Could you be a good sports GM?

Well, Risebrough is President & General Manager and he hired Snow so I'd assume that's who he'd report to.

My point about the the title "Director of Hockey Operations" is that a it's pretty nebulous one

It can mean anything from running the whole show (which Snow clearly does not) to being the guy in charge of making sure everyone gets a hotel room during the playoffs.

 

I'll say this as someone who seen it from the inside. It's a whole lot harder than it looks. Fantasy sports, it ain't.

 

Yeah, I see your point. I just remembered him getting that job and thought it was higher up in the food chain. Didn't even realize Risebrough was the one who did the hiring.

Plus, Snow was once dubbed "a fucking stud," so I assumed he took over all control of the franchise, the first step on his way to world domination.

 

Baseball GM...easy. Football and basketball and hockey GM...not so much.

 

Big,
I'm going to see if I can find that article on Chris Snow. If I'm not mistaken, Risebrough was immediately impressed with his quick mind and ability to think (excuse this, please) "outside the box" .

 

Found the link to the original thread on here with the article from the Wild's web site. Sounds like it's a job well below G.M., but the type that can prepare one for that sort of career.

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/28069/

 

To answer the question more thoroughly, I honestly don't think the simple act of being a sportswriter means any of us would be good at being a general manager of a sports team. There's a big difference between noticing tendencies during a game and doing a full evaluation of a player and whether or not he would fit in on a team.

How many of us have sung the praises of Young Effin Stud and he turns out to be Young Effin Dud? How many of us have ridiculed a general manager for a "stupid" trade, only to see the guy we laughed about become a Hall of Famer? Or at least a solid contributor for many years?

Being a fantasy sports "GM" and being the general manager of a real team with real players and real personalities are so different, they don't belong in the same universe.

 

I am not --- nor will I ever be --- qualified to talk real business with the likes of Drew Rosenhaus without wanting to 1) throw up or 2) shoot him.

So no, I would not be a good GM.

 

OK, but I'm not saying, "I could be a GM because I won my 5x5 A.L.-only fantasy league!"

I'm saying, "I know the game and have been around it, as an outsider. I'm willing and capable of stuffing my head full of scouting reports and contract nitty-gritty, etc. And I have an opportunity to get a law and business education at a very good school."

I don't think it's that crazy.

I mean, somebody has to do it, right?

 

I think I'd make an excellent basketball G.M./scout ... I always thought I'd do well in baseball, but after playing fantasy baseball (I know it's not the same, but still) it's really made me doubt my knowledge.
I love football and I know more than the average fan, but I have a feeling I wouldn't fare well as an NFL G.M.

 

Wasn't Paul DePodesta a writer at one point as well?

And yeah, I'd like to think I could do a good job at baseball or basketball - but hell no. I can't guide a fantasy team past a Final Four appearance. I'd assume I'd spend a lot more time paying attention to this stuff if it was my job, but I don't see that there's any way I could pull it off.

 

Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti is a former sports writer (actually, a hockey beat guy).