McAdam finally jumps ship

[bob]

http://shots.bostonsportsmedia.com/

Heading to the Herald

 

[apseloser]

A great get. Terrific reporter. Writer, not so much. But he'll get them some scoops — and ones that are actually true, unlike the Patriots coverage.

 

[gosox]

I'd take Borges/McAdam over Felger/Mazz any day of the week.

 

[sporting_guista]

Here here gosox. Borges and McAdam understand what it is to establish sources and report a story, unlike the other two who are totally reactionary.

And yeah, someone's gonna bring up Borges and plagiarism; fair enough. He was lazy and screwed up, it's ground we've all been over. Nonetheless, the guy can write and has a better Rolodex than 90% of guys in the biz. And McAdam's not too shabby either.

 

[whatwoulddamondo?]

money graf, literally and figuratively:

Sources have confirmed to Shots that McAdam has been looking for new employment after the ProJo squashed McAdam’s outside work at WEEI 850 AM and ESPN.com over the summer. At least one upper management ProJoer, Shots is told by industry sources, found fault in McAdam being on-air at WEEI during the afternoon drive on baseball’s trade deadline day. That person - not directly associated with the sports department - evidently had a problem with where McAdam’s allegiance lied and subsequently put the kibosh on McAdam’s outside gigs (the very same gigs that provided exposure for the buzzless, sagging Belo Corp. property).

1. glad to see some wonk up on high come down on this.

2. mcadam often was the best part of the big show on weei when he was on. so the listeners really lost out. (this explains why lou merloni has been on there a lot recenty.)

3. i wouldn't say mazz is reactionary, sg -- he's a damn good writer, and a guy i've respected for a long time. felger, you may be on to something there.

 

[sporting_guista]

money graf, literally and figuratively:

Sources have confirmed to Shots that McAdam has been looking for new employment after the ProJo squashed McAdam’s outside work at WEEI 850 AM and ESPN.com over the summer. At least one upper management ProJoer, Shots is told by industry sources, found fault in McAdam being on-air at WEEI during the afternoon drive on baseball’s trade deadline day. That person - not directly associated with the sports department - evidently had a problem with where McAdam’s allegiance lied and subsequently put the kibosh on McAdam’s outside gigs (the very same gigs that provided exposure for the buzzless, sagging Belo Corp. property).

1. glad to see some wonk up on high come down on this.

Me too. I never understood how this was permitted, especially when these guys are appear live on the air to analyze trades, injuries, roster moves, especially on the road where they have access that the studio monkeys do not. I mean, aren't these guys on the newspaper's dime, especially on the road? EEI isn't paying for the airfare to Cleveland on trade deadline day. Why should the radio get the writer's insight first?? Shouldn't that insight--assuming it's essentially what the guy would be writing--be put in print first?

I know I'm being idealistic, but the ProJo apparently had enough of this.

And after a while, the marketing value on these appearances has to wane if you're the ProJo, Herald etc.

 

[whatwoulddamondo?]

actually was using some blue font there, sg. i think mcadam got screwed. especially a guy of his stature...he always treated the paper as the first priority, even though he did work for espn.com and weei. it's almost as if they were trying to find a way to push him out the door, and by god, they did.

 

[sporting_guista]

actually was using some blue font there, sg. i think mcadam got screwed. especially a guy of his stature...he always treated the paper as the first priority, even though he did work for espn.com and weei. it's almost as if they were trying to find a way to push him out the door, and by god, they did.

Fine, but ProJo paid the bills and the big salary and benefits I'd assume. He got screwed outta more money, sure, but I think it's a thin line they all skate.

 

[Joe Williams]

Double- and triple-dipping ought to have gotten more people called out in the past. Now, that toothpaste is out of the tube and down the drain, and newspapers that threaten your job security and freeze wages should expect widespread moonlighting.

That said, I think the promo value of such stuff is grossly overrated. There are likely just as many potential ProJo customers who knew they could get McAdams' takes in the other media as there were who saw or heard him and said, "Damn, I've got to go buy that paper or visit its Web site now."

Business stiffs and newsroom managers who like to tout their favorites get all excited about the multimedia presence, but I doubt any of them has ever done a cost/benefit analysis to see what the gains and losses are, or how much the writer shaves from his newspaper responsibilities and availability to squeeze more side jobs into his day. Or, most of all, how a select few in the (cough) team world of a sports department affect morale when they keep enriching themselves while worker bees do the heavy lifting.

