When an athlete joins the media herd it’s almost as if they have two strikes against them even before they start….It’s not uncommon for viewers/readers to come to the conclusion that the only way the player got the job was because he played the game (and had a recognizable face/name)…The second is that just because they did play the game, they understand it better…Awful Announcing has made a living discounting that premise…
So it was with this in mind that Billy Jaffe and Matt Chatham visited the B-U sports journalism seminar series recently to shed some light on their life after playing…
The first thing i have to tell you is that Jaffe brought an energy and approach never seen before in the series, that dates back t0 2005…He commandeered the room immediately and stood for the entire two hours….Not only did that put me on notice but it caught the attention of every student in the room…”Go to the camera, said Jaffe, don’t let it come to you. If you let it come to you, like every thing else in high DEF, you’ll look like &*#%!”…Jaffe didn’t waste any time…
Both Jaffe and Chatham dealt with being ex-pro athletes when they first started out and had to be careful not to patronize the players they were commenting on…But there’s no doubt having played the game, gave them a perspective the average viewer never has….”Even when i was going after a guy, I thought of all the other plausibilities, said Chatham, what other things could be there that are a factor on what made it look like it did.”
Chatham, of course, sports three Super Bowl rings and played nine seasons in the NFL…A resume that no one questions when he talks about the players and the league…Jaffe never made it to the NHL as a player after a couple of seasons at the University of Michigan but worked his way up slowly to get to where he is now, NESN, the NHL Network and Sportsnet Canada…Nobody handed him anything and he’s acutely aware of his position; “If this is how I was going to make the NHL, this is how I was gonna make it. But now I’m gonna do everything I can to make sure i don’t get sent down to the minors.”
Former players, sure …Pretty faces, up to you to decide…Hard workers, no doubt…These athletes have made the transition the same way they did it in sports, they earned it(with credit to Smith Barney)…
14 Comments
Nicholas Picht posted on February 16, 2015 at 2:24 pm
To start, I was extremely impressed with Billy’s enthusiasm right off the bat last week. The first words in my notes from class were “SUPER CONFIDENT!” because you could tell he oozed confidence in his ability. From the minute Billy walked in the room, he demanded our attention, and made me want to listen to what he had to say – exactly what he does when he is in front of the camera. As a broadcast student, this is a mindset and presence I’m taught to emulate each and every time I stand in front of a camera. Sometimes, though, I find myself wondering how much of a difference that demeanor really makes. But when you see it in professionals like Billy Jaffe, I realize that it’s not just a teacher term, but also something that can actually really captivate an audience, making us broadcasters a lot more than just talking heads.
I think one area where athlete-journalists do have an advantage (besides the obvious one of knowing the locker room and way around the team) is that competitive edge that’s been engrained in them from playing their respective sports. Most of them have the ultimate desire to win, or to be the best at what they do, and will do anything to stay at the top of their games. When Billy made that comment of being “sent down to the minors,” that’s what I thought of. The fear of failure/desire to be the best/whatever you want to call it factor that athletes have is what propels them forward and drives their ultimate success. Not saying that journalists (or anyone else) don’t have this mindset, but I feel like the desire is much stronger in professional athletes.
I was also really impressed at the pride both Billy and Matt take in their work. Neither of them expected to have a career in journalism simply because they were athletes. And they’ve worked hard to get as far as they have in the field. Sometimes, I do get a little bitter when athletes are seemingly handed positions in our field. But, these guys obviously earned their stripes and deserve every bit of credit they get.
There was so much to learn from both these guys, but for me, the main takeaway was that with old-fashioned hard work, it’s actually possible to accomplish your dreams and make a career in this field. That’s the hard work that’s used to build a reputation, relationships, and respect in the business. But like Billy said, even when you have one, that doesn’t mean you stop working. Being content is the last thing we can be. That’s our ticket to the minors. Or maybe even worse, out of journalism altogether.
Conor Ryan posted on February 18, 2015 at 10:01 am
It can be easy to show cynicism towards ex-athletes who make the jump into the journalism market. After all, looking at individuals such as Ray Lewis (2013-present) and Magic Johnson (2008-13) at ESPN can leave most hard-working journalists feeling pretty fumed — Both former athletes offer little in terms of analysis or pertinent commentary when on TV and may have received their new occupation as a result of their athletic resumes, rather than hard work and on-air/writing talent.
