Who's on deck to be a sports editor?

[Joe Williams]

Who's on deck to be the next sports editor bailing out of newspapers for ESPN, Yahoo!, sports talk radio or 2-weeks-pay-for-every-year-worked?

 

[John]

As a general question this is interesting. Do you think as many people in this business want to be a sports editor as opposed to 10, 20 years ago? Does the climate of the business nowadays make it less attractive to, say, move from a beat/columnist job into the editor's chair or from the top desk spot to editor?

And I assume we're mostly talking about the bigger papers.

I was going to ask the same question. I've told my boss a few times that I would never, ever want his job. He does it very well, but I'd quit after about a week.

 

[Rockbottom]

Danny Noonan offers shades of truthiness, reflecting my daily work life more than I care for it to. Sigh.

rb

 

[scalper]

All the ads for sports editors read the same. They want someone who "sees beyond the boxscore," understands the importance of "off the field stories" and is committed/dedicated/brainwashed into spewing the company line about telling stories across multiple media platforms.

What they want, almost without exception, and more than ever before, is a gutless yes man.

And 70 to 80 hours a week.

Does sound like a great time.

 

[eyeonsportsmedia]

With a couple of sports editor jobs open at larger papers, any thoughts on who isn't currently a sports editor but should be? Could include Young Studs or veterans .........

Well since your name indicates a LA Times connection, have you read Knightfall: Knight Ridder and How The Erosion of Newspaper Journalism Is Putting Democracy At Risk by Davis Merritt? If so, why would anyone want the headache of the job and the bottom line being more important than the journalism? :

 

[Ike Broflovski]

Along these lines, any news of a new sports editor in Philadelphia? That seems to be about the most prominent vacancy out there -- if it still is vacant.

 

[Moderator1]

There's a pretty big name interested in Philly and the interest is mutual but I don't know if it will happen.
Still lots of talk all over the place - the two big names I talked about going to ESPN are still talking to ESPN - but not a lot of movement right now.
I stand by my prediction, however. Much shakeup between now and 1/1/2008. Or right around it, some folks may wait until after Xmas to move.

 

[wickedwritah]

There's a pretty big name interested in Philly and the interest is mutual but I don't know if it will happen.
Still lots of talk all over the place - the two big names I talked about going to ESPN are still talking to ESPN - but not a lot of movement right now.
I stand by my prediction, however. Much shakeup between now and 1/1/2008. Or right around it, some folks may wait until after Xmas to move.

With the chopping that has happened in Philly, I am shocked -- shocked -- that "a pretty big name" is considering the Inquirer.

Moddy's not wrong, that's not what I'm saying. I'm just stunned that someone would wanna walk into that environment.

 

[Football_Bat]

I know a Jewish carpenter who says Fred Faour will take your job. Get nervous. ;D

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

As a general question this is interesting. Do you think as many people in this business want to be a sports editor as opposed to 10, 20 years ago? Does the climate of the business nowadays make it less attractive to, say, move from a beat/columnist job into the editor's chair or from the top desk spot to editor?

And I assume we're mostly talking about the bigger papers.

I was going to ask the same question. I've told my boss a few times that I would never, ever want his job. He does it very well, but I'd quit after about a week.

When I first started in this biz, more than a decade ago, a SE was ALL I wanted to be. I switched papers five years later to take a promotion to ASE. Great job! I mean a great job. After a year or so, I quickly realized, while I loved my job as ASE, there was no way in heck I ever wanted to be a sports editor. No frick'in way!
In the last few years my opinion hasn't changed.

 

[Fenian_Bastard]

Some soulless corporate drone?

 

[Ace]

Some soulless corporate drone?

You rang?