When did Mitch Albom start mailing it in?

[Thruster315]

Spare me. The original question of this thread opened the very predictable floodgates of vitriol and hostility.

It fascinates me to see how easily you all spit out the venom.I suppose I should not be so damn naive.

Beyond naive, I'm not sure where you're seeing this vitriol and hostility. Just because someone disagrees with your view- it's considered hostile? Where's the dialogue? I see people answering the original premise of this thread and you're the one pouncing all over them for their supposed hatred.

I don't have a problem with people disagreeing with me. I can respect a different point of view but when you start labeling other's posts as hatred and vitriol, I think you're way off base. But then I guess you're going to call it "hate speech" or some other derogatory term for an opposing view.

[sumas]

Sorry Citylover, really don't mean to upset anyone. Sending email hugs.

I am not backing down on my stance but do realize I was rude to you. For that I apologize! Really been a horrible week and I get testy but still no excuse for bad behavior or comments.

Sumas

[citylover]

Beyond naive, I'm not sure where you're seeing this vitriol and hostility. Just because someone disagrees with your view- it's considered hostile? Where's the dialogue? I see people answering the original premise of this thread and you're the one pouncing all over them for their supposed hatred.

I don't have a problem with people disagreeing with me. I can respect a different point of view but when you start labeling other's posts as hatred and vitriol, I think you're way off base. But then I guess you're going to call it "hate speech" or some other derogatory term for an opposing view.

From toolbox morrie equals puke; from mjb 3 Mitchette...is that supposed to imply he is feminine? From Detroitpole Doofus; from sumas jerk. bozo's; old redforette, evil little gnome.......

Those are the things written about a guy that as far as I know no one here knows personally and all based on a question about his free press column.I would call the above damn good example of personal attacks i.e. vitriol and hostility.

[citylover]

Sorry Citylover, really don't mean to upset anyone. Sending email hugs.

I am not backing down on my stance but do realize I was rude to you. For that I apologize! Really been a horrible week and I get testy but still no excuse for bad behavior or comments.

Sumas

I did not feel you were being rude.I accept any apology you want to give but again I was not offended.

[kathy2trips]

Reading his stuff is like marching through quicksand in a blizzard. Mitch Albom is a hack, and I'm not apologizing for that.

[Thruster315]

Reading his stuff is like marching through quicksand in a blizzard. Mitch Albom is a hack, and I'm not apologizing for that.

Nor should you have to apologize. I think Mitch's writing is horrible too. His actions as noted by so many other folks here are just as deplorable. Again- no "hatred and vitriol" towards the guy personally [[I don't know him)- it's just my opinion that his writing for the Free Press is about as routine and a snorefest as it can get when it is factual. When his stories are made up for the Free Press- that's when his stuff is the worst.

Again- nothing personal towards Mitch the man. Mitch the writing is bad beyond belief now.

[SteadySky]

I have been following this thread a long time and wanted to respond more than once. It has took a while to process what I would say.

I think the problem with Albom is maybe how he handled his success. I recall his articles as being fine, but I have not read him in years and found the quality to be not what they used to be so I stopped reading them. His books are ok, although I only have read Tuesdays with Morie. Frankly it was enough and while the message was good it was "sappy." But that is just my opinion and it means little. As I understand it the books post the first were more of the same.

What really has turned me off on with Albom is two things. First the fabrication of a story at his level in his chosen profession is completely not excusable. I am no journalist, but to me I would say he got caught in a cardinal sin. He is not ther first to survivie it where others have been professionally destroyed.

The second is listening to this guy on the radio. There is just far too much "look at me" going on with him. He is opinionated and you need that to be successful as a talk radio host, but he comes across as condescending and harsh to those who may not see his side of issues [[again a lot of right wing hacks have made a living doing that). I admire the philanthropy that he has undertaken, but there is so much of a feeling that it is about what he is doing. Like "look at me help the poor people of Haiti." It just annoys me greatly and he comes off as a self-promoter. I recall when the Five People You Will Meet in Heaven movie came out and he was promoting it on his show. He kept calling it "Five People" and interrupting guests to use the short title like we all should know about what a huge hit "Five People" had turned into. Totally annoying and it guarranteed that there was no way I was going to watch the movie.

