My cash makes Jason green?

Considering yesterday’s wager, Valleywag quips that Jason Calacanis won’t get “even get out of bed for anything as paltry as Copeland’s $10,000.”

Well, I’ll consider bigger $$, but remember, my wallet isn’t padded with AOL bucks. And if the odds make Jason queazy about getting out of bed, we can talk about something easier. (Assuming his pride will let him play a 12 year old without giving huge odds. 🙂

Fact is, last night Jason did his pre-dinner vanity Googling and left a rambling comment on Jake Luddington’s blog post about the bet, tossing off a cloud of “it was just a joke” and “apples and orchards” and “henry is making a couple million for bloggers.”

“A joke” — Ha indeed. I look forward to laughing with Jason’s $100k in my pocket.

“Comparing an ad network to a blog publisher is apples and orchards.” Well, Jason’s WIN may have ended up as a publisher, but it originated as an ad network with a software kicker to justify its 50% rev share.

Here’s WIN’s pitch to bloggers circa May 2004 and continuing through October 2005… “Our goal is to partner with individual bloggers, letting them do what they do best (writing, creating community, researching) and support them with what we do best (upgrading the software that drives their Web site, generating revenue, running the business). We split the profits 50/50 with each of our bloggers taking out only hard costs (i.e., sales commissions, credit card fees). We also allow bloggers to leave our network at any time, for any reason, and take their content with them.” There was lots of noble rhetoric about valuing blogger automony … “After the bust everyone realized that a) no company is loyal to them and b) that they can often make a better living on their own and have a better lifestyle.”

If WIN gave up on that approach and turned to straight publishing, it proves my point, no?

“A couple million for bloggers?” If Jason will step up and wager, he won’t learn the exact figure, but at least he’ll know it’s bigger than whatever figure WIN paid out for ’06. (I hope it was more than a couple million!)

Jason has often portrayed himself as the great and visionary funding font of independent blogging… here, here, here, here, here for starters.

My $10k says he’s been bluffing.