The Washington Post's Thomas Boswell pronounces himself a "Gibsologist" comparable to a Kremlinologist. Explains he's been studying the man for over 25 years. Fails to predict his resignation. Column runs on the very day the resignation happens.
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Better Gibsologists Needed
08 Jan 2008 02:14 pm
Comments (11)
Neither spelling nor sports is really Matt's strong suit.
Yes, "Gibbsologist". When I first saw "Gibsologist" I thought it was referring to a Gibson, so I tried to think whether it was Charlie, William, John, or someone else.
Well, if you were around back then, you would remember that the Kremlinologists almost always got it wrong too.
I enjoy Boswell's columns greatly, and I feel a certain personal loyalty to him - he was my camp counselor some 40 years ago, and later a fellow counselor when I was a junior counselor at the same camp. He was a sweet guy back then, and I'm sure that hasn't changed.
But he's not a topnotch analyst. With respect to baseball, he was way late to the sabermetrics party, pushing his Total Average long after Bill James and others had produced better statistical tools for analyzing baseball offense. And today's column demonstrates his analytic weakness in another area.
If you want to understand sports stuff, rather than simply have a good companion on its inevitable roller-coaster ride, Michael Wilbon is the man to read.
Boswell shouldn't be allowed to write about anything other than baseball. His football writing almost makes me long for the return of regular, full-length Tony Kornheiser columns.
That said, at least Boswell can write well about one sport, which is more than can be said of Sally Jenkins.
Peeps beat me to it, but yeah, none of the Kremlinologists foresaw the USSR leaving the scene either, so Gibbsologist seems like a perfect fit.
Boswell's baseball writing is now too close to George Will's for it to have any value.
The analogy works for me. Condeleeza Rice was a Kremlinologist who missed the collapse of the USSR. Boswell is a Gibbsologist who missed the collapse of Joe II. Boswell used to be a moderately accurate baseball reporter. His analysis is terrible.
Reminds me of the column Bos wrote after Gibbs stepped down the first time in '92. Short version: "Thank God we got that boat anchor Gibbs off the Redskins necks so the glorious Petitbon era can get under way."
Stick to baseball, Bos.
Re Tom Boswell
As I stated on a previous thread, Boswell is exceeded in moronity only by Mike Lupica. One can only imagine the sheer stupidity if both Lupica and Boswell appeared on ESPNs' The Sportswriters at the same time. A consummation devoutly never to be wished.
Comments closed January 22, 2008.
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Heads in the Sand
Two b's man, two b's: Gibbsologist.
Posted by right | January 8, 2008 2:24 PM