Joe Posnanski is Leaving Sports Illustrated
Less than three years after joining the staff at Sports Illustrated, Joe Posnanski is leaving. Posnanski has told the magazine he’s moving on, and his next stop is the USA Today/MLB Advanced Media joint venture that was announced last month.*
“Yeah, that’s right,” Posnanski said in a brief phone call. “I’m leaving [SI] with mixed emotions.”
Posnanski said he’ll work the Masters this weekend for Sports Illustrated, but his departure date is still being worked out. He said it’s unclear what his exact role in the USA Today Sports Media Group will be.
Obviously, this is a big loss for Sports Illustrated, which lost its baseball “news” guy Jon Heyman to CBS Sports in December.
Previously: Joe Posnanski Has Left the Kansas City Star for Sports Illustrated*
Previously: Joe Posnanski Thinks that Joe Paterno is Being Made a Scapegoat. Did You Know Posnanski Was Writing a Book on Paterno?
* Yes, this site and Big Lead Sports were purchased by USA Today in January. Nobody in the USA Today Sports Media Group tipped us off to Posnanski.
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65 Responses to “Joe Posnanski is Leaving Sports Illustrated”
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March 30th, 2012 at 12:46 PM
I hope he gets behind a keyboard and not in front of a camera. Also, he’s overproduced the last year or so and his work has diminished. Take a breather Joe, you’ve earned it.
Still, the best writer of the past 5 years altogether.
March 30th, 2012 at 12:47 PM
I know Posnanski is a big name and all… but I don’t think I’ve ever read anything the guy wrote.
March 30th, 2012 at 12:49 PM
To be fair, they probably knew you were busy with the latest report on a little known athlete’s preferred thickness in women.
March 30th, 2012 at 12:49 PM
damn good quote/transcript right there. these journalismy options are really paying off for you, J-Mac.
March 30th, 2012 at 12:50 PM
Did you forget to add the “how’d you get this number” part of the conversation???
March 30th, 2012 at 12:50 PM
don’t think I’ve ever ready anything written by this gentleman.
March 30th, 2012 at 12:50 PM
is this the same “Nobody” guy that reads the comments?
March 30th, 2012 at 12:51 PM
How did you get his phone number?
March 30th, 2012 at 12:52 PM
Did he sound like David Puddy?
March 30th, 2012 at 12:53 PM
Wonder what the partnership means for the rampant whining by the EIC about MLB’s Advance Media?
March 30th, 2012 at 12:53 PM
You’re missing out.
March 30th, 2012 at 12:57 PM
[phone rings]
Posnanski: Hello?
JMac: Joe this is your future coworker Jason McIntyre of the The Big Lead Sports.
Posnanski: Oh…hi. What’s up?
JMac: How many children did Joe Paterno tell you Jerry Sandusky molested?
Posnanski: [hangs up]
March 30th, 2012 at 12:57 PM
don’t think I’ve ever ready anything written by this gentleman.
One of the best baseball writers in the country.
March 30th, 2012 at 12:58 PM
Full transcript please.
March 30th, 2012 at 12:59 PM
Enjoyed his pieces about LeBron leaving Cleveland. PSU and Paterno, not so much.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:01 PM
What the fuck happened to this site?
March 30th, 2012 at 1:02 PM
Especially when you include the situation he fell into with his Paterno book.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:02 PM
Selig runs this.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:02 PM
I like how with your Knight “interview” you set the precedent of publishing full transcripts. Except now that it’s a boring guy with a boring quote you still have to publish it (“consistency” and all) and now it just looks silly since most of these conversations are really unspectacular and shouldn’t be transcribed in the first place.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:06 PM
Good for him.
/never read anything of his
//but people always tell me to do so
///it’s weird
March 30th, 2012 at 1:07 PM
One of the best baseball writers in the country.
That would be correct. I can’t think of anyone else who’s as good as him.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:09 PM
Uh, oh, trouble in paradise.
Maybe nobody gave them your cell phone number.
Sounds like an Arby’s night.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:10 PM
/pours one out for NDub.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:12 PM
And FWIW, I thought his work on Paterno was fine. It’s really easy to just dropping bombs and blaming everyone in sight but takes maturity and perspective to step back, take a deep breath, and write something thoughtful, and that’s what he did. He was appropriately horrified for the victims, he just wasn’t willing to go so far as to lynch Paterno, McQueary, etc. based on the first 48 hours of media attention.
