A Trip to The Washington Post

     What stood out to me most about our class visit to The Washington Post were the mounting expectations for journalists today as compared to just a few years ago. More specifically, the sports editors referred to the Nationals beat writer Adam Kilgore and his daily routine. Up to five blogs, a quick game synopsis immediately following the conclusion of the game then a full recap including post-game interviews seem to be routine for The Post’s baseball beat writer 162 games a year.

     Another example of this would be Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News. Feinsand began tweeting during the Yankees-Rangers playoff matchup from an hour before to the game to the conclusion, providing thoughts, analysis and key plays. He is also interacting with his followers in between tweets. When the game ended, he provided the quick summary, almost instantaneously, then followed up on the story at 3:08 a.m. That’s right – 3:08 in the morning!

     Some people may not to be able to handle that amount of work in a week, let alone in one day.

     I believe it takes a special kind of a person – one who is passionate about their beat – to do what these writers and bloggers are doing in today’s world of journalism. It’s a lot of writing, yes, but there’s always a story to be told, a piece of news to be broken or a move to be analyzed.

     When the topic of “burnout” for these writers came up at the meeting, I thought to myself about the challenges of finding stories each week of the football season as I cover the Maryland football team. Of course there are times where you struggle to find a compelling story, and there are times when I feel like I’m revisiting a previous theme. But overall, each game, each week, each practice tells a new story.

     Using this week as an example, the Terps lost once again on the road (their 10th straight road loss since beating Clemson in Death Valley in 2008), Torrey Smith continues to be hobbled due to an ankle injury on kickoff returns and the team continues struggling with frustrating penalties which is limiting offensive production and converting third downs.

     Same story, different week, you might say.

    But yes, I will continue to mention these problems – it’s something the fans want to know about. Why do the Terps keep losing on the road? Is there a common theme? Will Smith be healthy? Is Ralph Friedgen considering replacing in All-ACC wideout on kickoffs? What’s contributing to these penalties? How will they fix the third-down problem?

 You can address those with news, quotes and analysis, but a good reporter finds more – something deeper, if you will. How will these issues play out against Boston College this week? What are some of the trends with these patterns? Talk to Smith and find out how his ankle is coming along, or if he would be disappointed with being taken off kickoff returns.

 Regardless of what day it is, where you are in the season or how the team fares in the standings, there is always a story to be told. If the Nationals are 41-100 and they’re playing a meaningless game against the Pirates on Sept. 2, write about the effort Livan Hernandez is continually putting forth on the mount, despite being 15 games out of first place. If the Yankees wrapped up a playoff berth a week ago, find a story about how a September call-up made a spectacular catch and could make the postseason roster.

 If there’s a game, there’s a story. That’s why they play the game.

New York Jets vs. Ines Sainz vs. Clinton Portis: Who's to Blame?

            In the film “The Replacements,” wide receiver Clifford Franklin scores a game-winning touchdown. Afterwards, a reporter chases him down in the locker room for a post-game interview, which turned into an opportunity for Franklin to hit on her.

Source: dipity.com

            Sound familiar?

            According to reports, Ines Sainz, a reporter for TV Azteca, was treated improperly by New York Jets players and coaches while attending their practice, waiting to interview quarterback Mark Sanchez. Sainz described the experience as “uncomfortable.”

            But as the days go by, more and more details emerge from the situation, and we are left only to question how valid Sainz’s account of the story is, and if perhaps we are to take her words with a grain of salt.

            Sainz said that the Jets’ secondary coach, according to reports, was tossing passes in her direction so players could get closer to her – something completely out of line. The behavior worsened when she entered the locker room, where some players began to make sexual inferences.

            But don’t be too quick to judge the Jets players just yet. Jane McManus, an ESPN New York reporter, has been covering the Jets for years. So why doesn’t this immature, perverted group of athletes attack McManus like this?

source: espn.com

            For one, McManus chooses to take a more professional approach at work each day. After all, I haven’t seen McManus as the top story for Men’s Health recently? And no – I tried, but I couldn’t find too many Google images of her. But Sainz, on the other hand – that’s a different story.

