pearlman on sports writing

I was with him until the end when he proclaims that no one should complain about this job because we "get paid to watch games."

Not only is it the usual strawman that fans and friends and family trot out to us, but this is a guy who got burned out on "covering games" pretty early, despite what most of us would see as a sweet gig at SI. In fact, I'd love to go back and find the quotes he gave in an online interview about the Bonds book. If I'm not mistaken, there was some very perceptive stuff in there about how games all start to feel the same, etc., etc., etc.

 

Sirs, Madames,

I wish there had been more method to the point system.

March 19, 2003 -- After being the ping-pong ball in a long rally between management and union, I take a buyout from my paper. About a year's worth of pay. (-$10,000)

April, 19, 2003 -- Sell my first story to ESPN The Magazine. (+$10,000 Canadian after exchange)

June 1, 2003 -- si.com generously mentions my story in its NHL draft preview. (+70 beats a minute)

August 15, 2003 -- The hotel room I've booked in small-town Czech Republic has vanished from the books and I set out on a four-hour jet-lagged walk in search of a room in the middle of the worst heat wave in modern European history. (+43 Celsius)

August 16, 2003 -- The sun pours through the skylight in my unventilated room and falls directly on my bed, so I'm slowly roasted like an ant under a future serial killer's magnifying glass. (-5 lbs of waterweight)

YD&OHS, etc

 

Let's be fair. Loopy shows up for day games sometimes.

 

there's isn't one person who covers baseball that hasn't bitched about paying for the god-awful food some stadiums serve. not because it's not free, but because it's just bad.

 

POOR, POOR ME.

Nobody wants to hear That Shit.

No. Body.

 

I didn't read the article - the comments here have sufficed. While I'm not sure that those not in the business really care (although I think "fans" do enjoy "behind the scenes" tidbits about players), this did make me think about my career and some of the highs and lows. Brought up a lot of good memories. And I seemed to have survived the bad ones.

 

Damn sporting of him.

 

Hey, jambalaya, let's not diss the girls!

 

For somebody who dislikes his job, he sure hides it well. Yeah he mentions some lows - which I find humorous - but he also mentions a lot of the highs.

You might want to read the piece before spouting off about it.

He acknowledges his luck and good fortune in this biz and he's thankful for it.

 

Never been big on divas, no matter how they endorse their checks.

 

Read the article. You couldn't be more wrong

 

I liked it as a reader. I was entertained, and I learned things about the people he covered.

I also liked Double Down's because it was closer to my own experiences. Good job.