Sports Editor, Greenville, Ms

The Delta Democrat Times, Mississippi's most historically-significant newspaper, is seeking an energized sports editor. The sports editor will be in charge of a staff that covers 23 high schools, one NCAA Division I university, one Division II university, a junior college and 23 high schools across seven counties as well as other activities in a highly-competitive market. The candidate should be knowledgeable of Quark and capable of designing a section as well as writing for it. The Pulitzer-Prize winning newspaper covers a dynamic area that is the heart of the Mississippi Delta and considers itself a champion of civil rights and preserving our blues heritage. Newspaper is afternoon delivered, Monday through Friday — morning delivered on Sunday. Call Ross Reily, Editor, (662) 378-0711, or e-mail resumes to rossreily@ddtonline.com.

 

Dang, boots. You've been quite a busy person. Four new job postings in four minutes. Are you sure you haven't missed any lately?

 

I feel inspired to help my bretheren find employment.

 

If nothing else, and there isn't much there, Greenville is home to the Mississippi Delta Blues Festival. I went three times in college and had a blast every time.

 

what D-I do they cover?

 

The D-I is Mississippi Valley State, which is a little ways to the east (maybe 45 minutes? I'm not sure exactly).
They also cover Division II Delta State, which is about 30 minutes to the north and has plenty of good teams across the board. The football team went to the D-II semifinals last year and won a national title in 2000, and the baseball team won a national title in 2005, I believe. The basketball teams are also quite good.
And Ross Reilly has a reputation as a good guy.
The downsides are, there's not much to do in Greenville and, unless things have changed in the last couple years, you're a one-man show. So driving to cover Valley and Delta State, and put out a paper, and do the local stuff, can be a hassle. As a paper, Greenville also has a rep for being on the lesser side of things. Older building, older equipment, etc.
For somebody starting out, it might not be a bad gig. There's some opportunity to get some clips there. But people usually don't stay there too long.

 

I didn't want to go there, I was just curious. I was thinking Jackson State or something.

 

Didn't reckon so. Just figured I'd throw a little information out there while I was at it.

 

This is also the home of Doe's Eat Place. On my short list of restaurants I'd really like to visit someday, although why I'd have a reason to be in that neck of the woods, I have no idea.

http://www.doeseatplace.com/

 

Also a Doe's in Fayetteville, Ark. So if you want to eat absurdly-sized hunks of beef inexplicably accompanied by tamales (and who doesn't?) you don't have to go to Greenville.

Besides, if you're really lucky -- as I was -- you can see former Arkansas QB Clint Stoerner lead the entire dining room in a round of "Woo Pig Sooeys" at the Fayetteville Doe's. You can't put a price on an experience like that.

(Obviously, I have nothing to add about the job. But I do have a question: How many other sports staffers?)

 

So, how many high schools does the paper cover?

 

Um, 23, I think I read someplace.

I'll second the emotion that Ross is a good guy. He was here before he was in Biloxi before he moved to DDT.