June 2, 2021 · 12:27 PM

Et tu, Stew?

Dang!  Mandel plays the 1980 card ($$).

Is this Georgia’s year? — Alec A.

Given it hasn’t been Georgia’s year for four decades…

That Montana crowd’s getting rougher.

42 Comments

Filed under Georgia Football, Media Punditry/Foibles

42 responses to “Et tu, Stew?”

  1. Russ
    June 2, 2021 at 12:29 PM

    I don’t know which of you here stole Stew’s girlfriend, but he’s obviously not over it yet.

    Liked by 3 people

  2. Corch Irvin Meyers, Former Jags Corch (2024)
    June 2, 2021 at 1:14 PM

    Mandel completely ruined The Athletic, and his editorial direction is why the majority of subscribers turned off their auto-renewal and why now the site’s investors are begging the NYT to buy them.

    All those sports journalists who signed-on, some of them like Andy Staples who still actually write about sports, are screwed. But they did it to themselves, and Stew Mandel led the charge.

    Like

    • jrod1229
      June 2, 2021 at 4:59 PM

      Own opinions of Mandel aside, this is complete garbage take. Investors are begging for a buyer becomes its all private equity money and the playbook is simple for those guys, build it up and sell it. Given the huge amount of investment they put in they would sell to anyone who can get them a profit.

      Liked by 4 people

      • Corch Irvin Meyers, Former Jags Corch (2024)
        June 2, 2021 at 5:08 PM

        Except that’s not what’s happening, and my take is not garbage, it is reality.

        Their overhead is insane with writer, editor, and executive salaries, and they are so far in the red having never gotten into the black in six years because they decided to tank their subscription model by pissing off most of their subscribers by launching head first into political b.s. and social justice wankery. So, the people who were paying $60 a year to read the best in sports suddenly found themselves reading about how China was great, or how they were terrible people for how they vote, or one-sided political and social propaganda, or take your pick of any of the other things written there in the last 18-24 months that have only tenuous tendrils to sports that people didn’t want to read.

        So they turned off their auto-renewals, which then made the investors at The Athletic panic and start offering new subscribers one year for $1, thinking they would replace the people who were choosing to leave, and also provide good media coverage for “passing one million subscribers.” Their subscriber numbers were and are a house of cards, because they didn’t actually fix the problem. While for every one Andy Staples there, there are three Nicole Auerbachs who can’t help but tell many of readers how terrible they are on twitter or in what she writers. So even those new $1 subscribers turned off their auto-renewals.

        They’re a sinking ship. The investors know they’re going to LOSE the majority of the money they invested. They’re trying to unload a depreciated asset with no end in sight as far as a “bottom” is concerned, and that’s why they’ve begged Axios and now the NYT time buy them for less than their total investment.

        The only garbage take here is yours.

        Like

      • Biggen
        June 2, 2021 at 5:09 PM

        How do we even know its for sale?

        Like

      • Seth Emerson
        June 2, 2021 at 6:38 PM

        Just chiming in to say that as someone privy to some of the inside info, The Athletic has more than 1.2 million subscribers, and while I don’t know the breakdown on how many are paying what rate, there’s enough cash flow that they’ve made more than 50 hires since March and have about 40 open positions in the hiring process, and writers such as myself are being rewarded at a good market rate.

        We’re doing just fine. Pretty well, actually. Carry on.

        Liked by 8 people

        • Senator Blutarsky
          June 2, 2021 at 6:44 PM

          Thus endeth the discussion. 😉

          Liked by 3 people

          • Corch Irvin Meyers, Former Jags Corch (2024)
            June 2, 2021 at 6:45 PM

            Only for those who believe half the story. So… most people in the country.

            Like

          • Seth Emerson
            June 2, 2021 at 7:02 PM

            Thanks Senator. If anyone wants to criticize the perceived political bent and some of the story content, that’s fine, I may even sympathize with some of the sentiments. But on the finance side, all I can tell you is I feel really good. And I’ve spent most of my life in sports media feeling the opposite.

            Liked by 4 people

        • Corch Irvin Meyers, Former Jags Corch (2024)
          June 2, 2021 at 6:45 PM

          Yep. It’s why they’re desperate to sell, and expect to lose money in the transaction.

          I notice you don’t mention the amount of people who’ve turned off their auto-renewalls, how the majority of those subs are the $1 for the year, or the fact that in six years The Athletic has never finished in the black. Not once.

          Carry on.

          Like

          • aim260
            June 2, 2021 at 8:32 PM

            Mr. All Knowing, All Powerful Post Hijacker. What the Senator alluded to above can’t happen soon enough. Seth Emerson just told you to sit down, and you act like a 13-year-old spoiled little girl in response. I know people like you, and I leave them alone. We can’t avoid you here, and it’s a pain in the ass.

            Liked by 3 people

  3. spur21
    June 2, 2021 at 1:34 PM

    I didn’t renew and since have received almost daily emails offering significant discounts to reup. I’ve resisted so far but really enjoyed Seth and a few other writers.