Source: menshealth.com

            In the first amendment – you know, that piece of paper that tells us what freedoms we’re granted as citizens of the United States – if you didn’t know, it gives us the right to freedom of expression. So, if Sainz wants to wear her belly shirt to an NFL game or practice – be my guest. She has the right to. Just don’t expect much of a change for the after party.

            Regardless of attire, Sainz presents herself as a professional reporter. She’s a journalist simply gunning for a great lead. She’s a cutthroat writer looking to make a name for her work.

            Not so fast.

            Last year, during the Super Bowl, you would have found Sainz riding high during media day – on the shoulders of the Indianapolis Colts players. And if you were quick enough, you’d catch her measuring the biceps of NFL stars in her personal “strongest arm” contest – typical for a reporter, right?

            With that in mind, maybe it’s not the Jets who are to blame here. Sainz, with a strong reputation to uphold, could easily have given the wrong idea to the players, who may have thought it was their lucky day – maybe even their own chance at entering the strongest arm contest.

            But despite what the players thought, or the message Sainz was sending, Washington Redskins running back Clinton Portis was surely out of bounds. On a weekly radio session, Portis said, in my own interpretation, that a woman in an NFL locker room with 53 athletes is definitely going to get turned on.

            Apparently Portis isn’t too familiar with Christine Brennan, current USA Today columnist and former Redskins reporter.

            Brennan, who really paved the way for women in sports journalism, never “got her interest sparked” by 53 male football athletes – I guess she was the exception when Portis claimed: “I don’t know what kind of woman won’t.”

            Portis was completely out of line when he made those comments, and he immediately apologized after the NFL responded to the news. It’s always good to make light of a situation like this, but talking about male genitalia and female reporters trying to get jiggy with it – maybe think twice, Clinton.

How to Destroy a QB's Confidence

            Backup quarterbacks are always fan favorites. Rookie backup quarterbacks are especially fan favorites. And they are for a good reason: you can’t perform poorly when you’re not taking every snap.

            Rookie quarterbacks traditionally follow two paths: starting off the season or coming in mid-season when the team has officially given up hope. But there’s a time and a place for rookies to debut. The fourth quarter of game one is not that time.

            After a not-so-impressive performance by starter Jamarr Robinson, head coach Ralph Friedgen put in his freshman quarterback, Danny O’Brien, during the fourth quarter of a game knotted at 14-14.

            He did what?

            Robinson, despite not making that much of a difference in the passing game, should not have been benched. He led the offense, allowing the rushing attack to dominate and score two touchdowns. He also added a handful of rushes on his own to preserve drives. In no way was he hurting his team.

            Paying no attention to the score, the game situation or the future ramifications of his actions, Friedgen went ahead and put O’Brien in to spell Robinson. While O’Brien did not attempt a pass, his presence in the game could really hurt the confidence of his starting quarterback.

            In only five attempts, Robinson completed three passes – one a piece to wide receivers Torrey Smith and Adrian Cannon, and one to Navy’s safety, Emmett Merchant.

But Friedgen knew Robinson would be a project at the position this season, being a first-year starter, and learning how to develop as a passer and a running threat. By substituting him with the rookie, you are telling him that as the head coach of this team, you do not trust him. With the game on the line, you are saying you don’t have faith in him to lead this team to victory.

Fortunately, for Friedgen’s sake, when Robinson returned to the game, he rushed for 14 yards and a crucial first down to keep the drive alive – the same drive that ended in what would be a game-winning field goal by Travis Baltz.

Friedgen can only hope that Robinson’s response to his fourth quarter benching in Monday’s win over the Midshipmen is a signal for more good to come. We’ll see on Saturday when the Terps face Morgan State.