Going into last week’s seminar, I could comfortably say that I was one of those journalists that were sick of the influx of former athletes permeating the world of sports journalism. That’s not to say that I despise every athlete-turned-journalist. I love writers such as Gabe Kapler (FOX Sports) and appreciate the commentary of analysts/personalities such as Charles Barkley, Jalen Rose and Troy Aikman. However, the thought that these athletes have been given a fast pass up to the tops of the sports journalism industry has been a prevailing thought that has stuck with me.
However, I was pleasantly surprised when listening to both Billy Jaffe and Matt Chatham speak last Thursday. I was not surprised by their skill in terms of analysis and their confidence — after all, these are former athletes — but I was pleasantly surprised by how much work they put into their craft as journalists.
As Jaffe noted, he fell into the journalism industry out of nowhere, but has steadily progressed up the ladder due to years of dedication and a commitment to giving the audience the very best in terms of coverage and analysis. It’s easy to spot from both Jaffe and Chatham that they take their new profession very seriously and are aware that they can’t rest on their laurels in such a cutthroat industry.
Yes, journalism and the people it favors can be an unfair at times, but it’s reassuring to know that hard work and staying focused on improving your craft — as both Jaffe and Chatham have done — can really help you move your way up in this market.
Keiko Talley posted on February 18, 2015 at 3:27 pm
This was the first week that we had speakers standing the entire time. I found it a nice change and although at first I thought that it was going to feel like a lecture with people preaching at us, Billy Jaffe made sure to clear that assumption right away. He didn’t act like we were students; he spoke to us as I imagine he would speak to his friends. He had high energy, moved around a lot, and even tossed in a few curse words. He seemed like a natural talking to us and I could see how he would make the camera come to him when he’s broadcasting. His demeanor was much different than Marcus Smart’s last week, who sat in the chair slouching very nonchalantly (no offense to Marcus).
Although I agree with the fact that an athlete that has played a sport would be better equipped to cover the sport than someone who has never played, I also agree with the thought that they are taking away jobs from people like me (a statement I believe Kelly made before our speakers came). After I graduated college it took me two years to find a job in the field that I wanted, only to land a part time freelance position at a local paper covering high school sports. Two years after I graduated college and I’m going back to school to try and get better at this profession, only to see more and more former athletes getting the jobs that I’m spending all this money and putting all of this time into learning, simply because they once played the sport. Not that these athletes don’t deserve the jobs that they got, but Billy Jaffe himself said that he just fell into broadcasting. Matt Chatham even stated a few times, before and after the seminar, that he has no journalistic integrity because he doesn’t consider himself a journalist, which I was taken back by and it didn’t help my opinion on him having the job I’m working so hard to get.
I wasn’t surprised at how dedicated Matt and Billy were to their jobs; you have to be in order to keep it. However, I was surprised to hear Billy state that he was determined to do everything possible so he wasn’t sent down to the minors. I realized that to these athletes turned journalists, their jobs keep them in the same mindset as the game did. No one wants to be a great reporter for the NFL, MLB, NHL and than get sent down to cover a minor league team. Unlike as an athlete, once you get sent down to the minors as a reporter it’s much harder to work your way back up to the major leagues.
I’m still not sure as to what exactly is fair, however being on this side of the spectrum I would much rather there be more job opportunities for people who take the time and money to learn the ins and outs of a field, rather than someone who has fallen into a job because they’re a former player. Though, there is no doubt that the former athletes can dictate the game better than I could even if I was studying the game for years. However, this industry is a lot about whom you know and the athletes of the games tend to know a lot more people in the business than a student who is just starting out in the industry.
Nick Garrido posted on February 18, 2015 at 4:25 pm
I have to admit that when I got the schedule for this class on the opening night of the seminar series, I was very confused as to why exactly we were doing this particular seminar on players turned journalists. I looked around the room and I didn’t even see too many college athletes in the class. Now, I completely understand why this seminar was super important not only now but for the future.
Most of the class admitted that having learned the sport at an early age as well as playing it all your life will definitely give you an advantage if you begin to cover that same sport. I do think the major sports outlets such as Fox and ESPN put too much of an emphasis on hiring star athletes to go into journalism once they retire.