    Like

    • Corch Irvin Meyers, Former Jags Corch (2024)
      June 2, 2021 at 1:40 PM

      The fact that they’ve been selling themselves for $1 for the entire year to new subscribers since before the pandemic, going back to the debacle of how they handled the Daryl Moray – Hong Kong – NBA – LeBron incidents, is telling.

      You know how Floriduh fans call Kirby a House of Cards? The real House of Cards is The Athletic subscriber base.

      Like

    • Biggen
      June 2, 2021 at 1:44 PM

      I always let mine lapse and then take advantage of the “new subscriber” rate ever year.

      Like

  4. Corch Irvin Meyers, Former Jags Corch (2024)
    June 2, 2021 at 1:40 PM

    *for over an entire year

    Like

  5. frozendawg
    June 2, 2021 at 2:10 PM

    Stu, can lick my love pump

    Ahhh Spinal Tap

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Doggoned
    June 2, 2021 at 2:51 PM

    Except for the 1980 crack, it was a pretty glowing article about the Dawgs’ prospects this season. IMHO

    Like

  7. RangerRuss
    June 2, 2021 at 3:00 PM

    The Dawgs are going to have to win three or four NCs in a row to shut those assholes the fuck up. Then we’ll have to listen to the bagman comments. I can live with that.
    Time to start cracking.

    Liked by 7 people

    • silvercreekdawg
      June 2, 2021 at 3:51 PM

      It’s only going to take one for me. I frequent several message boards and have forewarned one and all that when UGA wins a national title under Kirby, the obnoxiousness and assholery coming from my keyboard will be nonstop from the moment the clock hits triple zero all the way until the clock hits triple zero at the following year’s national title game (assuming we don’t win B2B titles).

      I fully expect to be banned from all of them; in fact, I will be disappointed if I’m not. I’ll take it as I didn’t try hard enough…

      Liked by 7 people

      • frozendawg
        June 2, 2021 at 4:59 PM

        I like the hell out of that…once our boys win it all…go forth and pillage…you have had to be patient too long

        Like

        • Corch Irvin Meyers, Former Jags Corch (2024)
          June 2, 2021 at 5:11 PM

          We’re almost half-way to the Red Sox’s run of futility (86 years).

          If we get to half-way to the Cubs (108 yearS), I can’t imagine Kirby will still be around.

          Like

    • Down Island Way
      June 2, 2021 at 8:25 PM

      Win one soon, so UGA football supporters won’t have to deal with the expansion B.S…win two real soon and we can tell the expansion crowd to collectively kiss our asses…

      Like

  8. Dylan Dreyer's Booty
    June 2, 2021 at 3:55 PM

    Funny thing – a few days ago I saw an article somewhere rating college football helmets (hey, they have to post something in the summer) and UGA was #2, but significantly was called ‘the most recognized helmet’. Made think of Mandel, and now this. 🥱

    Liked by 3 people

    • gurkhadawg
      June 2, 2021 at 5:25 PM

      Who was #1?

      Like

      • Corch Irvin Meyers, Former Jags Corch (2024)
        June 2, 2021 at 5:30 PM

        The answer is Michigan. It’s always Michigan. It’s the one thing they are legitimately No. 1 in, and that’s their helmets.

        Like

        • Dylan Dreyer's Booty
          June 2, 2021 at 6:01 PM

          Michigan? Pfft. Notre Dame is more likely. And before Sandusky, Penn State. Or the real USC. We’re just talking helmets here.

          Like

          • Corch Irvin Meyers, Former Jags Corch (2024)
            June 2, 2021 at 6:08 PM

            Ugh. No. There’s nothing to those helmets. They’re boring. Fuck tradition.

            Michigan has great helmets, without the ugly orange of Princeton. We have great helmets. UCLA has great helmets. Auburn does; even though there is orange present, their interlocking logo is the best outside of New York. FSU, amazing helmets. Texas A&M pretty great. Ole Miss, yes, great in the baby blue color. Oklahoma and Texas very good. Colorado and Arkansas, great use of animals. Air Force and BYU have great helmets out west. So does Washington and Washington State; their original Gold and Silver helmets respectively.

            USC, Bama, Penn State, Notre Dame are all overrated, helmet-wise.

            Liked by 1 person

      • Dylan Dreyer's Booty
        June 2, 2021 at 5:59 PM

        I found it. Just SEC schools. #1 was Ole Miss if you can believe that. https://ugawire.usatoday.com/gallery/best-sec-helmets-ranked-georgia-football-florida-gators-tennessee-vols-alabama/

        Like

  9. Hunkering Hank
    June 2, 2021 at 7:57 PM

    Aaaaand I arrive to see 34 comments

    Like

  10. BuffaloSpringfield
    June 2, 2021 at 8:27 PM

    Stu, I think Arby’s is hiring. No offense Senator! Having a choice,“Get The Picture.” 👍 The Athletic 👎 even you choose to charge. I did step into the Athletic doors and figured out quickly there’s a better way.

    Liked by 1 person