Times' Michael S. Schmidt Leaves Sports, Heading for Baghdad

Well, this is a heck of a change in assignments:

 

Very interesting, especially considering many writers I know would be terrified if they had to switch from, say, college football to MLB.

 

That is one job in journalism -- foreign correspondent -- I never wanted and never want. Might have aspired to it if it were something based in Paris or London, with lots of cafe or pub time. But somewhere war-torn? Third World? Political hotbed? No thanks.

Congrats, thanks and good luck to those who roll this way. But even in best of times, newspapering wasn't worth getting killed over. Especially knowing more recently how little they have their employees' backs.

 

Really? I think I'd love it. A whole new set of challenges. I bet it pays pretty well, too.

 

Pfft. Easy. I've seen all those fuckers eating their pizza on election night thinking they're doing something big when they're doing less than a typical Friday night preps shift. Let him write two gamers off the Final Four, then we'll see what he's made of.

 

Blogging from Baghdad:

 

I'd love it, too. Almost wish I had thought to go that route when I was in college, at least for a while. But I had sports blinders on, as a lot of us do.

I applaud the Times for believing a sports writer could take this on. Even smaller papers quite frequently want to start even accomplished sports reporters off on news starter beats, such is the "toy department" stigma.

 

I wonder if he was recruited for the job, or if it was a tough one to fill within the Times.

Reading his latest blog entry, it doesn't sound as interesting or romantic -- you know what I mean -- as I had originally thought.

Sounds like he rarely leaves the compound due to security concerns.