Jaffe played hockey all his life, played it in college but never played in the NHL. That itself is just enough to give him an edge in credibility over any journalist who just wants to come in and cover the sport that has never actually played it. In my opinion, you don’t need to be a professional athlete to cover a sport and some players turned journalists/broadcasters such as Mark Brunell, Warren Sapp, and Donovan McNabb shouldn’t be taking away jobs from more hard working candidates. We’ve also seen several players turned journalists get in severe trouble. The Curt Schilling and Cedric Maxwell articles on Blackboard were perfect examples that sometimes former players do not know the limits as to what they can say on record and what they shouldn’t be saying. Here is an article that I believe orchestrates that at times it can be way too easy for former players to get jobs. This is on McNabb’s feud with Nascar driver Jimmie Johnson: http://www.foxsports.com/nascar/shake-and-bake/feud-of-the-week-nascar-nation-vs-donovan-mcnabb-111813
Hearing both Billy Jaffe and Matt Chatham was incredibly important because they gave several tips on how to be effective journalists. As Billy said, “you should always go to practice and morning skate”. You need to be around the team as much as possible. Hockey is a great sport, in terms of giving journalists access to practices. In my eyes, if you’re covering a sport that you’ve never played, you should go out and even try to learn the sport and play it from time to time. Both Jaffe and Chatham are extremely passionate about what they do and its obvious why they’ve been successful as journalists.
The biggest lesson that I learned from this seminar was that yes players are taking journalist jobs once they retire, there’s no arguing against that. I can’t sit here and complain about it, it won’t help me at all. I just have to work harder in order to secure my first job and hopefully move on up in the industry. If I do cover tennis, it would give me an advantage because I played on the junior United States circuit, but I need to be passionate about whatever role I step in, no matter what, and hopefully I will be as successful as Billy Jaffe or Matt Chatham one day.
Pat O'Rourke posted on February 18, 2015 at 8:27 pm
One of my pet peeves of athletes-turned-analysts is mentions of their playing days. You know, “I played the game”, or “When I played…”, or “If I were still playing..”. The ESPN set of ex-players that masquerades as the local bar full of ex-high school jocks reflecting on the glory days.
That said, an ex-player can make a successful broadcasting career using insights and knowledge that came from playing at such a high level when used right. When a happy medium is reached between bringing traditional insight and ex-player insight, former players bring more to the table than most in the industry.
Billy Jaffe and Matt Chatham are great examples of this premise. By using — but not overusing — their playing experience not many others (Jaffe didn’t play in the NHL, but he played hockey at Michigan; like Tom Brady said, not every kid gets to play at Michigan) can say they had.
The two prepare and work as hard as anybody in the industry, when it comes to studying and preparing before delivering when the time comes. And when the time is right, they pull the player card. They do so in a manner that is useful, as opposed to obnoxious.
You see guys like Tiki Barber and Ray Lewis — just to name two — who its clear don’t have the work ethic Chatham or Jaffe have. Guys who rely too much on their past career to carry their new career. A guy I wish used his ex-player insight more in this market was Lou Merloni. The WEEI host, who played nine years in Major League Baseball, is the best in the Boston market when it comes to anything baseball. If he ever finds the happy medium Chatham and Jaffe do, the sky is the limit.
Most of all with Chatham and Jaffe, the found their niche in the industry. They didn’t try to be something they weren’t. They found what they were best at, and ran with it. That’s the biggest lesson I took from Thursday night. I can’t do what they do because I didn’t play at their level. I need to find what suits me best, and make the most of it.
We all have strengths. We all have flaws. The key to success in the business isn’t to fix or eliminate the flaws, but to find what our strengths are, then build ourselves around those strengths. Chatham and Jaffe did just that, and found success doing it.
Kelly Landrigan posted on February 18, 2015 at 8:57 pm
When I looked at the syllabus and saw “Athletes as Journalists” as a topic, I was pretty excited. I figured I could finally ask the guys who, in my opinion, were taking jobs away from people like me what they thought about that presumption. However the concept of not judging a book by its cover never proved to be more true after last week’s seminar. Both Billy Jaffe and Matt Chatham gave me a new level of appreciation for athletes who decide to become members of the media after their playing days are over.
