High school sports reporter, Wichita (Kan.) Eagle

Home of the Shockers.

And they have cheerleaders.

 

How many people on the sports staff, and what's the breakdown by position, experience level, etc.?

Who left and why?

What else does the paper cover beside preps? Wichita State, I'd imagine, but does it have a regular beat reporter for Kansas? Kansas State? Anything else?

What are the chances of moving up to a bigger beat at this paper after excelling at preps for a while? Has there been a history of promotions from within?

 

I believe the Rick Plumlee is still doing Univ. of Kansas (EDIT: quick looks says yes) and Jeff Martin covers K-State. Believe they still get most of their KC stuff from the Star.

 

Wonderlic certainly has a future in this business. He must be a treat to sit in a press conference with.......

 

It's nice to hear that I have a future in this business with no future.

May I use you as a reference?

 

What Tom is trying to say is that it's a great city. Cowtown (downtown district) has some great bars and hangouts, you've got Royals Double-A baseball there (Wrangers) and cost of living is relatively cheap. Even in the northwest corner of the city -- which is the nicest -- you can find some real housing bargains. If you're going to live in the suburbs, Maize is a good option; Derby (by Cessna's plant) not so much.

As for the Eagle, I don't know who left, but Scott Paske is good people.

 

The Wranglers moved to Arkansas.

Lawrence Dumont weeps.

 

And it's Old Town. Cowtown is a crappy, old 1880s reenactment attraction that isn't open very often and has little to offer outside a blacksmith. (Not a big cowtown fan right here, if you couldn't tell.)

Wichita's a fine city. It's close enough to KC and to Oklahoma City to make a weekend trip to watch major sports (assuming NBA actually goes to OKC) though I doubt you'll ever cover them. Wichita is lacking a little in real attractions itself. Wichita's like a giant suburb -- there are plenty of shops and places to eat, but they're mostly chains. There is a nightlife area (Old Town) but it's really finicky and has its "on" nights where the district is packed and its "off" nights (even occasionally on weekends) when you could hear a pin drop. It's a place you could easily and happily live the rest of your life with a family, but it wouldn't be paradise for a single person who didn't know anyone. You could do a hell of a lot worse, though.

There are some very good prep sports in the area.

All that said, whatever you do, don't apply for this job It's just a terrible paper ... run by the Nazi party I think and I heard they're only paying $15k for this one. Don't waste the stamp!

 

A few years back, while covering a handful of Wranglers games and working on some features for down the road, I spent two nights sleeping in my car in the Lawrence-Dumont parking lot. Literally did not move it for two days. That hurts my heart (or, more accurately, my back) that the Wranglers skipped town. (And, really, now they're called the Northwest Arkansas Naturals? Lame.)

At least you have the National Baseball Congress World Series there each summer -- and now, apparently, the Wichita Wingnuts of the American Association.

Sigh.

 

Yes but, Derby has *ahem* adult entertainment. Something to do if you're single!

 

That's sad because there isn't jack going on around Lawrence Dumont during the day. Hell, there was barely anything going on there during a game, which I guess is why the team moved.

Thinking of sleeping in a car in that parking lot for several days in a row is a very depressing thought.

I will say the NBC is cool.

 

Dumont is one of the best parks I've watched games at. Sat front row, first base side, with first and second lined up. Had my glove, of course -- the fence is 3 feet high.

Last time I went there, some codgy old bastard with a vest came up and told me I couldn't spit sunflower seed shells. In the Sunflower State. Go figure.