Sportswriters "with decades of print experience are
forgoing newspapers and jumping online, according to David
Sweet of the WALL STREET JOURNAL INTERACTIVE, who wrote that
"burned out by embittered editors, outdated technology and
meager salaries, sportswriters are increasingly finding the
Promised Land in cyberspace." CBS SportsLine's Rob Miech, a
former Pasadena Star-News college sports beat writer,
received a 20% raise and stock options to join
SportsLine.com. Miech: "Until I got this job, I didn't even
have a savings account." CNNSI.com's Don Banks, formerly an
NFL writer for papers in FL and MN, on CNNSI.com: "I only
had a local platform before. They sold me on the job by
saying, 'We'll give you a world platform.'" Sports
Editor.com co-Founder Steve Klein, usatoday.com's first
sports editor, is "amazed at the extent" of turnover at
newspapers, including the N.Y. Times. Klein: "It's getting
ugly. It's past a critical juncture" (WSJ.COM, 3/29).
BACK TO BACK? USA TODAY's Chris Jenkins reports that
former Duke G Hilary Howard, who played in the NCAA women's
basketball Final Four last year, will cover this year's
action as a columnist for Total Sports-produced
finalfour.net, the NCAA's official Web site. Total Sports
CEO Frank Daniels said that the company employs "at least"
ten people who played sports in college (USA TODAY, 3/30).