From a fan perspective, I actually love listening to what former athletes have to say about a situation. Even over winter break, my uncle asked me why he should want to listen to ME talk about college football when he can listen to someone who actually PLAYED college football talk about the game. For a while, I started to think he may have had a point. In conversations I had with Chatham, I noted that he will ALWAYS have an advantage over me when it comes to covering football because he’s played the game and I haven’t. However, what I appreciated was that neither Chatham or Jaffe stood there and claimed that they were the best source on football or hockey. Even though they both played their respective sports at some elite level, they both prepare just as hard as someone like me, who has never played either sport at any level. The emphasis they both put on studying the game was a huge takeaway for me this past week. Also, they both advised us to become as acclimated to each sporting environment we face as journalists, a lesson that I feel many people overlook. The best way to cover a team, sport, etc. is to understand the rules, the players, the coaches, and every aspect to the best of your ability. If you’re comfortable with the basics, you’ll shine in your role as a print journalist, broadcaster, etc., because as many of our guests have noted now, athletes can smell the fakers.
I think what was also refreshing to hear from our guests is that they don’t think they have “special privileges” as former athletes covering a sport they played. They don’t just get to walk into locker rooms or get exclusives information just because they may have a personal friendship with an athlete or a coach. Both Chatham and Jaffe were fully aware of their newfound role in the media, which made me have a lot more respect for them as potential future colleagues.
Finally, it was also interesting to hear their perspectives on how other former athletes approach the transition into a media role. It was interesting to hear how Chatham categorized his website (Football by Football) differently from Derek Jeter’s recently launched website (The Player’s Tribune). While Jeter seems to want to help athletes circumvent the corrupt media, Chatham wants to bring an actual inside perspective of how things may or may not have happened in a game. That spoke to me a lot as a fan and as a journalist because it showed me that Chatham has respect for the work that we do, but also knows he can maybe bring a new side to the equation. All in all, it was one of the more surprising seminars that definitely gave me a new perspective on former athletes as journalists.
Katie Peverada posted on February 18, 2015 at 9:15 pm
I’m like all my classmates – I’m assuming – in that I felt like I was on the receiving end of a great motivational speech. Billy Jaffe and Matt Chatham, though in different ways, really got me excited for the hard work that is awaiting me in the sports industry. What both speakers showed was that they found a way to fit in; they found a way to make it in the “majors,” so to say, which I think is an ultimate takeaway. For a former athlete to re-enter the arena – in a different uniform – they need to find a way to make it work. Jaffe, for example, shows what a lot of energy and excitement can do. The excitement he brought with him into the room was infectious, and without a doubt it helps capture his audience with his broadcasts or just in conversation. And as Professor Shorr pointed out in his blog, Jaffe believes in going to the camera – with a whole lot of energy. Chatham was more toned down and seemed to have a more cerebral approach. Chatham, for example, brought up the time in his playing days when he was thought to have blown his coverage on Jason Witten when, in all actuality, it wasn’t what it appeared. It’s moments like those that make him look at all the different possibilities before making an assumption (and not to take anything away from Jaffe, but I say that based on the article Chatham had published just hours prior to class on Peyton Manning). This translates to a wide resounding theme this semester of finding your niche, and using unique ways and hard work to stay ahead of the curve.
What this should mean to me, then, is that no matter your sport or background in that sport, work hard and things will happen. But…Let’s face it, Ray Lewis is no Cris Collinsworth. Collinsworth undoubtedly does his homework, like Jaffe and Chatham. All of that said, though, there’s still one problem that I have – and something that neither Jaffe nor Chatham could have had a 100% for sure answer for. Everything they were saying was true, but after class I started thinking. They had the commonality of being successful former MALE athletes. What about former female-athletes-turned-journalists? What kind of obstacles do they encounter? Jaffe and Chatham talked about slowly building credibility through both hard work AND their past playing experiences, which is ideal, but not for everyone. For some females, that works. In just a few classes with Professor Kremer, I can see how hard she works and the credibility that she has. However, it certainly looks like a different world for former female athletes.
About a year ago, Kara Lawson and Beth Mowins combined to broadcast an NCAA DI basketball game for ESPN. Mowins, in my mind, is one of the great contemporary broadcasting voices, male or female, for her ability to cover just about any sport with aplomb. Lawson, who plays in the WNBA, was the first woman to be an analyst for an NBA game. However, despite the hard work and experiences of both of these women, they were met with skepticism and deemed unfit. Despite the fact that they worked and earned for credibility, they had none in the eyes of the fans.
