Chad Millman New ESPN the Mag EIC

He's been there a long time, at least a decade.

 

Agreed.

 

Got no problem with the Magazine.

Well, other than they use the urban dictionary instead of Webster's on too many occasions, and that their headlines are so stylized I often have trouble making out the phrase, and that the editorial pages and ad pages often look too similar.

So other than the fact that I have trouble reading the headlines and copy and telling what's an ad and what's not . . . no problem at all with the magazine.

 

What with all the criticism of ESPN and ESPN The Magazine around here, I'm curious: If they hired you—freelance, full-time, whatever—would you work for them?

 

Of course.

I freelanced for The Magazine from 1999-2005. It was mostly small stuff, like team capsules and shit like that, but it paid incredibly well. (Usually about a buck a word.)

I worked for an ESPN-affiliated radio station for six years in two different markets and they would pimp me out as a radio guest to all the shows. Unfortunately, that meant a lot of "Spanning the Globe" segments once that shithead replaced TK.

 

I would bet that unless someone here works for a direct competitor of ESPN, or is named Alma, they would freelance or work for ESPN in a heartbeat.

It doesn't mean we have to like the product.

 

Never. I'm sure no one believes that, but here's why. It's very simple.

1. I'm a small-town and want to keep it that way.
2. I don't agree with the way ESPN does a lot of things

 

I'm surprised by the creative ideas that pop up in ESPN the Magazine about every three pages. Seriously.

But damn if I can figure out how to read their f'ing charts. The one in the current issue, about the value of particular positions in the draft, left me as confused, frustrated and angry as Daemon reading Jones/The Typefitter's blog.

 

One thing I really hate about ESPN Mag is its predictability. When big events are coming to ESPN The mag turns into TV guide.

Find it interesting that the hockey stories have dwindled.

 

There are some very talented writers/reporters at The Mag.

Unfortunately, their best stuff gets buried (particularly on the Web) for fluff, or just because the higher-ups would rather not piss off any major college programs by bolding their investigative pieces.

Said writers will be the first to point it out.