Category Archives: Sherman Spotlight

At a crossroads: Sportswriter wants to write, but tough job market has him thinking about alternatives

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It is hardly news to say that the job market for sportswriters, young and old, is challenging these days.

However, I was struck by a conversation I had with Adam Lazarus this week. Last fall, I did a Q/A with Adam on his excellent book, Best of Rivals, which chronicled the quarterback battles between Joe Montana and Steve Young in San Francisco.

However, despite writing that book, which was his third, Adam said he hasn’t been able to land a full-time job. He lamented that he may have to do something else if he can’t land anything on the sportswriting front.

The other options hardly are appealing. Adam wants to write and cover sports.

I know Adam is hardly alone. In an effort to provide a snapshot at what is happening within the profession, I asked Adam to give a first-person account of what it is like to be at the crossroads.

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Two weeks ago, I received an email from a soon-to-be graduate of my alma mater. This young man who contacted me aspires to be a sportswriter and, having read my LinkedIn profile, he thought I could provide advice on how to achieve that goal.

My immediate reaction to this request was to encourage him to chase his dream, much like I did seven years ago. I assumed that he is pursuing this path for the same reasons I did: he loves sports, he loves to write, and he knows that great reporting, great storytelling, and great character portraits will always be a necessity and always be appreciated.

I wanted to be as helpful as possible: I attended a very small college so I felt an instant connection—and a responsibility—although I had never met or heard of him.

But not long after I began writing a reply, I felt another responsibility, a responsibility to tell him “the truth” regarding my sportswriting career. The truth I’ve come to realize is that being a sportswriter is a difficult way to make a living.

My career has been a-traditional and perhaps that accounts for the unusual ups and downs I’ve experienced. I didn’t receive a journalism degree from Syracuse, Northwestern, or Columbia and then follow that with an internship at a print publication.  Instead, after graduating from a small liberal arts school with an English degree, I earned my Masters degree in Professional Writing in 2006. Right after graduate school I was offered an opportunity to co-author a sports history book, about the 1973 U.S. Open.

I thought it would be a unique, fun experience so I jumped at it. I also thought it would be something that set me apart from other candidates when I applied to ESPN or Sports Illustrated or some other sports media outlet. I had this vision of my glossy, full-length, hard cover book, sitting atop some senior editor’s desk, completely overshadowing all the résumés and business cards. But no full-time, regularly paying jobs came from that book; nor did one come from the two additional sports books I wrote over the next three years. I only found sparse freelance work that was rarely consistent or rewarding.

I am tremendously proud of the three non-fiction sports books that I have written. I believe each captures a special piece of sports history and characterizes several fascinating, original people, such as Joe Montana, Steve Young, Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, and many more.

But despite these books and the national attention they received from many media outlets, they have done very little to land me the type of job I was hoping for when I started out or the type of job I need to provide for a family. My wife (rightfully so) believes that it is time I consider abandoning sportswriting for something more stable.

Now I’m not bitter or angry about this. I know there are many sportswriters out there—with far more experience and accolades than me—who have been laid off, forced to take a buyout, or simply worn down by the frequent budget cuts and downsizing of newspapers and magazines. But that doesn’t brush away the frustrations and disappointments when I hear “we don’t have anything available” or “we’ll keep your résumé on file” after asking a newspaper or website or magazine for an opportunity.

I cherish everything involved with writing about sports. I love interviewing players and coaches, be they national icons or long-since-faded stars from a forgotten era. I love sitting in front of a blank Microsoft Word document and trying to reassemble with words action that took place on a field of play 30 minutes ago or 30 years ago. And I love experiencing that “Eureka!” moment when I conjure up a pithy, clever lede or close a piece with the right dramatic scene that gives readers a moment of pause.

So although the industry is struggling, and that steady gig covering a beat or profiling fascinating sports personalities hasn’t come my way, I (for now) remain optimistic that one will. And even if it doesn’t, I don’t regret the career I’ve chosen: for a sports lover, no other job could have possibly provided me with such fulfillment and excitement, as well as the ideal creative outlet.

That is another “truth” that I hope my young fellow college alumnus soon finds out on his own.

@lazarusa57

www.alazarus.com

 

 

ESPN NFL Insiders to get their own show; Producer says no former players allowed

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Perhaps it was the wildy popular John Clayton TV commercial, or the fact that Adam Schefter has more than 2.2 million followers on Twitter, but ESPN has decided to give its NFL information gurus their own show.

ESPN will announce today that NFL Insiders will make its debut on Aug. 5. The one-hour daily show will be hosted by Suzy Kolber.

Schefter and Chris Mortensen will be the main players with aid from Clayton, Ed Werder, Bill Polian, and other contributors such as former GMs Phil Savage and Billy Devaney.

