Ask me about being a sports writer!

[Hamish McBagpipe]

After scanning this thread I can't believe someone has not asked you the most obvious question......to follow.....

I dated a journalist for a few years who used to hang out with all the local/national (in Toronto) sports journalists. They're all a bunch of drunks. Seriously. And I work in a job that has a very drinking friendly culture but these guys are hardcore. I thought it might only be local but I got invited for a week to the condo my GF's paper has in Florida, for spring training, where I met a bunch of other baseball writers from around the US. What a bunch of lushes. Complete fall on the floor drunks and degenerate gamblers to boot. Surprisingly no other drugs much. It's like a holdover from the old newsroom of the 50s of the reporter with a bottle in his desk. The drinking in that business is terrible, and as far as I saw, permeated the entire industry. Led to my breakup. So, how bad was/is your drinking problem?

[Vyse]

[ QUOTE ]
Second response to his OP was:

"do you suck like most sports writers?"

He started the flame war?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's too bad that didn't start anything, or maybe you'd have a point.

[Uncle Wimp]

[ QUOTE ]
Murph, I know this thread didn't have the the outcome you'd hoped for, but I'm wondering if you could talk to me about the stretch where you acted condescending towards everyone and took every insult personally...that must have been tough to maintain your composure.

[/ QUOTE ]

A+ work. Best post in the thread.

[jmill2511]

OPs title could be " Ask me about being condescending!"

[RickAstleyFan]

OP. Way to keep your head up.

This thread has turned into what I knew it would when I saw it pop up.

So much hate.

[MacGuyV]

[ QUOTE ]
[ 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?

[/ QUOTE ]

I wonder how much pull the producers at espn have over shows like that...
They all seem to have decent personalities on the show. Marriotti used to host a national radio show 10-12 years ago (1on1 sports which is now SportingNews) & he was incredibly bland/serious.

[gol4pro]

I saw that St. Xavier team play football on ESPN today. Is everyone in ohio thinking they will win state?

[bruin]

the reason this thread turned into a pissing contest is because 90% of the male population has a sportswriter inside them, and when they see sports writing in the paper they're going to naturally think they can do better/know more.

[MurphNKY]

[ QUOTE ]
OP. Way to keep your head up.

This thread has turned into what I knew it would when I saw it pop up.

So much hate.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks...you were sooooo right. Appreciate your warning messages. Pretty sad people have to act that way..but, nothing I - or you - can do about it.

Be well...

[MurphNKY]

[ QUOTE ]
the reason this thread turned into a pissing contest is because 90% of the male population has a sportswriter inside them, and when they see sports writing in the paper they're going to naturally think they can do better/know more.

[/ QUOTE ]

Spot on friend...I guess another reason I got out of the business is I simply couldn't stomach this sort of reaction to everything anytime I said or did something someone didn't agree with. It's sad...I mean, people don't understand that sportswriters - while they may not be geniuses - do know their business and their craft much better than the average joe.

It has NOTHING to do with sports knowledge..it has everything to do with sports knowledge, ability to write, abililty to attack and deliver on deadline, the ability to interview athletes under any circumstance....it's a thankless job and it became even more so when those with no ability to step outside of themselves and see that it wasn't just "go to a game, drink beers, then write an EASY 1500 word story on the game".

I hesitated to post at all about this bc I - and others quickly warned me - was afraid it would turn into this pissing match for the exact reason you noted.

Thanks for chipping in.