14

"We owe Machado and Murphy a debt of gratitude," said Tony Gray, ex-State Rep Rene Oliveira's longtime legislative aide. "Jose and Doc, great writers with finely tuned senses of humor, not only entertain us; they inform us with their blogs El Puro Pedo and The Murphy Report. While they have no problems throwing chingasos, they can also take your best shots.

"Their critics, and there are many, want to say that the two are drug addicts, alcoholics and womanizers, but if the truth be told, they are regular guys, the kind of batos that I have called my friends and with whom I've proudly associated.

"They imbibe deep from life, but they love their families, they talk politics, they know sports and they stand on their own merits. They are not opposed to buying 'just' one more round. While they are the best journalists in South Texas, their writing extends to fiction and poetry.

"Brownsville is lucky to have this one-two punch. We have a newspaper that has relegated itself to the bench. I may date myself employing this analogy, but I remember when the New York Yankees had Mantle and Maris and the San Francisco Giants had Mays and McCovey. I can't think of two better sluggers batting third and fourth in the line-up than Machado and Murphy. They hit for average and power. And they show up to play every day.

"Their records speak for themselves. The reason they have a high winning percentage is they aren't afraid to lose. Once an election or an issue is in the win-or-loss column, they may have a few to celebrate or lament the final result before they're looking forward to the next challenge. They believe that the war never ends, but that doesn't mean you can't vanquish the opposition in the succeeding battle.

"Though Brownsville has a dynamic blogosphere, I can't stomach Robby Williams-Cardenas' The Brownsville Vulture or whatever that keg of flat beer calls his publication. I know that he isn't physically well, but is he mentally ill also? Someone called him a sick puppy. In my estimation he is more akin to a dead dog.

"I appreciate The Matamoros Mirrror's Jim Carlton and Ernesto Garza's The Border Bandit's contributions, but they don't produce. They are more like relief pitchers or pinch runners. I will add that I miss /AB-C. His Banana News had game. He possesses Machado and Murphy's verve and vitality, but Brownsville, after a couple of tussles in the sack for this swordsman, bores him. I can sympathize with the sentiment when he's living 60 miles away in McAllen. He's condemned to spinning the stories the Brownsville bloggers write.

"I'm sure the victims of Machado and Murphy's vitriol won't accept this argument, but it isn't personal with either of the them. Every spellbinder needs heroes and villains. Their targets are nothing other than the inspirations for imaginary characters, but you have to comprehend the fictional/realism genre to appreciate their perspectives.

"There are those who want to know my favorite of the two bloggers. I answer: 'It depends. Do I want to read Cervantes or Shakespeare?' They have their unique talents, but it's an apples-and-oranges comparison. They meet my tastes equally.

"For those of us who cherish Brownsville like a lost love, Machado and Murphy, Mr. Insider and Mr. Outsider, were destined to tell the Third World Capital of the United States' story and they tell it well. They never lack material in a sad town where poverty, ignorance and corruption have turned a paradise into a wasteland."

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