Ask me about being a sports writer!

[MurphNKY]

[ QUOTE ]
Cool. Yeah, Neil and I were kind of friends way way back in the day. Like when we were 14 or 15 or something and buds at this summer tennis-camp thing. We were going to be roommates in college one year but he transferred from Miami to Ohio at the last minute and then we kind of lost track of each other.
Bumped into him in 99 at the NCAA tournament when Wally Szczerbiak was leading Miami to the Sweet 16.


I like and respect Jack Murray a ton actually. He got 'stuck' covering quite a bit of the Miami University sports stuff when I was a student there. I was usually running around with a tape-recorder to get sound-bites for whatever radio station I was with at the time.

Sometimes the weekly Tuesday morning football press-conference would be just Randy Walker, Jack, me and maybe somebody else from the Hamilton Jrnl-News.
I was 20 or 21 and had no idea what I was doing but learned a lot just watching how Jack would put stories together from the 2 or 3 quiet and polite questions he would ask.

Obviously what he was doing in sports-writing wasn't really the same as what I was trying to do in broadcast-journalism but I guess I looked up to him somewhat anyway because I liked how he professionally went about his job.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bob...you know, funny you bring Neil up. I haven't thought about him in quite awhile. He truly was one of the good guys that I worked with/around while I was writing for the Post. Not sure I could have much more respect for someone as a colleague and a person.

Even thought were were basically competitors, he was always friendly, had a nice word or two or 100 and never really made it a battle like most guys would. He was kind've a role model for me I guess you could say.

Regarding Jack...wow...I know exactly what you mean about being a young guy in the business and being totally clueless. There were some fantastic experienced writers that I learned so much from just by watching them, tagging aroudn with them and modelling my interview styles after them. Guys like Tom Gamble and Richard Skinner, Bob Queenan, Todd Archer, Jeff Shelman, etc.

I know I crush the industry as a whole on here, but I do miss it when I think of what a great influence those guys were on me.

[MurphNKY]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
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.

[/ QUOTE ]

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

[/ QUOTE ]

If you're an employed sports writer...you eventually will lose your interest in being a true crazed fan of any team. Honestly, first because you have to find that line between objectivity and being a fan at first.

Then, the longer you do it, you find out what most of these guys are like, you see alot of the bs that goes on, you find out stuff about teams, players, that you wish you didn't know and you just lose interest in being a fan and just do your job.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sorry for jumping into your 'ask me' thread with my personal view but I found this to be an interesting take.

I also think that the general pessimistic and negative tone that you get from many of the other writers you are surrounded by is an influence as well.

I think it is possible to remain passionate about some of this stuff. But when you're surrounded by overworked and underpaid writers in the press-box who seem to practically be in some sort of duel as to who can be more sarcastic and negative then that can kind of rub off on you.

I suspect the bit about not being allowed to cheer in the press-box has a long-term negative impact on your ability to enjoy it as well because it is just so contrary to the live-sports experience that everyone else gets.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bob, no problem, appreciate your insight...

and, totally agree. I just found myself extremely desensitized to being a sports fan while I was writing. I think, like you said, those jaded, bitter guys doing it for years definitely had an influence on me and I got to a point where I was mirroring them.

The big thing for me...I just really saw a lot of the bad side of athletes and got sick of them and the whole deal. That's why I really developed a passion for college sports and prep sports like I never had prior to being a writer.

At least at that level, there's some integrity/genuineness left in those guys.

[tailspin4540]

[ QUOTE ]
Great story...my editor tells me I have to do a sidebar on Larkin just breaking the longest AB streak without a grand slam.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is this the dumbest/most pointless story you've ever had to write? (I'm still in the business and I can't imagine anyone being interested in this.)

[siccjay]

I am sorry, but just because you are in the media doesn't give you the right to embarrass a guy further. If I was Larkin that dumbass question at that time would have made me furious as well.

I guess you don't see it because it was your job to do it and you feel like it is your right. I guess dumb questions just piss me off more than most people.

[Pudge714]

[ QUOTE ]

do you suck like most sports writers?

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
FAVORITE SPORTSWRITER - Jay Mariotti (started in Cincy, read him as a 7 yr old dreaming of being a writer)

[/ QUOTE ]
Well I think that answers that question.

[captZEEbo]

Do you like everybody loves raymond?

[kyleb]

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

[/ QUOTE ]

Suck as in..suck at life? NO

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

[/ QUOTE ]

yeah, you are terrible.

[silver book]

do most sports writers have no clue about sports or do they just tame down their articles for the general public?

[MurphNKY]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Great story...my editor tells me I have to do a sidebar on Larkin just breaking the longest AB streak without a grand slam.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is this the dumbest/most pointless story you've ever had to write? (I'm still in the business and I can't imagine anyone being interested in this.)

[/ QUOTE ]

Shockingly, NOT EVEN CLOSE...I had to cover an ATP tennis tournament in Cincinnati in 1999. At that time, Patrick Rafter was the man on the tour.

Anyway, in what amounted to the straw that broke the camel's back for me (as far as deciding to quit), my editor wanted me to do fun, off the beaten path stories. I wasn't seeing the greatness of that idea..but had to go along with it.

He wanted me to do a story on women that followed Rafter around, were crazy about him, etc. It was, seriously, the biggest joke trying to get teenagers and old betty's to give me good information/fodder.

Not only was doing it a joke, but finding women to talk to me about Rafter was much harder than I thought. Just completely stupid....

Oh, another...."My first tennis racket..." Had to ask players about their first racket. I mean..SERIOUSLY.

[MurphNKY]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you like everybody loves raymond?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes! Especially Robert...quite funny. Thank god for syndication.