?"

Here's hoping for plenty of arrests!

[NYT]

While Bissinger still professes to believe in his core argument—that sports blogs are the devil—he apologizes for cussing and yelling and generally acting like a crazy person on Bob Costas' HBO show.

I believe in what I said (although the emails I received have also directed me to some excellent information-based sports blogs I was not aware of). But I made a terrible mistake in the manner in which I said it. I am a man of passion and my passion truly got the better of me. I should have considerably toned it down, in particular in terms of my treatment of Will Leitch.

Then he apologizes to Will Leitch again. He must been worn down by Leitch's unflaggingly polite Midwestern disposition!

What is ironic, and embarrassing, is that I directed gratuitous profanity at Will Leitch. And no question - that did undermine the points I was trying to make. Valid points in my mind.

And Bissinger's final bit of very accurate wisdom, in a comment on another sportswriter who disagreed with him:

I think Joe said that because he blogs now and doesn't want to piss off bloggers off (trust me on this on the basis of experience, he is smart not to want to piss off bloggers).

[The Big Lead]

Our admittedly biased answer: Duh. We're not alone in this opinion. Leitch wrote his piece for GQ and it ran in an issue that's been out for weeks. He then quoted from it for the Valleywag post. Since when must a reporter ask nicely before writing a piece on someone? According to Cuban fanboys, noted journalism experts all, since forever. Some even believe that Cuban and GQ signed a contract before the magazine could proceed with an article. Anybody up for some mindless outrage?

We're sure that he doesn't care about ethics, only blog hits and garnering attention for increased book sales. — Miguel

Totally not ethical. He basically lied to you and then used your interview for his own personal gain. I'd be more than upset with him and hopefully, the magazine is as well. That was very unprofessional in my opinion. His work for the magazine should be kept separate from his blogging life. — tiffany

Completely unethical, possibly illegal. The magazine that paid for his travel and wage, likely owns all of the intellectual property generated. When the author took that property and used it for his own benefit outside of the company on blog, he may have violated the law. Even if he did not break the law, it was unethical, and bad journalism. These are new issues that have to be tested and figured out though... — PRoales

Will Leitch is the editor of Deadspin, our sister sports site, and his book God Save The Fan is now available at bookstores everywhere. He makes a cameo appearance here today to discuss how athletes could become better actors.

But I'm looking for something more epic; I'm looking for a total reinvention by a name director, an otherwise untrained, unskilled athlete being coaxed into an affecting performance by one of our great masters, a la Adam Sandler in Punch Drunk Love or Courtney Love in The People Vs. Larry Flynt. In honor of this curious conceit I've just created, here's five athlete-director combos I think might just work.

Cameron Crowe: Tom Brady
He's a handsome, self-involved hugely successful football player who learns, after impregnating a third supermodel, that his life is empty of any true meaning. He quits the team and coaches a Pop Warner team with the help of a wacky former teammate (Tracy Morgan) and a beautiful, troubled past-her-prime sideline reporter (Rene Russo) who teaches him how to love.

Quentin Tarantino: Joe Namath
Retired playboy athlete, after discovering his football pension has run out, organizes a heist to swipe an ancient sword from a pack of angry ninjas (led by Yao Ming and Tracy Morgan). With Samuel L. Jackson as the piano player; features septegenarian nudity.

John Waters: John Amaechi.
In a callback to his anything-goes does of Baltimore yore, Waters pens this tale of a gay basketball player who teams up with a bigoted former teammate (Tracy Morgan) to put on a cross-dressing musical that shocks a staid mid-50s suburban community. Ends with both teammates eating dog excrement.

Richard Kelly: Serena Williams.
In the Not Too Distant future, a roaming band of mercenaries, led by a laboratory-created superhuman being (Williams), attempt to take down a corrupt Orwellian government led by a former professional wrestler (Tracy Morgan) and world-wide renowned porn star (Nora Dunn). In a landmark use of viral marketing, all theaters will be instructed to show film with reels in randomly selected order, assuring the film will make as much sense as if it were in the correct order.

Uwe Boll: Matt Leinart
Ancient Medieval Lord (Burt Reynolds) teams with his son (Leinart) on an epic journey to escape a maze and eat tiny pellets while being chased by large, multicolored ghosts. Screenplay by Tracy Morgan.