It won’t feature former players or coaches.

“We have one rule: If you played in the league, you’re not going to be on the show,” said producer Seth Markman.

Indeed, ESPN figures there are plenty of Xs and Os shows on the various networks. It wants a program strictly dedicated to information about the NFL. Who is doing what and why?

“I think the time has come for this kind of show,” Markman said. “It’s going to be different from anything else currently on TV. The thirst for information about the NFL is at an all-time high. If I walk down the street with Adam or Mort, people come up to them all the time. They ask, ‘Where is this free agent going? Who is this team going to draft?’

“It balances our schedule to have a show like this. I think the audience will be there.”

Markman said ESPN’s NFL insiders won’t sit on scoops so they can break them on the show. They still will be posted and tweeted immediately. However, he said he doesn’t expect them to stop reporting while the show is being aired.

“These guys never stop working,” Markman said. “A great scenario for us would be if they could break stories during the show. They could hold up their iPhones and say, ‘I just got this.'”

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Here’s the official release from ESPN.

ESPN will debut NFL Insiders, a new one-hour weekday pro football-themed show, in time for the 2013 season. The year-round program will focus on the biggest NFL news stories and information each day, including front office decisions, coaching moves, trades, free agency, the NFL Draft, and more.

NFL Insiders will examine the league from the perspectives of people who make decisions and from those who are first to report the news. Scheduled to debut Monday, Aug. 5 – the day after the Pro Football Hall of Fame game – the new show will replace NFL32.

Chris Mortensen and Adam Schefter, two of the most respected reporters in the NFL, will be featured prominently on NFL Insiders and will have an even greater platform for breaking league news. Fans will also gain an inside look into how teams operate from six-time NFL Executive of the Year Bill Polian, who has more than a quarter century of front office experience. Veteran host/anchor Suzy Kolber will host the show from ESPN’s Bristol, Conn., headquarters.

“There is nothing more stimulating for a reporter than when you know you’re about to tell somebody something they haven’t heard until that very moment,” said Mortensen. “This is the essence of what Adam and I and this great team of contributors will bring each day to NFL Insiders, and we’re excited to get started.”

ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton and NFL insider Ed Werder will also have key roles, along with NFL Draft experts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay, who will appear regularly in the offseason during the lead-up to the NFL Draft.

“Whether it’s in season or out of season, fans crave NFL news and that’s exactly what NFL Insiders will have every day with a smart presentation and some of the most connected people in the league,” said Seth Markman, senior coordinating producer, who oversees ESPN’s NFL studio shows.

In addition to ESPN’s popular television personalities, the daily four-person NFL Insiders panel will draw from a roster of accomplished journalists, former front office executives and other league experts as regular contributors, including:

  • Former Cleveland Browns general manager Phil Savage;
  • Former St. Louis Rams general manager Billy Devaney;
  • USA Today Sports NFL columnist Jarrett Bell;
  • Sirius/XM radio host Adam Caplan;
  • ESPN.com senior NFL writer Ashley Fox;
  • ESPN.com NFC East blogger Dan Graziano; and
  • ESPN Insider and ESPN Boston writer Field Yates.

NFL Insiders is the newest addition to ESPN’s comprehensive year-round NFL programming lineup. Other popular NFL-branded studio shows include Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, NFL Live, NFL PrimeTime, NFL Kickoff, NFL Matchup and Mike and Mike’s Best of the NFL. ESPN is also home to sports television’s longest running series Monday Night Football, entering its 44thseason this fall.

 

 

 

 

Q/A with Michael Hiestand: Veteran sports media reporter signs off at USA Today; looks ahead to next chapter

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As many of us in the business know from first-hand experience, Monday is the first day of the rest of Michael Hiestand’s life.

Last Friday, Hiestand wrote his last sports media column for USA Today. The veteran of 24 years at the paper decided to take a buyout.

Hiestand already knows the next few days might be a bit disorienting.

“Yesterday was Sunday,” Hiestand said. “I’ve worked on almost every Sunday since the Reagan administration. To take a Sunday off was a big deal. Yesterday, I’m thinking, ‘Shouldn’t I be at a Christening or something?”

The good news is that Hiestand is planning his next move. In his final column at USA Today, he stressed he isn’t saying farewell to the business:

But after my final USA TODAY Sports column, the last thing I want to do is decamp to some exotic locale to place enormous casino bets on, say, overnight TV sports ratings. Not that it wouldn’t be easy money, as I’m keeping the secret decoder ring programmed to decipher even the best ratings spin.

Nope, nobody should walk away from the sports business now: It’s more fascinating than ever.

I talked to Michael this morning about his plans and his recollections on a very interesting run in covering sports media for USA Today.