I’m not trying to say “Woe is me!” for former female athletes looking to get into the business, because clearly it can get done. What I’m saying is that, as a former female collegiate athlete, I will also have to deal with cynicism towards my gender. No matter the niche that is found – Mowins being so versatile, for example – there is still an extra hurdle to deal with in regards to fans that doubt the credibility of female athletes (and probably female sports journalists in general). Just read those tweets directed towards Mowins and Lawson, athletes with playing experience at a high level.
Despite all this, Jaffe and Chatham motivated me to shake those doubters and find a way to the “majors.”
Josh Schrock posted on February 18, 2015 at 9:24 pm
The first thoughts that come to mind when I think of athletes as journalists, usually involves incidents like the one with Cedric Maxwell or thoughts of athletes like Trevor Mattich offer the viewer little on both commentary and analysis end. It was easy for myself as both an aspiring journalist and sports fan to view former athletes who are now journalists as both undeserving and lazy.
When Matt Chatham and Billy Jaffe came in to talk to us however, it changed my tune a little bit. It was refreshing to see two former athletes that were not only excited about the opportunities that they have to stay around the games they love but were also very humble about how they got their positions. Jaffe admitting and talking candidly about how he “fell a**backward” into his job was something that resonated with me because I feel like it is pretty rare to get that kind of humility from former athletes who are now in front of a camera. Both Chatham and Jaffe discussed how they were apart from the game before being asked to be analysts and commentators. They missed the games that they once played and this is their way to be around it after their playing days are over. That resonated with me because I think that’s how most of us are feeling and why we chose to get into this profession. I wasn’t blessed with great athleticism so in order to stay around the games that I love this was the best option and they did the same.
I think one of the pieces of advice that both Jaffe and Chatham gave that will stick with me even as a print guy is that it’s important to not speak over your expertise level. Chatham talked about how you can analyze plays and mistakes by saying, “this is what could have happened,” but always think that there is something that only the players on the field know about that caused a play or mistake to occur.
Another important theme to take away from this seminar is that there is room for both former athletes as journalists and those who have studied the craft in the field. Both of us have different things to offer the profession. It’s also important to note that not all athletes who become journalists are like the ones that we see on ESPN, who as Chatham put it to me, are put in front of the camera to get a certain reaction from the viewers, instead of offering valuable insight. It’s important to note that guys like Jaffe and Chatham as well as many others work hard to be prepared for and keep their jobs just as we should when we get our respective breaks and dream jobs, no one wants to get sent back down to the minors.
Katharine Huntley-Bachers posted on February 18, 2015 at 9:59 pm
When Billy Jaffe walked into the room alone, I was afraid that it would be awkward with just him answering questions. Then after he sat for a short period of time, he stood and continued to stand for the length of the seminar. He would answer one of Professor Shorr’s questions and then continue to comment on it and draw it out making connections to the business. In Jaffe, I could tell what it takes to become a truly great broadcaster. His charisma completely filled the room and I was immediately hanging on his every word.
One of Jaffe’s first words of wisdom was when he explained that as a broadcaster if you yourself are not having fun, then the people watching will not be having fun. This caused me to wonder about my home teams in Cleveland and how it would even be possible to have “fun” broadcasting when most of the teams are dismal. When there’s no chance of making the playoffs and the fan base is disgruntled how can you possibly have fun? Well I asked Jaffe about it and he advised me to heavily research the players and find out something peculiar or interesting. Maybe they have some odd pregame rituals or something, but finding quirky human stories in the midst of a bad season can keep the fan base going, as well as your broadcast.
Matt Chatham’s words were equally as resonant. He insisted that if a broadcaster did not play the game, or have an intimate knowledge of the game, that they absolutely should not try to judge situations that they have no way of understanding. The same goes for reporting on trades or contract negotiations. Since the broadcaster was probably not in the room, they should not pass judgment on the situation. This situation makes complete sense when thinking about what other seminar guests have said. It is important to not lose the trust of the athletes you cover. Once that trust is gone, it can never be recovered. Very similarly to Brian Williams and how he surly will never be trusted by the majority of the American public, or employers because he was caught in a lie. The same rings true for athletes. Passing judgment on things that you are not necessarily qualified to judge can result in the loss of trust of the athletes that you cover.
