Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

gogogogogogogogogogo...(be nice)

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

When do you think Cinci will have a playoff win in...well, any sport?

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

do you suck like most sports writers?

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

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When do you think Cinci will have a playoff win in...well, any sport?

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Najorf...as a fan, I want to say that this HAS to be the year our Bungies make a run in the playoffs. Palmer is ready to make the leap to the next level of superstar, Chad is Chad, TJ is one of the most underrated receivers in the league...simply put, they are going to be dangerous and hard to stop.

HOWEVER..as a realist and a journalist, I'll tell you that there's NO WAY they'll win a playoff game with that - to put it nicely - porous defense. It will take a miracle and I'm not sure Marvin is capable of that kind of miracle.

As for the Reds...four to five years away at least. It's really a sad state of affairs at Great American Ball Park. They are too many pitchers away from a playoff caliber team.

Our best hope this year...well, there isn't one. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

I had the same question.....

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

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do you suck like most sports writers?

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Suck as in..suck at life? NO

Suck as in..suck your Mom's teats? INDEED

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

What kind of sports writer are you? Do you write the high-school wrap-ups or are you a columnist? Do you aspire to be a big-time columnust someday?

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

What makes you worthy to start this post? Where are you published?

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

Why aren't you on ATH or PTI? Seriously. There are thousands of high school writers, and thousands of college writers. Why did JA Adande or Michael Wilbon make the jump from that to writing for a large circulation city paper to writing for ESPN to being on TV? Why didn't you do the same?

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

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[ QUOTE ]
do you suck like most sports writers?

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Suck as in..suck at life? NO

Suck as in..suck your Mom's teats? INDEED

[/ QUOTE ]

Will your tenure at 2p2 exceed that of blackjack777?

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

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gogogogogogogogogogo...(be nice)

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How will you survive on your salary? Are you just out of school?

Are you already an alky like most sportswriters? Or does that come with incessant late games and deadlines? One of my best friends used to be one in Virginia...he had serious drinking issues for years before he quit.

Quit his job, not drinking.

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

Seriously question, and try to be honest: Do you think you are bias towards teams from Cincinnati, or do you consider yourself to be completely objective?

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

In general terms, how much do entry level sports writers make? And as a follow up, do you think Amalie Benjamin is hot? And as a second follow up, do you think she would be into a hairy fat guy like me? Oh and as another follow up, if she's not making much money could you tell her I'll send her a fiver if she flashes her junk on NESN? kthanks.

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

[ QUOTE ]
What kind of sports writer are you? Do you write the high-school wrap-ups or are you a columnist? Do you aspire to be a big-time columnust someday?

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Great question...here's the short summary:

Started as a stringer (answering office calls, office work, answering calls from high school coaches with game summaries)

Moved to a larger stringer role where my office duties increased and I was sent to cover high school football games and various sporting events that needed a small amount of coverage.

From there, whenst I showed I could write, and write well, I was given the role of a all-around coverage reporter. Here, my main responsibilities became covering a major local Division II program, covering lesser major league sporting events (IHL, Arena Football, Olympic Trials, etc), and training new stringers.

Also,at this time, I was given the responsibility several nights a week of doing the agate page in the paper. For those of you who don't know, this is teh page with odds, tv/radio listings, etc.

After this, I was granted a prestigious summer internship (keep in mind, during these years I was in college) where I was basically granted aa job for several months. Here, I covered MLB, NFL, NBA, WTA, ATP, PGA, LPGA and was assigned columnist duties as well. Got to write features and really get a comprehensive look at the industry from an insiders view.

So, in summary, I definitely wasn't a super sports writer or some established columnist. Basically, just a college kid who kicked ass in the industry as a freelancer for 5 years, got a taste for a summer of what it was like to be a staff writer and then, accordingly, said....sianora!

Keep the questions coming...

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

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What makes you worthy to start this post? Where are you published?

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Perhaps I'm not worthy...but, I will say that I worked in the business for five years on various levels, from the bottom to the top.

I was published daily in a major market newspaper and many of my tomes were distributed to major east and west coast newspapers.

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

Thread is nonsense until you link to some of your work.

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

Dids,

If he posts actual articles, the whole thread will get sidetracked by nitty specifics and non-sequitors. If he says, "I was a weekly column in Cincy's biggest newspaper," I'll believe him and then he can get down to specific inside info.