Leaving USA Today: It seems like the interest in sports media is changing all the time. People are trying to figure out what they want to do. I wasn’t bored or burned out. In fact, it was just the opposite. In many ways, I’m more interested than ever before.

The people at USA Today do a good job. There are some good people there. But I’m ready to try some new things. You just want to figure out, ‘What is the right niche for me?’  Having the buyout will give me a little bit of time. It gives me some time away from the everyday deadlines.

The incomparable Rudy Martzke: The first thing I think about with Rudy is that whenever I talked to someone in the business, they all felt like they had to tell me a Rudy Martzke story. The funny thing is, if Rudy was starting now, he would be incredible on Twitter. He would be talking to these people all day long. He would get these interesting items and he would want to tweet them right away. If you look at where the media is now, Rudy was way ahead of his time.

Memorable moments: The thing I found interesting was doing features on (announcers and analysts). Everyone thinks they know these guys because you hear them on TV all the time. But then you would find out stuff that you didn’t know about them.

When Pat Summerall died, I went back and found an old clip of a story I did on him. Initially, he said he didn’t want to talk about his battle with alcoholism, but he eventually opened up. He talked about a night at the Masters where he felt like he was seeing angels.

To me, it was interesting to see these people in a different light.

His favorite assignment: I spent a year in Australia (prior to the 2000 Olympics). I loved everything about it. Over there, I became known as “the American who loves Australia.’ During the Olympics, I even had an (Australian) TV crew following me around.

I wanted to stay there. I suggested opening up an Australian bureau. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out.

An observation: Right now, there are so many cliches about sports. People just run them instead of talking to people to find out the real stories. The real stories are much more interesting.

His plans: I’m going to move to New York (from D.C.). I have talked to some people, but I don’t have anything specifically in mind. I am open to ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q/A with Mike Greenberg on his unlikely book: How did guy who sits next to Golic capture perspective of women?

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Here’s a sentence I never thought I would write: If you are looking for a nice Mother’s Day gift, consider buying Mike Greenberg’s new book, All You Could Ask For.

No offense, but while reading the book, there were many times I checked the cover to make sure the author’s name wasn’t Michele Greenberg. You see, the ESPN radio host wrote a book about the intimate details of three women suffering from breast cancer.

I know “Greeny” is an enlightened guy, but the idea of him coming out with a women’s book still seems as unlikely as Martha Stewart writing on the greatest hockey fights of all time.

Yet Greenberg pulled it off. He wrote an entertaining book that has received favorable reviews.

Typical is this contribution from a reader named Amy on a review page:

I loved this book from beginning to end. I’m still flabbergasted by the fact that this was written by a man, one that is in fact a sports fanatic.
I believe that not many men out write chicklit books because of the difficulty they would have in developing genuine female characters. Well, Mike Greenberg has definitely proved us wrong. He not only beautifully managed to create just one, but three realistic and extremely relatable female characters. Mike clearly understands the women’s psyche.

Again, it’ll make a nice Mother’s Day gift. Perhaps even for Father’s Day too.

And the best part: All the proceeds of the book go to the V Foundation in memory of Heidi Armitage, a close friend of Greenberg and his wife Stacy, who died of cancer in 2009. Heidi was the inspiration for the book.

Here’s my Q/A with Greenberg:

So what’s next? You starring in an opera?

My father would love that. He loves the opera.

Seriously, what gave you the inspiration to write about three women?

At Heidi’s funeral, her husband, Adam, was reading these letters about Heidi from women I never met. It didn’t seem right to me. My wife, Stacy, said she became active in a support group during her last few months. She died never having met these women.

The next day, I was sitting at the kitchen table. It was as if I got struck by a bolt of lightning. I said, ‘I’m going to write a novel about three women.’

Forget the women aspect. Your two previous books were non-fiction. What made you think you could do a novel?

This is actually my third novel. It’s just that the other two weren’t published. The second novel is about the seedy underbelly of sports. I was really disappointed when everyone passed on it.

Again, forget the women’s aspect. What made you think you could pull this off?

About a month in, I literally woke up in a cold sweat. ‘What the hell am I doing? I’m going to make a fool out of myself.’ I sent what I had written to my literary agent. I told him, ‘Tell me I’m crazy for doing this.’ The next day, he said, ‘I think you’ve got this. Keep going.’

OK now the women’s perspective. How does a male sports radio talk show host know so much about women? Were you afraid women wouldn’t take it seriously?

Absolutely. My father was a lawyer. Whenever we would go to a movie, all he would do is complain that the courtroom scenes were dreadful. I knew if the book was not authentic, people would never lose themselves in the characters.

