Chris Carter is a big meany pants.

Not an asshole. Meanpants, but not an asshole.

There are very few blogs who manage to cross over into what many would call mainstream media, and even fewer who do so on their own terms. Mgoblog and EDSBS are the two best examples from the college football realm, but there are others - particularly in Baseball. Perhaps the most famous sports-ish blog who has jumped into mainstream without compromising the stinging commentary that acted as their diving board is Deadspin.com, and writer Will Leitch. Recently, Will has sparred on air with writer Buzz Bissinger, which actually spurred a ton of discussion and commentary on what blogs are, and how they are relevant to sports media. I would even go so far to say that the on air spat between the two (which left Buzz looking foolish) was a net gain for blogs. However, there are still those who absolutely won't accept that regular people, living regular lives, can sit behind a keyboard and reach literally thousands of people without having to be accountable to anybody except their readers. Witness Will's exchange with Chris Carter, former OSU Wide Receiver, and current ESPN analyst:

Somehow, I ended up being introduced to Cris Carter, formerly from HBO Sports (and the Minnesota Vikings) and now on ESPN. I shook his hand.

“Hello, I’m Will.”

Cris frowned, and even sneaked in a scowl. “Are you the blog guy?”

I smiled. The best way, I’ve learned, to deal with the hostility is just to smile. They’re not expecting that. I suspect they all think we look like the Comic Book Guy from The Simpsons or, more sinister, like a member of the thrash metal group GWAR. “Yes, sir, I do write a blog.”

Cris’ scowl was no longer sneaky. “You know, I got a problem with you,” the Ohio State grad said, through gritted teeth. “Some Michigan blog said I was an a–hole. Better nobody say that to my face.”

Smiling, trying to look calm, I said, “Well, sir, you know, I didn’t write that.”

Cris took a step closer to me. “You damn well better not of, ’cause if you had, I’d take you out right here.”

I smiled, again, shook his hand, and went on my way.

Will may not have wrote it, and I'm not sure which Michigan blogger wrote it, but Chris Carter needs to take a deep breath. You may not be an asshole (although evidence from this story may point otherwise), but your reaction to a blogger who has actually jumped into mainstream (meaning he's freakin' important, whether you care to admit it or not) is telling. If we're just a bunch of guys sitting around our parent's basements gaining weight between Halo 3 sessions, then why are you so threatened?

(HT: 11W)