JJG
Toronto, ON
Male, 26
I write about NFL football as part of the MSN network. I've been at this gig for just less that two years now, and have desired to write sports for a living since grade school. Feel free to ask any questions if you've ever had curiousity about this line of work, as I'd be glad to answer!
No, or at least not yet. This is rather uncommon for a writer at my level (as opposed to a New York Times writer, or something of that sort), and I also try to not cause any dissension within my pieces.
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Truthfully, many of my articles are on subjects that don't require much originality, such as predictions, recaps, and analysis on roster moves, draft selections, etc.
As for the other articles- yes, thinking of original ideas may sometimes be a challenge.
But when you watch a football game, or any sport in that matter, you are always going to have a thought process. You are always going to question something that's going on, and you're always going to have an opinion on something. This becomes even easier for me with my interest in the game- I'll always have an opinion on something. It's just a matter of putting it into context and ultimately on paper.
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All the variety amongst writing in sports makes this a tough question to answer but everybody in their line of work does have a certain understanding on who does it well and who doesn't.
Peter King, a fairly well-known Sports Illustrated NFL columnist, is one of my particular favourites, mostly because of his persuasive debates and all-around good writing. He is one of SI's longest-tentured writers, and rightfully so. Reading just one of King's pieces, you can tell that this guy does his research and has a keen understanding of the game. That is definitely the criteria of being a good sports writer- good insight, thoughts, and appeal. Another columnist who I favour is Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News, an outspoken personality who also happens to be a best-selling author.
As for overrated writers, this is a little easier. Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe, who has been with the newspaper for about 30 years would likely top my list. He has created far too much controversy, including recently accusing the beloved Red Sox hitter David Ortiz of using performance-enhancing-drugs. His articles are not very well written- or at least not as good as somebody on his level should be- and he comes to conclusions far too fast. This is shown in his Ortiz accusation article, as his piece shows no evidence whatsoever besides the fact that Ortiz was born in the Dominican Republic and "has had injuries consistent with steroid use".
Try looking up the names of these writers and see what you think on the subject.
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With a major in journalism, the ultimate goal for me is certainly to write at a higher-up level. This goes for any profession- you always strive to be the best at what you do.
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Border Patrol Agent
How easy is it to forge a US passport?
Call Center Employee (Retail)
When do your policies allow you to hang up on a rude caller?
Call Center Employee (Retail)
I've heard that a lot of startups are hiring really well-educated college grads and paying them a lot, reasoning that customer service is often a client's most lasting impression of a brand. What do you think, and is it something you see spreading?
Oh, you're in luck. I did read the old FJM site, which I believe ended about four years ago, and I can certainly tell you sites along the lines of it.
Awful Annoncing is basically the same, as they critique annoncers and always have a funny clip in store, such as this one:
http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2013/july/thom-brennaman-on-pirates-pitcher-this-guy-sucks.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
I also enjoy Deadspin (which has become rather famous by now with their Manti Te'o girlfriend story), and WalterFootball, a site that gives weekly football picks, mock drafts, with a dose of hillarity on the site.
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I believe that the most difficult part of being a sports writer is, quite frankly, thinking up content.
This becomes more of an issue in a job like mine- writing about the NFL. This is because the season only lasts from early September to early February, meaning that there is a much larger span where, truthfully, not much is going on in the world of football. After free agency in March and the draft in April, there comes a period where it's simply hard to produce content at the rate you'd like to. A rate that helps make yourself more money and to garner a succesful career.
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Once again, no, or at least not yet. However, I sometimes do add a little extra detail and opinion about my lifelong favorite team, the Arizona Cardinals.
Bias is certainly an issue that needs to be adressed in modern sports, as there have been just too many cases of it. Advancements in technology have been made, meaning folks can observe pieces from around the world, thus reading the bias of local writers.
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