Question about Upside/Downside articles (1 Viewer)

[Sabertooth]

With the upside/downside articles, how are the opinions chosen? Which of these options does it more closely resemble?

Option 1:

JB: Yudkin, I need an upside article for Deion Branch. Tell people why they should take him or have a nice season, guy.

JB: Gray, I need an downside article for Deion Branch. Tell people why they shouldn't take him or have a nice season, guy.

Option 2:

JB to FBG disciples: The corporation has decided to bless Deion Branch with an upside/downside article. All of those who want to do an upside article line up over here. Those who want to do a downside article, lineup over there. Last man standing on each side shall enter the virtual Thunderdome which is the upside/downside article.

 

[David Yudkin]

The way it is supposed to work is that the Faceoff Program Coordinator (Clayton) looks at staff player rankings and assigns staff with high and low rankings and lets them do battle in an article.

Not everyone submits rankings and sometimes not all staff engage in the faceoffs, so some players have to get assigned.

In previous seasons, there were preseason signups for these things, and the writers picked who they wanted (and again some had to be assigned because they were no takers).

Sometimes people get ones that they are not on the right side for and many times we trade assignments to get to players that we have stronger feelings for one way or the other.

I have several guys this year that I will be arguing the opposite that I truly feel, but I have been in real-life debates arguing against the position I really stood for and still made compelling arguments anyway.

In my case, I research the players anyway, and coming up with legit pros and cons isn't that difficult (can't speak for everyone though).

 

[Bob_Magaw]

exactly... in real life, no player or the situation they are in is all good or all bad (except joey harrington )... we have hundreds of player pages for most of the principals on offense AND defense, using the three part - positives, negatives, outlook format.

 

[Clayton Gray]

Option 2:

JB to FBG disciples: The corporation has decided to bless Deion Branch with an upside/downside article. All of those who want to do an upside article line up over here. Those who want to do a downside article, lineup over there. Last man standing on each side shall enter the virtual Thunderdome which is the upside/downside article.

This would be sweet, but it is as Yudkin explained.

 

[David Yudkin]

In practical reality, it works a lot like little kids with trading cards. "I'll give you my Peyton Manning for your Santana Moss and Todd Heap." "No way, I hate Manning. Tell you what, how about Heap, Moss, and Billy Volek for Steve Smith and Jamal Lewis."

 

[Dave Baker]

Another component is that the rankings are a very fluid process and some of the face-offs were decided prior to adjustments made by some of the staff.

Either way, I enjoy writing either pro or con. I don't care if I like or dislike the player. In fact, it's often the most fun to argue a point you don't actually believe. And I believe the exercise can be productive for all involved, both writer and reader.

It's interesting to note that the most virulent responses from readers almost always inevitably come from writing the downside of a player the reader really likes.