‘Dave Sheinin Curse’ explained
The @davesheinin Curse is alive and well.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 9, 2013
A Romenesko reader/D.C. journalist explains: “Dave Sheinin had a contract for a Stephen Strasburg book and was covering him for The [Washington] Post. Strasburg blows out his arm, the book dies.
“He is on the Robert Griffin III beat now and apparently doing a book — and RGIII blows out his knee.”
Sheinin tells Romenesko readers: “Jeff was just trying to be cute (and probably also trying to bait me into tweeting), and the ‘curse’ is nothing more than a grim coincidence.”
Also, here’s what Post columnist Gene Weingarten said yesterday about his paper’s treatment of Redskins coach Mike Shanahan:
In the absence of the regular sports columnists of The Washington Post, whose job this would ordinarily be but who were unaccountably collectively unavailable yesterday for required tuchus-kicking duty, I am stepping forward today on behalf of this newspaper (if without its official approval) to formally demand the head of Mike Shanahan.
Not his life or even his job, but the head itself, sunk in shame, bald-spot pronated, wretched, groveling, stammery and hangdog, confessing into a mike what is or should be apparent to everyone who watched the grisly end to the Redskins’ first playoff game in 6 years: He blew what might be the most important call of his career, and he did so through a combination of foolishness and cowardice. You deserve his apology, rich, nuanced, and textured. You won’t get it. Instead you get this thin gruel.
Yes, I do believe you should have read this in yesterday’s Post, a newspaper with the best and most fearless team of sports columnists I know of – a team that, perhaps hearing footsteps, punted on this one. It was not a pretty punt. It was shanked off the side of the foot, weak and wobbly, a real stinker, all a-flutter with wincing stoicism and good cheer (“Loss Aside, Bright Future Awaits”) avoiding the central issue of the day with an awkward side-step. Get it? An awkward side-step. Like a step to the side made by a foot without the approval of the knee. …
Why the punt by the Wapo? My guess: Character. It’s easy to be critical, and easier to pile on when others are doing it, too. Maybe they felt the high road was to give Shanahan a break. If so, I disagree. I think it looks bad.
