The Sports Editor - Episode 1

T-U has always been an interesting place, lots of good people coming through, lots of obstacles to putting out a great section day in and day out.

 

Will Gene Frenette be falling down the stairs of any press boxes in Episode 2?

 

What took you, Mizzou?

 

As our industry crumbles, I wouldn't bash anyone for trying something different, silly or even stupid. Better than sitting around doing nothing.

 

Why make yourself look stupid or silly on purpose?

 

I appreciate what you were trying to do, but I think you missed an opportunity to show readers just what an SE actually does. By being goofball, you play to the sportswriter stereotype.

Journalism is compelling. Just look at what MTV has done with a high school paper.

I think an actual day in the life could be enlightening for readers - ie, hashing out storylines, slotting the paper.

 

Exactly. If you're going to do it, do it straight. Don't go goofy with it.

 

Goofy is good.
Yes, you can certainly overdo it, something Rick Reilly needs to be reminded of this very second, but way, way, way, way too many people in this business trip over their own seriousness. Loosen up.

I havent seen the Jacksonville video. But I just assumed they were kind of going after the same vibe ESPN puts out with their commericals. Kind of a humerous, toungue-in-cheek look at what they do.

Some of are you are proposing a more serious approach, which is fine. But I dont think allowing cameras into a budget meeting while I bunch of people discuss which sports story gets the biggest play makes for riveting television. You could argue that being goofy serves no purpose as well. I get that.

But here, I would go goofy 9 times out of 10 and see where it takes me. And as I wrote in the previous post, given the state of the industry, I applaud these guys for having fun. My office these days is a morgue.

 

Is it possible they did it as much for themselves as anything else? I can see how doing the skit would be good for morale.

 

Silent Bob and Gomer, you're right. We wanted it to be more "Curb Your Enthusiasm" than "The Paper" because we felt that would draw the most viewers. Budget meetings and laying out the section are boring on video (heck, most times, they're boring in person), so we wanted to go another direction. And that direction is to have fun and see where this thing goes.

As Gomer mentioned, the videos have been good for morale, which in times like this is refreshing. It has people in the department talking about other ideas for videos, and some will be more serious than others. But if we did an all-serious video, I don't think it would work so much.

 

Where's the part in the video where the guy posts on SportsJournalists.com?

 

Most people on here know who I am, or at least know I once worked at the T-U, and it's weird seeing my old office on the video, I must admit. Kind of fun.