Sports Editor - Odessa (TX) American

[MiamiBoy]

Football is king in West Texas – but this West Texas daily newspaper seeks an editor who wants to cover as many sports as possible. The Odessa American needs a sports editor who can handle assigning and editing stories while also keeping the OA's website, Facebook and all social media up to date. The ideal candidate would have management experience and also the ability to multi-task during busy days and crazy nights covering sports in West Texas. Candidates should have proven reporting experience as well as design experience and knowledge of Indesign. Our ideal candidate will have social media savvy and be a self-starter who can juggle many balls. Background check and drug screening are mandatory. Send resume, references and both story samples and page designs to ldennis@oaoa.com

 

[cjericho]

Do you get to sit by Bissinger in the press box?

 

[jp22]

This is currently my job. I'll be leaving July 9. If you got any questions on it, I can answer whatever you'd like either here or email jperry@oaoa.com.

 

[MiamiBoy]

Bump. They just re-posted this on JournalismJobs so they're still looking.

 

[TexasVet]

Whoever gets this needs some MOJO

 

[JustinLee]

I work here. You'd be my boss. Yes, they are still accepting applications and looking for someone.

There are four of us on sports staff, and our sports editor would be the fifth. I don't know, man -- all in all, I think it can be a pretty sweet fit for the right person. Unlike horror stories I hear in other places, we're still printing at 10:30/11ish and getting the news in, and it's a little later on football Friday nights. We're still attacking local coverage. We're still putting journalism first. We're trying to do more digital if we can, but we still value great writing. All that stuff. And our readers value us, or at least it seems like it.

Yeah, we design in-house and there'd be some design and some general desk "CEO'ing" for you, but there'd be plenty of chances to get out in the field, too. Last year our sports editor and assistant sports editor tag teamed coverage of the new DII football team at UTPB. And our sports editor headed coverage for the JUCO men's and women's basketball teams at Odessa College. There's plenty of stuff to do, not just design.

We've got, like I said, two colleges, two big high schools in town in Permian and Odessa High, and 18 other "area" high schools. We do our best to cover everything we can. There's stuff to do. I think it's a great place to work if you really want to work.

I don't know if I'm the one to answer questions, but if anybody does happen to have one for me, you can email me at jlee@oaoa.com or just DM me on Twitter @OAJustinLee

 

[joe_schmoe]

The new sports editor can have fun conversations with Justin about Twitter statuses such as this (for the backstory a kid failed to touch a base, the other team appealed. Kid was out. Game/season over):
https://twitter.com/OAJustinLee/status/868180181378375680

 

[apeman33]

The kid missed the base by that much (according to the pic in the thread) and there was a problem with the other coach appealing? He's insane if he doesn't appeal that. In fact, I thought there didn't even have to be an appeal in high school ball. If the ump sees it, he calls the kid out as soon as he touches the next base (that was the rule when I was in high school, but that was in the 80s).

 

[Ice9]

God this kid must be a real life of the party:

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Godley wins on a changed call after the fact on technicality outside the spirit of the game.<br><br>Cowardly way to coach. Cowardly way to live.</p>&mdash; Justin Lee (@OAJustinLee) <a href="">May 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cowardly way to live your life, victimizing another team&#39;s kid outside the spirit of the game.</p>&mdash; Justin Lee (@OAJustinLee) <a href="">May 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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What an ass. Sports aren't real. Get a frign grip. Loser.

 

[avtkrmn]

wow. i have seen major league players get called out on appeal for the same thing. touch the back and you are safe, dont touch the bag and if the other team notices, its your own fault

 

[JustinLee]

> What an ass. Sports aren't real. Get a frign grip. Loser.

What's real is the thousands and thousands of dollars spent to operate high school sports programs at tremendous financial loss to communities. I saw what looked to me like a coach trading the spirit of the game away for a $12 trophy. Looked like a dumb trade to me.

Keep digging and you'll find more fun stuff on my Twitter. It is what it is, not everybody agrees with me on everything, and I don't need them to.

 

[JC]

> What an ass. Sports aren't real. Get a frign grip. Loser.

What's real is the thousands and thousands of dollars spent to operate high school sports programs at tremendous financial loss to communities. I saw what looked to me like a coach trading the spirit of the game away for a $12 trophy. Looked like a dumb trade to me.

Keep digging and you'll find more fun stuff on my Twitter. It is what it is, not everybody agrees with me on everything, and I don't need them to.

They should not keep score.