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

[ QUOTE ]
Why aren't you on ATH or PTI? Seriously. There are thousands of high school writers, and thousands of college writers. Why did JA Adande or Michael Wilbon make the jump from that to writing for a large circulation city paper to writing for ESPN to being on TV? Why didn't you do the same?

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Great question...to be fair, I backed out of the business, of my own accord, before these shows exploded in popularity. My take on those guys:

Basically, most sportswriters are - as a consequence of the job and the toll it takes - bitter, odd, cranky, no personality dorks. I know that sounds like I'm throwing a blanket generalization..but, it's true. More often than not, most guys in the industry for that long, resort to the above descriptor.

Those guys - Adande, Smith - are the following:

- Outstanding at their job
- Amazingly charismatic and eloquent
- Major market columnists who have major market money behind them.

While you're right, the field is overwhelmingly large..these guys are most definitely needles in a very big haystack.

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
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do you suck like most sports writers?

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Suck as in..suck at life? NO

Suck as in..suck your Mom's teats? INDEED

[/ QUOTE ]

Will your tenure at 2p2 exceed that of blackjack777?

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I know I'm going to get killed for this..but who is Blackjack777?

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

Are you blackjack777, the worst sportswriter in the history of sportswriting?

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

[ QUOTE ]
Thread is nonsense until you link to some of your work.

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I too would like a link to some of your work and then I may have a question for you.

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
gogogogogogogogogogo...(be nice)

[/ QUOTE ]

How will you survive on your salary? Are you just out of school?

Are you already an alky like most sportswriters? Or does that come with incessant late games and deadlines? One of my best friends used to be one in Virginia...he had serious drinking issues for years before he quit.

Quit his job, not drinking.

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I decided not to make sportswriting my life's work after working in the business for five plus years. Honestly, it's beyond ridiculous how little I got paid for the work I did..and how much most writers get paid for the work they do. I was stunned at how manipulated these guys are by their editors...really was a shock to me.

To me, it wasn't worth working my a** off for 10-15 years to get to a point where I could make 40k. I loved the work, but I didn't like the pay or what it did to my life.

Funny story, the first time I covered a MLB game, a well known MLB writer pulled me aside, took me to lunch in the press lounge and said, "GET OUT OF THIS BUSINESS IMMEDIATELY. HAVE FUN WHILE YOU'RE YOUNG, BUT DON'T DO THIS FOR A LIVING."

He proceeded to give me a laundry list of reasons why he didn't want me or any young person to get involved. It was pretty insightful and I - to this day - appreciate his taking the time to be honest wtih me. Everything he said, I eventually either saw or found out to be true in the work I did.

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

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Seriously question, and try to be honest: Do you think you are bias towards teams from Cincinnati, or do you consider yourself to be completely objective?

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Seriously...you HAVE to be objective and I could draw that line. Not being able to not only effects your work, but your reputation. I never had a problem separating objectivity from homerdom.

MANY sportswriters can't...and they suffer for it eventually.

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

What do you do now.

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

Oooh please say waiter... please say waiter.....

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

[ QUOTE ]
In general terms, how much do entry level sports writers make? And as a follow up, do you think Amalie Benjamin is hot? And as a second follow up, do you think she would be into a hairy fat guy like me? Oh and as another follow up, if she's not making much money could you tell her I'll send her a fiver if she flashes her junk on NESN? kthanks.

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Sportswriters make pennies, especially in smaller markets. In lesser areas, you - as a newbie writer - can expect to make low 20's. You can expect to work 60-80 hours a week and not get OT. You can expect to have to be in office or at the park constantly. It's a joke.

It would have taken me 10-15 years to make what I'm making now im my cushy corporate america job.

Also, I'm quite certain Amalie would be very into you...she's into big guys...didn't u know?

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

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Dids,

If he posts actual articles, the whole thread will get sidetracked by nitty specifics and non-sequitors. If he says, "I was a weekly column in Cincy's biggest newspaper," I'll believe him and then he can get down to specific inside info.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think any insight he can offer is pointless until I know if he sucks or not.

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

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Are you blackjack777, the worst sportswriter in the history of sportswriting?

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LOL. Someone clue me in on this Blackjack cat...and, I swear I'm not him.

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

Who was the nicest person you ever interviewed? Who was the biggest dbag?

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

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What do you do now.

