Big Lead sez - Marc Spears from Globe to Yahoo

[Moderator1]

The Pipeline doesn't take credit for the scoops of others. The Pipeline GIVES credit.

http://thebiglead.com/?p=15486

 

[bob]

Marc announced it on Facebook.

 

[Sp0rtScribe]

Good pickup. Spears is a great NBA writer and I enjoyed his work in Boston and Denver.

 

[Joe Williams]

Marc has had four jobs -- Post, Globe (Celts beat), Globe (NBA beat), Yahoo! -- at a time when there's hardly any movement in the sportswriting industry. Bully for him, must be nice.

 

[Some Guy]

Dude's a professional badass.

 

[SockPuppet]

The Pipeline also is a professional badass.

And Marc Spears is a 6-foot-7 badass. Guess he's a beast in any media pick-up games (assuming there's 10 media guys still working to play full court).

 

[Moderator1]

Lots of three on three these days, sadly.

 

[SockPuppet]

Yep, we've been downsized to half court.

 

[Harry Doyle]

Maybe the dumbest question answer (hoping to retain points by acknowledging this in advance), but any chance they'd fill?

 

[Ice9]

The Pipeline also is a professional badass.

And Marc Spears is a 6-foot-7 badass. Guess he's a beast in any media pick-up games (assuming there's 10 media guys still working to play full court).

Playing ball at San Jose State for a year doesn't hurt him in that regard either.

 

[Joe Williams]

The Pipeline also is a professional badass.

And Marc Spears is a 6-foot-7 badass. Guess he's a beast in any media pick-up games (assuming there's 10 media guys still working to play full court).

Playing ball at San Jose State for a year doesn't hurt him in that regard either.

Yeah, well, Stephen A. Smith played somewhere in college, too, but does that mean you want him covering and opining for you?

 

[Ice9]

The Pipeline also is a professional badass.

And Marc Spears is a 6-foot-7 badass. Guess he's a beast in any media pick-up games (assuming there's 10 media guys still working to play full court).

Playing ball at San Jose State for a year doesn't hurt him in that regard either.

Yeah, well, Stephen A. Smith played somewhere in college, too, but does that mean you want him covering and opining for you?

Huh? I was referring to his skills on the court, man.

Regardless, that's a Hell of a loss for the Globe.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Spears is probably the tallest sportswriter I've ever seen. I think he's 6-8.

Great guy. Glad he's getting off that sinking ship, although it seems absurd to say that about the Boston Globe.

Congrats to Marc.

 

[Fran Curci]

He's a big guy but I certainly don't believe he intimidated a professional athlete (Tony Battie; see passage in The Big Lead item) in peak in physical condition. I suspect Battie's attitude was more, "Whatever."

 

[Ace]

Marc is good enough to write for the Plain-Dealer. Congrats.

 

[Some Guy]

He's a big guy but I certainly don't believe he intimidated a professional athlete (Tony Battie; see passage in The Big Lead item) in peak in physical condition. I suspect Battie's attitude was more, "Whatever."

It was Tony Allen, not Battie.

 

[Some Guy]

Maybe the dumbest question answer (hoping to retain points by acknowledging this in advance), but any chance they'd fill?

Surely, the only way they fill this gig is from within, right? Most places are simply doing away with their "NBA at-large" beat altogether.

 

[bob]

The Globe's in something of a bind. Frank Dell'apa is a soccer guy who was tapped to do the beat for a year. He did a nice job, but was carried by Spears and his dozens of contacts around the league. Frank wants nothing more to do with the beat. The Globe has a couple of young guys on staff, one (Gasper) who's content covering the Patriots, the other (Benbow) who's not ready. Can't imagine they'd hire a well-known national guy, and can't imagine anyone wanting to go there any more.

 

[lone star scribe]

Have followed Marc Spears' work and career ever since he interned for us years ago. Saw then he was eager to learn and get better, was very receptive to advice from other writers and the desk. Good for him, and I wish him well.

 

[Joe Williams]

The Globe's in something of a bind. Frank Dell'apa is a soccer guy who was tapped to do the beat for a year. He did a nice job, but was carried by Spears and his dozens of contacts around the league. Frank wants nothing more to do with the beat. The Globe has a couple of young guys on staff, one (Gasper) who's content covering the Patriots, the other (Benbow) who's not ready. Can't imagine they'd hire a well-known national guy, and can't imagine anyone wanting to go there any more.

There are a bunch of out-of-work but experienced NBA writers who are freelancing these days and might be interested regardless of Globe's plight (I can think of 8-10 without straining). A few months of a full-time job would be better than zero months of same. At least you'd know going in: Rent, don't buy.

But the way these things go now, those pros won't be considered because Globe will hand off premier beat to someone for on-the-job training. Thereby telling NBA and Celtics fans who are readers or potential readers that there's little worth subscribing to anymore.