(continued)

What about Kordell Stewart? In your book you talk about the rumors that he was a little light in the loafers. Was he a kicker?
No, a quarterback. If he was a kicker, that would have been fine. But since he was a Think of it this way: You only have four downs. If you screw up, the guy's onto you. He won't buy the cow because the milk is for freequarterback, his teammates were nervous. I love that after rumors started circulating, Stewart actually held a press conference where he declared how much he loved heterosexual sex. He even held up a still from a pornographic movie and said, "See this? This is what I like right here!" It's hilarious.

Speaking of the feminine side of sports. What are Deadspin's female readers like? Lots of junior high softball coaches, sensible shoes, affordable haircuts?
No! I swear. Lots of very attractive, very nice women. Actually, you know what this makes me think of? A few years back, the NFL had this thing, they called it "The NFL For Ladies." It basically said, 'think of the touchdown as 'home.''' Because they thought women could relate to that. You know, "women just want to go home." It was just so condescending and silly.

That's terrible. And offensive. But seriously, if a touchdown is, say ... me getting married ... what are the other plays?
I think in this case, you have to consider the guy the opposite team. You're trying to gain yardage. He's trying to push you back. The field is 100 yards long. You start on your own 20 with 80 to go. Since you are on the offensive and trying to get on the other end, each first down is a tiny step closer. It's something that he's lost and you've gained.

First you leave a toothbrush in his bathroom, then you invite yourself to meet his parents?
Exactly. But you only have four downs. If you screw up getting to that next step four times in a row, he's onto you. He won't buy the cow because the milk is for free. He'll just get into the end zone, come back, and play another team.

How does getting pregnant on purpose fit into this metaphor?
That's definitely the interception.

So, to shift gears slightly, Deadspin must be one of the most popular blogs in the Gawker media empire. But [Gawker overlord] Nick Denton, you think he's a real son of a bitch, right?
No! Really, I've had nothing but good experiences with him. Truth is, Nick doesn't know anything about sports. He trusts that I know what I'm doing. One famous story: He sent me an IM over the summer asking if we could do more March Madness coverage because it was really driving traffic. "But it's June," I told him.