I don’t know how to explain it, but I got a lot of help from my wife, my agent’s wife, and my yoga instructor. So I had women in their 20s, 40s, and 60s. I kept sending them stuff and told them to tell me what I was getting wrong. For instance, they said no 28-year old would use the word, ‘blouse.’

Ultimately, I don’t think men and women are that different. This is a book about big topics: Power, friendship, mortality. In that way, I don’t think there is much delineation between the two genders.

What has struck you about the reaction?

I did two previous books tours where the people who came out were sports fans. They only wanted to talk about sports. ”

This book tour is totally different. For this one, I make it clear to people, “Just because I wrote it, please don’t think it’s a sports book.”

There were women who came out wearing these T-shirts. One said: “Sure, they are fake; The real ones tried to kill me.” Another said, “FU-BC.”

Not one said, “I have cancer, pity me.”

Heidi has been gone for three years. That part isn’t as current anymore. So to go out and meet these women (who have battled cancer), it’s been a great experience. It really hits home for me.

The best part is the money we’re raising. We’re close to making our first donation. It’s going to be a lot of money.

 Now that you have written a successful women’s novel, can we expect another?

I’m working on a book that has a first-person male character. It comes closer to my own sensibility.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Broadway Joe wins again: Namath elated for Sports Emmy for HBO documentary

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NEW YORK–There were numerous winners at the Sports Emmy Awards Tuesday night in New York, but it is hard to imagine anyone being happier than Joe Namath.

Broadway Joe was positively beaming after the HBO film on his life, Namath, won for outstanding sports documentary. He crowded into the team picture with producers Keith Cossrow and Joseph M. Lavine and the others, looking as proud as you’ll ever see him.

“It’s not about me,” Namath said several times during our interview. “It’s about them. They spent the hours to do this.”

Namath, though, was wrong. It’s always about him.

The Sports Emmy served as a validation for electing to finally agree to participate in a project he didn’t want to do. Even after he signed on with HBO, he still wasn’t fully on board at first.

“I was so negative,” Namath said. “I didn’t want to do this. I’m not the kind of guy I am to sit down and do these kind of things.”

Namath said he previously had rejected numerous offers to do a documentary on his life. Finally, his family insisted that he do this one with HBO and NFL Films.

“They said you’ve got to do this,” Namath said. “They said, ‘How great would it be to have (documentary on his life)?’ I said, ‘OK, I’m going to trust these people. It’s their business, their art.'”

The interview sessions weren’t always easy. Namath has gone through many turbulent times and definitely has made more than his share of mistakes.

“I was wrong about some things in life,” Namath said. “Ignorant. Naïve. I wrestled with myself how to tell things. ‘You’ve got to be honest.’ I’m a Gemini. My friends tell me I have to quit using that as an excuse. It was a wrestling match. (The producers) were sensitive, but persistent.”

The end result was a fascinating portrait of a complicated man who has led one of the most interesting lives of his or any generation. Namath said he didn’t even see the film until the screening.

“Not one second,” Namath said. “I saw my mother up there. I mean, I didn’t know what was coming next.”

Namath loved the finished product and was thrilled for everyone associated with the film Tuesday.

“It’s a special night,” said Broadway Joe, who has had more than a few of them.

Q/A with Brian Kenny: New face of sabermetrics; Says culture divide soon will not exist

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Brian Kenny should send a note of thanks to Ken Harrelson.

Harrelson’s ripping sabermetrics and then their subsequent debate on MLB Network was a PR jackpot. It generated a ton of publicity, getting the word out about Kenny’s new show, MLB Now (4 p.m. ET).

Also, most people agreed with Kenny. If anything, Kenny has evolved as the new face of sabermetrics.

In a Q/A, Kenny, 49, talks about leaving ESPN for MLB Network, his morning show on NBC Sports Network and how he continues to be baffled about people who don’t share his point of view on sabermetrics, and that includes his MLB Now co-host Harold Reynolds.

You left ESPN in Sept., 2011. How has the move to MLB Network worked out for you?

Life is great. For me, if all I do baseball all day, I’m a happy man. Doing a radio show was something I also missed.

It was very difficult to leave ESPN. It wasn’t an easy choice. It had to be near perfect for me to go, and it really was. The chance to do baseball really appealed to me. It was great the way they really came after me. I felt wanted and appreciated.

I had a sense that they really got me. I was given a show (Clubhouse Confidential) that I was passionate about. Being tossed the keys to a sports car is a good thing. You don’t take these opportunities for granted.

What do you like so much about sabermetrics?

I find baseball fascinating. Sabermetrics helps put things into context. It allows you to try to figure out who is valuable and who is not. What to do in certain situations. We’re looking at baseball with an intellectual rigor.

My research staff and I find ourselves learning a lot about the game. For instance, are $100 million contracts a good idea? You think you know the answer, but you wind up finding things that are fascinating.

