Sidney Crosby to cover hockey for Post-Gazette

I really question the wisdom of having an active player cover the team and sport, but the Post-Gazette is a pretty good paper, so I'd think they know what they are doing.

What does everyone else think?

 

It's a goddamned Onion story, Jay.

 

I only cover me when I'm covering me!?!

 

YOU ONLY COVER US WHEN WE DO THE WRITING FOR YOU!

 

What do you think we think?

It's another devaluation of what we do, and is just more competition that we don't need for our jobs via a source from which we shouldn't have to expect it.

But then, I've long felt the same way about all the athletes-turned-broadcasters who step directly out of their sports and right into high-level media jobs, too, with no work history in the latter, no track record, and no effort.

 

I just laughed my ass off.

 

This has been going on for a while. When players started blogging with better anecdotes than the writers - like Curtis Granderson on ESPN, it became apparent we are all screwed. Players have an advantage of being around for everything so they don't miss anything that happens. Not good for us. No matter how good we can write features.

 

because people don't read all the posts, this story is NOT TRUE

 

I just laughed my ass off again.

 

I notice he's not at the Plain Dealer.

 

Ever read Granderson's blog, Shaggy?

Two years ago, the Tigers hit a shitty stretch. Nobody pin pointed the reason. Nothing in the papers, on the major websites, only in Granderson's blog.

The team had gotten either the flu or food poisoning and guys were puking all week long. One player or coach had gotten the team sick and half the lineup had their heads in the toilets. Of course Granderson knew about this because he was around it all day, on the team plane, in the clubhouse, at practice and had more access than the reporters.

That single entry presented a reason why Granderson could me more valuable than a writer in certain instances. He gets a better account of what is going on from a closer perspective. He was also a decent enough writer to have made it work. Not like Jose Canseco.

Now what if every team had a player like Granderson, and ESPN now has 30 baseball reporters already embedded in the clubhouse? They no longer need as many analysts and writers. Maybe a couple investigative reporters. Meanwhile, the players get more exposure, making them worth more money, and also set up opportunities for media work after baseball - ONCE AGAIN, taking jobs away from more reporters/journalists who didn't play the sport.

....

Down a few threads you can read about the Free Press laying off staff members, agate clerks and maybe some editors and designers. They have all but eliminated print coverage of preps sports and the box scores and agate is not what it used to be. But... every few days in football season they have space for Cliff Avril's journal.

Who is Cliff Avril you ask? Nobody important in football, just a mediocre player on the worst team in the history of the NFL - but important enough to take up expensive news print. Then again, maybe it is not that expensive ... since I'm sure they don't pay him. Basically it is just devaluing what we do for a living even more.

Anyway, enjoy laughing your ass off on the way to the unemployment line.