Previously on Ladies…, and linked to from Deadspin.

Did you know Will Leitch, Mr. Head Sportsblogger, King of Blogfrica, Mattoon’s Native Son, and general bon vivant has a book coming out next week?

It’s called God Save the Fan: How Preening Sportscasters, Athletes Who Speak in the Third Person, and the Occasional Convicted Quarterback Have Taken the Fun Out of Sports (And How We Can Get It Back). Quite a mouthful.

Did you know he also has a fancy book tour heading to a bookstore near you right after the Super Bowl?

Next week? Next month? But that seems so far away! This is blogging in a 24/7 ESPN sports culture and I demand reactions now! If I don’t have the snap judgments of what other bloggers think, how am I going to know what I am supposed to think? Where will all the other book readers express their opinions on “God Save the Fan” on January 22?

Who will have a review up first?

Let’s lay some odds on where the party is going to be.

1-1 Rumor has it that some – maybe all – of the KSK guys are thanked in the acknowledgments. Big Daddy Drew writes an entire review in “YEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAW!!!!!!“s, while Punter sits quietly in the corner eating crayons waiting for coloring book edition to be released.

7-2 At least one of the 700 bloggers who contribute to the Fanhouse must either work at HarperCollins or work the late-shift at Borders waiting for book deliveries. Might alienate AOL audience by posting a review for something not written in ALL CAPS.

8-5 Approximately 267 comments will be posted calling Will a sellout for reviewing his own book before anyone notices that the byline on the article says “Rick.”

2-1 Home of the Will Leitch Sucks tag. Has notepad, pencil, highlighter and extra Luna bars ready for the all-nighter he’s about to pull.

50-1 From a Ladies… email thread:

Andrea – I’d lay 2/1 odds that With Leather finds a smarmy way to bash it.

Holly – Awww, that’s all right, then Deadspin can just slam Ufford’s book…..oh.

5-1 Chris and Jamie Mottram contact all the “God Save the Fan” reviewers they can find and form Tumblr Sports, leaving Yahoo and The Sporting News behind in a cliffhanger episode of the Blog Show.

1-5 Lion in Oil, responsible for approximately half the links on Deadspin, already have their review queued up for 12:01 AM, January 22.

12:06 AM is a story about a girl who lost her arm surfing, caught a marlin on her way to shore, and was named on page 2 of the Grimsley Affidavit as the fan who doused herself in beer at Dodger Stadium, a sure-fire BallHype hit.

5-1 Robert Weintraub gets his last laugh at the pissy 20 or so Deadspin commenters who bitch endlessly about his “Sean Salisbury Wisdom” column that no one is forcing them to read. (Ed. note: You know that part of Howard Stern’s Private Parts where Paul Giamatti as Pig Vomit is talking to the ratings guy? “But… if they hate him, why do they listen?” “Most common answer? ‘I want to see what he’ll say next.'” No one wants to be Pig Vomit.)

8-1 Always good for a scoop, TBL holds off on posting an early review out of fear that Colin Cowherd might actually show up at their door bringing with him the worst of the ten plagues; lice, locusts, and the Herd.

7-1 Legit sports reporter. No longer works at an ESPN Radio affiliate.

30-1 Juggs and Red it make home safely from the the mall just in time to take their third hiatus.

5-2 Matt Sussman, Futon Report. Productivity (and sex) have declined in the weeks since blogging about his new puritanical couch. < > tags everywhere breathe a sigh of relief.

9-1 Like the Fanhouse, but with fewer writers readers. Difficult to review a book in “Who would you do?” format.

3-1 ESPN Ombudsman Le Anne Schreiber, exhausted from her first year on the job, posts entire book as a PDF on January 23. Later found to be the source of all memos leaked out of Bristol.

25-1 Waiting at Juggs and Red’s place.

15-1 Dan Shanoff Agreed to review the book early, but accidentally linked it among the 14 entries in his “Navel Gazing” blogroll about himself where it was never seen again. (Ed. Note-Bolded because he didn’t see his name on the list the first time through and emailed about it.)

Scratched – J.E. Skeets, part time Deadspin editor. Will be the first to review the “God Save the Fan” podcast.

85-1 Ladies… . Holding out for “God Save Jacoby Ellsbury.”

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35 Responses to The Race is On: Which Blog Will Review Will Leitch's "God Save The Fan" First?

  1. Rob I. says:

    Jay Sherman already submitted a two-word review:

    “It stinks!”

  2. Tuffy says:

    Foam Finger Nation gives it one digit up.

  3. the chief says:

    I bet EC would get better odds if we could read. Or if our readers could. Which reminds me, who would you do, and it what format?

  4. Chief Wahoo says:

    My money is on “With Leather” being first. Unfortunately the entire review will be about the fact that Ufford was a Marine and served in Iraq and won’t mention Leitch once.

  5. DougOLis says:

    hehehe

    Which KSK guy didn’t make the cut? Is that like finding out you’re the token fat friend a few weeks before prom?

