D'oh! Sports writer tells mag.. he's embarassed to cover sports.

Chico Harlan, an outstanding writer who used to work for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, recently got into a little hot water.
I guess he covers the Nats for the Post. But in a feature on him in a magazine he said he hated sports and was embarassed to cover them. Oops.
Fall out ensures, Harlan issues an apology.
His readers - at least those of his blog anyway - seem pretty forgiving.


http://voices.washingtonpost.com/nationalsjournal/2009/03/an_apology.html?wprss=nationalsjournal

 

Why doesn't he GTFO if he's embarrassed?

 

In reading that Washingtonian piece, the comment made him sound like a bit of an ingrate, and I wonder how he felt when he initially read the piece, pre-blog entry.

http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/people/capitalcomment/11866.html

At least he did some good personal damage control with the blog. Any other sports reporters out there who hate sports?

 

I think it's quite a large number.

 

I think Klosterman wrote a piece about sportswriters hating sports sometime back. Maybe it was in Esquire; maybe it was in one of his books. Anyway, I think he had a point. Often, sportswriters become so unattached to sports. They're angry, bitter and rarely impressed anymore -- just watch Around the Horn; those guys are never happy (and, sadly, they often represent us to the general public.

To contrast that, look at political reporters and music writers. They love politics; they love music. They're junkies about their beats.

I'm not trying to paint with a broad brush, but I do think there is a perception out there of sportswriters hating sports -- or at least being really bored with sports.

 

Yes, but there is a difference between becoming disengaged with being a fan or caring who wins to hating them and being embarrassed to cover them.

 

I thought Jason Wilde once said he'd rather go to Lilith Fair than cover the Packers...

 

Am not embarrassed to cover it, and don't hate it, but sports is very rarely on our TV when I'm off the clock. I see enough when I'm on it (the clock).

 

I'll take his job.

 

He can swap jobs with me. And then he'll be sorry. Trust me on this ...

 

Embarrassed to cover sports? Sounds like Harlan has a very high opinion of himself. I guess I can understand it. He has certainly had some success in his young career.

 

If he's so embarrassed to be covering sports, let him step aside in favor of someone who wants to do it. :

Shit. People like that have a job and people like Carl Dubois are unemployed. Where's the justice?