I take it you're a fan?

I'm sorry, but to say that James Frey isn't a liar is simply, objectively wrong. Efforts to make this discussion about the nature of memoirs and autobiographical fiction ommit a key point: in interview after interview, Frey was asked point blank about whether the stories in his book were factually correct, and over and over again he claimed that they were. Whatever license you may feel he has in embellishing his memoirs, when he is asked for direct answers about objective facts, and he knowingly and intentionally is deceptive in responding, he's being a liar.

If this was simply another instance of a person writing a memoir and taking liberties with the truth, I doubt we'd be having this discussion. But this is different on a number of levels. One, the sheer amount of fantasy in this book is frankly breathtaking. It turns out that time after time after time, Frey just made stuff up. Read the entire Smoking Gun article; they've meticulously catalogued and researched many of the books most important scenes, and found them to be out of tune with reality.

But the other issue, which is perhaps more troubling, is that all of this is coming from a writer who has worked incredibly hard to create an image, a brand of himself-- and the cache that brand carries comes from his supposed authenticity. Frey styles himself as not a "wimpy" writer like others, who create their sissy fiction, but a tough, streetwise man who tells the unvarnished truth. Many times in print and in interviews he has stressed his own transparency and accessibility. If Frey hadn't been such a media hound-- if he hadn't done so much to stress his own honesty and forthrightness-- he wouldn't have found himself in the middle of all this.

Frey made his bed and now he's being forced to sleep in it.

The only reason I use my handle thingy is because your website automatically fills in my Salon premium name, and the only reason I chose that one was because other things were taken. Why, if you want real names, does your letters feature automatically fill in a username?

I remain,

Freddie B. deBoer

I'm sorry-- I do feel for the people who are afraid of the repercussions at work if they comment with their real names.

But I'm afraid I can't buy into the notion that, because you work, it's adult or responsible to abdicate any responsibility for what you say. Could the things that you write online potentially hurt your professional or personally? Sure. But that doesn't mean that your desire to remain anonymous is somehow noble or correct. It's still motivated by fear; and there is a part of me which feels that it is precisely the risk involved with speaking your mind which gives it power. You can make whatever choice you want to make but I insist you acknowledge that it is a choice, even if the circumstances make you feel as though you have no alternative.

We've all got to work, sure. And if you feel that your need to work prevents you from transparency in your opinions, then contribute to online dialogues anonymously. But don't act as though that was your only option, and don't pretend that you haven't given anything up by doing so.

and oh yeah, again, my real name is Freddie deBoer.

See, this is what you just don't get on ESPN.com or anywhere. Real, intelligent, substantive analysis of a hugely important issue that is changing all of sports, instead of Sean Salibury or Steven A. Smith once again making outlandish predictions that they are 100% certain about but never come true. Thanks King.

NBC will indeed have the option to cherry pick good games in the second half of the season for Sunday night football. ESPN will not have the same luxury for their Monday night broadcast.

to live in fear-- fear of your boss and terrorism and nuclear winter and avian flu and Internet boogiemen crawling through your window. The odds of you getting killed by someone who tracked you down through the internet are of course astronomically small, while the odds of being a victim of random crime (while still very small) are much, much higher. 165 people A DAY are killed in this country by car accidents, but of course, nobody starts biking to work because of it.

-Freddie deBoer

You can post provoking comments that are just asking for it, like I did a few minutes ago. Sorry about that.

I'm sorry, but I've heard and used the phrase "12th Man" for years and I didn't know it had any connection to the Aggies and their football team until this whole controversy started. How on earth do you enforce something that is used constantly in commentary and reporting for virtually every team?

And isn't there a limit on how long those trademarks last, or am I thinking of something else? I know Congress keeps bowing to Disney and extending the length of copyrights.... Regardless of the legality of what's going on, from the outside it seems like this is another meritless lawsuit.

But not only does Chuck Klosterman touch on the postmodern stuff in his "blog", he also talks about bald quarterbacks and quarterbacks with lots of syllables!

I think on Monday's blog he talked about baldness and syllables... I generally don't like Klosterman much (he writes a monthly column for Spin and Esquire magazines). He tries a little too hard to sell the "smart guy obsessed with pop culture minutia" persona, and I often find that he tries to make his points seem deeper than they really are. But then again I'll read anything.

That was where I read it.

Oh and I keep forgetting, Salon wants people to post there real names now, so...

-Freddie deBoer