pros and college sports vs. preps sports

There are a lot of guys covering preps who could fare well covering pros and colleges. There are a lot guys covering pros and colleges who should be covering preps.
Allen Iverson once said "I can do your job much easier than you can do mine." Many laughed. I didn't because I knew he was right to a certain extent.

 

I've done both, and I agree with everyone who said that neither is harder or easier. The demands are just different.

I will say that I'll bet covering preps is easier now than it was in my day, which was pre-wifi. Back then I was using an old Radio Shack 100 and wondering where I could find a suitable phone after the game. Now you get get a wireless card for your laptop, and you can file from just about anyplace on the face of the earth.

 

And so the green-eyed monster rears its head on this site. Ridiculous. Shameful even.

 

Bobcat, I used the old TI, which was short for Texas Instrument. If you ran out of paper on that thing, you were in trouble and had to dictate. That machine predated the tandy.

 

Buck, you are not old enough to know what a TI is. And not every phone fit the couplers that came with it.
Moddy, covering preps or who covers preps comes down to God's will, timing, talent and skill. There are many outstanding prep writers in this country who love doing what they do and don't care to write college or pro sports. There are many who believe that if you cover preps, you're the best. That simply is not true.

 

Someone at HR made that crack to me once. She apologized a few minutes later. Bygones, Drip.

 

Yeah, like how many touchdowns Terrell Owens scores.

 

Buck, that sounds like a personal issue that has nothing to do with what the discussion is about. Nevertheless, I'm glad that it worked out for you.
Moddy, I think you misinterpreted what I have written. The point is that there are many writers covering preps who could do a good job covering pros or colleges and vice versa. Covering pros doesn't necessarily mean you are the best reporter or writer at your paper. I think there are many who come up with that assumption, which I think is wrong.
As for God, I always put him first so that's where it begins with me. Others may see life differently and more power to them.

 

At big papers, yes, it usually does. Or at least the most seasoned. And highest paid. There are, I'm sure exceptions. But papers that take pro coverage seriously don't put their best beat people on preps (unless it's in some sort of local enterprise role where they bounce around from level to level).

I know it's not what you want to hear, but it's, in general, the case.

 

Waylon, I was just about to say the same thing.