Punched up the Freeploid’s website this evening, just to see if anything new was going on.

Check that: “just to see if the Freeploid was aware of anything going on.”

And there, at the top of the page, in the ‘Loid’s  deeply annoying “drop-down-then-scroll-back-up” adspace, was news of another exciting improvement to the ‘Loid’s online offerings: Sports PULSE.

As part of our continuing upgrades to content, the Burlington Free Press has expanded its online sports coverage with the launch of the Sports PULSE to its online Sports section.

Hey, sounds great. Tell me more, O Freeploid.

The latest national sports stories from the professional and college ranks are available on our Sports page in addition to our local report and coverage by the Associated Press.

Ah. “The latest national sports stories” meaning the same wireservice stuff you can already read on numerous popular (and lucrative) sports websites. ESPN.com, SI.com, Yahoo! Sports, CBSSportsline, etc., etc., etc. Not to mention any halfway-competent local sports site, like for instance WEEI.com in Boston.

Sigh. Any other good news?

The page has been created by USA Today Sports.

Ooh, the Blandmasters of Journalism are behind this thing.

In other words, this is another way for the corporate overlords at Gannett to recycle existing content, hoping to wring every last penny out of its ever-dwindling journalistic enterprise.

And this warmed-over rehash of stuff that’s easily accessible elsewhere is supposed to somehow compete with established and well-entrenched online brands that offer the same stuff PLUS a whole lot of their own original content? And is supposed to somehow add value to the Freeploid’s online offerings and entice readers to plunk down 12 bucks a month for full access?

Methinks not.

I hope Jim Folger’s got some better tricks up his sleeve. This one’s a no-hoper from the gitgo.