So are $100 million contracts a good idea?

We found out the red flags. Wrong side of 30. Wrong side of the defensive spectrum. Misreading the metrics of pitcher who was a 20-game winner. Branding over baseball. Are you doing it for PR reasons?

We found that half of the $100 million contracts you wouldn’t do again. It’s interesting when you figure it out and actually do the math.

What is a stat that stands out since you started to do the show?

Oh, there are so many.

Our first year we looked at the blockbuster contracts. Albert Pujols had been terrific; best first-baseman since Lou Gehrig. But his offensive metrics were telling us he was in a decline. You always can choose to ignore that and say this guy is different. Most of the worst contracts occur when you say this guy is different. You ignore the evidence at your own peril.

People are saying it now about Pujols, but we were saying it before he signed. This thing had a lot of red flags.

You bang heads every day with Harold Reynolds. What’s your relationship like with him?

Harold and I like to carve each other up. He was one of the reasons why I came to MLB Network. He was telling me how great it was here. We always boggle each other’s mind. We just see the game differently.

How did you view Harrelson’s feelings on sabermetrics?

I like Hawk. I enjoy watching him call a game. You know he is a homer and that he is pulling for the White Sox. It’s high comedy at times.

I just don’t agree with what he said. I’m puzzled why he would say those things and why so many others in his baseball say those things. Hawk said sabermetrics is “overrated.” There’s nothing to overrate. It’s just wanting to know more and try to put things in their proper context.

You do seem puzzled and irritated when people like Reynolds or Harrelson question the value of sabermetrics. Why?

I am puzzled. I grew up thinking batting average was the batting champ and the best pitcher was the wins leader. I’ve since learned better. I understand that’s not the case. They have a correlation to runs or preventing runs, but they don’t have the best correlation. You have to look for more context.

I’m always puzzled when people say they love baseball and statistics and yet they haven’t evolved to this position. It’s a culture divide that soon will not exist.

You recently launched a new morning radio show on NBC Sports Network. How is it working out?

It’s a little baseball-centric, but we attempt to bring the same intellectual rigor to all sports. I have a research staff. I want smart people around me.

I’ve been around now for more than 25 years. I have some perspective now. I couldn’t have done a decent show in my 20s. I didn’t have the perspective back then.

 

 

 

 

 

Can a couple of Canadian guys enable Fox Sports 1 to take on SportsCenter? ‘We will bring maple syrup’

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Meet the guys who will be taking on SportsCenter for the new Fox Sport 1: Jay Onrait (right) and Dan O’Toole. They will anchor Fox Sports Live at 11 p.m.

They are supposedly huge in Canada. In fact, Stephen Harper, the prime minister of Canada bemoaned their departure in a tweet. (Show of hands for those who knew the name of the Canadian PM).

However, will their act, reportedly a modern version of Patrick-Olbermann, go over in the U.S.? One thing is for sure: The guys probably won’t short-change hockey.

Here’s the official release from Fox Sports 1:

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Jay Onrait and Dan O’Toole, who since 2005 have formed a popular, smart and irreverent anchor team for TSN’s SportsCentre, Canada’s most-watched sports news program, join FOX Sports as the primary highlight team for FOX SPORTS LIVE, FOX Sports 1’s flagship news, opinion and highlights program airing nightly at 11:00 PM ET.  The announcement was made today by FOX Sports’ Co-President and COO Eric Shanks and Executive Vice President, Studio Production, Scott Ackerson.  Onrait and O’Toole, along with Producer Tim, are the first FOX SPORTS LIVE personalities to be announced. The show premieres in conjunction with the network’s launch on Saturday, Aug.17.

“Nowhere in America today are there sports anchors with the style and rapport that Jay and Dan have,” said Shanks. “We respect their work and the tremendous relationship they’ve established over the years with Canadian sports fans. We’re excited to have had a chance to get to know them, and that they’ll have a major role in the launch of FOX Sports 1.”

“It’s obvious that Jay and Dan are a great tandem and really enjoy themselves when they’re on-air,” added Ackerson.  “FOX SPORTS LIVE is going to deviate from existing sports news formulas, and we expect Jay, Dan and Tim to use their unique brand of humor to make the show fun for fans to watch.”

Onrait and O’Toole have been co-hosts of the 1:00 AM ET weekday edition of SportsCentre, which repeats hourly until 1:00 PM ET, entertaining viewers with a brand of humor all their own while delivering a summary of the day’s sports news and events.

“We are thrilled to join FOX Sports 1 and can’t wait to start working with the rest of the team on FOX SPORTS LIVE,” said Onrait. “We like sports and we like to laugh, so that’s pretty much the show.  Dan and I are also looking forward to getting free tickets to a taping of American Idol.  That sealed it for us.”

