I Scream You Scream

Folio proclaims The Atlantic to be one of their ones to watch:

The Atlantic
David Bradley has assembled an all-star team of publishing talent (president Justin Smith, formerly of The Week, and newly-installed publisher Jay Lauf, formerly of Wired) that has dragged the once-stodgy print brand kicking and screaming into the Web 2.0 era. Will profitability follow?

Technically speaking, I think it was the all-star team of blogging talent that did the Web 2.0 era dragging. I also haven't actually heard anyone scream or seen anyone kick. But whatever. I was fascinated by the entry that followed:

Lenny Dykstra | Publisher, Player's Club
The former New York Met, car wash millionaire and unlikely stock market genius is the force behind the Doubledown Media's latest launch, a magazine for professional athletes looking to manage their post-sports lives.

I grew up watching Dykstra on the great cocaine-fueled Mets teams of the mid/late-1980s and had really no idea what had happened to him since retirement. I'm glad to see he's doing well for himself, but one sort of needs to wonder how many subscribers a magazine like this could possibly attract.

Comments

Ben McGrath's profile of Dykstra in the New Yorker a few weeks back is an absolute must-read, whether you remember "Nails" or not: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/03/24/080324fa_fact_mcgrath?currentPage=all

Posted by Jack | April 12, 2008 4:40 PM

Great Mets teams of the 80s? Please.

The Mets won it all once and only once and that was the result of a classic Red Sox choke and some sort of bizarre karmic payback for Bill Buckner's past life sins.

The Mets of that era were infamous underachieving cry babies.

The cocaine allusion also loses all hipness when players rat out other players in court (see Hernandez and grand jury) or whine their way in and out of rehab (Gooden, Strawberry). Boo hoo hoo! Squeal squeal squeal! Let's go Mets! Whine whine whine! Boo hoo hoo!

Alas, Matt is too young to remember when real men with serious substance abuse problems (Billy Martin anyone?) and kickass attitudes played baseball in New York.

This was the late 70s and the team was the Yankees. It was an ungodly time and the Bronx Bombers were the true Travis Bickles of baseball. The present day Mets are damn lucky to have the old Yankees second baseman Willie Randolph at their helm now.

Posted by Pittsburgh Grand Jury Foreman 1985 | April 12, 2008 4:49 PM

Funny. I assumed you read the New Yorker cover to cover just like everyone else I know and/or respect. Ben McGrath wrote up Dykstra's latest endeavors just a few weeks ago.

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/03/24/080324fa_fact_mcgrath

Posted by Adam | April 12, 2008 4:49 PM

Oops. OK, see that Jack beat me to it. Sorry for the repetition.

Posted by adam | April 12, 2008 4:53 PM

Dykstra was one of the earlier steroid abusers.

Posted by blah | April 12, 2008 5:00 PM

Oh, hell, the 70s' Yankees had nuthin' on the 50s' Yankees, in terms of combining substance abuse with World Series trophies. My favorite story is of Mantle coming off the disabled list in time for a Sunday matinee in Baltimore, when he thought he wasn't eligible to play until Tuesday. He wakes up late Sunday morning, with a titanic hangover, on a screen porch belonging to whom he does not know, and he really dosn't know where (hopefully, in Baltimore) he is, until the cab arrives. He arrives at the ball park very late, struggles into his uniform, and joins his teammates, who are taking bp. One of them notes Mantle's arrival, and his obvious condition, and says, "Uh, Mick, doncha' think you're cuttin' it a little close?", and Mantle replies, "Ah hell, I'm on the list until Tuesday.", and the teammate responds, "Mick, go check the lineup card. You're on it!"

Horrified, because he really thought he'd be napping in the dugout that afternoon, Mantle sees he indeed is playing, goes into the clubhouse, and takes a cold shower. He then goes 3 for 5 with 2 homeruns.

Now, THAT'S a high-functioning alcoholic!

Posted by Will Allen | April 12, 2008 5:09 PM

Pitts- I would say we're as lucky to have Randolph now as the Yankees were to have former Mets third baseman and manager Joe Torre at the helm for the last decade. (Torre's first managing gig was actually with those very cry baby 1980s Mets.) Must have prepared him well for dealing with the Yankees management and fanbase: 12 playoffs in 12 years but only 4 rings? Wha! But we paid so much! Wha!

Posted by Jack | April 12, 2008 5:25 PM

I assumed you read the New Yorker cover to cover just like everyone else I know and/or respect.

Fortunately, with the decline in ad pages over the last few years, it's getting easier every week!

Posted by James Gary | April 12, 2008 6:24 PM

HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel had an amazing piece on Dykstra's huge success as an investor and financial expert. Must-see.

Posted by Angry Sam | April 12, 2008 7:13 PM

but one sort of needs to wonder how many subscribers a magazine like this could possibly attract.

It's not how many, it's how loyal they are and how much money they have. Magazines make their money on advertising dollars, after all, and while this is a tiny niche market, it's a potentially lucrative one. If I had, say, the ideal joint replacement system for millionaires, I'd be thinking hard about getting some real estate in that magazine.

Posted by Persia | April 12, 2008 8:22 PM

A magazine for pro athletes and everyone who loves their money. Sure it could work, Matt.

Posted by SqueakyRat | April 12, 2008 8:26 PM

in the new yorker article, they explain the business model. there are no paid subscriptions at all, evidently; it's given away to basically every pro athlete. I agree with Persia, sounds like an advertiser's dream to me.

Posted by dan | April 12, 2008 8:38 PM

I am looking for the picture of Daryl Strawberry and Doc Gooden in the dug out. Strawberry has his hat on tilted on an angle and Gooden is wearing the warm up jackect. The most awesome sports picture in the history of the universe. PLEASE EMAIL ME IF ANYONE KNOWS WHERE I CAN GET IT.

Posted by duffy | April 12, 2008 10:47 PM

"Darryl" and "jacket"

Posted by duffy | April 12, 2008 10:50 PM

Yep, advertisers' dream: small, wealthy (and may I say, suggestible?) readership for upscale products and services.

Posted by pseudonymous in nc | April 13, 2008 1:45 PM