Sidney Crosby to cover hockey for Post-Gazette

[JayFarrar]

I really question the wisdom of having an active player cover the team and sport, but the Post-Gazette is a pretty good paper, so I'd think they know what they are doing.

What does everyone else think?

PITTSBURGH—Immediately following an interview Wednesday with Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporters handed their notepads, cameras, and press passes to the Penguins captain and asked him to cover the Eastern Conference Finals.
"You'll be there already, right?" said sportswriter Dave Molinari, assuring Crosby he would receive the newspaper's standard $85 in compensation for each freelance article accepted. "It would save the paper a lot of time and money is all. Just remember to spell-check, because there's no real Sports editor anymore."
Crosby graciously accepted the position despite misgivings that it may place extra stress on him during the conference finals and while finishing the cooking articles he was assigned for Tuesday's Lifestyle section.

 

[OnTheRiver]

It's a goddamned Onion story, Jay.

 

[Gutter]

I only cover me when I'm covering me!?!

 

[forever_town]

YOU ONLY COVER US WHEN WE DO THE WRITING FOR YOU!

 

[budcrew08]

 

[WriteThinking]

What do you think we think?

It's another devaluation of what we do, and is just more competition that we don't need for our jobs via a source from which we shouldn't have to expect it.

But then, I've long felt the same way about all the athletes-turned-broadcasters who step directly out of their sports and right into high-level media jobs, too, with no work history in the latter, no track record, and no effort.

 

[Shaggy]

What do you think we think?

It's another devaluation of what we do, and is just more competition that we don't need for our jobs via a source from which we shouldn't have to expect it.

But then, I've long felt the same way about all the athletes-turned-broadcasters who step directly out of their sports and right into high-level media jobs, too, with no work history in the latter, no track record, and no effort.

I just laughed my ass off.

 

[mustangj17]

What do you think we think?

It's another devaluation of what we do, and is just more competition that we don't need for our jobs via a source from which we shouldn't have to expect it.

But then, I've long felt the same way about all the athletes-turned-broadcasters who step directly out of their sports and right into high-level media jobs, too, with no work history in the latter, no track record, and no effort.

I just laughed my ass off.

This has been going on for a while. When players started blogging with better anecdotes than the writers - like Curtis Granderson on ESPN, it became apparent we are all screwed. Players have an advantage of being around for everything so they don't miss anything that happens. Not good for us. No matter how good we can write features.

 

[EE94]

because people don't read all the posts, this story is NOT TRUE

 

[Shaggy]

What do you think we think?

It's another devaluation of what we do, and is just more competition that we don't need for our jobs via a source from which we shouldn't have to expect it.

But then, I've long felt the same way about all the athletes-turned-broadcasters who step directly out of their sports and right into high-level media jobs, too, with no work history in the latter, no track record, and no effort.

I just laughed my ass off.

This has been going on for a while. When players started blogging with better anecdotes than the writers - like Curtis Granderson on ESPN, it became apparent we are all screwed. Players have an advantage of being around for everything so they don't miss anything that happens. Not good for us. No matter how good we can write features.

I just laughed my ass off again.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

I notice he's not at the Plain Dealer.

 

[mustangj17]

What do you think we think?

It's another devaluation of what we do, and is just more competition that we don't need for our jobs via a source from which we shouldn't have to expect it.

But then, I've long felt the same way about all the athletes-turned-broadcasters who step directly out of their sports and right into high-level media jobs, too, with no work history in the latter, no track record, and no effort.

I just laughed my ass off.

This has been going on for a while. When players started blogging with better anecdotes than the writers - like Curtis Granderson on ESPN, it became apparent we are all screwed. Players have an advantage of being around for everything so they don't miss anything that happens. Not good for us. No matter how good we can write features.

I just laughed my ass off again.

Ever read Granderson's blog, Shaggy?

Two years ago, the Tigers hit a ****ty stretch. Nobody pin pointed the reason. Nothing in the papers, on the major websites, only in Granderson's blog.

The team had gotten either the flu or food poisoning and guys were puking all week long. One player or coach had gotten the team sick and half the lineup had their heads in the toilets. Of course Granderson knew about this because he was around it all day, on the team plane, in the clubhouse, at practice and had more access than the reporters.