I guess he must be doing something right or his ratings would be bad and he would be off the air. So I guess he must be doing something right.

[xphillipjrx]

When Mitch first started I bet he spent a lot more time writing each column. Script writing and other stuff took a back seat to his day job at the Freep. Now he has the radio show, The Sports Reporters and Hollywood obligations in addition to the travel involved with being a reporter. He can probably dash off a column on an iPad while riding in the back of a cab. Only he can answer, but it would be interesting to know how much time he spent on past award-winning columns compared to how much time he spent writing his last few entries.

[bartock]

He is Detroit's Oprah.

[jackie5275]

http://blog.detroitathletic.com/2011...eman-of-ernie/

I guess DYes isn't the only place that has Mitch Albom loathers.

[firstandten]

I thought we were hard on Albom... wow !

[gnome]

Looks like as though once someone gets national fame, the Detroit self-loathing makes jealousy the only dish served.

What a collection of richards.

[Crystal]

Am I the only one who thinks Mitch Albom is not a great writer? He's good, and sometimes he's very good. But c'mon, is he really good - worthy of the Free Press - and I'm just not seeing it?

"Batter after batter, they went down like chopped vines. A harmless popout. A dribbler to second base. Justin Verlander would machete through the Yankees, sit down for 20 minutes, come back and do it again. A fly to left. A pop foul. A strikeout. A lawn mower doesn't flatten things this easily. "

[ptero]

Unfortunately, anyone is worthy of the Free Press as it stands these days. But agreed regarding Mr. Albom's lack of greatness.

[Honky Tonk]

"Unfortunately, anyone is worthy of the Free Press as it stands these days"

I agree. I'm waiting for the "Detroit Mom Has 2 Headed Alien Baby" articles.

[poobert]

Am I the only one who thinks Mitch Albom is not a great writer? He's good, and sometimes he's very good. But c'mon, is he really good - worthy of the Free Press - and I'm just not seeing it?

"Batter after batter, they went down like chopped vines. A harmless popout. A dribbler to second base. Justin Verlander would machete through the Yankees, sit down for 20 minutes, come back and do it again. A fly to left. A pop foul. A strikeout. A lawn mower doesn't flatten things this easily. "

Thanks for bringing this up. After watching last nights game and waking up slightly tired after drinking slightly too much, I was eager to read about it. However I found myself struggling to get through his Berenstains Bears style of writing.

[KJ5]

Whatever happened to Mike Downey? That guy was funny and made fun of pompous blowhards; Albom is one.

[ronaldj]

Whatever happened to Mike Downey? That guy was funny and made fun of pompous blowhards; Albom is one.

As we have seen the Freep just dumped another batch of quality photo folk and reporters. Sigh.

[firstandten]

Whatever happened to Mike Downey? That guy was funny and made fun of pompous blowhards; Albom is one.

He's retired now but I really loved his writing and hated it when he left

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Downey

[KJ5]

He's retired now but I really loved his writing and hated it when he left

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Downey

Thanks for the link, firstandten! Guess I could've just looked that up myself. Hope Mr. Downey writes an autobiography. Looks like he's led a pretty interesting life.

[Midnight Rambler]

As a sportwriter Albom is a shell of what he was in the late 80s and early 90s. He's stretched himself too thin and - let's face it - Detroit no longer has so many of the interesting characters it had in the sports world 25 years ago.

Ernie, Sparky, Gibby, Stevie, Probie, The Bad Boys...all gone.

As I recall one of the best columns Albom ever wrote was a feature on Red Wings coach Jacques Demers. They used to drive to games together. Jacques spoke English with a heavy accent, and meant to say "sometimes good dreams come true". It came out sounding "sometimes good teams come true". Mitch went with the way it sounded as the headline, then explained why.

It was sportswriting at it's best.