Rick Reilly leaves Sports Illustrated - now confirmed by NYT

Wow, all I can say is this: Does ANY sportswriter deserve to make seven figures, or even more than $100,000 or $200,000? Geez, we're not neurosurgeons.

 

Journalists have God complexes, too!

 

Why not? If there is demand there for our work, why should we not be going to the highest bidder, if we so choose?

 

Does any middle reliever deserve to make $18 million over three years?

 

Adam Eaton?

 

Heresy. Next, you'll be saying no baseball player deserves to make $25 million.

If they're bringing in subscribers/viewers -- adding value to the company -- how is it any worse than paying utility infielders $2 million per?

 

Screw the people actually turning out the product people are interested in purchasing. I say let the corporations keep all the money.

Yay corporations!

 

While everybody loves to bash SI, it's still much, much better than ESPN The Mag. In the end, I think substance will top style.

 

Thank you, Karl Marx.

 

A secretary at my office makes $56,000. She files papers and answers phones. Nothing else.

Idiots in the mortgage industry were making $200,000-$300,000 the past few years. They may not be now, but a few years of that can build up a nest egg.

Please get out and see the world.

 

"You ask me if I have a god complex? Let me tell you something, I am god."

As for the battle between the two, didn't SI turn down the chance to buy part of ESPN when it was first starting? I sort of remember that story in McCambridge's book The Franchise (excellent book by the way), and how that was a decision SI came to regret rather quickly.

 

I hope substance beats style, but ESPN is relentless. To avoid them, you have to make an effort and, truth be told, I think a big chunk of their audience doesn't like to make any kind of effort.
I know CNN/SI crashed and burned, but I'm a little surprised that they haven't tried to make it go with Fox Sports or expand their efforts with HBO. Have a weekly show like Inside the NFL, but for all sports