The erosion of the American sportswriter
Don't misconstrue the title of this post; having grown up the son of an English professor I like to think I have a deeper appreciation for great writing than most (Mom would have it no other way). Much in the same vein that I respect the practice of journalism but call for the replacement of newspapers and magazines for being inferior platforms when compared to new media concepts (more about this theory here), I have the utmost respect for sportswriting and those who have mastered the craft. But I want a wider breadth of coverage from today's crop.
A great sports article, whether a report on a game, a human interest piece on an athlete or a composition citing the unique cultural effect sports has on larger community issues, is my favorite type of creative writing. That I'm in the biz is a dream come true for me. Having said that, most of today's sportswriters are a dank shell of what our predecessors were in covering all types of sports. I've been saying for years that writing about sports takes a special mind, but the true test of any gifted sportswriter is if they can effectively write about baseball. Sadly for many of today's sports reporters, it doesn't extend much further than that.
But when you think about it, writers themselves can't be solely responsible. Few editorial managers or assignment editors would send talented reporters out to cover unpopular events, and most authors wouldn't want to invest time and effort into topics that won't captivate.
Boxing writer emeritus Bert Sugar cited on SportsBloggersLive this week that at the turn of the 20th century and through at least the 1940's the major forms of popular competitive athletics in America were baseball, boxing, and horseracing. Our national pasttime's obviously still going strong, but the career decline of Mike Tyson has forced boxing into pop culture remission, and with exception of the country's momentary love affair with Smarty Jones in 2004, horseracing's been largely non-existent. It didn't used to be this way. The modern-day sporting world is dominated by highlights and headlines almost exclusively about football, basketball, baseball and hockey - in that order - at both the professional and collegiate levels. How did we get this way?
I attribute the factors for this being equal parts societal, behavioral and technological. The timeless opening theme to ABC's Wide World of Sports - "spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport" - doesn't apply these days, at least not to the writing profession. Long, methodical events are losing favor to timed, short-attention span venues. It's eroding baseball and for years was the bane of golf's existence, and is precisely why indoor volleyball's consistently failed to make it into the mainstream. Technologically, ESPN by its nature is a broadcast operation and is at this point beyond just being a dominant icon. It's THE source. Why would someone in the Age of Information want to read a lushly-depicted recollection of a play or historic achievement when they can see it happening?
Were it not for the Williams Sisters, no one would write about tennis at all. And that's sad, because Andy Roddick becoming the world's #1 player, even if for a brief moment, was a significant achievement for our country. When he hosted Saturday Night Live in November of 2003, most people didn't know who he was. And Roger Federer is a hell of player in his own right.
Next, sportswriters have all but given up their passion for boxing. Being a wordsmith about the Sweet Science has become an outcast art form of sorts, relegated to others in the industry and chalked up as "niche". Mid-level sports guys appreciate it but won't touch it with a 10' pole, and newbies don't know where to start. Why? I blame the degradation of the heavyweight division, coupled with an excess of belts and traditionally God-awful undercards. Plus, many of the big events still are pay-per-view. This I've never gotten: if the NBA Finals, World Series and Super Bowl can all be televised on network TV free of charge, why not a prize fight? There's been a vast reduction in the interest in professional pugilism. Ask any hardcore sports fan younger than 30 who Jack Dempsey is and gauge the disappointing results.
Golf sort of has its place today, thanks to Tiger Woods. One wonders what coverage, if any, the sport would get in his absence. The LPGA doesn't fare very well, even with Annika Sorenstam, and even worse is the fate of the WNBA. So whether she knows it or not, Michelle Wie's carrying a load larger than she knows on her still teenaged shoulders.
Further, most writers who would now be considered "old school" used to cover track and field, gymnastics, bowling, skiing and other events, just because they were sports. And I won't even touch the Olympics. Sure, the world has changed and now we've got new venues like the X-Games, outdoor competitions and a whole array of new events, but it seems like the world used to be more tolerant of other types of competition before. And journalism (largely) was there. I enjoy RealSports, HBO's televised sports magazine so much because of the quality of writing and variation of topics covered. But none of the distinguished cadre of reporters is under 50, I believe. There are extremely talented writers documenting the sports experience - but those writing pieces outside of the NBA, NHL, MLB and NFL are becoming fewer and further between. We need to extend the traditional reach to the new generation.
