Chad Finn: Underrated

joe dokes

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Its amazing, when I saw the headline about WW of Sport, immediately, and I mean immediately, I thought of cliff-diving from Acapulco, wrist wrestling from Petaluma, demolition derbies, and barrel jumping. And when I saw those all mentioned in the same graph, it cracked me up. WWoS was must see TV on those long ago Saturday afternoons. Nice job Chad.
This is what remember from Islip. Not actually a demo derby -- The Figure-8 track!!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1d2sNA5HJo
 

Harry Hooper

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"Keith Jackson covered such arcane events as Scottish saber tossing."

Saber tossing or caber tossing?
 

joe dokes

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The Figure 8 racing always was a disappointment to me as they seemed to slow down at the intersection and wrecks were much less common than I hoped for
Nevertheless, replacing one cookie-cutter NASCAR oval a year with a figure-8 would get me to watch more than just the last 10 laps on a Sunday after all the other sports have ended, dinner's not quite done, and I've been drinking too much to move.
 

Phil Elliott

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Caber. I'm an idiot.
[/QUOTE]
If so, it's monumental contradiction, because you're also a brilliant writer, a fair-minded assessor of the local and national sports landscapes and.the creator of must-read pieces.
 

Spelunker

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I love Chad's work- it's about the only useful thing left in the Globe sports section- but woof.

Because Tatum is the purer scorer, Brown tends to get treated as his sidekick. But he’s been the Celtics’ best player this year, and it’s not really close. He’s averaging career-highs in points per game (24.7), assists (3.4), steals (1.2), field goal percentage (48.4), and 3-point percentage (39.7) while also grabbing six rebounds per game. He’s also their most versatile and conscientious defender. While we wait to find out about his condition after colliding with Tatum late in the loss to the Blazers, let me also note that I suspect we’re going to find out at season’s end that he played through multiple injuries this season.
Point 1: I don't think this is true. It may be worth a discussion, but it's certainly not "not close".
Point 2: Yikes.
 

RorschachsMask

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Jaylen: 24.7/6/3.4 on a 59% TS. Net rating +1.8, and they have a +0.8 net rating when he sits.

Tatum: 26.5/7.4/4.4 on a 58% TS. Net rating +2.9, and they have a -1.1 net rating when he sits.

Stats aren’t everything of course, but Tatum does this while being the focal point of other defenses, which Jaylen benefits from. Neither has been good defensively this year, IMO.
 

HoyaSoxa

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Can anyone explain the difference between Boston.com and the Boston Globe these days? I noticed that Chad had tweeted a "9 Thoughts on the Red Sox Win" link, so I went to the Boston Globe website this morning and could not find it. Turns out it is apparently only on Boston.com, which is free vs. Globe is subscription, but I had thought Chad was only a Globe writer these days, and frankly stopped going to Boston.com in the past few years because all of the useful content is at Globe site.
 

Harry Hooper

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Nice work, Chad:

Bogaerts’s throw was as smooth as that viral Trea Turner slide from a few weeks back – he nailed Judge by less than an arm’s length. If Derek Jeter had made a similar play, there would have been poems written about it by the seventh-inning stretch. I say it was the Red Sox’ best and most important defensive play of the season.
 

Chad Finn

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Can anyone explain the difference between Boston.com and the Boston Globe these days? I noticed that Chad had tweeted a "9 Thoughts on the Red Sox Win" link, so I went to the Boston Globe website this morning and could not find it. Turns out it is apparently only on Boston.com, which is free vs. Globe is subscription, but I had thought Chad was only a Globe writer these days, and frankly stopped going to Boston.com in the past few years because all of the useful content is at Globe site.
Hey, thanks for looking for it. My stuff is on both sites, and its the same, it just sometimes goes up at different times. The Boston.com version went up late last night. The Globe version went up this morning. I tend to promote the Globe version more because we're measured in part on how many subscriptions we can drive, but I'm glad to have the traffic in either spot.
 

terrynever

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Hey, thanks for looking for it. My stuff is on both sites, and its the same, it just sometimes goes up at different times. The Boston.com version went up late last night. The Globe version went up this morning. I tend to promote the Globe version more because we're measured in part on how many subscriptions we can drive, but I'm glad to have the traffic in either spot.
How do they measure the subscriptions you drive, Chad? What goes into a sports writers’ job performance these days? Is speed of writing more important now? Sorry for asking. Just curious how the business is changing.
 