“We are extremely excited to be joining FOX Sports 1,” added O’Toole.  “This is an enormous opportunity for us and we are so honored to have been asked to take part in this bold new venture by FOX.  Jay and I can’t wait to introduce ourselves to Americans across the country and look forward to being invited into their homes.  We will bring the maple syrup.”

Onrait, (pronounced: ON-right) a native of Athabasca, Alberta, Canada, Onrait first joined TSN in 1996 as an editorial assistant while attending Ryerson University.  Upon his graduation in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in Radio and Television Arts, he went on to become sports director at a Saskatoon television station, before spending two years as the host of the Big Breakfast on A-Channel.  Onrait joined NHL Network in 2001, serving as host of the network’s flagship show NHL on the Fly as well as Molson That’s Hockey 2. A year later, he re-joined TSN in his current role on SportsCentre.

Onrait’s work assignments over the years have included hosting SportsCentre with O’Toole live from Trafalgar Square during the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London, co-hosting Olympic Morning on CTV with Beverly Thomson for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games and coverage of the NHL Trade Deadline, NBA Finals, Vanier Cup and in-studio host of Toronto Raptors broadcasts on TSN.  In 2011, he was honored for his outstanding contributions to the world of sports with a Gemini Award for Best Sportscaster/Anchor.

In addition to hosting SportsCentre with Onrait from the 2012 Olympic Summer Games, O’Toole co-hosted the show with Cory Woron from the International Broadcast Centre for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Prior to joining TSN in 2002, O’Toole was part of Citytv’s launch in Vancouver, where he worked as an anchor and reporter.  In 1998, O’Toole moved to Fort McMurray, Alberta, where he worked as sports director for CJOK-FM and CKYX-FM radio stations for three years. While at the radio stations, O’Toole called play-by-play for the Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the AJHL.  In 2000, O’Toole worked at CTV Edmonton as the Fort McMurray news reporter in the evenings while continuing to work mornings as the radio sports director.

Originally from Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, O’Toole graduated from Algonquin College in 1996 with a diploma in broadcasting. While in college, O’Toole did play-by-play for the Ottawa 67s. O’Toole moved to Vancouver in 1997 to work as a traffic reporter for CJJR-FM and CFUN-AM radio stations, reporting from a four-seater plane.

 

 

ESPN The Magazine at 15: More themes, less eye noise; editor downplays competition with SI

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ESPN The Magazine celebrates its 15th anniversary this week, even if Robert Griffin III looks a bit underwhelmed.

That’s no small feat in a publishing climate that has seen the print versions of iconic magazines disappear. So long Newsweek and The Sporting News.

ESPN The Magazine still is big, bold, and can be out there at times. However, under Chad Millman, who took over at editor in 2011, it has sharpened its focus with each edition having a theme. Also, some of the loud bells and whistles that marked the early design have been toned down a bit.

Here’s my Q/A with Millman on the current state of the magazine and whether it will be around for a 30th anniversary in 2028.

How has the magazine (first cover) evolved since 1998?

We’re still very much about great storytelling. It’s in our DNA. We get phenomenal access and our photography can’t be matched because of the size of the magazine.

The conversation, though, has changed. What the magazine was good at in the beginning are what blogs are good at now. The front of the magazine used to be more in tune with pop culture. It’s less now because blogs do a better job of that. So we have made some changes to remain current and relevant.

Such as?

We decided to have a theme for every issue. We asked ourselves, ‘Why can’t we make every issue as good the “Body Issue?’ Once you get a rhythm, you find ideas that become a franchise, such as One Day/One Game. Teams really have bought into it. We had a picture of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade reading texts in a cold tub. You don’t normally get to those places in sports.

The strategy helps frame what we’re doing. It helps define the storytelling. It also galvanizes the stuff and gets everyone behind a big idea.

What is going on from a design standpoint? Initially, there was much criticism that the graphics and look were too over-the-top. It seems as if the volume, so to speak, has been turned down in recent years?

Yes, it has. In Oct., 2011, we hired John Korpics. He’s a legendary creative director. The magazine always is going to be known for its design. We still wanted a modern look, but we wanted to make it easier to navigate. Instead of saying we’re toned down, I would say we’re cleaner looking. There’s definitely a better marriage.

How do you view the Magazine in regards to Sports Illustrated?

I don’t think anyone around here thinks about what Sports Illustrated is going to do. I like to see what Sports Illustrated has done. I worked at Sports Illustrated for five years. I know (new managing editor Chris Stone). I like him a lot. He’s really smart. I think it is a healthy change with him taking over.

But I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about how Sports Illustrated is going to cover something. I know there is a comparison. We have two different approaches. They often cover what just happened. We cover what’s going to happen.

