This makes me feel incredibly old.When I was a kid I used to love her appearances on "Around the Horn"
She is still on the show, was on last evening. I bet they have her again at least once between now and thenThis makes me feel incredibly old.
One of the Boston titan reporters. Hopefully she does semi-regular work as the Celtics make their 2022 NBA Championship run.
When I was a kid I used to love her appearances on "Around the Horn"
Seriously. Saw that comment and immediately felt old. When I was a kid it was still her, Gammons, and Ryan at the Globe. Murderer’s row of sports journalists right there. I might even put Jackie Mac at the top considering she still brings the goods.This makes me feel incredibly old.
One of the Boston titan reporters. Hopefully she does semi-regular work as the Celtics make their 2022 NBA Championship run.
She's been podcasting at The Ringer, I think that'll continue.Hopefully, she continues somewhere else. One of the best of the Globies from their heyday. I thought she always wrote and reported honestly, fairly, and didn't hold grudges/troll for clicks. The anti-Shank.
This makes me feel incredibly old.
One of the Boston titan reporters. Hopefully she does semi-regular work as the Celtics make their 2022 NBA Championship run.
Seriously. Saw that comment and immediately felt old. When I was a kid it was still her, Gammons, and Ryan at the Globe. Murderer’s row of sports journalists right there. I might even put Jackie Mac at the top considering she still brings the goods.
Sidebar but Around the Horn, for as much crap as it and ESPN get, has been fantastic for giving a high profile national platform for diverse sports journos. When it’s a bunch of crusty old white men like Plaschke and Paige, it can be a pretty terrible program. It’s mostly fine when they have a decent lineup.
I went to high school with her, graduated in 1978, saw her a few years ago at our 40th reunion, she's a wonderful person, it was great to see her.Feeling old as well, as almost 40 years ago, we'd sometimes shoot the breeze at BU games when she was on the college hoops beat. IIRC she'd just graduated from UNH a year or two prior?
Current podcast project will continue. Beyond that is up in the air.She's been podcasting at The Ringer, I think that'll continue.
She's going out on the 31st with an appearance. Very fitting. She brought facts to that show and was one of the reasons it was great.She is still on the show, was on last evening. I bet they have her again at least once between now and then
It was a heck of a time to cover college hoops in Boston: Pitino was at BU, Calhoun was at NU, and Tom Davis was at BC. Plus you had two more (after Pitino) future NBA head coaches in Kuester and Brett Brown at BU.I went to high school with her, graduated in 1978, saw her a few years ago at our 40th reunion, she's a wonderful person, it was great to see her.
For sure. She also had the huge fortune of learning from Bob Ryan but also a lot of pressure to maintain his level of NBA coverage. I'd say she did that very well and was a good person all along the way wherever she went.It was a heck of a time to cover college hoops in Boston: Pitino was at BU, Calhoun was at NU, and Tom Davis was at BC. Plus you had two more (after Pitino) future NBA head coaches in Kuester and Brett Brown at BU.
No question that she deserved the gig, but she also fell into one hell of a situation and made the most of it/built up from there.
That was my high school as well although I was long gone by then. Jackie was quite the basketball player herself for one of the best girls' basketball programs ever in MA. As for her work, I've always admired her knowledge combined with her integrity and fairness. As noted above, she didn't hold grudges, didn't criticize unless it was deserved, and always acted like a regular person rather than the celebrity which she is.I went to high school with her, graduated in 1978, saw her a few years ago at our 40th reunion, she's a wonderful person, it was great to see her.
Now I feel old too.............................
That's great; nice to meet another Wolverine...............................That was my high school as well although I was long gone by then. Jackie was quite the basketball player herself for one of the best girls' basketball programs ever in MA. As for her work, I've always admired her knowledge combined with her integrity and fairness. As noted above, she didn't hold grudges, didn't criticize unless it was deserved, and always acted like a regular person rather than the celebrity which she is.
Incredible to remember. Seems kind of unbelievable.It was a heck of a time to cover college hoops in Boston: Pitino was at BU, Calhoun was at NU, and Tom Davis was at BC. Plus you had two more (after Pitino) future NBA head coaches in Kuester and Brett Brown at BU.
No question that she deserved the gig, but she also fell into one hell of a situation and made the most of it/built up from there.
I listened to that this morning. Fantastic podcast. Everyone posting in this thread should listen to it.Netflix should make a ten part show about Jackie’s career. The last 40 minutes or so of the recent Simmons podcast (after the super boring Warriors drama no one gives a shit about) is incredible. She was painting pictures with her stories that are easy movie/tv show scenes. The Bob Ryan “you’re going to make it” story was incredible.
So why is she leaving?
A close friend of our family, John “Finny” Burke, was an editor at the Globe (his wife owned the restaurant in Magnolia where I washed dishes at 14) once told me that he hired Jackie for her first job in journalism at the Gloucester Times – and that it was the best decision he ever made in the business.
I am sure that Jackie Mac had much worse criticism from bigger stars back in the day. I sincerely doubt that this had less than anything to do with her taking a time out.Without a shred of hard evidence, I wonder whether Durant's dismissive criticisms of her insights and opinions as they related to him, played any role in her deciding to take a career TO.
No doubt, and she's talked about the challenges and the sexist bullshit she had to deal with as a young woman trying to play on an uneven playing field and getting access and the respect of the people she covered. And she did a spectacular job of doing just that. HOWEVER, if you listen to podcast, there's an interesting exchange with Simmons about the Durant-Green interview re Golden State, where she and Simmons comment about how the principlals get to re-write what took place and re-write a more flattering narrative that is not questioned, even by those who know the truth.I am sure that Jackie Mac had much worse criticism from bigger stars back in the day. I sincerely doubt that this had less than anything to do with her taking a time out.
What's interesting is when Bill asked her what the most heat she ever got from a player was, she mentioned an active player (KAT) and saying that he was mad that her story about Jimmy Butler challenging the Wolves in practice made him look soft.I am sure that Jackie Mac had much worse criticism from bigger stars back in the day. I sincerely doubt that this had less than anything to do with her taking a time out.
I didn't listen to the podcast so you could be right. I would say that caring for her elderly parents is #1A, but maybe she's just tired of all the bullshit and that factored in as well. I guess I'd be really surprised if this was a big motivating factor in her deciding to move along rather than, "You know what, that part of my job sorta blows too."She might have reflected upon a new world of social media and instant analysis and response, a platform she has not used, and decided that leveling one playing field was sufficient for her, at least for now.
So why is she leaving?
A close friend of our family, John “Finny” Burke, was an editor at the Globe (his wife owned the restaurant in Magnolia where I washed dishes at 14) once told me that he hired Jackie for her first job in journalism at the Gloucester Times – and that it was the best decision he ever made in the business.
Wish Ramona learned to be a better journalist from Jackie too.Her last episode of Around the Horn is on right now. They started with Mac/Cam, then immediately pivoted to the other three panelists (all female) rhapsodizing about how great Jackie Mac is and the positive impact she had on their respective careers. Ramona Shelburne was in tears talking about how Jackie helped her be a better mom.
Just a towering legend in sports journalism.
Writers write. We’ll hear from herI hope this is not the last we hear of her, that she shows up on another platform with her indispensable insights.