NBC layoffs - Media discussion

Deus Irae said:

Well, on a grand scale, people aren't going to pay money to read content about (essentially) non-existent sports.

Click to expand...

The lack of paid Athletic subscribers predated the health scare/sports moratorium by a lot...

...that said, current conditions definitely don't help, gasoline on the fire.

BaconGrundleCandy said:

Like I know more than a few people that hustle in the draft community but barely making 2k a month and that's very few & far between let me tell you. It's all clicks & I'm dead serious when i say you might make $50-100 bucks a month, might. Then you have to do your YT channel. You'll have a patreon. Hoping to make $ off that but often times you need help so now the $ is split.

Click to expand...

This seems more like a problem with whatever someone's minimal viable product is than with being a "content creator" as a business.

In your case maybe the draft community itself is just not big enough to support building something viable. I mean how many more podcasts, YT channels or patreons can there be talking about the same 85% of prospects ?

To me it all goes back to how Howe not only found a niche in the media world but then subsequently was sought after when the Athletic showed up: networking and building connections.

The reason he made a name for himself is because he put in the work to build relationships to many agents and players and was able to famously spoil draft picks in real time and through the season break actual Patriots news. Hell, this is how Volin keeps his job. He has great connections to people working in the league (or maybe a ****ton agents) and is usually among the first to have contract details and has also broken some big news. On a more grander scale that's also how Schefter and Woj became who they are.

Ultimately what it boils down to is to think hard about what a minimal viable product in an already over-saturated industry is. If you get too broad it takes away from the areas you really have a good voice in (i.e. draft coverage, going through tape) but if you narrow it down too much you are slicing down your potential audience a lot.

Blakley had the absolute worst scoops and almost certain he just reads message boards all day, still though sucks to see a guy lose his job. Glad he’s getting into teaching.

I loath Tanguay on the air, he really was the worst. I hope he takes care of himself, you still hate to see a guy lose a job during the pandemic.

Re-hire Abby now! She’s been amazing the last 7 years ago. I don’t think she’ll be waiting long for another gig.

BaconGrundleCandy said:

Obviously Gronk, Brady & Sony are locks.

Click to expand...

I figured everyone musta missed the supreme troll job.

Reiss, Perry & Bedard are all great. So is Howe, although I can't justify subscribing to the Athletic just to read him.

Reiss' Sunday morning quick hits are always a highlight. He's so well connected in that building. I don't always agree with Bedard, but I love the depth of his work, his perspective, the fact that he always has an opinion. I'm going to miss his daily summary of 1v1's between the lineman this year (with no real training camp). Perry's podcasts are great & I tend to find myself agreeing with Perry on most everything. They are all super informative.

We are very lucky to have these reporters covering the Pats, particularly in this crazy media environment with newspapers going out of business all over the country....

FCB02062 said:

It's ironic many of these laid off hacks did their part to hype the coronavirus on the air... The wuhan and it's hysteria cancelled sports, ad revs plummeted and now these media jezebels are unemployed... Careful what you wish for folks...

Click to expand...

I've noticed that too. It blown my mind how so many people in the sports media have been very critical of sports leagues doing their best to play.

Whomever decided that Tomase was worth keeping should be fired. That guy is complete garbage. Has been since he worked at the Lawrence Eagle Tribune.

DropKickFlutie said:

It's so weird to keep using that word. The Bird Flu which infected a ton globally came from Kansas farms. I don't remember people over hyping the Kansas flu name.

Click to expand...

the right has cornered the market on hypocrisy

DaBruinz said:

Whomever decided that Tomase was worth keeping should be fired. That guy is complete garbage. Has been since he worked at the Lawrence Eagle Tribune.

Click to expand...

Whoever decided that should also be yeeted into the Sun.

Joker said:

All I want is ONE honest investigative reporter to rip apart the facade that is Roger Stokoe Goodell's career as the Hitler of the NFL. Just one HONEST person, man or woman, with the guts to lay bare the complete fecal matter that is the heirarchy of the NFL Offices.

Click to expand...

Seriously, why don't you write the piece? I know I'd read it for one......

With everyone and their grandma a journalist these days...no reason why a joker like yourself couldn't be one....the joke is on you, Joker.

RASTAN99 said:

Never had access to their content so don't know any of the any of the reporters (other than previously mentioned) but this article includes tweets from many of the departed, most seem to have a fairly positive attitude all things considered, FYI: The Athletic Lays Off 46 Employees, Implements Pay Cuts

Click to expand...

Kinda ironic, the article is a paragraph or two about past actions with no attempt to analyze the situation or project forward, then the bulk of the article is copy/paste of other people's tweets. Pretty much what modern journalism has become, not much more than curation of Twitter.