You say you don’t think about SI from a competitive standpoint, and yet they broke a huge story this week with Jason Collins. How did you feel about that?

With SI and Collins, of course I wanted ESPN The Magazine, and ESPN in general, to be where an athlete chose to share that personal story. We had done similar pieces with Esera Tuaolo and John Amaechi and Sheryl Swoopes. But it isn’t a “gotcha” type piece and you can’t predict who is going to be comfortable with whom and when. SI did a nice job working with Jason and packaging his story.

Do people still read magazines these days?

We had a focus group two months ago. Guys everywhere from 18-35. We found that the group on the older end was skeptical about the future of the print press. However, the younger end said they still would rather read the actual magazine than on a tablet.

I know there’s a big difference when we ask an athlete to be on the cover of ESPN The Magazine than calling someone to be part of a digital product.

At the end of the day, who the hell knows? I don’t think the magazine has a readership problem right now.

The Magazine just celebrated its 15th anniversary. Given the way the publishing industry is going, what are the odds of a 30th anniversary?

That’s a great question. The interesting thing about working in Bristol is that you see how quickly things change. Three years ago, nobody was talking about apps and Twitter. Now they are huge parts of how ESPN engages fans.

It’s sort of feels like an exercise in folly to figure out if there will be a 30th anniversary. I’m just trying to make sure we’re relevant now. We want to be relevant five years from now. We want to adapt to different mediums and different ways we tell our stories.

Note: Here’s a link to my column on the Magazine at the National Sports Journalism Center site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Booted out: Churchill Downs eliminates press box for Kentucky Derby; Most media will watch on TV

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Rick Bozich notes there was a time when Churchill Downs couldn’t do enough for the media. Legendary track president Matt Winn, who made the Kentucky Derby what it is today, knew it was vital to get press coverage in the early 20th Century.

So when asked for his reaction about Churchill Downs eliminating the press box for this year’s Kentucky Derby, Bozich, the long-time Louisville columnist, thought of Winn.

“You don’t need a comment from me,” Bozich writes in an email. “You need one from Colonel. Matt Winn. His plan for turning the Derby into America’s horse race began with convincing the media that they were as important to this spectacle as a good 3-year-old. Well, we had a good run, Colonel”

Indeed, the “Who-Needs-the-Media” tour moves to Churchill Downs this week.

The fabled track actually one-upped the NCAA, which cut back 2/3s of the media floor seating for the basketball tournament. Churchill Down has done away with the whole idea of having a press box.

What had been the Joe Hirsch Media Center overlooking the track has been transformed into a high-rollers area renamed, “The Mansion at Churchill Downs.” The reason is simple: Money. According to Ray Paulick of Paulickreport.com, the track figures to haul in $8 million over three years with the new luxury seating.

“Like any casino company, Churchill Downs Inc. now thinks in terms of revenue per square foot,” Paulick writes in an email. “The press box generated zero actual revenue, although it could be argued good press is worth something.”

What becomes of the media?

Reportedly, there are some media spots in the back of the grandstand about 150-200 yards from the finish line; the Hirsch Center was on the finish line. However, there is some question whether you can see the end of the race from that position. It is sort of important to see the end of the race.

Most reporters likely will watch the race on TV in a first-floor area that formerly housed the track’s corporate offices. Just as was the case at the NCAA tournament, where reporters were shuttled to the rafters in some venues, the new arrangement isn’t going down well with the turf writers.

Bozich, the long-time Louisville Courier-Journal columnist who now opines for WDRB.com in Louisville, writes: “I used to joke with some of my friends that the day would come when we were no longer in the stadium, arena or race track to watch the event that we’re covering. It’s not a joke any more.”

Besides Bozich and Paulick, I exchanged emails with Tom Pedulla, the president of the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association who will cover the race for America’s Best Racing and the New York Times; and Neil Milbert, who despite not attending this year speaks from experience of covering 31 Kentucky Derby races during his career at the Chicago Tribune.

The Central question: What do you miss by not being able to see the race in person from the press box?

Paulick: What I’ll miss is being able to soak in the flavor of the buildup to the race, looking down as the horses make the walkover from the stable area and the crowd’s reactions to the post- and pre-race activities. You can also get a much better idea of how the horses are doing, physically and mentally, as they walk over in front of the huge crowd, into the tunnel and then over to the paddock to be saddled. There was a viewing area of the paddock adjacent to the press box that was very useful. You can’t get any of that watching a television.

Pedulla: For those forced to watch on TV, it makes it impossible to convey the drama associated with what I firmly believe is “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” The roar of the crowd is unbelievable when the large field breaks from the starting gate, and it would be dishonest reporting to note that roar if you didn’t actually hear it. At least in my opinion.