Chad Finn

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How do they measure the subscriptions you drive, Chad? What goes into a sports writers’ job performance these days? Is speed of writing more important now? Sorry for asking. Just curious how the business is changing.
In our monthly report about web traffic, we get a note on how many subscriptions we drove that month -- meaning how many people directly clicked off your article and subscribed. It's important, but not something that's dangled over our heads. Honestly, it feels like the same job I had when I began. Coming up with topics, talking them over with editors, etc.
 

terrynever

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In our monthly report about web traffic, we get a note on how many subscriptions we drove that month -- meaning how many people directly clicked off your article and subscribed. It's important, but not something that's dangled over our heads. Honestly, it feels like the same job I had when I began. Coming up with topics, talking them over with editors, etc.
Glad journalism is still the foundation. Thanks for that insight, Chad.
 

Archer1979

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Chad comes through again... This time on Twitter when Cruz kissed the ring last night:


"That's what happens when you try to play baseball at an abandoned rave site."
 

GB5

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Chad: Really appreciate your writing and as someone who has moved away from newspapers, I make a legit effort to find what you are writing. If you have a moment to indulge me, and can share, I would love to know your thoughts on Boston Sports talk radio and where it is heading. Growing up and all my way through the 30's it was a one station city, that being EEI. They boasted about not only being number 1 in New England but in the country as well and I believe it. They were a powerhouse. Singular in their domination of the local market. Then 1510 came along, and gave a little challenge. I thought Sean McDonough was a fantastic add, and as an aside, I think he is the best guy on the radio for the Sox by far, but anyways I thought if there was ever going to be challenge to EEI, that he would be the one to lead it. Yet it didnt take. To where things stand now, I am stunned at the level at which 98.5 has completely overrun WEEI. Once they caught them, they have just kept running away in the ratings. They own and control the market. I am really surprised.
Felger and Mazz obviously are the main attraction, and I think Felger is super talented. I think he has a gift for the medium. He is talented and creative, and I think his general anti-pats stance gets more people to listen and call in. He loves the Bruins, but piles on Tuukka which is easy money, and hates everything about the Celtics, and his sharpest contempt is for their over positive fans. He seems baseball neutral, but has been nasty to the Sox in their second half.
I used to invest a lot of time in sports radio, and I would be infuriated when one of the hosts would take a position I disagreed with. I couldnt understand how we both watched the same thing, and had such varied opinions. The aggravation kept me involved. It took me longer than it should, but I didnt really fall out of sports radio until I realized that these hosts are really just entertainment reporters, and say mostly not what they feel, but what will be the most controversial and get the best ratings. Either way, I think Felger is legit, and any co-host would be fine. I find Tony Mass to bring very little value. I used to like his writing when he was on the Sox beat for years, and was really put off when a few years into his show, he was so out of the loop with the RS, that he couldnt answer semi basic questions about the team.
Generally how much of what they are saying, do you believe is real, and how much is contrived? What is the future of EEI, and in general sports radio in this town? I enjoy your spats with
EEI when the ratings come out, is that mostly thin skin from those at EEI who are getting crushed or is there more? Who do you like that are off the radar a bit in this town, who might be someone who ascends in TV or radio in the near future?
 

Granite Sox

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You didn't ask me, but I think it's about 75/25 contrived/genuine... in order to generate the reaction you describe. As Felger is genuinely talented, it greatly disappoints me that he stoops to this formula. But money (and ratings) talk.
 

