Where Art Thou?

My favorite re-occuring Grantland piece has always been Reader’s Revenge, which started off as an addendum to “About Last Weekend”, (a feature that used to exist in WritingthePine 1.0 before the “Great Server Crash of 2012.”)

Similar to Deadspin’s “DHF” or Drunken Hookup Failure, but with a wider range of topics, readers participated by contributing great, embarrassing stories that may or may not have been embellished, exaggerated, or just plain fabricated.

However, since the last piece on 5/21/2012, there hasn’t been a new submission.  The next topic was supposed to be “The Strangest Place You’ve Ever Woken Up (and the story of how you got there)”

After a twitter question directed at Grantland, and no response, I’m just going to assume that the feature has been discontinued, but probably under some controversy.  (I’m looking at you, Shane Ryan).

I have no basis for my theories, but I’ll put it out there nonetheless:

1. One of the stories submitted anonymously by someone got back to the offended party.  Which lead to accusations, angry emails and threats, and finally a lawsuit or criminal charges of some sort.   Good bye Reader’s Revenge.
2. Deadspin is suing Grantland and then reporting their lawsuit with ESPN on Deadspin.  Snarky Deadspin comment is promoted. +1.   Eddie Murphy Murray Sparkles.
3. Shane Ryan is holed up in a hotel room chainsmoking cigarettes and drinking out of a bathtub filled with whiskey as he meets his Grantland deadline.
4. The world just doesn’t have enough “waking up in a strange place” stories.  Sensing the end is near, the feature is killed.  Shane goes outside and walks his dog for 8 hours.
5. Bill Simmons has been put on super-secret suspension by ESPN for gambling.  What this has to do with anyone I have no idea.
6. It’s coming back Monday and I’m just an impossibly, impatient person to satisfy.

Welcome back, Reader’s Revenge.  Welcome back.