Do the Local Beat Writers Read Blogs?

I have always wondered how much beat writers read the fan blogs of the teams they cover, not so much out of personal vanity (although that plays into it) but out of curiosity. There should be a clear and dividing line between the inksheets and blogs, the inksheets are responsible for reporting the news while blogs express opinion and unsubstantiated rumors, such as the fact that CADILLAC WILLIAMS IS THE ILLIGITIMATE LOVE CHILD OF OJ SIMPSON AND BAT BOY!!!


It appears that Stephen Holder of the St Pete Times reads blogs based on the first paragraph of his latest report from Bucs practice....

We try not to dwell too much on what's happening in practices this time of year because, well, it's May for crying out loud. But for what it's worth, we did get a rare chance to sit on Thursday's workout at Raymond James Stadium and picked up a few tidbits.

I mention this because last week I called out Holder for his lack of reporting regarding Larry Coyer, the new Bucs d-line coach (see below). Additionally, the much more superbly written BucStats had the same complaint of the local inksheets, which amounted to Give Us Coverage or Give Us Death (for the purposes of hyperbole this claim may be exaggerated).

So to recap, Holder is called out for his lack of reportinig by two blogs, to which Holder responds by defending his lack of coverage in the first sentence. But to make this situation all the more entertaining to me Holder actually gives us an interesting report from Bucs practice. So I assume I should apologize to Holder for my rush to judgement, my hat is off for your latest report.

Holder has all kinds of juicy tidbits from practice but to me the juiciest tidbit is that Anthony Davis is starting at left guard while Dan Buenning recovers from injury. For those who have been keeping track Gruden and company drafted a guard early in the second round, Arron Sears, to play the left guard position. I'm not going so far as to criticize Gruden and company for drafting Sears, for now, but what is the point of drafting somebody in the second round if you don't expect them to start?