McGuire on Media

Category Archives: Sports journalism

Some tidbits on ESPN.com/newspaper threat, Don Ohlmeyer and Pat Forde

My old friend Phil Meyer called it right when he commented in this article about ESPN.com entering Chicago. Phil called it another “nail in newspapers’ coffin.”  ESPN’s spokesman, Paul Melvin took a much politer tack.  “As a company, we are fans of newspapers, and not believers they are going away. They face challenges that will [...]

Some predictions for sports editors and sports sections

Comments to Associated Press Sports Editors convention
Minneapolis, Mn. June 26, 2008. The comments were made as part of a panel discussion on “What sports sections will look like five years from now.”
Sometimes the plight of other industries help us better understand our own situation.
On Monday I gave a speech to the American Association of [...]

Davidson was a thrilling underdog

On the Tuesday night before the regional finals in the NCAA basketball tournament an ESPN radio talker named Jason Smith told his audience, with every indication he was dead serious, that upsets were bad for the NCAA tournament. His theory was that ratings go down when the big teams don’t play. Horsefeathers and other strong [...]

Women, sports and media: A remarkable journey

I am completing my diversity section of my Sports and Media class. Women in sports was the final topic. I wanted to show the journey of women in sports so I used the hackneyed  four-scene approach.
Scene 1, Ypsilanti Michigan 1973. I was the managing editor of the now-defunct Ypsilanti Press.  Carolyn King was an 11-year-old [...]

Stark's blog on Clemens was stunning journalism

I am no expert on live blogging. I do think I recognize compelling journalism when I see it.  I saw it Wednesday. Jason Stark’s live blog on ESPN.com engaged me all day. I visited it seven or eight times (don’t tell the dean!)
Certainly the subject matter demands attention for a lifelong baseball fan, but Stark’s [...]

Seattle Times series should have your attention

The Seattle Times completed a four-day series today called “Victory and Ruins” that demands the attention of sports journalists, legal observers, college football administrators and fans.
The first-day overview seems to point an accusing finger at former Head Coach Rick Neuheisil, and you certainly are left shaking your head that UCLA recently hired Neuheisil to “lead” [...]

Brady's boot still bothers me

Tom Brady’s boot is still bugging me. I thought my pique was going to pass until Ben Benya, a smart student in my Sports media class, jabbed me again.
I have asked my students to nominate a sports media turkey of the week. ESPN’s  Dana Jacobson got a lot of attention for her tasteless, apparently drunken, [...]

No snickering allowed: I want to explore sports media ethics

Okay, so I kind of volunteered. I suspect the assistant dean knew I couldn’t resist and set a gentle, loving trap. The dean did warn me I won’t be teaching only journalism majors.  The dean did mention that the sports media class at ASU has not been  regarded as a “serious” class. It’s been a [...]