Should I become a sportswriter?

If I could do it all over again, I would... But I won't exactly encourage my kids to follow in my footsteps...

 

Absolutely. Why not? More good sportswriters are making more money today in more ways than sportswriters ever have. If you can tell a story, there'll always be ways to make a living, maybe not in newsprint, maybe not on radio, maybe not in television, maybe not on the Internet, maybe not in books -- but somewhere in that wide world of opportunity, a good reporter and storyteller will find a way.

 

Oh, Dave. You're always the optimist.
All these years and you're still singing, "The Sun Will Come Up, Tomorrow..."
I envy that.

 

"... an English paper ..."

There I helped.

 

For $50 I'll write it for you.

'Cause I need the money...

 

viable alternatives:

Barber college

Bartending school

Circle K night manager

Wal-Mart sporting goods manager

Limo driver

 

Duespayer. The industry is not failing. Those who hold the purse strings are. Sports are not going away anything soon and neither will sports writing. People love sports. Look at how many people attend games each year in the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, not to mention college sports. Where I work, crowds of 5.000 are common at high school football games. People want to go to or watch a game and then read about it later to see what the take on the game is. Some papers have died out in the past 20+ years, but the industry was at an all-time high in number of papers in the 1980s, so it was bound to happen. The bleeding may not be done yet, but it will stop. During football season, I hear people at restaurants and gas stations talking about college and pro football and what the papers, USA Today as well as in state papers said about the games. People want to read about sports, that won't change. Will they read more about sports on-line in the future? I'm not sure. But people won't stop reading about sports. That's one thing I'm sure of.

 

Tallest sig picture ever. No post could ever be longer than that photo.

 

Dude, c'mon, don't tempt the Villarreals.

 

here you go dude, will you leave us alone now?

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/34197/

 

If you have a passion for it, yes.

It's been the best job in the world. Half the time I couldn't believe I got paid to do what I've been able to do — watch games, interview athletes, be creative and informative. It's been a hell of a lot more fun than work.

Are you going to make enough money to retire at 50? No. If that is what's important to you, go do something else.

 

I love the business. Love it. Would I recommend it to my own kids? No. The hours are irregular, the pay invariably below what you're worth. Any relationship requires an understanding woman and kids who put up with the fact that, while they're playing their games, you're often off watching somebody else's.
Having said that, the people you meet in this business, both in the media and around the games, are top notch. You see great games, great human drama, and ask questions and write it all down, invariably in an environment that is a rush to deadline, which makes the heart race a bit.
If you know all this going in, and still want to do it -- go for it.