Bloggers, Or Anyone Associated With a Blog, Is Gonna Want to Steer Clear of Cris Carter

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I recently had a well-publicized dustup with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Buzz Bissinger on the set of Costas NOW. Bissinger, a wonderful writer, decided to use me, as “well-known” as any blogger could possibly be (which is to say, “not very”), as a vessel to vent his invective against, well, the Internet, apparently. ↵↵But I found a better example of what life as a blogger is like backstage, in the greenroom. All sorts of sporting bigwigs were there, from Joe Buck to Mitch Albom to John McEnroe to that guy from New York who’s always screaming on the radio. Somehow, I ended up being introduced to Cris Carter, formerly from HBO Sports (and the Minnesota Vikings) and now on ESPN. I shook his hand. ↵

↵↵“Hello, I’m Will.” ↵

↵↵Cris frowned, and even sneaked in a scowl. “Are you the blog guy?” ↵

↵↵I smiled. The best way, I’ve learned, to deal with the hostility is just to smile. They’re not expecting that. I suspect they all think we look like the Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons or, more sinister, like a member of the thrash metal group GWAR. “Yes, sir, I do write a blog.” ↵

↵↵Cris’ scowl was no longer sneaky. “You know, I got a problem with you,” the Ohio State grad said, through gritted teeth. “Some Michigan blog said I was an a--hole. Better nobody say that to my face.” ↵

↵↵Smiling, trying to look calm, I said, “Well, sir, you know, I didn’t write that.”↵

↵↵Cris took a step closer to me. “You damn well better not of, ’cause if you had, I’d take you out right here.” ↵

↵↵I smiled, again, shook his hand, and went on my way. ↵

↵↵What’s life as a professional sports blogger like? Amazingly, really freaking fun. As long as I don’t leave the house.↵

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