I know that for some this is the dream job. You cover a sport that you love, and people read your thoughts and ideas.
I will be the first to admit, that it is harder than it seems.
I am not a great writer, though I have some skill with language. However, trying to fit your thoughts into 500-800 words after a game with cohesion and flair...that takes true talent.
I am certainly learning the craft with each piece I write, but I am also learning that I miss the role of the fan. My kids were right. I do enjoy being a fan. This role as a media representative prevents me from fulfilling that role.
I have a new respect for the pros. It is not just asking the right question at the right time. I have seen every reporter in the room get the disdainful look from a player or a coach for asking a question they feel is wasted. We all have stories to write and angles we want to pursue. Our questions are as biased and colored as the answers we get.
It is the ability to find the theme or the thread of interest that drives an article that is so very difficult.
Anyone can talk about sports.
I suspect a large, but somewhat smaller subset can write about sports. Blogging is a free form that allows us to journal our thoughts in a shared forum. Some use it exactly that way, while others strike a more formal path.
I find that I, through my commitment to covering the games, find less time to do the things that I enjoy doing about the games. The last game I ran the numbers for was the Sky game last month. By the time I finish my commitment, I find I lack the passion or the energy, or perhaps simply the time to do what I have always done.
Please forgive my delays in game analyses as I fulfill my commitments. I believe so strongly in the need to cover this league at the local and national level, that I have sacrificed some things that I WANT in order to ensure that this team is covered. I am not blogging all that much, I am not Tweeting, and my son is seeing less basketball than ever. I feel good that the tickets are paid for, but sad that the seats are empty.
I will get back to my data. It just may take a little more time than it used to. In the mean time...if the economy is slapping you around, but you want to see a game. Let me know. I have four seats begging for fans.
1 comment:
I definitely hear you. Writing about a sport for publication is almost a different mindset, and writing a blog doesn't quite prepare you for it.
It also becomes very hard to separate being a fan from being ostensibly neutral. Sometimes you find out too much. Sometimes someone in the organization rubs you the wrong way.
You begin to find that you have less time for fannish activity. You have to figure out how you're going to get to the arena on dates x, y, and z. Then, when you meet actual sportwriters who do this for a living, you become surprised at how difficult it really is to be a sportswriter, working under the threat of a deadline which is hours away.
Trust me, I understand why the blog is slowed down. If I ever get to Seattle, I'll take you up on one of those seats.
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