Goodbye People’s Champ
Say hello to THE WATCHER
The rumors are true, I am out on vacation starting the instant I leave work today and running all the way through next Sunday night. I am going somewhere with no computer, no TV, no cell phone, no overpopulation, and looking forward to it. All I plan to do is read books and layeth the chess/scrabble smackdown on my lady. When I’m gone, you may notice many changes to the site. There’s plenty of time for Lang or Ben to explain all that, but one of those more subtle changes will be that the name of my bloggumn and its banner will be changed from “The People’s Champ” to “The Watcher.”
How do I explain this… let’s see. Dr. Dre had his song on Chronic 2001 called “The Watcher.” Dre is the easiest answer for a top rap producer who also rhymes, and I feel that’s part of what I do. Basically, the editor and writer relationship is like a producer and rapper. I don’t really want to get too deep into that, cause it would just become another comparing things to other things post.
At this point, I’m more of a producer than a rapper for slamonline. I need to do things behind the scenes and make plans for conquest and give other people that platform than to go for my own personal glory or internet fame. The Dre song “The Watcher” is partly about being above the fray and seeing things happen. I’m just watching things happen, managing this site accordingly, and trying to keep people entertained every single day.
Super quick analogy: yesterday we played a softball game, and one of my interns, Jon Wiener was there. We had one too many guys on the team, so because he’s a rookie, he had to start out on the bench as the extra hitter. I played third base - botching two close tag plays in the mud on throws from the outfield thank you very much. Anyways, I’ve played softball before and while I enjoy it, I like to see other people have fun too (maturity?!?), so after the third inning I was more than happy to switch with Jon. In the sixth inning, he came through with a Scottie Brosius-esque charge and fire to first for the big out. A great moment. You had to be there. I was proud.
There are other reasons just as significant as the Dre thing that tie into the new name as well. The legendary genre-defining graphic novel The Watchmen sounds like The Watcher. One of my favorite characters in the Marvel Universe is Uatu the Watcher.
The Watcher, if you want to get all literal and boring, could mean that I watch basketball and how it is covered for my job, and thus I am a professional watcher.
Or maybe I’m just biting off of Maureen Ryan of the Chicago Tribune.
You’ll see when the banner changes from People’s Champ to Watcher. SLAM’s art director Stephen Goggi did another incredible job on a banner. Wait until you see the other new banner for Monday - your minds will be blown. And there are much more profound changes happening all over the site.
Okay, glad we got that all out of the way. It’s a slow NBA news day, but believe it or not, the Summer League has already started. Lang is back, we’ve got a growing roster of writers. Stick with us all summer.
29 Responses to “Goodbye People’s Champ”
Jul.6 at 8:27 am
k.o. says:
Good things, lookin forward to seeing all the new changes. enjoy ur vacation Sam!
Jul.6 at 8:33 am
Nadav says:
How would you feel if someone wanted you killed?
Jul.6 at 8:53 am
Cheryl says:
Have fun, Sam. And don’t even think about us while you’re away. You gotta bring a map back, though. Lang set a precedent. –ASPOV
Jul.6 at 9:30 am
white hot eboy says:
Sam, enjoy your vacation. Do you hide tiles in Scrabble like I do when I play my wife? I usually let her start feelin’ strong early and then once she builds up a nice lead I swoop in for the 9 letter kills. “Yeah son, you can’t hold me!” (Actual sentence uttered to my wife during a Scrabble game) B-Ball venacular follows me everywhere!
Jul.6 at 9:58 am
Sparker says:
chauncey gardener in da house?
Jul.6 at 10:40 am
$imon says:
I had the beat to that Dre song (the watcher) playing in my head while reading this column. This is a good thing
Jul.6 at 10:44 am
white hot eboy says:
$imon, where you wispering “the Watcher” at the each point in the song like was?
Jul.6 at 10:55 am
Ben Osborne says:
Sam is the king of analogy.
Jul.6 at 11:04 am
Young Chris #3 says:
Did u end up seeing Transformers lats night, Sam?