Milbert: For me, drinking in the atmosphere from the upper level press box was an integral part of the experience. All of these sensations heightened my awareness of what was about to happen and I think they also tapped into my creative instincts when it came time to write.

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Does watching the race on TV impact your ability to write a good story?

Milbert:The year that Smarty Jones won the Derby, I didn’t cover the race from the upstairs press box because a new state-of-the-art press box–that now has become a playpen for multi-millionaires–was being constructed and writers were relocated in a huge tent with big screen television sets. At the time I didn’t mind because there was torrential rain all day and I never left the tent. It wasn’t until I got home and saw the video-taped recording of the network telecast that I realized how much and how hard it rained. If I’d have been in the old press box, I’d have become aware immediately and perhaps I’d have written a better story.

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The press has supported this race for more than 100 years. Is there a sense of disrespect at what Churchill Downs is doing here?

Bozich: The media has been moved from The Mansion to the servant’s quarters.

Pedulla: Writers do feel disrespected by Churchill Downs. At the same time, I noted at our Breeders’ Cup meeting that we are faced with ever poorer positions in many other sports. I also will say that we must recognize that, as important a role as the media in keeping the Derby prominent, we are there as guests of Churchill Downs and can hardly dictate what they provide for us.

One point to stress is that the usual number of credentialed media can still be accommodated. If anything, the capacity to handle media might be greater.

We can only hope this is not a sign of things to come. The Breeders’ Cup will again be at Santa Anita this year. The main press box, and the auxiliary site, offer excellent locations.

Paulick: The disrespect for the media began years ago under different management. It’s just a continuation of that attitude.

 

 

 


 

 

 

NFL needs to lift restrictions: Twitter is essential part of following draft

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Just minutes before the beginning of the NFL draft, Adam Schefter sent out the following tweet:

As one GM texted Tuesday, “Going dark.” As requested, we’ll resume tweeting after 1st round is complete. Enjoy draft on ESPN or @ESPNNFL.

That was it. The NFL reporter with the largest Twitter following at 2.24 million people shut it down during perhaps the biggest Twitter night of the year.

I can almost guarantee that won’t happen in 2014. If you’re ESPN, you can’t allow the NFL to place restrictions on your reporters and muffle your No. 1 Twitter guy.

Last night reaffirmed for me that being on Twitter is an essential part of following the NFL draft. If you’re not on Twitter when those picks start flying, you’re missing out. The tweets don’t detract from the coverage; they enhance it.

I followed CBS’ Jason La Canfora, Yahoo!’s Michael Silver, SI’s Peter King and many others. Their tweets definitely enhanced my draft experience.

As promised in an interview with me, La Canfora vowed to tweet out the upcoming pick (if he got it) before the official announcement on TV. Sure enough, beginning with Detroit’s pick of Ziggy Ansah at No. 5, La Canfora started tipping picks throughout the rest of the first round.

Did it ruin the drama for me? Hardly. In fact, there is something empowering knowing the upcoming pick before the analysts chirping on ESPN and NFL Network.

There was a point in ESPN’s telecast where they debated a Twitter question from a viewer asking if the New York Giants should take Manti Te’o at 19?

“I like this linebacker Manti Te’o for the Giants,” said Jon Gruden as only he can.

Meanwhile, those of us on Twitter learned several minutes earlier that the Giants already had taken Syracuse offensive tackle Justin Pugh. For once, the viewer knew more than Gruden.

Besides, what’s so special about hearing Roger Goodell announce the picks? He’s not that exciting. So you know a few minutes ahead of time? Big deal.

Where Twitter really shines with the NFL draft is in capturing the rapid-fire intensity of the event. There’s a real-time tick-tock of activity that has an even quicker pulse than what you see on TV. The ESPN and the NFL Network telecasts can’t keep up with all the possible trade scenarios that happen in an instant. Twitter is much better at giving you the behind-the-scenes.

For instance, if you were on Twitter, you learned Minnesota GM Rick Spielman was hastily called out of a press conference, presumably to complete a trade with New England.

Also, if you weren’t on Twitter, you missed out on the Onion Sports Network spoofing the draft. For example:

Manti Te’o Only Draft Attendee Sitting In Metropolitan Opera House

And perhaps Onion’s best of the night:

Bills Fans Actually Excited About Former Backup For Christian Ponder

While all this was happening, I almost could feel Schefter’s twitchy Twitter finger. It had to be killing him to be relegated to the Twitter sidelines last night as evidenced by this tweet shortly after the first round:

And as i was saying before I was so rudely interrupted at 8 pm….Bet Geno Smith, Manti Te’o and no RBs wind up going in round one.

Don’t worry, Adam, it won’t happen again. I’m betting you’ll be in full Twitter mode for next year’s NFL draft.