Sporting News trying to reinvent itself yet again
Here is an interesting story about the latest incarnation of the venerable Sporting News, for which I was a contributor during my days on the Giants beat.
It mentions Troy Aikman, Hank Steinbrenner, Ron Darling and . . . me.
No, really. Will Leitch is quoted referencing this blog. Is this a subtle hint from Leitch about whom he favors as his successor at Deadspin?
Nah. I'm pretty sure no one born during the Eisenhower Administration is eligible.
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Comments (3)
The decline of TSN would have been unthinkable 35 years ago. As a kid, I waited every week for it's arrival in the mail and read it cover to cover. I can still quote artcles by Furman Bischer, Joe Falls, Dick Young, and Jack Craig that appeared in TSN in the early 70'. One of the great moments of my childhood is when they printed one of my many handwritten letters to the editors in the paper in 1976. It was a ridiculous idea about moving the San Francisco Giants to the Meadowlands, but they actually took it seriously. Alas, TSN is roadkill in the electronic media age. I remember when the Spink family sold it to the Tribune Corportation. To see it owned by a company that is on the par with the Penny Saver is sad.
TSN really isn't relevant anymore but what used to take me two days at least to read 4 years ago only takes 90 minutes today. They probably should do mostly op-ed pieces and personality profiles instead of trying news and notes and game stories.
Uh, I'm S, above technical glitch. I just read the link, they are already sending out a daily newsletter to subscribers whose e-mails they have on record, hoping to get you to read the website and sign up for the other daily newsletter they have coming out. I just re-upped my subscription about a month ago too, and I probably wouldn't have done it except for habitual re-upping.
Ray Shaw, the owner used to be my boss (CEO) at Dow Jones, he didn't do a good job there, he ruined the Street and Smith's brand of sports annuals (now known as Sporting News Annuals) and the first annuals he has done under that label were inferior to what TSN used to do. So, things aren't exactly looking up for future success here.