The biggest thing I took out of the entire seminar was that research is key. For someone in my position who likely will never have played the sport I cover, I need to do all I can to bridge the gap between people who have intimate knowledge of the game and I. In order to do this, I need to soak up every bit of information I can. Along with that, I can become proficient about things that even athletes are not very sure of themselves. Things like the inner workings of the salary cap, collective bargaining agreements, or the inner details of free agency. If I become proficiently knowledgeable about those things for whatever sport I am involved with, it could prove easier to find a job.
Overall, Jaffe and Chatham’s charisma and passion for the games that they cover is one of the reasons I believe they have been so successful. People need to feel that you’re excited about what you’re doing in order to be excited about watching you. Also, very similarly to what the other seminar guests have said, it is imperative to show your face around the locker room as much as possible. If players see you they will be more likely to speak. But the most important thing is to always be fair and honest, and to remember that these athletes are still people. Nothing is ever as clear as it seems to the outsider.
Sara Varela posted on February 18, 2015 at 10:27 pm
I’ve never questioned having athletes as part of news outlets, whether as a recognizable face or true journalist. I think most of us are used to seeing former pro-athletes and coaches on our television screens one way or another. From a journalist’s point-of-view, I can see why there is preference for there to be a separation between the athlete and the journalist, however; I think athletes are a good resource for news outlets and can provide a more informed take on a situation or issue. Sports journalists, with limited playing experience, won’t always be able to give the reader the story or information they want, and the former athlete might be the one to provide everything that is missing. With on-air partners and other journalists asking the former pro about their playing days and perspective, we shouldn’t expect the athlete to completely drop their former title. Being an athlete was a big part of their life, and they are choosing to use that knowledge in a different career field. I think their success depends, like ours, on training and the ability to adapt to the workplace.
I enjoyed listening to Billy and Matt speak about journalism as a business. I feel it’s something many journalists don’t think about as much. It was intriguing to hear two athlete-turned-journalists talk about providing the consumer with what they want, dealing with a network and bosses, and being given a paycheck that often reflects how well the team is playing. They each understood that the networks often have an agenda and a recognizable athlete might be the money maker or just be what makes the outlet stand out. When one outlet gains credibility for having an athlete, it just makes sense that the rest will want to follow. I can see now it’s created a trend in sports journalism, but plenty of athletes, like Billy and Matt, don’t seem concerned with being a trend – they want and respect the career.
I appreciated how passionate Billy and Matt were about their positions as journalists. I think the passion to educate, inform, and tell the story is what separates them from the athlete-journalists who are perceived negatively. Last week’s seminar definitely made me want to pay more attention to the athlete-journalists at local and national networks. Even though it’s an old concept now, it’s piqued my interest as a marketer, and I want to see how the networks use them. As our guests pointed out, in order to feed the consumer you must be a good consumer.
Christina Patracuolla posted on February 18, 2015 at 10:58 pm
When Billy Jaffe walked into the room so did his intense presence. I found myself interested in everything he was saying because of the way he was presenting the information. Many of the play by play sports broadcasters we see on TV everyday have a similar strong attitude displayed by Jaffe which made me wonder if all TV sports personalities should be this way. Jaffe’s “in-your-face” way of presenting sports I found to be a direct correlation with his passion for playing hockey and I think that is a huge strength in the sports broadcasting business.
Since I am more of an outgoing introvert, Matt Chatham’s presence put my worries at ease when I was wondering whether I would have the personality to present sports news. Chatham had a much humbler, easy-going personality, but his experience and knowledge of football made him just as passionate and inspiring. Some people scoff when former athletes get broadcasting positions, but logistically it makes too much sense. Why wouldn’t we have the people who know the game inside and out explain to us what’s going on in the world of the sport? As a collegiate golfer, it opened my eyes to opportunities that I didn’t think would be possible or a correct fit.
Both former athletes showed similar passions for their jobs as they did for their sport, which seems to be a powerful combination. Chatham really drove home the point that it is okay to show emotion, but to keep it in check and use it at the correct times.
