Some of the preeminent sportswriters in the country are losing their jobs.
Several prominent sportswriters have either been offered or have accepted buyouts in recent weeks. Boston Globe NBA scribe Jackie MacMullan and Chicago Tribune NBA writer Sam Smith have both accepted buyouts, while New York Times baseball writer Murray Chass and Washington Post writer Tony Kornheiser are in negotiations with their respective papers.
This comes after several USA Today sportswriters, including David DuPree, were bought out late last year.
Kornheiser leaving the Washington Post would be no real surprise, as his television roles as host of Pardon the Interruption and an analyst on Monday Night Football have completely overshadowed his work at the Post.
MacMullan, meanwhile, could easily end up at ESPN. Last year, she had a role on ESPN NBA Shootaround, and she is a frequent panelist on Around the Horn. ESPN.com and its growing NBA stable, which already includes former Los Angeles Times writer J.A. Adande, could be a possible destination.
Responding to a report by The Big Lead that suggested his buyout was involuntary, Murray Chass told the Sports Business Daily “I am not being forced out and I am not going to retire.” Chass says he has several offers, and will take “a few more weeks to decide on the Times offer.”
Finally, Smith has signed with Comcast SportsNet Chicago, where he will work as a contributor.
