We know Colin Cowherd has a new nickname. Have we learned anything else?

4 days have passed since the Colin "Schrutebag" Cowherd blew up The Big Lead's servers. The blogosphere is slowly moving on, much as The Big Lead has already. After the war of words finally subsided, what have we learned from the brouhaha?

1. It became quickly obvious from the uproar that ensued that The Big Lead has made a ton of friends, with both big time and small time blogs. People know a good blog when they read it, and The Big Lead is a damn good blog. Cowherd sure as Hell picked the wrong blog to bully. It was quite the sight to see bloggers circle the wagons. We can be quite a force when there is a common cause.

2. We aren't sure who on earth actually listens to Colin Cowherd, as it seemed that not many, if any, bloggers actually listens to the self-important blowhard. I don't. I know that the local bloggers here in the D don't. From what I've read over the past 4 days, no one will actually admit to listening to Cowherd. Someone must, as the clown still has a show, and his sheep did in a blog. I just haven't figured out who...

3. It's never been more clear that ESPN is the devil incarnate to the blogosphere. The MSM, as a whole, isn't far behind. The feeling appears to be mutual, from the lack of mainstream coverage of the Cowherd incident, and the worldwide leader's lack of a sincere apology. Screw 'em, as bloggers, and their readers, will be just fine, acceptance from the MSM or not. All I can say is that the MSM as we know it today will be vastly different 10 years from now, and they will still look at the blogosphere with the same utter disdain.

4. In some ways, the blogosphere is closer to the mainstream than we care to think. For the most part, there are few rules in writing for a web only audience. It's a cornucopia of misspelling, bad grammar, saying whatever the Hell you want, and not giving a shit what anyone else thinks. It's currently the wild, wild west of the sports world. I'll admit that I've written some borderline libelous stuff myself. But I don't claim to be anything more than a fan with an opinion. I'm NOT a journalist, and I wouldn't care to be. I don't want to become beholden to anyone, even if a paycheck would be nice.

But the lines are blurring between the blogs and the MSM. Just look at the online weblogs newspapers are asking their writers to maintain. Some blow, some aren't maintained, and a few are actually quite good. Sounds just like the current state of the blogosphere, doesn't it? Things are changing in the other direction as well, with bloggers gaining press box access, get interviews with athletes, and gradually reaching a greater mainstream audience. I'm not sure when you cross the line from being underground to mainstream, but some blogs are coming damn close to doing so. The rules they follow will have to change as well. I think it's already happened to Deadspin. Leitch has toned things down a notch since they used names in association with the steroid rumors that ran rampant last year.

5. Cowherd is a dick.

Welcome to a brave new blogging world, it's going to be one Hell of an interesting ride.