Farewell to The Office.
My favorite memory of this episode isn’t on this clip. Michael wouldn’t let Kevin (Brian Baumgarnter) play in the game. He thought the big, fat guy had no game.
The final scene just shows Kevin hitting one three after another with perfect form. As usual, Michael was wrong again.
Expect to hear plenty about this victory in the upcoming weeks. One of the greatest moments in golf history.
Spanning the globe….
Radio Ink: Really, an executive predicts the U.S. soon will have 1,000 sports talk stations.
That didn’t take long. Jason McIntyre in Big Lead reports that they already are blowing up Michele Beadle’s show, The Crossover. Co-host Dave Briggs is out. Probably seemed like a good idea at the time.
Yes, Rick Reilly at ESPN.com really did write a poem about the New York Jets’ quarterback situation. Let’s just say it elicited quite a response. Such as…
Mike Tanier at Sports on Earth breaks down Reilly’s poem. He wasn’t a fan.
Matt Yoder at Awful Announcer did his own poem on Reilly.
Richard Deitsch at SI.com talked to the new Canadians guys who Fox Sports 1 hired for its version of SportsCenter. Note it is on page 2 of Deitsch’s massive post.
Dottie Pepper to join ESPN as a golf analyst.
Emma Span at Sports on Earth has a fun piece about her fascination with Baseball-Reference.com.
Sports Books Review Center has a review of a new book about a Class A baseball team in Iowa.
Walter Payton biographer, Jeff Pearlman, writes on his site a tribute to Payton’s mother, who died last week.
At APSE, the Tennessee beat writer for the Knoxville News Sentinel details a project charting the Volunteers’ recruiting.
RIP Ken Venturi:
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From CBS Sports:
Ken Venturi provided lead analysis and commentary for CBS Sports’ coverage of golf for 35 years from 1968 when he, along with Jack Whitaker, co-hosted “CBS Golf Championship” and “CBS Golf Classic,” until 2002 as the lead golf analyst for the CBS Television Network. He was the longest-running lead analyst on television for any sport.
One of golf’s elite players, Venturi won the 1964 U.S. Open Championship, and was recently inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in a ceremony on May 6.
Sean McManus, Chairman, CBS Sports: For the second time in a month, the CBS Sports family has lost one of its legends with the passing of Ken Venturi. Ken was not only one of golf’s greatest champions, but also the signature voice of golf for almost two generations of fans and viewers. His stature, expertise and personality working in the 18th tower alongside Pat Summerall, Jim Nantz and the rest of the CBS golf team will forever be synonymous with the greatest golf events on CBS.
Jim Nantz: “He was one of the finest gentlemen the world will ever know and one of the greatest friends you could ever have. He was a deeply principled man with a dynamic presence. He just exuded class. Through his competitive days and unequalled broadcasting career, Kenny became a human bridge connecting everyone from Sarazen, Nelson and Hogan to the greatest players of today’s generation. Kenny faced many adversities in his life and always found a way to win. When I hear Frank Sinatra’s “My Way,” I will always believe that Ol’ Blue Eyes was singing that song for his close pal, Kenny Venturi. It makes me think of him every time. On his farewell broadcast in 2002 I told him, ‘You will be, always by my side.’ Five years later, I wrote a book about my Dad and father figures in my life. I named the book after that very moment.
“I’m so happy he lived to know he was going to be inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. I will cherish my 17 years working with him. But more than that, I will treasure the rich, personal, deep friendship that we shared for nearly 30 years.”
Last year, Chris Stone was sitting at a Starbucks in Manhattan. At the table behind him, there were two ESPN sales people.
Obviously, they had no idea that the managing editor for Sports Illustrated was within earshot.
“They were discussing strategy for a meeting,” Stone said. “I remember one of them was hammering home this point. He said, ‘You have to let them know, ‘ESPN is about what is going to happen next. Sports Illustrated is about what already happened.'”
Stone said with more than a bit of disgust. “I’m thinking to myself, ‘They’re still rolling out this lazy trope?'”
Yes, they are, and it isn’t just those sales people. Last month, in an interview with me, ESPN editor Chad Millman said virtually the same thing.
“We have two different approaches,” Millman said. “They often cover what just happened. We cover what’s going to happen.”