And yes, it's a sign that the way the internet is funded is broken, but that's been the case for decades now.

So now we end up with a lot of the high quality stuff behind paywalls because the monthly subscription model is one of the few things that can bring in reasonable amounts of revenue, yet it means those who can't pay end up with the dregs.

luuked said:

This seems more like a problem with whatever someone's minimal viable product is than with being a "content creator" as a business.

In your case maybe the draft community itself is just not big enough to support building something viable. I mean how many more podcasts, YT channels or patreons can there be talking about the same 85% of prospects ?

To me it all goes back to how Howe not only found a niche in the media world but then subsequently was sought after when the Athletic showed up: networking and building connections.

The reason he made a name for himself is because he put in the work to build relationships to many agents and players and was able to famously spoil draft picks in real time and through the season break actual Patriots news. Hell, this is how Volin keeps his job. He has great connections to people working in the league (or maybe a ****ton agents) and is usually among the first to have contract details and has also broken some big news. On a more grander scale that's also how Schefter and Woj became who they are.

Ultimately what it boils down to is to think hard about what a minimal viable product in an already over-saturated industry is. If you get too broad it takes away from the areas you really have a good voice in (i.e. draft coverage, going through tape) but if you narrow it down too much you are slicing down your potential audience a lot.

Click to expand...

Yea it's an over-saturated market in general. News, sports ... You absolutely have to separate or really come across as likable. Presentation is huge.

Specifically the draft community is a weird bunch. Lots younger people, which means you're fighting to get their parents $ or what little $ they have.

Then you have the people that really only care a month or two before April.

If you're looking to make real $ it's very tough.

I spoke to two guys that are well known in the community. On Twitter, YT, patreon ... And Both said 2k would be a GREAT month.

I remember Joe Goodberry saying 2.5K was his best month ever. No idea if he has another job or what his situation is like? Maybe his spouse has a decent job as well.

I'm curious what we see in the future and how it changes. I feel like we're on the cusp of change when its comes to certain content.

When I was a kid, the media loved the home teams. Guys like Eddie Andelman worshipped the players and loved the fans. Now the media exists to tear down our heroes. If the team wins, it didn't win convincingly enough. The season is lost if it can't be perfect. Anyone going to shed a tear when Felger is fired? Mazz? Right. LAY-THEM-ALL-OFF and hire some fans.

wizwor said:

When I was a kid, the media loved the home teams. Guys like Eddie Andelman worshipped the players and loved the fans. Now the media exists to tear down our heroes. If the team wins, it didn't win convincingly enough. The season is lost if it can't be perfect. Anyone going to shed a tear when Felger is fired? Mazz? Right. LAY-THEM-ALL-OFF and hire some fans.

Click to expand...

The media is mirroring the fan base. Our game day thread is not filled with hero worship in case you didn't notice. We've had the best team EVER in the NFL and people here love taking shots at the coach/GM, GOAT, etc rather than being grateful for what they've delivered over twenty years. Felger and Mazz know that hero worship is nowhere near as engaging as hero denigration. They're just mirroring us. Most people's day to day life is more about *****ing and moaning than about praise and gratitude. We've met the enemy, and they is us. If we want change, it has to start with us.

Bill Lee said:

The media is mirroring the fan base. Our game day thread is not filled with hero worship in case you didn't notice. We've had the best team EVER in the NFL and people here love taking shots at the coach/GM, GOAT, etc rather than being grateful for what they've delivered over twenty years. Felger and Mazz know that hero worship is nowhere near as engaging as hero denigration. They're just mirroring us. Most people's day to day life is more about *****ing and moaning than about praise and gratitude. We've met the enemy, and they is us. If we want change, it has to start with us.

Click to expand...

Pretty much this. We got to a point where annual AFCCGs were a banality and a SB appearance the expectation. It felt like winning the title was a relief for some and not a reason to celebrate. Entitlement and a false sense of how thin the margins of victory even again bad teams often are made the last couple of years often frustrating.

Steve:Section 102 said:

I figured everyone musta missed the supreme troll job.

Click to expand...

The Sony Walkman for sure deserves a spot in the technology Hall of Fame.

I’m pissed that they kept John Tomase yet got rid of Abby.

Kdo5 said:

I’m pissed that they kept John Tomase yet got rid of Abby.

Click to expand...

How that guy even actually has a job in this market remains a complete mystery. He literally is responsible for writing the biggest story in Boston sports history that was later proven to be completely false.

You think the Globe puts a priority on telling stories that are true? If they did Tomase would be gone.

One-If-By-Sea said:

You think the Globe puts a priority on telling stories that are true? If they did Tomase would be gone.

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, no media outlet these days is even remotely concerned with telling stories that are true. It is all about sales, subscriptions, and hits.