| In today’s FOX Sports Insider: Sportswriters the world over are still striving to tell stories, even without the games … a classic MLS matchup is part of a solid night of sports viewing … and we look to predict the exact order of the first three picks in the upcoming NFL Draft. For myself, and others in my profession, it is the most common question in the most unusual of times. What does a sportswriter do when there are no sports? Readers of this newsletter column will know that amid the unseating of life as we knew it, there has still been plenty to write (and read) about. We have kept Insider going because since we started it last year, the segment has always been about storylines, issues and narratives. As every aspect of human existence has found itself touched by COVID-19, there has been no shortage of those. There has been the bad news, all the necessary ways in which the sports we love have been affected, and temporarily removed, by the global spread of the coronavirus. Cancellations, postponements, reschedulings. Telling that tale hasn’t been fun, but, if anything, this time has served as a reminder of just how vital sports are to so many. We are united in craving a return to normal, and watching sports will be a part of it. Over the past couple of decades, I have grown to realize that beyond the games themselves, a large number of people are genuinely interested in the profession of sportswriting and the intricacies that run through it. For many, it sounds like a dream job and, in a lot of ways, it is. |
I have had insanely well-paid doctors and lawyers and Wall Street big shots tell me they wish they’d chosen it instead of their own field. Just as I envy their bank balances, they would love my list of memories, fireside tales and passport stamps. Yet the answer to the question at the top is not the same for everyone. While my job has stayed consistent — same column, adjusted content — and we here at FOX Sports have brought you all the sports coverage we possibly can, many who work in the field of producing sports content have seen things shift considerably. “Sports journalism is a really interesting culture,” Larry Lage, an Associated Press reporter from Detroit, told me in a telephone conversation. “We compete against each other but cooperate with each other. You want to beat your competitor, but you are also pulling for them. It is not just about hanging out with athletes and getting free tickets to events. “We spend a lot of time away from our families and work late nights. Not a lot of people get rich. And, importantly, a lot are not full-time workers.” Lage’s thoughts turned to the large sports freelance community early this month, as the mass shutdown began and things began to rapidly change on every level. Having previously had some success raising money for the Indiana School for the Deaf in tribute to his deaf parents and nephews, Lage started a fundraiser for the huge number of freelancers who work in sports, who now find their careers effectively put on hold for the indeterminate future. “Every industry is hit hard,” Lage added. “The reality in this one is that for a lot of people, no games means no money.” He set a goal of $2,000, hoping to assist a handful of local freelancers. The response was big enough that as of last weekend, the tally had reached more than $16,000, meaning Lage had been able to send money to 83 sports media workers, including writers, editors, photographers, videographers, on-air talent and makeup artists. In the United Kingdom, the total closure of professional soccer has meant a severe financial fallout, according to Janine Self, co-chair of Britain’s Sports Journalists Association and a pioneering reporter who was one of England’s first national female sportswriters during the 1980s. “A large number of people rely on covering games, often for more than one newspaper,” Self told me. “Most of the time nowadays, if you are at a game outside the Premier League, the majority of the press box will be freelancers. Some people are living paycheck to paycheck — if there is not one, it is a problem.” Self had a long career at Britain’s top-selling daily, The Sun, and now works freelance. She was also due to work at the Olympics in Tokyo, now rescheduled to 2021, while many journalists are in current limbo due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the Wimbledon tennis tournament. Yet in some sports, there has been little change. Full-time NFL writers have been as busy as ever during the offseason, with the usual trades and pre-Draft maneuvers — plus, in Tom Brady’s switch to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, one of the most dramatic relocations in league history. Others have been asked to take their talents elsewhere, for now. Steve Politi, award-winning sports columnist for New Jersey’s Star-Ledger and NJ.com, has been temporarily reassigned to his publication’s news department. “When I write about sports, my columns are generally stories about people and their lives,” Politi told me. “In that way, it is no different. I am grateful to be part of telling the story of what is going on. It is much preferable to writing nostalgia stuff about something that happened in sports in 1972.” Politi has covered the biggest events in sports, including Super Bowls, NCAA tournaments and Olympic Games. His coronavirus reporting has taken on a micro, community-level approach that he has found immensely rewarding. In a reminder that acts of kindness resonate hugely in times of struggle, two of his local articles generated widespread attention. One, of a newspaper delivery guy who offered to help bring residents their groceries, led to Politi being contacted by several others who wanted to assist the man with his good deeds. Another, about Jersey Shore pizzeria owners who took out a $50,000 line of credit in order to continue paying their employees went viral, led to the family receiving a call from a White House speech writer. Really, though, that is the truest answer to the question. While Politi might not be writing about sports at the moment, he’s telling stories. Real, emotional, human stories. For those who don’t just enjoy sports, but write about them for a living, the chance to tell those stories again — to not just report on what they see, but to recreate the emotions of drama through written, spoken or visual form — is what we crave. The best of sports journalism is when a human connection can be found, one that threads through the awe-inspiring feats of athletics and into relatable parallels to life’s realities. Right now, we don’t just miss what we’re used to seeing in the arena, be it a LeBron James dunk, a Drew Brees laser or Lionel Messi’s lightning feet. We miss the way it makes us feel. Everyone has a head filled with confusing and conflicting thoughts right now. We are all, writers and readers alike, trying to find our way through all of this, pining for the games to return so that we can have that feeling. Plus, the most obvious and welcome association: When sports are back, it will mean we are largely through this once again, together. “I remember the first games back after 9/11,” Politi added. “I think this will feel bigger. And it will be everywhere.” Until then, we will do what we can to gather around the fire and entertain. It’s simply who we are. Here’s what others have said … Matthew Stephens, Charlotte Observer: “What’s fascinating are the personalities involved in sports, what athletes do outside the game. The transactions — the pitches and steps made to sign a recruit or free agent — and analyzing how that roster move will affect any given team. A college coach’s contract, its loopholes and bonus structure. The triumph of someone overcoming odds, or the tragedy of how head trauma changes an elite athlete’s life. The way a team takes care of its employees the way the Hornets and Hurricanes are doing for part-timers at their arenas. These are the kinds of stories that make sports unique, and these are the stories we’ll continue to tell, regardless of whether games are played.” Hanaa’ Tameez, Nieman Lab: “There are certainly still stories to be produced about all these cancellations and their effects on communities. But the de-scheduling of a highly scheduled beat can also open up new possibilities. In Philadelphia, for instance, [Philadelphia Inquirer director of digitals for sports Shemar] Woods said that without his reporters traveling for games, they have more time to explore the idea of starting a podcast. They have more time now to dive into stories they can’t find time for during a regular season. … Of course, there are plenty of other stories that need covering in a time of unprecedented shutdowns across American cities. Woods said one of his sports reporters has been loaned to the news team to help cover the pandemic; Reynolds said his reporters will likely do the same in his newsroom in the coming weeks.” |