If deskers resent beat writers for their airline miles and hotel points, you can be sure that the deskers and the beat writers will resent a few stars who show up on the air for cash just because the paper put them in that position. First order of business: Those fortunate folks have to make sure they work as hard or harder for the paper than the others. If McAdams did that, then yeah, he got screwed. But he also got a nice new job out of it.

 

[terrier]

McAdam's departure comes the day after the ProJo laid off all its news part-timers and five full-timers (while advertising was spared).
The ProJo forced out its only remaining sportswriter who had a presence in the Boston market.
Sounds like one of the fat cats in the exec suite got a little cheesed that Sean one of the peasants was able to hustle up a few extra bucks in this economy.
With Steve Krasner having just taken the buyout, the ProJo's Sox coverage takes one in the nads at playoff time.

 

[Joe Williams]

I'll add to my above position with this: I think the greatest value to a newspaper of some staffer's side gigs is, they keep the staffer happier. Some more money, a higher profile in the market, a little extra respect, those are all good things. It might keep someone good from jumping ship if he can carve out a nice living with his current employer even in tough times and it might keep them working hard at the day job to keep the freelance tap flowing. Just so corners don't get cut.

That beats any vague, assumed, maybe non-existent promo value to the paper's bottom line.

 

[awriter]

Double- and triple-dipping ought to have gotten more people called out in the past.

I have a hard time blaming people for double-dipping when, even in the best of times, we're getting paid little more than the guy flipping burgers. And now, when people are being laid off and reassigned because of staff cuts, I have even less of a problem with it.

 

[whatwoulddamondo?]

anyone on the inside have any inkling on whether the projo may stop traveling on the beat with the new hire? i could totally see that being the next step.

 

[sporting_guista]

Double- and triple-dipping ought to have gotten more people called out in the past.

I have a hard time blaming people for double-dipping when, even in the best of times, we're getting paid little more than the guy flipping burgers. And now, when people are being laid off and reassigned because of staff cuts, I have even less of a problem with it.

All excellent points, but this isn't run-of-the-mill moonlighting. It's not like he's bartending on the weekends; he's working for the competition, and giving the competition better stuff!

And this applies across the board, not just to McAdam.

 

[apseloser]

He's far better on radio than he is with the written word anyway. Again, good news guy, mediocre writer

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Sean's work ethic is beyond reproach. I'm sure he never cheated the ProJo, which is run by the usual Belo gang of idiots.
Joe, I agree with you in theory, but the proof's in the pudding. If the guy's doing the job for you, why sweat his radio appearances, which are probably of the "here are the 175 hot rumors on the nanosecond" on deadline day anyway.
This is a great break for my alma mater, which needs some breaks.

 

[whatwoulddamondo?]

herald has done nicely for itself lately.

borges for in essence what ended up being felger? yes. and they get to move tomase into another beat, one that he excelled on at the eagle-trib. works out for everyone.

losing bradford was not good, but hell, he hadn't been there that long.

and as much as i like mazz, i'd take mcadam for mazz straight-up, once a day and twice on sundays.

 

[schiezainc]

The Projo sports section has been steadily losing respect in New England (or, at least where I'm from in Rhode Island) for several years now as they have tried--and failed--to compete with the big boys without realizing why it was people picked up their paper in the first place.

When I picked up the Projo, it was to read things I couldn't get anywhere else and that included anylsis, reaction and news from all four of the major pro teams in the area (OK, three, forget the Bruins).

Someone in the success the Sox and Pats have had, the company lost sight of this and for whatever reason became more about displaying huge photos and agate than anything resembling sports coverage.

Do I still read it from time to time? Yeah.

Do I consider it my one-stop location for all things New England sports related? F-No. That's what Yahoo Sports is for. After all, both seem to only run AP **** anyway and I can get those stories seven hours ealier--and for free-on Yahoo.

That being said, I'd give my left nut to work for the Projo. I still consider them a great paper, just one on the decline, and I still think it has the potential for great things.

It's just sad to think that by the time I've got the ability and experience to write for the paper they'll probably have gone under.

 

[Della9250]

The big problem with ProJo is they have no competion. They have a run of the state. Their preps coverage has gone waaaaaaay downhill since I was a student-athlete a little less than a decade ago. Most of what they run is akin to what a paper four times smaller than them would do.

 

[SixToe]

I'll add to my above position with this: I think the greatest value to a newspaper of some staffer's side gigs is, they keep the staffer happier. Some more money, a higher profile in the market, a little extra respect, those are all good things. It might keep someone good from jumping ship if he can carve out a nice living with his current employer even in tough times and it might keep them working hard at the day job to keep the freelance tap flowing. Just so corners don't get cut.

Good point.