That single entry presented a reason why Granderson could me more valuable than a writer in certain instances. He gets a better account of what is going on from a closer perspective. He was also a decent enough writer to have made it work. Not like Jose Canseco.

Now what if every team had a player like Granderson, and ESPN now has 30 baseball reporters already embedded in the clubhouse? They no longer need as many analysts and writers. Maybe a couple investigative reporters. Meanwhile, the players get more exposure, making them worth more money, and also set up opportunities for media work after baseball - ONCE AGAIN, taking jobs away from more reporters/journalists who didn't play the sport.

....

Down a few threads you can read about the Free Press laying off staff members, agate clerks and maybe some editors and designers. They have all but eliminated print coverage of preps sports and the box scores and agate is not what it used to be. But... every few days in football season they have space for Cliff Avril's journal.

Who is Cliff Avril you ask? Nobody important in football, just a mediocre player on the worst team in the history of the NFL - but important enough to take up expensive news print. Then again, maybe it is not that expensive ... since I'm sure they don't pay him. Basically it is just devaluing what we do for a living even more.

Anyway, enjoy laughing your ass off on the way to the unemployment line.

 

[hockeybeat]

I notice he's not at the Plain Dealer.

First Ace, now Crosby. Just who in the hell is good enough to work for the Plain Dealer?

 

[Shaggy]

What do you think we think?

It's another devaluation of what we do, and is just more competition that we don't need for our jobs via a source from which we shouldn't have to expect it.

But then, I've long felt the same way about all the athletes-turned-broadcasters who step directly out of their sports and right into high-level media jobs, too, with no work history in the latter, no track record, and no effort.

I just laughed my ass off.

This has been going on for a while. When players started blogging with better anecdotes than the writers - like Curtis Granderson on ESPN, it became apparent we are all screwed. Players have an advantage of being around for everything so they don't miss anything that happens. Not good for us. No matter how good we can write features.

I just laughed my ass off again.

Ever read Granderson's blog, Shaggy?

Two years ago, the Tigers hit a ****ty stretch. Nobody pin pointed the reason. Nothing in the papers, on the major websites, only in Granderson's blog.

The team had gotten either the flu or food poisoning and guys were puking all week long. One player or coach had gotten the team sick and half the lineup had their heads in the toilets. Of course Granderson knew about this because he was around it all day, on the team plane, in the clubhouse, at practice and had more access than the reporters.

That single entry presented a reason why Granderson could me more valuable than a writer in certain instances. He gets a better account of what is going on from a closer perspective. He was also a decent enough writer to have made it work. Not like Jose Canseco.

Now what if every team had a player like Granderson, and ESPN now has 30 baseball reporters already embedded in the clubhouse? They no longer need as many analysts and writers. Maybe a couple investigative reporters. Meanwhile, the players get more exposure, making them worth more money, and also set up opportunities for media work after baseball - ONCE AGAIN, taking jobs away from more reporters/journalists who didn't play the sport.

....

Down a few threads you can read about the Free Press laying off staff members, agate clerks and maybe some editors and designers. They have all but eliminated print coverage of preps sports and the box scores and agate is not what it used to be. But... every few days in football season they have space for Cliff Avril's journal.

Who is Cliff Avril you ask? Nobody important in football, just a mediocre player on the worst team in the history of the NFL - but important enough to take up expensive news print. Then again, maybe it is not that expensive ... since I'm sure they don't pay him. Basically it is just devaluing what we do for a living even more.

Anyway, enjoy laughing your ass off on the way to the unemployment line.

Read that blurb again (or for the first time, in your case) and see if you need to continue this rant.

You are really making an ass out of yourself. It's hilarious.

Hint: Here's the link: http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/struggling_pittsburgh_post

 

[mustangj17]

What do you think we think?

It's another devaluation of what we do, and is just more competition that we don't need for our jobs via a source from which we shouldn't have to expect it.

But then, I've long felt the same way about all the athletes-turned-broadcasters who step directly out of their sports and right into high-level media jobs, too, with no work history in the latter, no track record, and no effort.

I just laughed my ass off.

This has been going on for a while. When players started blogging with better anecdotes than the writers - like Curtis Granderson on ESPN, it became apparent we are all screwed. Players have an advantage of being around for everything so they don't miss anything that happens. Not good for us. No matter how good we can write features.

I just laughed my ass off again.

Ever read Granderson's blog, Shaggy?

