Preferred Beats

I agree for the most part. I've pretty much stayed a fan of some of the teams I've covered, although I keep the line between doing my job and being a looser.

But having said that, there's no way I want to cover the Redskins. I want to remain a rabid fanboi looser and feel like covering the team would compromise that.

 

I was giddy when I got the baseball beat. Then, after covering spring training, 136 regular season games, the all-star game, the playoffs and the world series I didn't care if I ever watched that goddamn game ever again...

 

NFL is the best beat by far. The regular season actually means something, travel is manageable, access is good...

 

Point taken.

 

Try covering the Patriots. Access sucks. But I agree on your other points.

 

Closest thing to real people's work schedule, too, Monday through Friday.

Filling all those off days between games, and what used to be an offseason (free agency, draft, mini-camps, etc.) are not insignficant chores. Some guys prefer baseball, just to cover games every day.

 

Just like the Belichick era.

 

Oh, don't you know it. But, after that initial rush of excitement, you reach your 10th game in 10 days in August without a break, it'd be 98 degrees, the stadium 90 percent empty and the team you cover is already 36 games out. Just freaking awful. My hat's off to anyone who can stand in there year after year and love it.

NFL was great. Absolutely. Don't love it like I did a decade back when I covered it, but it's OK now. Very manageable travel, season, etc.

 

There's a reason why the NFL is called the family beat... and there are lots of divorced baseball dads trying to forge long-distance relationships with their kids.

 

Man, these horror stories are making me want to re-think NBA coverage. I'll be covering SEC football for my college paper this fall so I'll see how I like that. Only having to cover one game a week and traveling just a couple times a year has always looked appealing to me. So maybe I'll consider trying for NFL or college beats when I get my opportunities.

 

In two sentences, you just described the past eight months of my life. On more than one occasion, I've forgotten my hotel room number, because they all run together.

It's been tough at times and it's been OK at times and it's been great at times. I'm told if you can make it through the first year in the NBA, it gets better.

Guess we shall see.