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DEFINITELY NOT a waiter...I quit writing full time simply because I couldn't deal with how much it was taking over my life. Had I been compensated anywhere near what I should ahve been for the work I put in...maybe I could have done it. Paid my dues, moved to BFE and then returned to a bigger market, hopefully my home market...but, it just wasn't worth it to me.

I took a job working for a major consumer goods company in Cincinnati. I've been here now for 7.5 years and, while I am starting to loathe the work I'm in now, it doesn't take my life over and I make at least double what I was making.

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Dids,

If he posts actual articles, the whole thread will get sidetracked by nitty specifics and non-sequitors. If he says, "I was a weekly column in Cincy's biggest newspaper," I'll believe him and then he can get down to specific inside info.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think any insight he can offer is pointless until I know if he sucks or not.

[/ QUOTE ]

Dids is right on...let me see what I can find.

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

[ QUOTE ]
Those guys - Adande, Smith - are the following:

- Outstanding at their job
- Amazingly charismatic and eloquent
- Major market columnists who have major market money behind them.

[/ QUOTE ]
Right, but what qualifies "outstanding?" I assume you mean they're really good writers, simply because any idiot can write, "Vick isn't a great QB." Since I assume the basic level of sports knowledge is available to everyone, is it in how they write?

From what little I know, every TV show's overwhelmingly desired demo is young males. I'd guess there's a Woody Paige in ever market in the country. How does ESPN decide that they can put him on TV instead of the multitude of others? I mean, surely they don't interview everyone. They probably cut it down to major markets, but how do they go from there?

btw, obviously all these questions are about how you go from print to TV. I just assume that's the pinnacle. If you want to make trading your profession, you generally start as a broker or on the floor or whatever and end up running a fund. If you want to be a national sportswriter, you start at a college paper and go through city papers to being on TV. Is that right, or horribly wrong? If being a regular on PTI isn't the tops for a sports writer, what is?

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

What athlete had the biggest schlong (referencing, of course, your many locker room interviews of naked men)?

My, er, friend wants to know.

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

do you enjoy interviewing guys while they have their ding dongs swinging in the locker room?

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

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do you enjoy interviewing guys while they have their ding dongs swinging in the locker room?

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What a stupid question.

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

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Seriously question, and try to be honest: Do you think you are bias towards teams from Cincinnati, or do you consider yourself to be completely objective?

[/ QUOTE ]

Seriously...you HAVE to be objective and I could draw that line. Not being able to not only effects your work, but your reputation. I never had a problem separating objectivity from homerdom.

MANY sportswriters can't...and they suffer for it eventually.

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Follow up question: If this is the case, can you truly ever be a fan of any team?

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

Who is the most famous player you interviewed?

Which player got the most mad at you and for what question?

Who is your favorite sportswriter?

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

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Who was the nicest person you ever interviewed? Who was the biggest dbag?

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By FAR, the nicest person I ever interviewed was Sean Casey. At the time, he was just starting his career and was a huge fan fav. in Cincinnati. He was good to me, talked to me whenever I needed him too, and, unlike most of the other degenerates, understood the job I needed to do.

Biggest d-bag...BY FAR - Barry Larkin. Great story...my editor tells me I have to do a sidebar on Larkin just breaking the longest AB streak without a grand slam. So I have to talk to him about that, after a loss, after he struck out with the bases loaded...already a losing proposition for me since he's probably pissed and he has no clue who I am at the time.

So, I went up to him in the locker room...introduced myself, asked him if he had any comment on the streak and he went nuts. I mean, totally apeshit, cussed me up and down the locker room and then stormed into the trainer's room. Nice..

To be fair, I understood he didn't really know who I was..but, I am a solid interviewer and he should have understood what I was doing. Just a complete POS...seriously.

Runner Up Great Guys - Michael Tucker, Pokey Reese
Runner Up Douche Bags - Jim "LeatherPants" Bowden, Barry Bonds

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

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What athlete had the biggest schlong (referencing, of course, your many locker room interviews of naked men)?

My, er, friend wants to know.

[/ QUOTE ]

Eyes up at all times...honestly, that was kinda weird for awhile until it just became second nature. But, I mean, I never broke my ruler out or pointed in awe...

Re: Ask me about being a sports writer!
 

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Runner Up Douche Bags - Jim "LeatherPants" Bowden, Barry Bonds

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UH OH