Media Beef: Deadspin Founder Will Leitch versus Oklahoma 'Around Town' Writer Joan Gilmore
By Kyle Koster
Last week, Will Leitch wrote about the proliferation of enjoyable NBA rivalries for New York Magazine. His opening paragraph described, in great detail, a Joel Embiid dunk over Russell Westbrook. This has sparked what could be an intense media feud with Journal Record “Around Town” writer Joan Gilmore.
The latter took to the pages of her Oklahoma-based business newspaper to highlight the irrelevance of the Deadspin founder.
"Drama, drama, drama New York magazine ran an item written by Will Leitch in which he wrote, “(Joel) Embiid, a massive man with supernatural athleticism, drove down the lane and, upon seeing defending MVP Russell Westbrook – a gleefully selfish sports villain and noted sartorial virtuoso – slipping underneath to draw a charge, exploded with such fury and violence that Westbrook essentially evaporated into a plume of smoke.” Who in the heck is Will Leitch?"
Wow. That has to sting. A guy goes from writing about someone getting posterized to being posterized himself within eight days. Something poetic about that.
It should be pointed out that it would take an almost willful ignorance to not know who Leitch is — if only for the fact that he writes for about 30 percent of all websites. MLB.com, Vulture, New York Magazine, Paste, SyFy Wire, and the list goes on. He’s like a 15-year NBA vet who has played for 22 teams.
It will be a giant missed opportunity if Gilmore isn’t the next guest on the Will Leitch Show. These two need to get together and hash it out like Leitch once did with Buzz Bissinger. For the people.