BuyCatch: So my apologies for not being able to chat with you more last night, Ms. Gould. It is difficult for a shy boy like myself to cut through your fanbase.
Memily: Heh, fanbase. [Note: Emily doesn't actually have a fanbase — Will is employing a literary device called "hyperbole."] I don't think either of us really has the fanbase of Prom King John Green! [Note: John Green wins awards for his writing and also is just generally very endearing, so he's like a rock star among his fellow YA writers.] The funniest part is how much some of the ladies there OBVS hate his wife.
BuyCatch: Ha.
Memily: "You stole our dream date John Green! We hate you!"
BuyCatch: That is absolutely true. I think by the end of the night he was kissing babies and signing boobs.
Memily: It's such an interesting scene. I mean, it's actually a scene!
BuyCatch: Yeah, I never realize there's a scene until I actually show up at one of those. Someone who I'd never met told me last night, "I thought your story really didn't fit with what they were doing with this book. It's a little too adult." Hey, good to meet you too!
Memily: Who SAYS something like that? Oh: hopeless loser dorks.
BuyCatch: I suspect there are some unresolved high school issues amongst some of that crew. Just a guess.
Memily: What tipped you off, the evening of tiara'd swaying to 'In Your Eyes'? The, uh, CAREERS IN YA NOVEL WRITING? I know unresolved high school issues are what led me there!
BuyCatch: Yeah. Someone else, at another reading a few months ago, mentioned that they didn't think, because I was writing another book that wasn't YA, I was "devoted" enough to "what we're doing." It's a cause!
Memily: I'm so disturbed yet oddly charmed by that.
BuyCatch: Of course, I also had five different people last night ask me where my wife was, so I suppose I've done an effective job of avoiding them for a while. [Note: for a while last year it seemed like Will might get married, and then it didn't.]
Memily: Those people clearly haven't been keeping up with YA AUTHOR SCANDALSHEET WEEKLY magazine.
BuyCatch: I know. You know, the people who run that magazine, they're all parasites. They're all going to hell.
Memily: They should really think about what they're doing with their lives.
BuyCatch: They really should. WHY CAN'T THEY JUST LEAVE ME BE.
[later]
BuyCatch: Does 'settling scores with old girlfriends' count as "unresolved high school issues?" I suppose it probably does.

Deadspin editor Will Leitch's THE BALLAD OF RON MEXICO: Why ESPN, yellow bracelets, fantasy leagues, and yes, bloggers, have ruined sports for real fans and how we can get them back, a humorous call to arms in which the ringmaster of the influential sports blog punctures today's out of control jockocracy and offers a blueprint how to put the fun back into our games, to David Hirshey at Harper, in a pre-empt, by Kate Lee of ICM.

Some pre-empts require little explanation [GalleyCat]

Cardinals Put Tigers on the Brink [NYT]

Detroit Tigers Offer You Opportunity To Be Free of Us For a Day
A Friendly Wager, If You Will [Deadspin]

Mets finish in unhappy Endy [NYDN]

Per ESPN editorial policy, the use of "underground" web sites as a source of credible information within any ESPN platform is strongly discouraged. Specifically speaking, the use of the site "Deadspin.com" as a source of credible information is not allowed under any circumstance. As always, any breaking hard news story off of any site must be approved through the proper channels.

Please see me or another programming manager if you have any questions or seek clarification on the web sites called into question. Thank you.

Probably a good move on their part. We've read Deadspin, and, man, it's all lies. Will Leitch doesn't even like sports. Sadly, other publications with less commitment to truth, like the New York Times, continue to print any old crap that comes across their desks.

Coming To You Live From The "Underground" [Deadspin]
Birds of Pray [NYT]

"As a kid I thought Bagelfest was the coolest thing in the world," the 1993 Mattoon High School graduate said during a phone interview from his New York City residence. "I remember riding a bike around town for bagels. And you'd eat one while riding. I remember being excited about meeting Murray Lender. He was the guy who had his name on the bagels."

We're gonna go out on a limb here and guess that Mattoon High is some kind of "special" school.

Congratulations, Will.

'I thought Bagelfest was the coolest thing in the world' [jg-tc]

Related: Please Don't Make Us Lonely In July [Deadspin]