Lynn Hoppes: Keep your passion alive

From the new APSE president . . .

http://apse.dallasnews.com/2008/aug2008/080108hoppes.html

SportsJournalists.com is the major source of this state of the union

 

So, I guess Tim Povtak isn't the poster child for what is happening in this industry.

 

Whatever. I've about had it with "This is a calling" lectures. It's not a moral failing or reflection on one's character/values to begin looking out for your family or your future by moving on. I know that's not exactly what Lynn wrote, but he sure flirted around the edges of that idea.

 

Aside from Whitley, never been a fan of that section (even when Mrs. 1HP worked at the paper). Too much fluff and chest pounding for my taste. As such, I've never bought into the Church of Hoppes and was more amused than moved by his latest sermon. Amused in the sense that it's ridiculous how important some people think they are. Doesn't he have more pressing issues inside his own building?

 

He has Cherwa to lean on in that department, so maybe that gives him more time to concern himself about vitally important matters (like awards). Cause, clearly, THAT's what readers notice.

 

There is wisdom in these words.

 

Agree 100 percent. Hoppes and so many other SEs need to get over themselves. They work in a subjective business where they can get away with portraying all of their own hires as "effin' studs" and all of a previous regime's hires as mediocre or worse. They sit on their asses in the office and in meetings, making decisions based on stuff they might have learned 20 years ago when they actually manned the front lines of journalism, or they go by what they hear from their pets on staff. Once in a while, they head out to an event and get shivers if someone from the team acknowledges them.

I've never met Hoppes but I've met plenty of his cronies. They love tracking the careers of those they hired along the way, as validation of how astute and influential they are -- even though, as he mentions in his li'l sermon, Carter's "career" in Tampa lasted just nine years. They typically show zero creativity for keeping mid-career journalists fresh or challenged in positive ways (or even employed), because they have NO IDEAS for that. Besides, it doesn't make them look good. They don't foster much camaraderie within their staffs, because they work in these artificial fiefdoms in which good management is defined as ripping someone's role away from him and handing it to someone else. They allow their "stars" to stomp all over the paper with their drooling pursuits of moonlighting gigs and, in their cowardice in confronting such situations, sell it to the bigger bosses by claiming synergy and cross-promotion. They erode morale by letting a hand-chosen few get all the gravy gigs, pumping them for contests and recognition, while the section largely gets produced by worker bees who get little glory.

So often, sportswriters get labeled as frustrated jocks. But SEs like Hoppes -- safe in their well-paying jobs while spouting the "rah rah" nonsense of this business -- are frustrated team captains or coaches. They actually mistake themselves as the reasons for their section's success. They either aren't interested in or aren't adept at the meat-and-potatoes of their jobs, which ought to be helping their staffers do their jobs more effectively, period. Oh and maybe, in this horrible newspaper climate, focusing more on the folks with families and derailed dreams who fought the good fight for so long and might be fed up with this "calling" blather as they search for a little job and income security.

Yeah, get all goose-bumpy over whipsawing your staff to break -- by five minutes -- the scoop of some knucklehead millionaire nose tackle telling his agent he wants to be traded. Meanwhile, fire a few staffers (probably no one you hired) and shrug at the harsh biz we're all in now. Let's go get 'em tomorrow, troops!

 

Wow. How phony can you get? Awfully interesting that Lynn chooses to point out, at length, what a nearby newspaper did while glossing over the decisions made at his own newspaper. The Scott Carter decision is inexplicable and indefensible but I've thought the Sentinel has gotten a pass by comparison on Povtak (as Mizzou points out).

Povtak was hard-working, talented, willing to do anything, and kicked to the curb. Why not put THAT decision on a poster as well? Or was graphics busy that day?

It's a fact that good people have been caught up in the industry meltdown going on. It's a fact that more good people will follow. Who knows what it will look like a year down the road, let alone two. To pick one specific guy, though, from another newspaper while not even mentioning Povtak was just wrong.

 

I didn't like the column either, but what could he have written that would have met with our approval other than "we're screwed?" I do think it was a huge mistake to write specifically about Carter while glossing over his own mess, but I suppose his bosses wouldn't have accepted him writing about that. He should have written in generalities. It's not as if what Hoppes writes is going to have any effect at all on the industry. He's as powerless as anyone else in a newsroom.

 

Povtak is a veteran guy, though, and wasn't hired (or even not hired, in the way he failed to hire Carter) by Hoppes. So kicking him and others like him to the curb must not qualify as the same sort of tragedy.

When somone like Scott lands another job, Hoppes can feel good about this piece and for cheerleading him in general. But when Povtak struggles to find work and risks missing a house or tuition payment, gee, no feeling good for Hoppes in that. As I've seen in a lot of these SEs, it's all about them.

 

A blah, blah, blah BS space-filler by the new APSE prez. Obviously he thought it was a good idea because SportsJournalists.com got 20,000 hits on the "Black Wednesday" thread (wonder if he realizes a lot of those were sparked by the subsequent blog by the "lovely and talented" intern?)
I don't know Hoppes at all. However, I agree that Orlando has always been a little bit more about style over substance. A lot of that I credit to his former boss, the sainted Van McKenzie.
Here's a story I once heard about McKenzie from one of the staffers: The day of Florida State's national championship game, McKenzie was in a sports budget meeting. Much planning had been done to make sure early stories were researched and ready to be filed. McKenzie basically tore up the entire budget and had everybody start from scratch.
Like Hoppes' column, that's a load of BS. If that's how McKenzie liked to shake things up and keep things fresh, then I would have looked for another career rather than work for somebody like that.

 

I agree with your sentiments -- even concerning myself at times. But, at the Sentinel there was Van. And to say Van ever cared for anything more the newspapers would be off base. (I know, Van loved contests, but in the sense he was proud of his staff and section(s) ).
Van (was) and John Cherwa are pro's pros. They've nurtured plenty professionals in their 70+ years in the business. I know it is easy to pick -- especially at times like this -- but picking leaves wounds.