    FWIW, my money is on Simmons.

  6. DougOLis says:

    @Chief Wahoo: Will he be kind enough to mention his Dodge Stratus?

  7. Pam says:

    Ladies, I think it’s time for a new banner…thoughts?

  8. Holly says:

    [sigh]…I suppose it’s about time to bring back our Pitchers and Catchers one.

  9. ladyandrea says:

    *sings* “Josie’s on a vacation far away, come around and talk it over. There’s so many things that I wanna say…ya know I like my girls a little bit older.”

    Well done TSW, well done.

  10. Clare says:

    From your lips to J-Money’s ears, Holly. ONLY 26 DAYS UNTIL PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT!!!

    What do you suggest, Pam? And don’t say Zach Parise x 8.

  11. Pam says:

    Clare, if it were my blog, I’d do that. But seriously.

    For you gals, it would have to be guys that everyone likes (or almost everyone). 6 is a good amount, and it should cover more sports than two.

    Maybe 8 if you can fit, one for each lady?

    hmmmmm…

  12. Pam says:

    Everbody’s tastes differ, obviously…but I think we can all agree that Grady Sizemore needs to be up there.

  13. Bruce says:

    My money is on CSTB. They(he) can’t resist tearing Leitch a new one at every opportunity.

  14. kcmichelle says:

    And Sidney must be up there!

  15. Yeah, Will, uh, well, when I write my book, you’ll only get to write one complimentary blurb so I get sales! So there!

  16. IJustMadeThatUp says:

    Who did Will get a quote from on the cover of the book? Come on. There has to be a quote from some (in)famous literary personality that book sellers always try and entice those people dumb enough to use cliche, one-liner quotes as a sure-fire way to tell if a book is worth the read.

    “You complete ME!” -Jerry Maguire

    “I like Will. He’s irascible and curmudgeonly. Like me, only with less wrinkles.” -Len Pasquerelli

    “One of the great horror writers of our time!” -Stephen King

    And so forth.

    Also, I’m putting all my life-savings on the long-shot here. I love the lame horse in a handicapped race.

  17. SA says:

    I would put money down on the Deadspin one. Seems about right.

  18. Minda says:

    I kind of like the current banner. Maybe I’ll steal portions of it for my own blog.

    (Note: In case of potential lawsuit, the previous statement was totally a bad joke.)

    I call Deadspin, but the ruthless (read: idiot) gambler in me wants to go with something riskier, like The Ladies… themselves.

  19. DougOLis says:

    Shanoff wants in. Did he really not see his name at first and complain about it? Cause that’s awesome; I would expect no less from him.

    (I know he gets beat up a lot around here, but I reserve a certain fondness in my heart for him. Without him I would have never discovered Deadspin and much of the sports blogosphere. I might have been still stuck at Page 2 which went from excellent to palatable to craptacular. Not sure where it stands now though; TSG is the only one I still read)

  20. Holly says:

    Shanoff gets “beat up a lot around here”? Since when? We love the guy.

  21. ladyandrea says:

    I think Doug is confusing us with Deadspin.

  22. Mitch says:

    If Shanoff can actually read the book with Will’s dick in his mouth, he’s (slightly) more talented than any of us give him credit for.

  23. DougOLis says:

    Well, I know you Ladies love him. I guess I was referring more to Deadspin which shares a lot of the same crowd.

  24. DougOLis says:

    I meant “here” more in the collective sense rather than local I guess. Here is a vague term; sorry for causing confusion/pain/agony/hatred.

    Hell, you gave him a #1 seed.

  25. DougOLis says:

    The reason I said it in the first place was because I didn’t want it to sound like I was ripping on him like so many others do.

  26. Holly says:

    Thank you for refraining from posting a fourth comment apologizing for the triple post.

  27. mcbias says:

    The post seems a little mean to some bloggers, although I don’t know (nor want to know) what the backstory is between you and them. Still, most bloggers wouldn’t dare make fun of other bloggers, and for your willingness to do so, good work!

  28. Holly says:

    Thanks, MCBias! ;) LOLZ

  29. Texas Gal says:

    Is it wrong that I’d love to see a review from Fire Joe Morgan? (disclaimer: I have a huge FJM worship) A review from The Dugout would also be brilliant.

  30. Holly says:

    Oh, Dugout. Please please please.

  31. DougOLis says:

    your welcome Holly

  32. Penguin says:

    See, this is exactly the kind of thing that puts me in my place. Just when I think I am almost hip to the sports blogosphere I find out that somewhere between the days of the dancing Jesus webpages and now I got lost.

    I don’t know who this guy is. Never heard of him. Seriously. I’m crushed.

    But he is wrong about one thing, the biggest blow to football was when they started allowing offensive linemen to use their hands on initial contact. It has been downhill from there. If he was really that knowledgable he would have known this. :p

    Will

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