Ben Knight's Grope and Flail (Globe & Mail) blog discontinued...

[sulfur]

From Ben's facebook status at 2pm today:


Ben Knight just lost his Globe and Mail soccer blog, due to budget nightmares. I remain committed to positive thinking, and am open to brilliant ideas.

This, I think, is terrible. A big disappointment. :(

[canadian_bhoy]

The TFC Honeymoon is officially over.

We need a winner - BAD

[Nodoubtguy]

Can we get Ben to write an RPB Blog??? his pieces were gold!!

[Gobi]

Wow, whatever pittance the Globe pays Ben has finally pushed them over the financial edge. :rolleyes:

Ben, will you still write a weekly piece and publish it on our supporters message boards? Please? :D

Edit - Sal: great minds...

[Pinkie]

that is really sad to hear...i always loved reading his column...also i agree with what you two brilliant ppl before me wrote (gobi & sal)

[lintberg]

A weekly Ben Knight blog on the RPB boards would be amazing!

[flatpicker]

AAAAHHH CRAP!

Not fair!

[Lucky Strike]

Wow, that blows...

[justin]

i think we should sneak into the globe HQ and paste portraits of ben all over the desks and computers of the bean counters there. or set a picture of ben as all of their desktop backgrounds. that'd show them.

[kelzag]

Very unfortunate.
How quickly would the media jump on the bandwagon if we had a better on-field product?
Ben was not just a journalist, but a true fan. I for one, hope to see his opinions in print again soon.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

Brutal, i hope dude still does coverage a la Ives.
Stay up Ben, keep up the great work.

[The Pope]

maybe he gets added to The Score?

[tfc]

He Should Join The New Mlse Goltv!!!

[Mark in Ottawa]

Aww Crap! we finally get a good unbiased writer and they give him the shaft :(

Don't worry Ben... talent like yours will surely land you another soccer gig.

[Damien]

maybe he gets added to The Score?

He should seriously talk to those guys.

[Roogsy]

For real...this sucks.

[denime]

WOW, this sucks big time.

[Fort York Redcoat]

Ben I want to hear you more often on the Fan590 Soccer Show. Your insight was a breath of fresh air.

[bee dubya]

If not the Score, then maybe someone at the TFC front office will see the value in adding his pieces to the website...or MLS.net?? I hope Ben's able to land on his feet - I really enjoy reading his work.

[SLBuu]

balls..... this is BALLS!!!!

[jloome]

His recent column ideas were pretty stale and may not have gone unnoticed by the Globe, although he still did a better job than some of the full-timers, so it seems a bit silly.

More likely, the Globe is planning to put Millson on proper beat coverage next season and have him write his own blog, a la Morgan Campbell.

It's disappointing; Ben approached his pieces from his view of what fans would like to know about, which is rarely how mainstream writers go about it.

[jloome]

Very unfortunate.
How quickly would the media jump on the bandwagon if we had a better on-field product?
Ben was not just a journalist, but a true fan. I for one, hope to see his opinions in print again soon.

They wouldn't. I've worked in media full-time for 20 years; two-thirds of Canadian sports writers (at least; that's a pretty conservative estimate) hate soccer. They see its success everywhere else and fear it impinging on what they consider to be the only real sports: hockey, football, basketball and baseball (usually in that approx order.)

The remaining third are die-hards, but in my experience few of them have been among the senior writers, the guys who get their choice of beats, angles, coverage etc.

[Ladies Love Julius James]

He's without a job? Fuck that sucks his opinions in the past really reflected most supporters.

[Beach_Red]

They wouldn't. I've worked in media full-time for 20 years; two-thirds of Canadian sports writers (at least; that's a pretty conservative estimate) hate soccer. They see its success everywhere else and fear it impinging on what they consider to be the only real sports: hockey, football, basketball and baseball (usually in that approx order.)

The remaining third are die-hards, but in my experience few of them have been among the senior writers, the guys who get their choice of beats, angles, coverage etc.

How big an effect do advertisers and sponsors have on what's covered in the sports section?

In the books section we hear all the time that publishers don't buy ad space so book sections are getting squeezed, but movie companies still buy lots of ads so there's plenty of movie coverage.

[Roogsy]

He was getting regular airplay on the Fan Soccer Show. His column was being read by the supporters. What more does the Globe want??? Boggles the mind it really does.

[mighty_torontofc_2008]

He Should Join The New Mlse Goltv!!!


yo beat me to it...that would be a great start for the channel.

[Keyman]

Very sad news indeed. However, I'm sure he'll land on his feet somewhere. He's too good not to.

[Ben Knight]

Hey, everyone.

I'm going to start a blog of my own to keep this going. I'm having way too much fun to stop, and this downturn is not going to be forever.

This is NOT the Globe and Mail's fault, folks. We owe them a debt of thanks for starting the blog in the first place, and the understanding that they are getting hammered right now.

Anyone know any possible sponsors?

Onward! // Ben

[Jack]

Another blow.

As Mike said, the honeymoon's over. The novelty's worn off.

Time for some winning.

[The Kingpin]

Hey, everyone.

I'm going to start a blog of my own to keep this going. I'm having way too much fun to stop, and this downturn is not going to be forever.

This is NOT the Globe and Mail's fault, folks. We owe them a debt of thanks for starting the blog in the first place, and the understanding that they are getting hammered right now.

Anyone know any possible sponsors?

Onward! // Ben

PM me what you would require to maintain the blog, and I think I may be able to provide some suggestions...

[Parkdale]

what they consider to be the only real sports: hockey, football, basketball and baseball (usually in that approx order.)



