Should BertFlex Shut Down? Vote Now on ESPN!

It is hard to fathom, but Robert "Bob" Costas wishes we would go away. He hates us. We should just keep our big mouths shut (via keyboard).

A Miami Herald column Friday included some thoughts from Costas about bloggers. Honestly these are some great quotes, but come on Bob - I thought we were buddies! At a Make-a-Wish sports auction on Tuesday, the all knowledgeable and wise Mr. Costas said this:

''Today, I saw on ESPN a poll about which Western Conference teams would not make the playoffs,'' Costas said. "Well, 46 percent said the Denver Nuggets, which has zero percent influence on anything. No reasonable person who cares about the NBA should care about that. Who has the time or the inclination to do this, even if you're sitting on your computer? Why would you weigh in on it?''

''I understand with newspapers struggling and hoping to hold on to, or possibly expand their audiences, I understand why they do what they do,'' Costas said. 'But it's one thing if somebody just sets up a blog from their mother's basement in Albuquerque and they are who they are, and they're a pathetic get-a-life loser, but now that pathetic get-a-life loser can piggyback onto someone who actually has some level of professional accountability and they can be comment No. 17 on Dan Le Batard's column or Bernie Miklasz' column in St. Louis. That, in most cases, grants a forum to somebody who has no particular insight or responsibility. Most of it is a combination of ignorance or invective.''

What bothers Costas -- and he's not alone -- is Internet and talk radio commentary that "confuses simple mean-spiritedness and stupidity with edginess. Just because I can call someone a name doesn't mean I'm insightful or tough and edgy. It means I'm an idiot."

"It's just a high-tech place for idiots to do what they used to do on bar stools or in school yards, if they were school yard bullies, or on men's room walls in gas stations. That doesn't mean that anyone with half a brain should respect it.''

Now if Lil' Bob wanted me to boycott ESPN polls, I can live with that. I pretty much boycott ESPN anyway (except for the free fantasy baseball draft kit). But should we, the great blogger community, close shop because we don't have a degree in journalism or weren't a backup QB for the Vikings/free agent football analyst/camera phone abuser who yells a lot when he's on the air? None of us have ever interviewed a half naked man after a June game against the Pirates, or reported on the sidelines of training camp updating viewers how the 5th receiver "battle" is going. Does that mean we can't share thoughts and opinions with others online?

Come on Bob, Skip Bayless is on TV. Skip Bayless has a forum to express his thoughts. Think about what you are saying. If there was an official list of 'humans who should be talking about sports on television,' Skip Bayless would be at the end of that list.

I think Bob is taking the random bloggers who are actual idiots, along with the good ones (naturally - all of us at B-Flex), and clustering them all together as one big community of idiots. And that is far from true. Are the guys from Fire Joe Morgan idiots? They are more knowledgeable than the "professional journalists" they write about and actually use rational thinking before typing words on the screen. How about Viva El Birdos? Or my close, personal friend Will Leitch? I could go on, the list is pretty long.

Here's a deal: You don't pay attention to the "idiots" out there in the blogs and message boards, and we won't pay attention to the Skip Baylesses and Kevin Slatens of the media world. Because you wouldn't want me lumping Skip Bayless and Bob Costas together as "idiot media guys."

[And another thing, stay out of my F'N personal business Bob! The hell if I'm gonna move out of my parents' basement and try to get a life!! The hell with that!! You're a moron Costas, you don't know what you're doing!!!! RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE. STOMP STOMP STOMP. %$#$&@ YOUUUUU!!!! HEY MA, THE MEATLOAF!! WE WANT IT NOW...THE MEAT-LOAF!!]

Sorry Bob, I hate to say it, but you're out of touch on this one. Everything else about you is great. Keep up the good work, and I hope we can still be friends. Maybe that can be my Make-a-Wish...