I've wasted quite a few words in the last few months trying to say what Chris Jones, one of the best magazine journalists working today, summed up in one little declaration on Monday, writing about The Kansas City Star's departed sports columnist:
"Jason Whitlock has no soul."
He went on from there, trying his best to steer aspiring writers away from becoming little Whitlocks:
All true. Read the rest of Jones' piece on his personal blog, sonofboldventure.com.Well, here's the stone-cold truth, kids: JasonWhitlock has no soul. He's neither a good reporter nor a good writer.
He's a bloviator who's somehow carved out a niche for himself as a kind
of anti-establishment figure by making references to The Wire and
pretending he's the second coming of Ralph Wiley, when Ralph Wiley
would be fucking mortified to be associated with Whitlock's brand of
self-serving buffoonery.
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I disagree that he never was a journalist or a reporter. For years he was... but somewhere along the way he lost all of that. Try reading him on AOL and you will see little of interest in his writing.
He has proven to be his own worst enemy; I hope he gets his mojo back. He is still young enough if he wants it.
Whitlock's never been about journalism, except as a means to draw attention to himself. All his 'feuds' were designed purely to elevate him to the alleged level of the unlucky other person.
You can't tell like it is when you don't get out to see it's actually doing.
Who the hell thought this team was going to the Super Bowl? The only person I ever heard suggest that was a drunk they showed at some watch party during the 3 minute local sportscast.
Personally, I don't miss Whitlock at all. His first several years at the Star were promising, but the last half of his tenure devolved into provocation, grudge holding, and outright laziness. What struck you as "telling it like it is" struck me as "fabricating controversy so I can get on more TV and radio shows".
I miss Whitlock. He was the only one to call out Kansas City's crap. While Johnathan Rand was boring. While Jo Po was writing about Care Bears, clouds and love, Whitlock was telling it like it is. I missed Whitlock during this Chiefs season. While people thought this team would go to the Super Bowl, Whitlock would be the first person to come back to reality.
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