I'd say swap baseball and basketball and you'd be more accurate.
Those back-to-back world series wins made for a lot of lifelong fans.

[Beach_Red]

I'd say swap baseball and basketball and you'd be more accurate.
Those back-to-back world series wins made for a lot of lifelong fans.

Maybe in Toronto, but he said Canadian sportswriters, so he's right.

[jloome]

How big an effect do advertisers and sponsors have on what's covered in the sports section?

In the books section we hear all the time that publishers don't buy ad space so book sections are getting squeezed, but movie companies still buy lots of ads so there's plenty of movie coverage.

Zero. In fact, the concept of advertisers and sponsors having ANY say over what goes in a newspaper is mostly myth. I was an assignment editor for six years, and the one time an advertiser was foolish enough to call me and ask us to lay off a story, it just ended up being covered twice as much.

(The one big exception is that few newspapers will allow their key advertisers, the car dealers who pay millions per year for space, to be directly insulted in print.)

[jloome]

Hey, everyone.

I'm going to start a blog of my own to keep this going. I'm having way too much fun to stop, and this downturn is not going to be forever.

This is NOT the Globe and Mail's fault, folks. We owe them a debt of thanks for starting the blog in the first place, and the understanding that they are getting hammered right now.

Anyone know any possible sponsors?

Onward! // Ben

Go to the online dealers who specialize in kit, boots etc, Ben (but not the volume guys like Amazon, where you pay to play). It seems to be working for Ives Galarcep and is where a lot of people are buying their stuff nowadays.

You might also try the direct opposite route -- which few bloggers seem to try -- of having it sponsored by local businesses near the stadium who would benefit from more gameday walk-in and exposure. Don't think anyone's doing that in Toronto yet.

Also, you might check with the free-sheeters, the tabloids given away on transit like Metro and 24. Their pay is shit with a capital s, but regular features are quickly becoming their stock in trade.

[greatwhitenorf]

Meanwhile, The Star continues to inflict us with the biggest dolt to ever publish a soccer column, Cattle Kelly. Part of their sour-grapes campaign to put the game down after failing to stop the building of BMO Field.

Ben Knight's work is leagues above this donkey's drivel.

[jloome]

Meanwhile, The Star continues to inflict us with the biggest dolt to ever publish a soccer column, Cattle Kelly. Part of their sour-grapes campaign to put the game down after failing to stop the building of BMO Field.

Ben Knight's work is leagues above this donkey's drivel.

The frightening thing is, Kelly is one of the best writers -- albeit worst soccer columnists -- in Toronto.....if you're talking about politics, social issues, life and the kind of droll shit that is Martin Amis's and Chris Hitchens's stock in trade.

He'll end up making a mint at the New Yorker writing about why diction is still important, all editors are fools and libertarianism is the way to go, assuming he's not a lush and has at least as much work ethic as a toll booth attendant. It's why he's so damn bad at writing about TFC: without the investment of personal interest, his returns are strictly whatever he thinks will push a button.

He'd be right on the libertarianism part, but most of us will still think he's an asshole.

[VPjr]

Another blow.

As Mike said, the honeymoon's over. The novelty's worn off.

Time for some winning.

I consider Ben a friend but I don't think I'm betraying Ben when I say that this has little or nothing to do with the soccer "novelty" wearing off.

Ben was a casualty of HUGE cuts by CTV Globemedia. First they made a bunch of cuts at the G&M....today they cut a whack of people at CTV, CTV Newsnet, MTV Canada, Much Music and Muchmore Music. These are broadbased cuts.

Traditional media are desperately trying to find ways to make money out of their online publications but its not happening as quickly as people in the industry have hoped. Advertising Revenues for all forms of media are drying up faster than puddles in the Gobi Desert. We're going into some tough economic times and sadly a good person and a great writer like Ben Knight is a casualty.

I'm pleased to hear that Ben is going ahead with his own independant blog. I mentioned to him the other day that it would be fantastic to have Ben develop his blog into our very own version of Soccer by Ives with a focus on TFC and Canadian Soccer in general. I'm sure Ben will slip in some lacrosse coverage as well because that's also a passion of his.

Now its up to the supporters to decide if we want to ensure we have someone like Ben writing about the sport we love and the teams we support. If we think it is important to have a voice like Ben telling our stories, let's help him find sponsors. I am sure there are many people on the various forums who have experience when it comes to developing internet revenue streams. Give Ben some advice if you have some advice to offer.

I can assure you that, based on the people I've spoken to over at the G&M over the past year, there are quite a few fervent soccer supporters in the sports department so I sincerely doubt this decision had anything to do with lack of support for the sport and simply was a numbers game.

Good luck Ben....you've got my support.

[Daveisonfire]

Good luck Ben....you've got my support.

+1 !!!!

[Derko]

Too bad, That is very typical of Toronto, North American sporting views, I really am starting to think that the sporting community does fear the success of TFC and Football elsewhere in the world. Poor little bastards can't see a great game if there life depended on it.
Asshole Toronto media at it's best.
Fuck the Globe anyway.

[Toronto_Bhoy]

We'll be looking for you down road…

Onward Ben!

[Beach_Red]

He'd be right on the libertarianism part,

He'd better do it online then, not in the New Yorker. Libertarianism only lives on the internet.

[Daveisonfire]

Fuck the Globe anyway.


This is NOT the Globe and Mail's fault, folks. We owe them a debt of thanks for starting the blog in the first place, and the understanding that they are getting hammered right now.


Onward!

[Derko]

Onward!

True, just it is a shame that they are saying it is a money issue!!

[Technorgasm]

LETS FIND BEN SOME SPONSORS!