Pretty crazy week. Let me know if you agree.
My last column, on why the Tiger Woods story gets so much media coverage, brought out all my friends to comment. More negative than positive. But here are a few.
“I so wish journalism did not need this kind of food to survive. I follow news to stay informed, but realize that more and more I have to shuffle through and past the sensational to get to straight news.
“It saddens me.
“Lou, I was not impressed with the tone of this column. You have a talented sense for written humor and sarcasm that I truly admire. I just wish you had toned it down for this topic.”
But then came this one as well.
“A well-written and concise summary of the media-celebrity paradox. Far too many celebrities use the media to increase their worth on the corporate sponsorship auction table but then protest if said media subtracts from their going value.
“Woods ceased being ‘just a golfer’ when he made the willing choice to be a professional sponsor available to the highest bidder.”
And finally this call came in from someone who has criticized us in the past.
“I wanted to compliment you.
“I have to say, the (column) that you wrote on Tiger Woods today is spot-on. I’m going to cut this out and share it with my kids. I think you have a fantastic perspective.
“I’m very pleased with how you positioned the entire idea. Congratulations.”
Over the years, it’s pretty standard to hear from folks who say they have no interest in reading about something like Tiger Woods and his girlfriends. Today you can check — by Web hits — if those who speak up are representing the masses.
Here is a line from an Associated Press story:
“Google Inc. and Yahoo, which combined process more than 80 percent of all Internet searches in the U.S., said they’ve seen a significant spike in traffic from people looking for information on the golf superstar and his alleged extramarital affairs.”
“Saying” and “doing” are sometimes two very different things.
Baird: ‘No Más’
If U.S. Congressman Brian Baird were a duck, he’d pretty much have been in a sitting position for the past several months.
He was quite the easy target.
And now he’s announced 12 years is plenty. He says it has to do with that horrendous commute someone has to make back and forth from here to D.C., and I suspect there’s truth in that.
But it’s difficult to imagine that this difficult year for him didn’t play a role.
The whole town hall meetings mess, the Brownshirts comment, the “Stay away from my kids” line.
It’s been rough.
We’ve reported in detail on the mess and have written editorials questioning his actions. Heck, I’ve written more than a few columns that wondered aloud what the heck he — and his team — was thinking.
Overall, I’ve always liked the guy and thought he was bright. But lately he seemed that he was lacking in street smarts, something a politician can’t do without.
My sense is if he had run again he would have won — 98 percent of U.S. congressmen get re-elected — but it would have been a battle royal. Now, with no election on the horizon, hey, enjoy life, congressman. And know that you’ve done plenty of good for the area.
Whoops
Then there was this line from an AP story: “… President Barack Obama and Russian President Barack Obama … .”
They must be spending too much time on those dang Tiger Woods stories.
Crazy week.
Lou Brancaccio is The Columbian’s editor. Reach him at 360-735-4505 or lou.brancaccio@columbian.com.
