Before crossing over into the digital world, NANCY GAY earned her stripes as a 49ers beat reporter for the San Jose Mercury News and NFL columnist for the S.F. Chronicle. After a three-year stint in L.A. as FoxSports.com Senior Editor of NFL Content, Gay returned to S.F. this year to take over as CSN Bay Area Digital Managing Editor. Because her new employer also operates a cable network, she describes her job as "almost like being a coordinating producer, because I can talk directly to an anchor and tell him what we've got coming digitally, and the anchor can ask me a question about how he would write a script." Gay spoke with THE DAILY recently about transitioning from print to digital, the biggest issue in the S.F. sports scene, and the impetus for her love of hip-hop.
Making the leap...
Working in print, I found myself trying to get my NFL news out first on the Internet, rather than worry about what would be in the print publication the next morning. It was at that point I realized really what is driving me. It saddens me when I see some former co-workers at certain publications that have the opportunity to leave a print publication and resist because it's a comfortable way of life or career path for them, and you can see that they're being marginalized.
Facility stories big in the Bay Area...
Stadium relocation and franchise stability are really big issues in Northern California. I still have a strong sense that that the Raiders will end up back in Los Angeles. Getting a stadium built in Oakland is going to be so monumental a task, it's hard for me to even envision how it would get done. The Warriors are in a similar position that the Raiders and A's are in. The 49ers had to make the conscious decision to abandon San Francisco as a stadium home. I think that took guts. They built an organization as a business operation in addition to a football operation.
Keeping tabs on a pal...
Over the years, AMY TRASK has become a really good friend of mine. When she was an executive and I was a reporter, we had a really respectful relationship, and it just kind of evolved, where it became also a friendship. Since she left the Raiders and now she's in media, we're like confidantes now. She's been incredible in her debut on television. I come away from watching her thinking, "I never thought of that."
Looking for in a hire...
It's really old school, but you look for a grinder. Somebody that takes a real sense of responsibility for whatever their job is and just grinds at it. Digital media has made it so we can't let our foot off the gas for one second. You definitely want to balance your family, and your work, and your off time. But when we're on, we're really forced to be constantly on the job.
Best advice...
It came from my father, JOHN GAY, back when I was a really young reporter and I was working for Gannett and USA Today. They had me covering the NFL at a very young age, it was a real opportunity. I thought I knew everything, and I would go home and visit my father, and try to tell him about football. And he interrupted me one day and said, "You don’t know every damn thing." I've tried to remember that throughout my career. I've always sought out advice from veteran reporters, coaches, GMs, and even players.
Apps for the road...
Having lived in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the traffic and travel apps. Whether I'm getting on BART or going to the airport, I have a go-to app for everything. All of those things have become like my right arm. San Francisco traffic is worse than Los Angeles traffic. Double. In Los Angeles, you have surface streets you can take. That’s why that "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" skit about The Californians is so funny and struck such a chord, because that's how L.A. people think.
Rest & relaxation...
I'm a big surfer and stand-up paddleboarder. If I want to disconnect from everything I just go out in the water. On a surfboard, for forty-five minutes, nobody can talk to me.
Pop culture faves...
I love "HAWAII FIVE-O," and I'm a big hip-hop listener, probably from all the locker rooms I've been in over the years. But I love hip-hop. For some reason, I've gotten back into KANYE lately. I'm trying to pretend that he's not annoying. Forget the "Kimye" and just focus on his really good music. I just saw MAROON 5, it was a great show. I just really enjoy DRAKE, and JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE's new album is awesome.