Jul.6 at 11:14 am
Sammy says:
i like it sam…its must run in the name
Jul.6 at 11:22 am
Sam Rubenstein says:
No Transformers. Softball took too long and people aren’t in to seein 10 PM movies on a weeknight cause they are soft. Probably won’t get to see it until I get back. I have failed you Optimus.
Eboy, I do not cheat at scrabble but she does. It’s embarrassing for everyone when I catch her.
Jul.6 at 11:43 am
white hot eboy says:
Sam, when my wife see’s that I have extra tiles and she goes “WHAT ARE THOSE?”, my stock response is usually, “I’m not tryin’ to hear you right now”! Or lately, I’ll pull my son into the mix and say he brought the tiles to me “because he loves me more”! She get’s red hot at that(she’s got a hot Spanish temper to begin with)! Whatever! Winning is the main objective.
Jul.6 at 12:23 pm
jon wiener says:
yo thanks for leavin’ out the ‘he struck out twice in SLOW-PITCH SOFTBALL!’ line…what a compassionate boss…but sam, i actually DID see transformers, a 10:45 showing on a weekday…SO not everybody’s soft, u just got the wrong crowd. the movie was S-I-C-K (that particular description seems strangely adequate).
enjoy the break my guyy
Jul.6 at 12:31 pm
Reggie Evans says:
For a second I thought Sam was just into Keanu Reeves movies … I remember one time Uatu the Watcher made a bet on a sandlot football game that Spider-Man played with some kids. Spidey had to tie one hand behind his back or something. Unbeknownst to Spider-Man and the kids, the fate of the universe was hanging on the outcome of the game or some sh*t like that. That blew my mind as a kid. Anytime I would do something challenging I would wonder if some celestial being was making a wager on this seemingly inconsequential event.
Jul.6 at 12:38 pm
DP says:
THE WATCHER? that is a very clever name. Can’t wait to see the new look of slamonline. play wit it.
Jul.6 at 12:39 pm
Dennard says:
Enjoy your well deserved back Sam.
Jul.6 at 1:01 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Dear Sam,
Please make your next post about this:
http://www.slate.com/id/2169611/fr/rss/
Sincerely,
Farmer Jones
Jul.6 at 1:20 pm
Sam Rubenstein says:
Thanks everyone. Jon, I didn’t want to put you on blast like that for the Ks. I should have pushed harder for the late night Transformers viewing.
Jul.6 at 1:31 pm
Jonathan says:
I usually just read, but I have to say. Transformers will blow your mind more than any banner ever will. It is a new degree of epic, see it.
Jul.6 at 1:34 pm
Derms says:
Hopefully your blog will be better than that song. Although I know it will. You should call the Watcher 2.0 or whatever the name of the much better song with Rakim on it is called.
Jul.6 at 1:42 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
I got what I wanted out of The Transformers—an Anthony Lane review in the New Yorker.
Jul.6 at 1:51 pm
Greased Up Deaf Guy aka Clay Davis says:
so sam, youre saying your a fake ass wannabe gangster who never smoked, and never wrote his own raps, and all you are is a good producer???
Jul.6 at 2:22 pm
Boing Dynasty says:
Sam’s moving to a new house, on a new hill.
Jul.6 at 4:37 pm
M.K. Petrik says:
I am more of an Apocalyspe man myself http://www.marvel.com/universe/Apocalypse_%28En_Sabah_Nur%29
Jul.6 at 4:59 pm
Joel O's says:
Is Sam aiming to become a… global icon?
Jul.7 at 6:16 am
Slobodan Chutzpah says:
Two things. Firstly, you do know that The Watcher is a Keanu “Lord of Dunce” Reeves movie in which he plays a serial killer who tortures and kills women by the boatload?
Jul.7 at 6:17 am
Slobodan Chutzpah says:
Secondly, I’m quite impressed by the erudition and quality of your interns: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Wiener
Jul.8 at 6:47 pm
Matt Caputo says:
I shall miss your intimate wisdom.
Jul.9 at 5:23 am
FLUD says:
Sparker… You’re a sly dog. There ARE always channges in the garden. We must prepare for next season….