The real turnover in sports

In the past month, two sports media professionals covering schools around us have hung it up. Both have covered schools that I have covered in this paper.

On a more national scale, one of my favorite beat writers for the Indiana Pacers was Mike Wells. After spending time at the Indianapolis Star and later ESPN, he recently announced he is now focusing on teaching journalism at Indiana University. I used to read everything Mike Wells wrote about the Pacers and loved it every time he was interviewed on ESPN. I haven’t really followed a Pacer’s beat writer since.

The turnover impacts how invested people are in local media. Back in October, two WRV students told me how much they appreciate me covering their school. The conversation then shifted to “How long are you going to stick around?”

It’s sad that teenage athletes would look at the local sports editor and ask that question. At the same time, I get it. The days of an Andy Amey covering your town for decades have been replaced with constant turnover.

Twitter is a graveyard of people who used to be in news. The people I graduated from college with is a mixed bag of those still in the industry and those who departed years ago.

Sports writers today are like defensive backs on the football field. We have to cover plenty of ground on our own and when we get burned on a pass over the top, well, everyone knows who was at fault. Corners and safeties don’t last long in the National Football League. Sadly, neither do most sports writers today.

I don’t have plans on leaving but becoming a father this year has shown me my own mortality in the industry. I don’t know if I will be able to go to as many events as I did previously this upcoming sports year. Seeing people leave in area counties, some younger than me, also shows my mortality. It will be an interesting year for me to see just how long I can keep this up.

Well, that’s enough for this sappy column, I’ll have a more upbeat one next week.

Nathan Pace is the Sports Editor of the Greene County Daily World and can be reached at npace@gcdailyworld.com