If you've ventured around the sports blogosphere at all today, undoubtedly you've come across the "Costas Now" segment regarding online media that featured Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist/author Buzz Bissinger, Cleveland Browns All-Pro receiver Braylon Edwards, and Deadspin.com founder Will Leitch debating over the ethics of online sports blogging.  For those who have not seen it, be sure to check out the complete, profane clip on Deadspin to form your own opinions.

Before I delve into my opinions regarding the grumpy old man Bissinger's tirade, let me first differentiate myself from the general perception of blogs:

A) I am a prospective journalist.  I will attend the nationally accredited E.W. Scripps School of Journalism beginning in the fall of 2008, and one of my primary purposes of blogging to begin with is to practice my journalistic skills.  

B) I am also a blogger.  I can't hide from the fact that I have certain biases that may persuade my opinions one way or the other, and I have no problem dropping the occasional "Ann Arbor is a whore" when I deem it necessary.  However, I'm still a strong believer in the basic journalistic principles of honesty and accuracy, so I will not make an unwarranted claim if I have no evidence and have not researched a topic enough to make a valid judgment.

As is the common trend in today's modern society based around speed, many journalists -- especially sports journalists -- turn to blogging in order to most quickly deliver news and analysis.  The concept of "live blogging" games going on in the present is a revolutionary journalistic idea in which members of the audience can get the analysis provided by your regular play-by-play and color commentators without actually watching the game.  The simple fact is: if you're not blogging, you're behind in the game, and you're going to lose readers.  Buzz Bissinger profoundly displayed what we all suspected about the large mass of the over 50 generation: an inability to adapt to a changing world.  The bottom line is that, like it or not, more and more people are beginning to have their voice heard, and that includes the fans, who have been forced to spend the better part of the past century sitting around as their beloved teams and players make stupid decision after stupid decision.  There's nothing that says we can't do it, but there is one thing that says we can, and although it's only 45 words, it kind of sort of created the basis for the country that we live in.

Quite frankly, if Buzz Bissinger is so radically opposed to all forms of blogging, that would make him without a doubt a journalist who is founded on hypocrisy.  Beyond delivering the news, the chief function of any sort of news publication is to create an open forum for the audience's opinion to be heard by all.  All journalists and publications - whether they are in print, online, or via television -- in today's world can be contacted by anybody who has a problem with what is presented to the public audience.  By attacking amateur writers for proudly displaying their opinions and allowing all readers to do so as well goes against everything that journalism stands for, and quite frankly, I'm more than a little disappointed in Buzz for forgetting that.  The importance of the "comments" section cannot be hyperbolized, and quite frankly I secretly enjoy it every time somebody criticizes my beliefs.  I live for discussion.

And, in all honesty, everybody is well aware that we are not professionals at what we do.  That's why they come here; to hear the opinion of the average person.  Deadspin founder Will Leitch said in the video that he could probably get a press pass if he applied for one because of how popular his website has become, but he doesn't do it because it essentially dehumanizes him from his audience.  And you know what?  Bravo to that.  He doesn't sit in a press box or walk into a locker room to "keep the facts from getting in the way," as Bissinger so eloquently put it, he intentionally keeps his distance in order to maintain a sense of reality and keep him at the same level as his readers.  That's why so many people like Deadspin, The Sports Guy, and everything else founded on those principles: the authors are just like them, only better at communicating.

Any blogger will gladly tell you that there is definitely a need for sports writers who do in fact eat press box food and hold microphones to shirtless linebackers on stools.  There are certain facets of sports journalism - and all types of journalism, for that matter - that require the reporter to witness certain events firsthand in order to most accurately depict what exactly went down at that point in time, and that's why true journalism - the mainstream media, if you will - is in no threat of being overtaken by trillions of bloggers like me.  I'm probably a rarity in the sense that I plan on pursuing a journalism degree while writing on this site.  It's my dream to be able to do what guys like Ken Gordon and Jay Mariotti do on a daily basis.  Yet, the vast majority of quality blogs are run by normal people like who carry on 9-5 jobs and just so happen to write on the side, and those are the blogs that are read the most.

So please, by all means, have your voice be heard.  There's nothing worse than a valid opinion that is being self-censored because some old guy won't read it.

This time of year, with the Holidays approaching and bowl selections being a hot topic of debate, college football fans (myself included) often tend to lose sight of the things that truly matter in life.  In Columbus, Buckeye football tends to run our lives, and is always such a hot topic that it is commonly forgotten that it is always a game.

Tyler, sporting his #7 jersey, with his brother Travis last fall.

Tyler Alfriend, age 15 and a good friend of mine, defines what it truly means to be a Buckeye.  The kid ate, slept, and breathed Ohio State football and basketball, and he is truly the epitome of what all fans of any team should admire.  He followed the team with a passion, and you could carry on a discussion about Buckeye football with him for time on end.  