Two years ago, the Tigers hit a ****ty stretch. Nobody pin pointed the reason. Nothing in the papers, on the major websites, only in Granderson's blog.

The team had gotten either the flu or food poisoning and guys were puking all week long. One player or coach had gotten the team sick and half the lineup had their heads in the toilets. Of course Granderson knew about this because he was around it all day, on the team plane, in the clubhouse, at practice and had more access than the reporters.

That single entry presented a reason why Granderson could me more valuable than a writer in certain instances. He gets a better account of what is going on from a closer perspective. He was also a decent enough writer to have made it work. Not like Jose Canseco.

Now what if every team had a player like Granderson, and ESPN now has 30 baseball reporters already embedded in the clubhouse? They no longer need as many analysts and writers. Maybe a couple investigative reporters. Meanwhile, the players get more exposure, making them worth more money, and also set up opportunities for media work after baseball - ONCE AGAIN, taking jobs away from more reporters/journalists who didn't play the sport.

....

Down a few threads you can read about the Free Press laying off staff members, agate clerks and maybe some editors and designers. They have all but eliminated print coverage of preps sports and the box scores and agate is not what it used to be. But... every few days in football season they have space for Cliff Avril's journal.

Who is Cliff Avril you ask? Nobody important in football, just a mediocre player on the worst team in the history of the NFL - but important enough to take up expensive news print. Then again, maybe it is not that expensive ... since I'm sure they don't pay him. Basically it is just devaluing what we do for a living even more.

Anyway, enjoy laughing your ass off on the way to the unemployment line.

Read that blurb again (or for the first time, in your case) and see if you need to continue this rant.

You are really making an ass out of yourself. It's hilarious.

Hint: Here's the link: http://www.theonion.com/content/news_briefs/struggling_pittsburgh_post

Dear Pot,

Granderson and many other athletes still blog online and have journals that take up newsprint.

Sincerely,

Kettle.

 

[JerryMicco]

Before the poster who thinks this is real about Sid and the Post-Gazette, let me put him out of his misery: Sidney Crosby is not covering the Pens for the P-G! Come on man, it's the fricking Onion. Like everyone else, we're feeling the crush, but the Penguins are big news for us and we are finding ways to cover them with the very able staff we have on hand here. Next thing you know, we'll be asking Big Ben Roethlisberger to cover the Steelers. Just kidding.

 

[JayFarrar]

Oh the hilarity. Micco responds!
Anyway, I think Mustang had a valid point, just posted on the wrong thread.

 

[Batman]

Before the poster who thinks this is real about Sid and the Post-Gazette, let me put him out of his misery: Sidney Crosby is not covering the Pens for the P-G! Come on man, it's the fricking Onion. Like everyone else, we're feeling the crush, but the Penguins are big news for us and we are finding ways to cover them with the very able staff we have on hand here. Next thing you know, we'll be asking Big Ben Roethlisberger to cover the Steelers. Just kidding.

Of course Crosby isn't writing the stories. The Onion got it all wrong. The beat guys just asked him to call in the scores from the games in Carolina because the travel budget has been slashed.

 

[Clerk Typist]

Before the poster who thinks this is real about Sid and the Post-Gazette, let me put him out of his misery: Sidney Crosby is not covering the Pens for the P-G! Come on man, it's the fricking Onion. Like everyone else, we're feeling the crush, but the Penguins are big news for us and we are finding ways to cover them with the very able staff we have on hand here. Next thing you know, we'll be asking Big Ben Roethlisberger to cover the Steelers. Just kidding.

Of course Crosby isn't writing the stories. The Onion got it all wrong. The beat guys just asked him to call in the scores from the games in Carolina because the travel budget has been slashed.

The hilarity of this thread aside, don't be surprised if the past repeats itself. Until the Chicago Daily News folded in 1978, the standard practice for road coverage of the Bulls and Blackhawks was for the writer to watch the game at home, then call (or take a call) from the head coach after the game (sometimes the morning after), and write a "special to the Daily News" story off that and quotes cadged from the wires. Really. The DN traveled for the Bulls and Hawks in the regular season only occasionally, but always in the playoffs.

 

[Notepad]

If Crosby worked at the Post-Gazette he would probably be an upgrade over just about any of the beat writers the other paper in Pittsburgh, the Tribune-Review, has working for them.