I am the kind of person who gets uncomfortable in certain positions, especially in a locker room or area that is sacred and exclusive to a team. Jaffe explained how it could be uncomfortable, but he explained, “There’s always a line, but I feel more in because my history, but out but I’m not part of the team- I don’t pretend I’m part of the team.” This piece of advice made sense and is something for us to think about and I thought could be more of an advantage for me since I’m so aware of my place.
However, Jaffe’s aggressive manner inspired me to not be afraid to come out of my shell. “Go to the camera. Don’t let it come to you,” said Jaffe when he first began. Along with stories due to years of experience by Jaffe and Chatham, this quote was the most important thing I took away from the seminar.
Lee Altman posted on February 18, 2015 at 11:24 pm
Athletes have become a huge part of the sport journalism force. For every Jim Nantz, there is a Phil Sims and for every Mike Breen, there is a Mark Jackson or Jon Barry. Because athletes are only becoming more prevalent in the field, it was insightful to have Billy Jaffe and Matt Chatham come to speak to us.
What stood out to me the most was when Billy talked about his relationship with the players he covers. He said that players shouldn’t have a problem with reporters because reporters are doing their jobs. Billy admitted that journalists are outsiders but after putting in years in the business, he feels that he is qualified to do his job.
Matt came across as knowledgable and confident. It seems that he has really done well for himself since retiring from the NFL. Interestingly, he seemed to convey a different message from Billy. Matt insinuated that sports journalists who never played professionally cannot possess the same level of intelligence and knowledge of a sport as former players. While I do agree that in certain aspects this may be true, in general, I disagree with his statement.
As evidence, I put forth the example of head coaches in the NFL. According to the article Why do NFL coaches rarely rise from the ranks of players?, by Ray Fittipaldo, going into the 2014 season only six of the 32 head coaches had played in the NFL. Steelers’ offensive line coach and Hall of Fame player, Mike Munchak said, “I think it just goes to show you that if you’re a good leader and you understand the game and how to manage people it doesn’t matter if you played in this league or not… it’s become obvious you don’t have to be able to play in this league to be a great coach.”
I believe that the same sentiment applies to sports journalism. Some of the best sports journalists have a great understanding of the X’s and O’s, players, and organizations they cover. And the kicker is that they never played the game at the highest level. Billy was a present example of this fact. Another example is Mike Reiss. He works with WBZ during the Patriots’ season on several different programs. Before each game, he would predict one player that would have a big impact and frequently, got it right. It would be easy to predict Brady or Gronkowski, but Reiss would instead pick players such as Chris Jones, Duron Harmon and Devin McCourty. He was right so many times over the course of the season that some of us at the station joked he might be clairvoyant.
Nonetheless, it appears that former athletes share similar feelings with Matt. In Jesse Noyes article, Shilling’s, others’ blogs changes the game, Noyes talks about how Shilling called Dan Shaughnessy a “Curly Haired Boyfriend.” Carl Everett coined this nickname because he felt that Shaughnessy, who had never played baseball professionally, was too critical of the team. I feel that Shilling’s comments about Shaughnessy were unprofessional because Shilling did not adequately justify his attack. As a player who was directly involved, Shilling was unable to objectively critique Shaughnessy’s work. This is a problem because one of the key concepts that journalism was built on is objectivity. Shilling’s history also serves as a foundation for his current image as a sports journalist. It would be equally unprofessional for Shaughnessy to criticize Shilling’s abilities as a former player or sports journalist based on the fact that he ran an unsuccessful video game company.
Furthermore, being a journalist, and not a former athlete may have its benefits. As Billy put it, former athletes have to lose their “buddy-buddy” connection to players and teams. Matt said that having been “burned” in the media as a player has influenced the way he performs his job as a journalist. He said he is less likely to criticize players and does not want to talk about topics such as Wilfork’s offseason contract dispute.
All of these thoughts were swirling around in my head while I was watching the TNT’s coverage of the All-Star game this past week. Specifically when Russell Westbrook came within 2 points of Wilt Chamberlain’s All-Star scoring record. Westbrook took a strange looking “rainbow” foul shot at the end of the game. If he had missed it off the rim and put back the shot, he would have tied Wilt’s record. He made the shot. In his post game comments, Marv Albert asked his fellow commentators, Chris Webber and Reggie Miller, whether they thought Westbrook had considered intentionally missing. In response, Reggie asked Marv if he was insinuating that Westbrook was a selfish player. Marv denied this statement and laughed nervously before the program cut to commercial.
