How Many People Still Read What Sports Columnists Write?

You read Frederickson and Hochman? God those guys at the PD make me want to hurl. Some of the biggest homers in the business in STL. Hated it when Bernie left. Hochman isn't so much a homer as he is just soft. I can't even read the rest of them. They're awful.

 

I can't stand that motherfucker. Writes nothing but hate in hope of clicks. Total assclown. I won't click on a story by him just so he doesn't get the hit.

 

If you live in New England, Shaughnessy and Tara Sullivan (recent transplant from NJ) are must-reads.
Tara's column from a week ago captured the AB-Pats' saga perfectly.
It’s difficult to have confidence in NFL regarding Antonio Brown case - The Boston Globe

 

Leonard Pitts is all I read anymore.
In a time not long ago it was Mike Bianchi.

 

I won't read him again, so he'll always be a hate writer to me. Fuck that guy.

 

Tara really has a knack for finding stories.

 

I wonder at exact point in time the leading local sports talk show host became a bigger, more influential figure than the lead sports columnist on the local paper.

 

At my previous shop, our columnist was No. 1 in web traffic and No. 2 in digital subscriptions behind the lead football reporter. And my columns (I'm not there anymore so who gives a flying hoot) had the highest rate of subscriptions per story. I think having a distinct and authoritative voice in a market still matters to that market's audience, even in a world where readers are picking up the physical paper less often. At least, based on the data I've had at my disposal. Same goes for here in Charlotte.

 

Of course people still read them and subscribe for them.

 

I'll read Plaschke when there is something interesting/unusual/controversial happening with the local teams and I want to get his take. But I have to be selective because, as a non-subscriber, I can only access x number of articles on the LAT website per month.

 

I wonder if the decline in importance is that with social media - everyone figures they know about as much about what is going on as anyone and just because someone has a defined space three times a week on a piece of paper doesn't make their opinion any more valid than their own.
What sets a columnist/opinion person apart these days, whether in print, tv or radio is having a very unique opinion that nobody is sharing. And sadly you end up with a lot of hot takists and contrarians (Skip, SAS, Clay) who people know not because they make convincing arguments, but unpopular ones and at a high volume.