Stone said he didn’t want to engage in a debate with Millman, who served a stint at Sports Illustrated. But Stone did say, “I don’t buy that for a second.”
Indeed, there is an evolution taking place at Sports Illustrated. It was underscored in how they rolled out their recent scoop on the Jason Collins story.
The magazine told the story with an impressive cover package that featured Collins’ first-person piece and S.L. Price weighing in with an analysis of the social significance.
The rollout, though, occurred at SI.com on Monday morning of that week before the magazine had even hit the presses.
Tearing down the walls between the magazine and digital is the mission for Paul Fichtenbaum, who took over as the editor of the Time Inc. Sports Group last fall, and Stone, who was named the magazine’s managing editor.
During a lunch last week in Manhattan, Fichtenbaum and Stone talked about the Collins story and how it relates to the vision for the entire SI enterprise.
When did you first learn about the possibility that you might have the Collins story?
Stone: It came to us on Easter morning. Franz Lidz called and said, ‘Would you be interested in a story about an active athlete coming out.’ Ah, yeah.
Franz (and executive editor Jon Wertheim) flew out to California on Wednesday April 24 still not knowing the identity of the player. There still was a chance he could back out.
But the negotiations were very smooth. There were no conditions. They never even asked to see the cover. Franz came up with the idea of running Jason’s story in first person. It was his story, not our story.
After the interview, Jon called and said, ‘I can’t think of a more perfect individual to do this.’ I knew we had a story that exceeded all of my highest expectations.
Sports Illustrated has broken many stories through the years. However, this one was bigger than most. What did it mean to SI?
Fichtenbaum: It’s really important and reaffirming to the brand. We’ve been an iconic brand for almost 60 years. We’re a trusted outlet. It means a lot to us that Jason trusted us to present his story in a responsible and meaningful way.
Why did you decide to break the story on SI.com as opposed to waiting until the magazine came out?
Fichtenbaum: We knew it was a very important story. How do we use our best resources to tell it? We knew it was a story we had to get out right away.
One of my favorite parts of the whole rollout was (on that Monday morning). How were we going to present this story on the website? When I got over there, I saw Chris and (executive editor) Jon Wertheim already were talking to the producer. It was sort of a eureka moment for me. I was proud to see how the best of both worlds put their heads together to present this story in the right way.
What is happening on the digital front with SI?
Fichtenbaum: It’s an identity we’re forging. How do we create one work force where the best of the magazine and the best of the website work together for one goal?
A couple years ago, there was a no-hitter, or something like that. In a span of three days, we had five different pieces about that one game. We weren’t an integrated unit. Editors were assigning stories to different people without knowing what other people were doing.
That doesn’t happen now. We’re tearing down the walls to make sure everyone is in line. We do things in unison. The website is a magazine and the magazine is a website.
The biggest change is that your writers no longer write once a week for the magazine. Now they are reporting regularly on SI.com. How is that working out?
Stone: If Ohio State plays Michigan on a Saturday, and our writer turns in his story, why should the reader have to wait five days to read that story?
For all these writers, it’s in their metabolism to do this. They’re not learning a new skill. They are reacquainting themselves with an old skill. There’s incredible value in this for us.
We don’t think of someone as he’s a website guy or a magazine guy anymore. Those distinctions are going to diminish over time and we’re better off for it.
Fichtenbaum: We know from our research, readers want our takes from our writers. It goes back to the trust factor. It’s all about access and knowledge. Our writers have it and our readers want it.
It’s pretty good if Tom Verducci is writing off a no-hitter or a special event, or if Lee Jenkins is writing off (an NBA playoff game). If you read that coming in on the train, you come away saying, ‘I found out what I needed to know.’
What about the magazine?
Stone: What we’re doing is we’re taking those live stories which once appeared in the magazine and by putting them on-line, they have that distinctive SI stamp. We’re turning the magazine into something else. With the exception of a few very big events (Super Bowl, Master, etc.), we’ve gotten away from that type of coverage completely. We’re giving you a differentiated longform experience.
We want every story to be different than anything else you’ve read on the subject. It used to be the end of the magazine was always a bonus space. I’m a big believer in running multiple bonus pieces. I want the front of the book to be about strong commentary and point of view. It moves a little quicker.