The separation between athlete and journalist was apparent in this tense conclusion to the All-Star broadcast. Any fan watching the game could see that Westbrook suggestively took his foul shot in a way that could have made for a good put back. I am not a professional basketball player by any means but I have played and watched enough of the game to understand Albert’s comment. Miller put Albert on the spot with his response and seemed to create a dynamic of player versus journalist.
Alex Hirsch posted on February 18, 2015 at 11:25 pm
There were lots of things said during Billy Jaffe and Matt Chatham’s interview that stuck with me. Yet, the most important thing to me was what Matt told me when I talked to him alone. Perhaps, it will be best to give a little background first.
Chatham is analyst, and that is something I would like to do. But, one thing Chatham said is that you have to get exposure to a sport to be able to be an analyst. Field Yates worked for the Patriots as a scout for a couple of years and now he is working for ESPN Boston. Jaffe and Chatham were athletes in their respective sports. But, what about me? I have always been just a fan. I played high school basketball and stopped playing baseball in middle school. I never got to experience playing hockey and football. Closest I ever came to playing those was through video games.
Chatham also said do not claim you are an expert if you are not. But, how do I become an expert? Especially in football. Football is the main field I would love to work in and I have no exposure and am not an expert. Sure, I can argue with the biggest of fans and probably win, but that is not good enough. And how do I get exposure if I am already in the field of Journalism? Like I stated earlier, Field Yates worked for two years as a scout. But, I cannot do that. I need to work in the journalism field.
I explained to Matt my dilemma. The answer was simple, but something I would never have thought of. This summer will probably be my last semi-free summer. I will not have a full time job just yet. Chatham told me to take a week or two and ask the Boston College Head Coach for the football team if I could shadow him. This way I can get the exposure I need and learn somethings I have never been privileged to learn. This will help round me out as a complete analyst.
As for being an expert, I will never be such a thing. But, gaining as much exposure as I can will get me as close as possible. I just need to take advantage of the opportunities I have and find the ones that are not in plain view.
Joe Weil posted on February 19, 2015 at 3:32 am
Like most of you guys, I was very intrigued by how this seminar would unfold. We see so many former athletes in sports journalism that it makes you wonder what qualifies them to have that position. “That’s our job”, we say.
But as journalists/broadcasters we can only bring so much to the table. While we’re the ones getting information, telling stories, and so forth, a former athlete brings a different perspective. They’ve played the game and have a point a view that we don’t. It was interesting to listen to both Billy Jaffe and Matt Chatham explain why they’re perspective is important and I think the cynic in me shut off when Chatham brought up an example from his playing days. During a game, tight end Jason Witten scored a touchdown on a defensive breakdown many thought was Chatham’s fault. A reporter actually singled him out in an article (I believe it was NY Daily News columnist Mike Lupica). But as Chatham told us, the breakdown wasn’t his fault. Instead, the play developed the way for more complicated reasons.
I thought that was an important anecdote because it made me realize that sports aren’t always so simple. That’s why, as hard as it is to concede, there are certain things that we can’t bring to the sports discussion that they can. That’s why Matt’s Football on Football column is so important. That’s why there are shows like Inside the NBA and Baseball Tonight. These guys can adequately explain why certain events transpire the way they do.
But just as former athletes have advantages, so do we. For us, no topic is off limits. For instance, talk show hosts like Michael Felger and Tony Massarorti can talk about anything they want because they don’t have alliances. Same with reporters (to a degree), columnists, and broadcasters.
That’s not the case for former athletes. They can’t touch certain issues. I thought it was fascinating when Matt said he felt awkward talking about Vince Wilfork’s contact negotiations because that was a former teammate of his. He also knows what it’s like to be in his position. Jaffe felt the same way. He said that while critiquing teams is fair game, talking about employment (as a former athlete) is a tricky line.
That’s why I don’t worry all that much former athletes working in sports journalism. There is so much we can do that they can’t. Play-by-Play, beat reporting, and anchoring are all positions made for us. We go to school for this and it takes a seasoned professional to be good at it.
Both parties have an important place within sports journalism. But it’s imperative that each group stay within their realm of expertise.