Watching the SB without turning "it" off

In the early stages of development as a journalist, there are a lot of benefits to that sort of thinking. It helps keep your mind sharp for the time when you have to cover a similar event and gets you thinking in terms of how best to cover your beat.

However, I also see what spnited is saying about burnout if you can't just enjoy a game for its own sake without coming up with angles to write about for a game you're not covering.

Like anything else, everything in moderation.

 

It should definitely be a concern. And from a strictly work-related angle, your original question is not a bad thing.

But you do have to think about life outside of work, too. There should be some sort of detachment from sports in your personal life. Without it, it will lead to burnout quickly.

For me, I really only watch teams that I am an active fan of. And I won't necessarily turn on sports just for the sake of watching sports.

 

My Super Bowl gamer was rough.

I couldn't swipe enough good quotes off the TV from Belichick's presser.

 

That's also hilarious.

 

Slight video-gaming thread jack...

Anybody ever pick two teams, set a point spread and simulate the game?

Used to be some good fun. Especially on NCAA.

 

Um no. It sounds fun in theory but I've come to find it ranks right behind watching someone play miniature golf or watching 12-year-olds bowling.

 

I often find myself watching a game and looking at the time and thinking "Man, must suck to be on East Coast deadline tonight."

the boston and Ny beat writers must have had their hands full with so much of the game changing back and forth after 10 pm.

As for your question, I think it's good that you think that way. Sure beats the alternative, which is sitting at a game you ARE covering and thinking "What the hell am I going to write?"

 

Don't worry too much about it; maybe it will go away. I used to be the same way, couldn't turn it off when I watched a game. It got to the point where I enjoyed watching sports less and less, wouldn't let myself get too emotionally involved with my favorite teams, etc.

And then something clicked, and it turned off.

Now I'm back to watching sports all the time in my down time, and I enjoy it as much as ever. I root like hell for my teams (yeah, I'm a fanboi looser) and I turn it back on when I go to cover a game.

 

I'm sort of like you, Barsuk. Couldn't turn it off. But now I can watch any game as fan. Except, I don't watch random games on TV like I used to. Also, when I'm with friends or social settings and the topic turns to sports, 50 percent of the time I now try to sneak away, because invariably everyone turns to me to see what the sports journalist thinks, and quite often they know as much as I do or more on the topic at hand. I used to think it was "cool" that everyone figured I knew it all. Now it annoys the shit out me.

 

Ditto.

 

Put me in the "little of column A, little of column B" camp.

It's not a bad thing, by any means. I'd much rather work with someone who enjoys thinking about the craft, who enjoys talking about the craft, who is passionate about their job. But it's equally important to be able to turn "it" off -- and knowing when to turn it off.

I suspect almost all of us got into this business because we love sports (and quite a few of us got into this business because we love journalism, too.) So if being in the business causes you to lose some of your love for sports ... or it means you can't enjoy watching sports as much (whether it's because you're always "on" or not) ... something's wrong.

Being in journalism should cause you to see sports in a different -- i.e., more detached -- perspective. But it shouldn't cause you not to enjoy them.

 

As the game was ending, all I was thinking was, "Damn, the Giants writers are gonna have a much easier go of it than the Pats guys are. Poor bastards."