What's Happening In Sports Today? Friday, February 27, 2009

J. Chad Barnett, Contributing Writer



I checked around and here are some of the Top Sports Stories in the media today. I'm going to start doing this every day if possible, so check back often.

1. NBA News--Upon being released from the Knicks, Stephon Marbury signed-up with the Boston Celtics. Having not played since January2008 following the death of his father and a severe ankle injury, Marbury is expected to be available for play tonight. Read more...
2. PGA Tour News--Tiger's road to redemption was stopped dead in the second round of the WGC Match Play event in Arizona. The number one player in the world was sent home due to faultless play by South African, Tim Clark. Read more...
3. NFL News--Redskins sign All-Pro lineman Albert Haynesworth to a 7 year, $100 million dollar contract. The contract also includes a record $41 million in guaranteed money. Read more...
4. Pro-Tennis News--Andy Murray withdraws from the Dubai Tennis Championship because of infection. Also, Novak Djokovic advanced to the semi-final rounds. Read more...
5. Pro Sports Videos and News--This is an awesome site with sports videos in different categories. I recommend it to all sports fans out there. Check it out....

That's all for today. Check back tomorrow for an update. If you have any suggestions for a featured site, leave a comment or e-mail me and tell me about it. I promise to answer all correspondence.

Top Sports Writing Jobs For Week Of February 23, 2009

J. Chad Barnett, Contributing Writer



There seemed to be an influx of job postings this week. One again I have sifted through them and found my favorites for you.

1. This one is merely for experience. Not much pay, but you have most of the control over your posts.
2. Someone's dream could come true at this Video Sports Journalism job. Good pay, and a career.
3. A variety of sports are covered on this blog-site. Passion for sports is a must!
4. You can become a Sports Marketing Project Manager if you land this job. $$$$$$$$$
5. If boxing is your sport of choice, then this is the job for you. Not many positions though, so you'll have to fight for it!

That's it for this week. Next week will be a 10 job special! I'm going to do 5 sports writing jobs, and 5 regular freelance writing jobs! Become a subscriber, and keep track of events so you won't miss out. It's just going to get bigger and better! Enjoy the journey.

"We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations."--Charles R. Swindoll

Top Sports Writing Jobs For Week Of February 9, 2009

J. Chad Barnett, Contributing Writer

Here's the list for the week. There are some really good jobs here. $$ to be made!

1. Website looking for writers of various niches, including sports. Apply here.
2. $$ Sports bloggers for Golf, Football, Basketball, and Hockey needed immediately! $$
3. Interview top names in sports,(i.e. Jerome Bettis, Terrell Owens), for well-established website.
4. Sports Journalists needed to write for a premiere-website. Apply now, they won't be hiring for very long.
5. Make $10 per post at this sports blog site. Every penny counts!

That's it for this week. Please feel free to leave a comment if you have suggestions, such as a longer list, other types of jobs, etc. and I will try my best to deliver.

When A Good Interview Goes Bad

J. Chad Barnett, Contributing Writer

Conducting interviews can be a memorable experience for any sports writer. What fan wouldn't want to meet and talk to the players that they look up to and idolize? Just like everything else, however, interviews can also go horribly wrong, or become very awkward.

Since everyone is different, there are no set-in-stone rules for conducting an interview. There are a few guidelines to follow to help make things run a little more smoothly though.

1. Be on time. Realize the importance of an interviewee's time. They may be giving you an hour or so of their day, but the rest of the day is packed full of other appointments, etc. So when you are late or try to take longer than they have allotted, things could take a turn for the worse.

2. Be prepared. Make sure you research who it is that you are interviewing. This is also a good way to come up with the questions that you will be asking. Be sure the questions are relevant. Nothing makes an interviewee more upset, than talking about something in their past when it isn't relevant to the course of the interview.

3. Don't get intimidated. The best way to do this, is to not look at your interview as anything other than a conversation. Talking to people, and getting information from them is part of human nature. When calling a friend or relative, usually the first question is, “How/What are you doing?” Just because you may be interviewing someone like Tiger Woods, he's still a person, so why not start off the conversation the same way? The more comfortable you make them feel, the easier it is to get them to open-up to you.

The main thing to remember is that YOU are the one in control. The moment it becomes evident, that they are trying to take over, you must reassert yourself immediately or lose control for the rest of the interview.

I'll leave you with this. There are good interviews, and there are bad interviews. The only thing to take into account, is that no matter which one you find yourself in, it will be remembered one way or the other. So I would try to make at least most of them good ones. Common sense, right?

My Dream Sports Job

Traveling, reviewing golf courses, resorts, spas, great destinations; sounds like a dream job. Have a look at this job posting in the Sports Journalist.com forums.

Seriously, it sounds like a great job and it's for WorldGolf.com, one of the biggest and best golf sites.