Wherefore art thou going, Peter King?
After 29 years, he’s walking away from The MMQB at
Sports Illustrated, or so he said in on online announcement.
He’s giving up S.I. for NBC Maybe doing the same thing
for 29 years is too much to ask of anyone. Except rooting for your favorite
team, which you always do for life. Your love for your team always outlasts and
outlives your relationship with any significant other you’ve ever had.
Every time.
Why do people change jobs anyway, be it in
journalism, sports, sports media or even construction, medicine or being a
personal trainer?
Like I always tell the classes I’ve taught (for 24
years), it’s always the money.
Always.
Why do players switch
teams in free agency? They always say it’s for the opportunity, the chance to
win a championship, but usually, it’s for the money. Ask Scott Michell, Matt Flynn. More recently, Nate Solder.
It’s always the money. And why not? I left my first job as a full-time sports reporter, after seven years, to go to work for a restaurant magazine – which offered me a 37 percent pay raise at the time. With a divorce staring me in the face and all the money to my name in my wallet at any given time, it was a little difficult to pass on it.
But I kept working freelance in sports, and still do
to this day, covering games, and writing and editing books, detailing sports
business drivers.
Sort of like the emotion that makes sure you value
your team more than any other relationship in your life. You know it too.
But Peter King has already made a lot of money, his
original Monday Morning Quarterback column becoming a staple of the football
world in America. He once wrote the entire thing on his Blackberry. He had a
following of 2 million or so we’re told.
I have parlayed my part-time love affair with
sports, and my full-time love for my New York Giants, Knicks, Mets and Rangers,
into two blogs, freelance work at two major dailies and two books I’ve either
written or edited.
Like Peter King, I have a 29-year love affair with
Jocelyn, my wife of that time period. She is my rock. She’s a sports fan. But I
cheat on her. With sports, that is.
Just like you cheat on your significant other. With
sports.
Ain’t it grand?
So go for it, Peter King. Do something “different”
at NBC, whatever your job description there may be. You are forever the Monday
Morning Quarterback.
Whether you want to be or not.
HOW GOOD WAS
YOUR TEAM’S DRAFT?
According to espn.com, Jacksonville should be
feeling “confident.” I’m having trouble processing that after watching their
coaching staff express no confidence in Blake Bortles at the end of the first
half against New England in the AFC Championship Game, making him run out the
clock instead of trying to score with timeouts aplenty and decent field
position.
The Baltimore Ravens are feeling “hopeful,” says the
Mother Ship, after giving Joe Flacco some more weapons. Flacco won a Super Bowl
– I mean, the defense won it for him, despite the NFL’s attempts to take it
away with the now-famous blackout at the Super Dome. He’s done nothing since,
with whatever weapons they gave him. The Ravens are fortunate to have the
Browns in their division.
Besides, everyone feels hopeful after the draft and
going into OTAs.
Unless your name is
Belichick, good luck with that.
