I guess what I’m saying is that inside-y access-filled media content is one way of doing things but USSM to me is more about outside-y content. Because it’s simply not possible to fill a day with your own interview with Ryan Rowland-Smith, you has in-depth analysis of his ability as a player instead. Or you post pictures of bees, which is basically the same thing.

What makes USSM most valuable to me as a Mariners fan are the (generally) thoughtful comments that expand on the blog-masters’ articles. As a result of reading all of your comments, I’m a much better informed baseball consumer, and enjoy watching MLB games that much more. Compared to the print media-sponsored Mariners blogs, y’all are like “Meet the Press”. (And I mean that in a good way.) Given this blog’s credibility and assumed readership, would there be any benefit to lobbying your fellow journalists to sponsor your press credentials? The concept might be risky, as I gather the Mariners administration plays favorites with the media, but it seems like the sponsoring organization would gain serious “street cred” and USSM would have equal access, thereby making a great blog even more outstanding.

The Times/PI is certainly hurting. They’ve cut staff over the last few months, and people I know who work there have put in considerable OT to cover all the work. I didn’t think, however, that their budget would squeeze to the point where they wouldn’t even send their beat writers on road games to save money.

I was surprised, almost appalled, to read on the Seattle Times blog that Geoff Baker was not sent to Cleveland for budgetary reasons. Print media is hurting.

he’s had a lot of days this season when he hasn’t covered the team, due to the Times’ cost-cutting measures — for the most part, that is why Stone & others have done the blog & game reports on some home games.

And this is all dwarfed by the power of the television behemoth. Pre-and-post-game analysis of wretched quality

not just television– just now we are getting to experience radio pre- & post where the one person who did know what was going on is fired, and the journeyman (can you be a journeyman at 27 or so?) sports guy instead handles the chores, and displays a remarkable lack of interest in anything beyond the traditional methods of measuring players and game results.

The M’s attitude is consistent. They care about the marginal fan, not the rabid one.

That’s not an irrational position. It’s even a good one if there’s someone competent at the baseball end of things.

Larry Stone supports the Mariners hiring of Kim Ng for GM.

Hm. Makes me think if there’s any kind of collective behavior synergies in independent blogs and mainstream sources in the future, when they agree on chocies or disagree…