I want the back half of the book to be about narrative storytelling. We want every story to be special. We’re not going to get them all right, but we’re going to try.
Fichtenbaum: That’s the critical thought. At the heart of what SI always has done is emotional storytelling. We need to take that idea and run it through everything we do.
CBS has had a good run with U.S. Open tennis, dating back to 1968. But it will be over after the 2014 tournament.
The United States Tennis Association agreed today to a new 11-year deal with ESPN, beginning in 2015. Not only is the money huge (a reported $825 million over the length of the contract), but the ESPN’s 24/7 promotion machine should help grow the audience. Having the entire tournament in one place makes sense.
From the Associated Press story:
“We expect the audience for the U.S. Open to increase, not to decrease, with all the platforms that we have digitally,” ESPN President John Skipper said during a conference call with reporters. “This sort of old canard that there’s something to be lost by going from broadcast to cable, I would submit, has it wrong. It is just the opposite. Moving to ESPN allows the opportunity to reach more people across platforms, and that’s what we believe will happen.”
He said ESPN eventually will give fans a chance to see action from all 17 courts at Flushing Meadows via television or computer.
“ESPN is the strongest brand in sports. It puts the U.S. Open at the center of American sports culture like never before,” USTA Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer Gordon Smith said.
After nearly five years, I am going back home again. At least as a contributor.
Beginning next Wednesday, I will debut a new sports media column in the Chicago Tribune. The column will run every other Wednesday at ChicagoTribune.com and in the paper.
Since leaving the paper in 2008 after 27 years, I haven’t missed covering games or being at big golf tournaments. However, I did miss one thing: Being able to say I was with the Chicago Tribune. So I am looking forward to being able to do that again and being able to reconnect with a lot of friends.
Thanks to everyone for your continued support of the Sherman Report. The site just celebrated its one-year anniversary, and it is growing every day. I recorded my biggest month ever in April in terms of page views.
Also, in case you haven’t seen, in April I began writing columns for the National Sports Journalism Center site at Indiana.
I am thrilled to have these platforms to write about the beat. Now more than ever, there is a real need for coverage of sports media. TV ratings for sports never have been higher, and that has generated more interest in viewers wanting to know more about what they are watching and reading.
I look forward to continue being of service.
Cheers.
There was an interesting ratings battle last night in Chicago. The Bulls and Blackhawks went head-to-head for most of the night with playoff games.
The Bulls won a squeaker. They did an 8.87 local rating for their Game 5 against Miami on TNT. Tipoff was at 6 p.m. Central.
Meanwhile, the Blackhawks’ Game 1 against Detroit, which started at 7 p.m., pulled in an 8.13 local rating on NBC Sports Network.
Of course, it should be pointed out that all things weren’t equal. There’s a big difference between a Game 5 of a playoff series compared to Game 1. A much bigger sense of urgency.
Also, the Bulls played terrific in their David vs. Goliath bid to overtake LeBron and the big, bad Heat. The game was highly compelling and definitely pulled in viewers.
Thanks to the time difference, Chicago fans were able to stay through the end of the Bulls game and then tune in for the third period of the Blackhawks game.
The bottom line: It was a huge night for sports viewing in Chicago. As the Blackhawks continue their run, expect their Chicago rating to soar.
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.
Yes, they are, according to Jason McIntyre of the Big Lead.
McIntyre reports that ESPN president John Skipper actually tried to court Seth Meyers. It didn’t get very far since Meyers is slated to replace Jimmy Fallon on Late Night at NBC.
Skipper, though, is intrigued by ESPN having its own late-night vehicle in the mode of Letterman-Leno and the rest.
McIntyre writes:
Skipper went on to confirm one of the hottest non-Keith Olbermann rumors in Bristol: “We are interested in the late night spot. We’ve got all these lead-in games and … leading into what? But there is nothing imminent.” The other name floating around ESPN has been Craig Kilborn (formerly of Sportscenter), but Skipper told me they’ve had no talks with Kilborn.
Leading into what? How about leading into more sports.
Skipper and ESPN can try, but I don’t like the odds of them pulling off that kind entertainment type of show. ESPN should stick with what it does best: Sports.