When I first read this article, it didn't really stand out to me. I think three things caused me to initially underrate this piece. First, the style is strikingly different from most longreads and has a much less academic tone (although this isn't uncommon with Simmons or Grantland pieces). Second, a lot of the topics are ones that already resonate a lot with me, such as the criticism of the ridiculous nature of 24/7 sports coverage. Third, the article flows so smoothly that by the end, I was almost surprised that I had already finished reading.
Initially, I didn't think this was worthy of inclusion on the blog. But I do think that even though the subject matter isn't necessarily groundbreaking, they do approach it from new and interesting ways. An example is their discussion about Michael Jordan and how his career arc might have been different in today's sports environment. Through the course of the casual back-and-forth between Simmons and Gladwell, there is a lot of intriguing analysis about the intersections of sports and society.
Thanks to my friend and regular blog reader and commentator Mark Chaikin for forwarding this article to me. Suggestions for good reads are always welcome!
"The Exchange: Gladwell vs. Simmons IV" by Malcolm Gladwell and Bill Simmons
Published in Grantland, June 6, 2012
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8016432/view/full/watching-world-turn-upside-era-constant-information
Eric
Glad to make the longread! As i discussed with you i think this article makes some compelling points about how society completely overhypes events and how people respond to them. The example of lebron is interesting because outside of a single poor choice he is in theory everything people want out of a star. However, in today's world every single thing he does in over obsessed. In general the point is that today the spotlight is always one whether from you and me on facebook to a star like James and with the comes pressure because people like a good story
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