Seattle Times goes back on decision not to run NBA boxes

A brief column from the sports editor: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/take2/2017178765_nbareturnstotheseattletimes.html

While I was at a previous shop, the sports editor really cut back for the first time on NBA box scores and received maybe three calls and e-mails the entire season. They had done similarly, with a similar lack of resistance, with NHL agate before I got there. But that shop had no ties to any major professional sports teams. Seattle, obviously, has deep roots in the NBA and seems destined could be a candidate to get a team back at some point in the future.

Anyone have any stories to tell?

 

My shop's website does not contract with any of the third-party online agate sources (Stats, Inc., Sports Network, Sports Direct, etc.) and doesn't emphasize it on the website for that reason (not "presentable" data).

This results in a trickle of constant complaints.

I'm for our paper contracting with one of the above companies and creating an agate package associated with the teams (pro and college) we cover. Even though the agate is available elsewhere on the internet, many people that come to our site want one-stop shopping. If we run a Tebow story (hey!), I'd like to be able to give them access to Tebow's stat page on a website that has that.

 

Just be sure that all your people understand cross-referencing to keep people on your website.

We use STATS. And if you do run a Tebow story, yes, it is imperative to link back to Tebow's personal page on STATS -- through your website. It doubles your page views.

Any game story, link back to the boxscore on STATS off the final score in the gamer. It will provide a second option for hits.

 

1. People actually care about the NBA?

2. What did you have to cut to put the boxes back in? (I assume you didn't increase space)

3. On a serious note, it's good to see someone listening to their readers.

 

1. A vocal minority do care. There were at least 50 emails or calls.
2. Probably nothing now that football season is over here. With the common six-page sections during the weekdays, we had been stealing some scoreboard space for an occasional story.
3. Thanks.

 

It just occurred to me that those people much have been print readers.

The boxes are so easy to get on the web, that it would never occur to me to worry about whether my local paper ran them.

Apparently, the paper's print edition still has some impact.

 

I don't understand this post at all. The linked blog post says, "As most of you have undoubtedly noticed, our print edition has been shrinking as we've had to bring expenses in line with shrinking revenues."

Of course a paper's newspaper has "some impact." For most newspapers, "some impact" is what pays the bills. The Seattle Times has a daily circulation of about 250,000.

 

You're welcome, SD. I didn't have my blue font for the first part so I made sure that smiley face got in there. Good time to have this, too, as I imagine things are quiet there until Mariners kick in.

 

On what do you base this?

 

Entirely speculation by the NBA media. But, you're right. I edited.

 

Actually, an NBA+NHL arena is in the works for south of Safeco Field. A couple land owners are holding out. I suspect we'll have news sometime this year - and you can bet they won't be building an arena if there aren't some hush-hush agreements to bring teams here.

 

Hard to know. Several cities have built arenas only to watch them sit empty without a primary tenant for a few years. It's a shame Seattle politicians wouldn't build an arena BEFORE their team left town. Guess you have to live and learn.

As for NBA boxes, I guess it all depends on the amount of space you have and what you omit as a tradeoff. When I was younger, good papers would run all the major pro sports agate, plus many colleges. But that's when papers were twice the size they are today. MLB boxscores are the absolute worst in terms of eating up tons of space.