I long for the day when I can again expect my favorite sportswriters to cover the popular beats, plus the out-of-band ones. Being talented writers, they should have no problem capturing my attention. So colleagues, step outside your comfort zones and use your gift to artistically take on new challenges. Editorial managers, dole out new assignments and stretch a bit. You'll be appreciated for it.
A great sports article, whether a report on a game, a human interest piece on an athlete or a composition citing the unique cultural effect sports has on larger community issues, is my favorite type of creative writing. That I'm in the biz is a dream come true for me. Having said that, most of today's sportswriters are a dank shell of what our predecessors were in covering all types of sports. I've been saying for years that writing about sports takes a special mind, but the true test of any gifted sportswriter is if they can effectively write about baseball. Sadly for many of today's sports reporters, it doesn't extend much further than that.
But when you think about it, writers themselves can't be solely responsible. Few editorial managers or assignment editors would send talented reporters out to cover unpopular events, and most authors wouldn't want to invest time and effort into topics that won't captivate.
Boxing writer emeritus Bert Sugar cited on SportsBloggersLive this week that at the turn of the 20th century and through at least the 1940's the major forms of popular competitive athletics in America were baseball, boxing, and horseracing. Our national pasttime's obviously still going strong, but the career decline of Mike Tyson has forced boxing into pop culture remission, and with exception of the country's momentary love affair with Smarty Jones in 2004, horseracing's been largely non-existent. It didn't used to be this way. The modern-day sporting world is dominated by highlights and headlines almost exclusively about football, basketball, baseball and hockey - in that order - at both the professional and collegiate levels. How did we get this way?
I attribute the factors for this being equal parts societal, behavioral and technological. The timeless opening theme to ABC's Wide World of Sports - "spanning the globe to bring you the constant variety of sport" - doesn't apply these days, at least not to the writing profession. Long, methodical events are losing favor to timed, short-attention span venues. It's eroding baseball and for years was the bane of golf's existence, and is precisely why indoor volleyball's consistently failed to make it into the mainstream. Technologically, ESPN by its nature is a broadcast operation and is at this point beyond just being a dominant icon. It's THE source. Why would someone in the Age of Information want to read a lushly-depicted recollection of a play or historic achievement when they can see it happening?
Were it not for the Williams Sisters, no one would write about tennis at all. And that's sad, because Andy Roddick becoming the world's #1 player, even if for a brief moment, was a significant achievement for our country. When he hosted Saturday Night Live in November of 2003, most people didn't know who he was. And Roger Federer is a hell of player in his own right.
Next, sportswriters have all but given up their passion for boxing. Being a wordsmith about the Sweet Science has become an outcast art form of sorts, relegated to others in the industry and chalked up as "niche". Mid-level sports guys appreciate it but won't touch it with a 10' pole, and newbies don't know where to start. Why? I blame the degradation of the heavyweight division, coupled with an excess of belts and traditionally God-awful undercards. Plus, many of the big events still are pay-per-view. This I've never gotten: if the NBA Finals, World Series and Super Bowl can all be televised on network TV free of charge, why not a prize fight? There's been a vast reduction in the interest in professional pugilism. Ask any hardcore sports fan younger than 30 who Jack Dempsey is and gauge the disappointing results.
Golf sort of has its place today, thanks to Tiger Woods. One wonders what coverage, if any, the sport would get in his absence. The LPGA doesn't fare very well, even with Annika Sorenstam, and even worse is the fate of the WNBA. So whether she knows it or not, Michelle Wie's carrying a load larger than she knows on her still teenaged shoulders.
Further, most writers who would now be considered "old school" used to cover track and field, gymnastics, bowling, skiing and other events, just because they were sports. And I won't even touch the Olympics. Sure, the world has changed and now we've got new venues like the X-Games, outdoor competitions and a whole array of new events, but it seems like the world used to be more tolerant of other types of competition before. And journalism (largely) was there. I enjoy RealSports, HBO's televised sports magazine so much because of the quality of writing and variation of topics covered. But none of the distinguished cadre of reporters is under 50, I believe. There are extremely talented writers documenting the sports experience - but those writing pieces outside of the NBA, NHL, MLB and NFL are becoming fewer and further between. We need to extend the traditional reach to the new generation.
I long for the day when I can again expect my favorite sportswriters to cover the popular beats, plus the out-of-band ones. Being talented writers, they should have no problem capturing my attention. So colleagues, step outside your comfort zones and use your gift to artistically take on new challenges. Editorial managers, dole out new assignments and stretch a bit. You'll be appreciated for it.
posted by Jason Salas @ 5:57 PM
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