SI.com: SI Writers

Richard Deitsch: Media Power Rankings for June

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:31:22 EDT

1. Scott Van Pelt, ESPN Two years ago, Deadspin.com ran an item that featured Van Pelt, in full Jon Favreau mode from Swingers, leaving a message on an answering machine for a woman he had met at a bar. Back then, I wrote the item was hilarious, incredibly unfair or both, depending upon where you stood on the issue of public figures and privacy. After the Deadspin post traveled around the sports blogsphere, Van Pelt said he reached out to Will Leitch, the site's former editor, and the two exchanged emails on a number of occasions, though they never met in person. "I thought it was chicken-sh-- that he did it because I didn't feel I did anything wrong," says Van Pelt. "It wasn't a Pat O'Brien moment. I didn't mention drugs, I didn't mention anything X-rated, I didn't cuss. Now, granted, it was far too lengthy and I was trying way too hard be funny. But my point to him was I didn't think it was worth it and I was amazed that anyone would care ... He and I continued a back and forth as I have with a number of bloggers because, unlike a lot of guys in the mainstream media, I don't have my head in the sand on this. If I were 20-something years old, I'd be on the blogs all day and even now, I am an unabashed consumer of them." In a remarkable bit of self-deprecating cool, Van Pelt mocked his famous answering message last month to honor the end of Leitch's tenure at Deadspin. "Why did I do it?" Van Pelt says. "To me it was a chance to skewer myself and my way of saying to him and his readers that, 'I'm fine, and you all had your fun with this.' Even I made fun of myself about it on the air. I've always thought you should be self-deprecating -- but genuinely self-deprecating. The real challenge was to edit myself. It would have been so much fun to go all Jeff Ross and totally go bonkers."

Richard Deitsch: Q&A with Cal Ripken

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 01:13:15 EDT

This summer is a little less hectic for Cal Ripken. The Hall of Famer -- he was inducted last August with Tony Gwynn -- will be part of TBS' coverage on July 6th's (2 p.m. ET) MLB All-Star Game Selection Show. SI.com checked in with the TBS analyst this week to get his take on the first half of the season, his first-half MVPs, Josh Hamilton and Chase Utley.

Jon Wertheim: Fifty parting shots from Wimbledon

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 23:40:22 EDT

Cleaning out the Wimbledon notebook while still in awe of that final.

Josh Gross: Griffin garners new fame with 'Rampage' upset

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:38:20 EDT

From reality TV star to UFC champion, Forrest Griffin's mixed martial arts ascendancy hit its high mark Saturday in Las Vegas.

Jon Heyman: Brewers take lead in Sabathia sweepstakes

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:12:59 EDT

The pennant-starved Milwaukee Brewers appear to be a clear favorite in the sweepstakes for star Indians pitcher C.C. Sabathia, as those two teams continue to talk today.

Lars Anderson: Five things we learned from Daytona

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 15:01:26 EDT

Five thoughts on Saturday night's race at Daytona, which marked the midway point of the season:

Tim Layden: Gay's tumble dramatically changes U.S. team

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 20:59:02 EDT

The U.S. Olympic track and field team was dramatically changed in a period of five seconds early Saturday afternoon during the team trials at Hayward Field.

John Wertheim: Venus the queen of Centre Court

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 12:56:16 EDT

Five things we learned from women's final Saturday at Wimbledon:

Tim Layden: Youth movement taking over track trials

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 02:59:27 EDT

Jordan Hasay, meet Gabe Jennings.

Kelli Anderson: Cullen Jones seizes swimming spotlight

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 01:18:40 EDT

Cullen Jones can still picture the top of the water slide at Dorney Park in Pennsylvania where his life took a fateful turn when he was five years old. His dad Ronald, had made him promise to not let go of the inner tube on the way down, so, Ronald shot down the slide, screaming all the way, Cullen followed, gripping the tube tightly. "When I hit the bottom of the ride, there was this huge pool of water, and I flipped right over," Jones recalls. But he didn't let go of the tube. "I actually passed out," he says. "They had to give me CPR, and when I woke up, I was like, okay, what's the next ride? It could have changed my life completely if it was traumatic. I might never have touched the water again."