But now, Tyler is fighting a battle far more serious than anything on the football field.  On November 14 -- just three days before the Buckeyes were set to square off against archrival Michigan -- Tyler was diagnosed with stage IV Burkitt's Lymphoma, a form of cancer.  That Saturday (the day of the game), Tyler began chemotherapy.  Since then, he has had his ups (he was allowed to come home for Thanksgiving for a few hours), and his downs; however, this is a battle that Tyler is just now beginning to fight, and he needs all of the support that he can get.  His father has set up a blog for everybody to check on Tyler's status, and I recommend that you read it and leave Tyler a comment (by the way, Buckeye fans, you should probably read all of the comments on this post).

The support for Tyler at this time has been great, and for that I am sure he and his family are very thankful.  He received a signed Daequan Cook Miami Heat NBA Draft hat, a basketball signed by the entire OSU team, a hockey stick signed by the entire Buckeye team, autographed memorabilia by Miami Dolphins star Jason Taylor, a couple of members of the Blue Jackets stopped by Children's Hospital to spend some time with him, and just recently he received a football that read "Tyler, the Buckeyes are cheering for you! - Jim Tressel."  Needless to say, that's a whole lot of cool stuff.

Please keep Tyler in your prayers.  It's all myself and the Alfriend family asks of you this holiday season.

Other links:
Burkitt's Lymphoma

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (You can donate to Leukemia and Lymphoma society here)

Check on Tyler

Breaking news from the Onion: Ohio State will use a t-shirt blaster to pass out diplomas at graduation (HT: mgoblog, of all places). It's only a photoshopped picture, but I found it worth posting, seeing as I will be graduating and whatnot. I almost wish it were true; I'm not looking forward to sitting through a three or four hour ceremony, in the sun, wearing a black cap and gown. Projectile diplomas would spice up the proceedings quite a bit.

Graduation fact that may interest only me: in case of inclement weather, the ceremony is canceled. That seemed strange to me: this is kind of a big deal, so how can they just cancel it? But it makes sense. Where are you going to put 10,000 guests and 35,000 graduates?

Oh my God this would be the awesomest thing ever:

Smith also said school officials have talked to Alabama about a possible neutral-site game in the next several years, but it now looks like that might be a home-and-home series at least 10 years down the road.

I hope I can survive ten more years. I'm 24 years old so I'd like to think I have a reasonably decent shot.

Ohio State is clearly the ballsiest (is that a word?) team in the land. Yeah, Washington in '07 isn't going to set the world on fire, but the home and homes against USC and Miami after that are pretty kick ass. And hey, Virginia Tech in 2014-1015, which we'll all go to see in our flying cars. And it'll probably be played by robots. Giant robots.

Hat tip Roll Bama Roll and The 614

Think of all the sweatervests this will buy.

I just want to know why it's not lifetime:

Ohio State football coach Jim Tressel has agreed to a new contract that runs through the 2012 season. Tressel, 53, had been under contract through 2009.

Under the terms of the new agreement, which is retroactive to Feb. 1, 2006 and runs through Jan. 13, 2013, Tressel will receive $1,878,900 and a $500,000 signing bonus in the first year, making his total compensation that year $2,378,900. He will receive $2,675,900 in the final year of the contract.

Kidding on the lifetime thing. Kinda.

No I'm not actually. Why not just make it official? Jim Tressel is the new Woody Hayes. If he ever leaves Ohio State there'll be rioting in the streets and Hell to pay. Dogs living with cats, mass confusion. It won't be pretty.

Also, I was wondering tonight why there've never been rumors of Tressel going to an NFL team. Not in all the years that he's been here.

Yeah, I realize that Tressel is the quintessential college coach, but it still seems odd with all the success he's had. My first thought was that it could be because Tresselball isn't as sexy as a Steve Spurrier offense, but that really can't be it because defense is pretty prized in the NFL. Marvin Lewis was a hot coaching prospect for years because of what he did with Baltimore's D. Jim Tressel could help out a lot of NFL teams, but hey I'm not complaining. Their loss is our gain.

Butler facts:

2004-2005 record: 13-15

Returning starters: 5

Conference: Horizon League (member schools: Cleveland State, Detroit, UIC, Loyola, UW-Green Bay, UW-Milwaukee, Wright State, Youngstown State)

Last time vs. tOSU: Jan. 2, 1982, a 66-48 tOSU victory

Thad Motta played three years at Butler University and coached them during the 2000-2001 season. Butler went 24-8 that season and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament.

This is a thread to discuss tonight's game. Feel free to use it before, during, and after the game.  

GO BUCKS!

Previews for tomorrow's game against the Spartans:

RealFootball365

Buckeye Planet

Official NCAA site

CentralOhio.com