SI new hires

I've been told Liz is taking a sabbatical to write a book. Not sure of the topic. As for Jenkins, seriously, is anybody surprised? Is he taking Silver's job?

 

good luck to all.

 

So is Tod Leonard, former LA Daily News and Contra Costa SE who has not only found, but made his chops as the U-T's golf writer. In a diverse, dynamic golf market that is hosting its first major championship in recent memory, he's on top of everything: both local and national.

I'll miss D-Hack's golf stuff as well. Not a big NBA fan, but read Jenkins when he was with the OC Register because he's damn good. Big loss on both fronts for the NY Times

 

Lee was an outstanding feature writer for the Times, original angles done well. Writes a terrific lead. Hope he'll be happy at SI. Some folks are, some aren't.

 

I will say this... I have friends who work at ESPN and friends who work at SI and the ones who work at ESPN seem 1,000X happier...

 

Can you say why that is?

 

SVB - I've written plenty about this: when you can offer somebody more money, TV opps, magazine opps, and .com opps .. against someone who can write for a magazine of fading importance and perhaps online (at a site that draws 1/4 of the readership ESPN.com gets) ... which would you take?

Anyone who doesn't takes ESPN is someone who decides they don't care about TV, and they'd rather be visible at SI instead of being a small fish in a big pond at ESPN. Chris Broussard went from the NYT to ESPN about a year ago. He writes occasionally for the mag, sometimes online, blogs online, and is on TV plenty. But would you say he's having an impact at ESPN? Or would you say he's 5th or 6th banana to Marc Stein, Chris Sheridan, Ric Bucher, John Hollinger and Chad Ford? (Full disclosure: I like Broussard a lot as a person and a writer.)

You show up at ESPN, take a number and sit in the bullpen. And you enjoy the money. Nobody at Page 2 will admit this, but supposedly, they're all making between 75k-150k. When your name is called, you show up, put in your five minutes, and fade back into obscurity until they ask for your services again next week.

 

Because, of course, SI has no prestige. :

 

In most cases, if you go to SI, you're going to work a hell of a lot harder than if you go to ESPN. The WWL also has deeper pockets and has been able to poach more than a few writers from SI. I don't think SI has hired anyone away from ESPN, although I may be overlooking someone...

Look, if you're at either place you're on top of the journalism world... I think SI has better overall talent, and there's no one at SI who I would say, "Oh, he/she sucks..." and I do feel that way about a couple people at ESPN.

 

Let's call him "Scoop J.." No wait, that's too obvious..."S. Jackson."

 

Mizzou, I was referring to TBL's wonderment why anyone would pick SI over ESPN.