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The Athletic keeps growing .......

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Fran Curci, Feb 3, 2018.

Page 100 of 176
  1. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    Don't really have much insight. It's hard to know what is going on with them, because it is a private company and they play it pretty close to the vest. But any time you have the ability to raise a bunch of money, it's a good thing, obviously. It likely shows that they have cash coming in from subscriptions, which is showing potential even if they aren't profitable.

    It's a Series C round. Those are typically investors who like what they see with the execution of what they have done with the money they already raised, and give a cash infusion for scaling and expansion purposes, or sometimes to buy other companies that can help grow. I'd guess the company is generating some cash, which would be pretty healthy at this stage, even if it isn't profitable. It's a pretty good feat to make it to a series C round, and that is a pretty good haul of money, so they should be feeling good about themselves. It values the company at around $200 million. My spidey senses tell me that is very rich for where it should be, but that has nothing to do with the viability of The Athletic. Whether I am right or wrong about that, the Athletic could be doing everything right, even if people investing paid too much for their equity.

    Just from a funding standpoint, capital is still relatively easy to come by, so the fact that it raised money doesn't say anything definitively about the long-term viability of the company. There is still a lot of stupid money chasing things, because the cost to borrow is still way too cheap due to a distorted environment. It leads to some whacked out investment. Again, that doesn't mean the Athletic is a bad company. It just means that money in general is too loose, and it is funding a lot of bad things, along with some good. We are probably in the last chase phase of that nuttiness. The IBM acquisition of Red Hat this week was very reminiscent of the AOL buying Time Warner craziness from the dot.com bubble, which was the top before the spigots dried up. We'll see. But that does show that money is still flowing, even if you can tangibly feel things turning a little over the last half year or so ... it is not quite as easy today as it was, say 3 years ago. For a company like The Athletic to tap $40 million is a good haul, even in this environment. Now they have to execute. This would be make or break time, because this round would typically be it on your ability to raise money. You usually don't get another bite at the apple after a Series C funding round like this. Now they have a little stash of cash, and we get to see what they can make happen with it.
     
    The Big Ragu, Oct 31, 2018
    #1189
    maumann likes this.
  2. Ice9

    Ice9 Active Member

    Where's Reddy on this?
     
    Ice9, Oct 31, 2018
    #1190
    wicked likes this.
  3. JC

    JC Well-Known Member

    Finally was hired by The Athletic.
     
    JC, Oct 31, 2018
    #1191
    Donny in his element, wicked, 2muchcoffeeman and 1 other person like this.
  4. Tweener

    Tweener Well-Known Member

    Deadspin torches Shams and his recent Derrick Rose feature:

    "This friendly profile of Rose published yesterday by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, which can’t be excused as a half-formed thought hastily offered on live TV in the wake of Rose’s big triumph, also failed spectacularly. Given that it was written by a pure access merchant, the story was never going to ask the hard questions, but while ostensibly offering a look at how Rose “revived his career,” it completely failed to mention the rape allegation and civil case that dragged on for more than a year of Rose’s life."
     
    Tweener, Nov 1, 2018
    #1192
    studthug12 likes this.
  5. 2muchcoffeeman

    2muchcoffeeman Well-Known Member

    Since I don’t see a lot of new-job announcements by copy editors on Twitter, did The Athletic ever find the deskers it was looking for?

    (Clearly I was not hired, so the standard “You’re hired!” comeback isn’t appropriate here. But darn it, I’m good enough to edit copy for The Athletic!)
     
    2muchcoffeeman, Nov 1, 2018
    #1193
    Waldo9939 likes this.
  6. Joe Williams

    Joe Williams Well-Known Member

    No criminal charges. Civil case, lost. Read that Deadspin piece, which might be making a fair point regarding Charania's handling of the assault allegation in a full "adversities overcome and a bit embittered" feature and interview. But it also slams other outlets and sports journalists who were dealing in real time with Rose's on-court 50-point performance, as if reporting that without attaching the in-court situation is oppressive, insensitive, string-together-all-the-buzzwords-here. SI.com had a piece that was even more direct in criticizing coverage.

    So when is it OK to stop referring to something in someone's private past when reporting on something in their public life, and does the process -- a court proceeding in which Rose was found not liable -- forever make it essential info? Also, does the rule change based on Rose's level of play or importance to his current team on any given night?
     
    Joe Williams, Nov 1, 2018
    #1194
    cake in the rain, MNgremlin and Tweener like this.
  7. Tweener

    Tweener Well-Known Member

    That's fair. I do think, though, that what Rose has gone through off-court needs to be essential in reporting what he's overcome. Not doing so is either lazy or not wanting to rock the boat, which isn't any better.

    It won't be forever a part of Rose's narrative -- if he's again found not liable -- but it has to be right now, particularly because of the appeal starting back up in court later this month. That a former MVP is going through this, whether guilty or not, his to be, in my opinion, as big a part of his story as the injuries that have derailed his career.
     
    Tweener, Nov 1, 2018
    #1195
  8. Jake_Taylor

    Jake_Taylor Well-Known Member

    The Rose stuff is worthy of discussion. Twitter, I know, last night was full of people either saying "what a great night for a great guy" or "don't celebrate a rapist."

    The guy had his day in court and won, in civil court too, where the burden of proof is lower. I don't know, I'm glad I wasn't one of the people trying to write about him last night.
     
    Jake_Taylor, Nov 1, 2018
    #1196
  9. Tweener

    Tweener Well-Known Member

    It's tricky. That he was not found liable should still be part of the discussion of what he's overcome, I firmly believe. Some just completely avaoided it or simply implied that the devastating injuries were the entirety of his story. Far from it.
     
    Tweener, Nov 1, 2018
    #1197
  10. JimmyHoward33

    JimmyHoward33 Well-Known Member

    Thats why twitter is the worst
     
    JimmyHoward33, Nov 1, 2018
    #1198
  11. PCLoadLetter

    PCLoadLetter Well-Known Member

    I disagree with the notion that the rape allegation had any part of last night's story. He wasn't "overcoming" or coming back from a rape allegation. He was coming back from his knee exploding. He went from MVP to bench guy on a mediocre team because of injuries, not because of off-the-court issues.

    If you saw the game last night, the color announcer started in with "I'm no judge and jury..." and brought up the rape case at the exactly moment Rose burst into tears after the game. It really screwed up what otherwise was a pretty terrific moment.

    If Rose wins NBA man of the year he has "overcome" the rape allegation to win it. Otherwise, no.

    (And let me know the next time someone brings up rape when Ben Roethlisberger throws for 300 yards.)
     
    PCLoadLetter, Nov 1, 2018
    #1199
    MNgremlin and Joe Williams like this.
  12. John

    John Well-Known Member

    John, Nov 1, 2018
    #1200
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