Could you be a good sports GM?

We have all these fantasy baseball, hockey, football, sabermetrics discussions on this message board.

Do you think you could do it for real?

We may have even talked about this before, but as I inch closer and closer to thinking about a JD/MBA, I wonder if it's not unreasonable, with a sports writing background and some smarts when it comes to this stuff, to pursue a sports front-office job eventually.

Or have fantasy sports just made every man think he's Brian Cashman?

I actually think I have it in me to do a good job in baseball or the NBA. Of course, getting the opportunity is what's difficult.

 

Could be dead for three years, and be superior to Isiah.

 

Well, Marty Hurney went from being a sportswriter for The Washington Times to general manager of the Carolina Panthers. Take from that what you will.

 

I agree with the second last sentence of your post.

 

Second-to-last paragraph, you mean?

 

I'd rather be a college AD. And yes, I'd kick some ass at it.

 

Chris Snow went from beat writer for the Boston Red Sox at the Globe to being named Director of Hockey Operations for the Minnesota Wild, so it's not like it can't be done.

Me? I think I could do well at baseball. Football possibly, but I wouldn't be ready to make that straight jump without learning how to evaluate talent at certain positions first.

I think I'd make a better college athletic director to tell you the truth.


EDIT: Cadet beat me to it.

 

Sorry, you're right.

 

To a point, I guess.

But I'd like to think that I'm a little different than Joe on a Car Phone, particularly if I get the law and business school background (at a really good school).

 

"Director of Hockey Operations" is his title. It was pretty clear from an article I read after his hire that Doug Risebrough was going to keep him on a pretty short lease and that he wasn't going to be making any personnel decisions.

And "Director of Hockey Operations" can mean pretty much anything.

 

I think there are definitely skills we have as journalists covering sports that would translate well to being a GM, but I imagine there is an awful lot to learn besides just how to work around a salary cap.

It's like anyone who can write well thinking they can be a journalist. Some of the basic skills are there, but you still have a lot to learn. (I was going to make the comparison of someone who watches a lot of sports who thinks they could be a sportswriter, but I think that's a much bigger gap.)

 

Clearly, I know that's his title, which is why it was in my post. I don't remember the article as well you do. I actually thought that he was higher on the chain than G.M., the way Donnie Walsh being named Director of Basketball Operations is above G.M. at MSG.

I didn't realize he was under Risebrough.