John Marzano Olympic Hero

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You didn't ask me either, but I think 95% of it is contrived. If you listen to sports writers talk, the vast majority don't care who wins or loses. It's a job for them and because of a million things, the fan aspect has been beaten out of them.

I don't think either Felger or Mazz gives two whits about whether the Pats or the Bucs won on Sunday. They just have to make you think that they do,
 

bankshot1

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Congrats to brother Chad on climbing the legendary Globe sports section ladder. His irreverence and having fun with reporting on the games the big kids play and how we watch and consume it, has become must read for this OF.
 

Andy Merchant

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That's very cool. I haven't bought a physical copy of the Globe in ages, so I would have figured he would have hit this milestone quite some time ago. It reminds me of when an online acquaintance of mine was featured in a courtroom sketch when she was arguing a case before the Supreme Court. To be immortalized that way in a Brady-eqeue manner is about as awesome as it gets. :)
 

PC Drunken Friar

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I like A-Rod as long as he isn't in the booth. Finn is wrong here, give it a chance.

Also, the random-out-of-the-blue shit at The Athletic???? Sorry, Chad... The Athletic has been the best thing for sports journalism fans in a long time. Newspapers didn't adapt. The Athletic took the mantle. You are 0-2 here.
 

bankshot1

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You couldn't pay me enough to listen to Michael Kay do a national game.

Well maybe you could, but my ears would bleed and I'd feel dirty.

ARod teamed with a MFY-shill like Kay is a bridge and tunnel too far.

Its an EZ-Pass.
 

Chad Finn

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The Athletic is great. It writes the kind of stories I like to write. I thought long and hard about taking an offer there a couple of years ago. Have tons of friends there. It also got sold to a newspaper.

I like A-Rod as long as he isn't in the booth. Finn is wrong here, give it a chance.

Also, the random-out-of-the-blue shit at The Athletic???? Sorry, Chad... The Athletic has been the best thing for sports journalism fans in a long time. Newspapers didn't adapt. The Athletic took the mantle. You are 0-2 here.
 

BigJimEd

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I like A-Rod as long as he isn't in the booth. Finn is wrong here, give it a chance.

Also, the random-out-of-the-blue shit at The Athletic???? Sorry, Chad... The Athletic has been the best thing for sports journalism fans in a long time. Newspapers didn't adapt. The Athletic took the mantle. You are 0-2 here.
He stated the Atlantic was quality and a great product. Took a little shot at one of the co-founders grandiose statement. Deservedly so as it turns out.

As for ARod, I'll be perfectly content to never hear his voice again.

I'd say you are 0-2 here.
 

Humphrey

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Any way someone can copy the article about high school basketball? Strikes close to home; my now-senior-in-college daughter played and I have to say, I miss it a lot even now.
 

Chad Finn

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Apologize for the annoying self-promotional post here, but just wanted to let everyone know, since SoSH is the target audience for this, that a book project I've been working on for the last 10 months is now available. It's called "The Boston Globe Story of the Red Sox,'' and it's a compilation of the paper's coverage from the beginning of team's history. I shepherded the project, writing the intro and chapter essays and picking the 400 or so articles, which includes the best of Gammons, Montville, Fitzgerald, and many others. (One of my favorite stories is a full Gammons Sunday Notes column from 1980. It even mentions Juan Bustabad!) It's kind of my dream assignment come true. It's available March 7 and for pre-order now in the usual spots Happy to answer any questions about it. No, I did not include 45 J.D. Drew photos. More like 35, or 40 tops. -- Chad
 

Jim Ed Rice in HOF

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I'm purposely not click that link only because I'm going to have my wife buy it for me for Father's Day since she always complains that I'm difficult to shop for. I look forward to it.

Veering slightly off topic but as a sports obsessed kid born in '68 reading the Sunday Globe from the late 70's through the mid 80's with the ludicrous amount of talented writers they had was heaven. I'm sure I spent more time devouring the sports section on Sunday than I spent studying the entire week.