I mean, it’s not as if he gains anything for his book by softpedaling it. Paterno is forever stained by this and Pos couldn’t avoid it if he wanted to.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:14 PM
He writes a few golf columns a year and it was immediately clear he is also one of the best golf writers in the nation too. He was starting to contribute to the SI Golf Monthly but it seems that won’t continue.
Like any great writer be was becoming a slave to his style and not the master of his own style, but still some great output. I just don’t want another Kornheiser situation.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:14 PM
Did NDub just get disappeared to Room 101?
March 30th, 2012 at 1:15 PM
Posnarski to Monday Night Football?
March 30th, 2012 at 1:16 PM
Like any great writer be was becoming a slave to his style and not the master of his own style,
In what way? I read Posnanski semi-regularly but I guess not enough often to know how his style has evolved over time.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:16 PM
[phone rings]
Posnanski: Hello?
JMac: Joe this is your future coworker Jason McIntyre of the The Big Lead Sports.
Posnanski: Oh…hi. What’s up?
He’s unfailingly polite.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:16 PM
I’ve never watched an episode of South Park.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:16 PM
if it means less mc tibble baseball posts on this site, who gives a shit?
March 30th, 2012 at 1:16 PM
Transpose ‘enough’ and ‘often’ in 28.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:17 PM
I’ve never watched an episode of South Park.
Well this I simply refuse to believe.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:18 PM
It’s strange. Not sure if it’s the voices or what, but I have zero interest in seeing an episode.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:18 PM
wow, really?
March 30th, 2012 at 1:19 PM
It’s strange. Not sure if it’s the voices or what, but I have zero interest in seeing an episode.
How can you judge whether or not you have interest in watching a full episode if you’ve never watched a full episode? You’ve seen clips I guess?
I get it, you probably don’t like how they draw hair.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:20 PM
No, it’s that there are too many winter hats covering the hair.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:20 PM
HELLLLOOOO FAILURE!
March 30th, 2012 at 1:21 PM
In what way? I read Posnanski semi-regularly but I guess not enough often to know how his style has evolved over time.
After a while, his blog seemed like he needs some ADHD treatment. A tangent into a tangent…. He’s too good of a writer to need 6,000 words to write about why Midnight Oil was the best concert he ever seen, or some minor thought on one of the newest sabermetrics (sic).
I would love to know how much pressure he got to put out pieces for SI.com during the Paterno deal. If he could have sat on the info and vignettes, an after-the-dust-has-settled review with his acumen would have been so much better. His Paterno story when published will seem pocked by his scattered boots-on-the-ground pieces.
Still though, he’s a true wordsmith. I wish him the best b/c he’s a rare talent.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:22 PM
TBL BASEBALL WRITER
March 30th, 2012 at 1:22 PM
I’ve never watched an episode of South Park.
I’ve never watched a single episode of Mad Men, Justified, Breaking Bad, The Wire, The Walking Dead, or Archer. Guess I’m not a huge TV person…..
March 30th, 2012 at 1:23 PM
I think I may have seen two episodes, but I have watched the movie, which I loved.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:24 PM
Did he really do this? What a waste of words and time.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:25 PM
I’m with you on all of these, except for Archer. But I can add 30 Rock, Community, Parks & Rec, How I Met Your Mother, and just about every other network show.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:26 PM
+ infinity
March 30th, 2012 at 1:28 PM
I actually enjoy Yardwork quite a bit, as long as I remember to open Chrome in a sarcasm window. Yardwork will be responsible for most of my commenting here all summer, I imagine.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:29 PM
You go see Midnight Oil and then try to say that.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:29 PM
Some of these I’ve never seen, but Mad Men is damn good, as is the unmentioned Sopranos. The Wire is fantastic. Working my way through Breaking Bad right now which is also excellent.
But I rarely watch anything in real time, or even days or weeks later. I tend to let a few seasons pile up then burn through them all.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:29 PM
How can you judge whether or not you have interest in watching a full episode if you’ve never watched a full episode? You’ve seen clips I guess?
The same way that I know I don’t like shit sandwiches
March 30th, 2012 at 1:30 PM
The same way that I know I don’t like shit sandwiches
Fair point.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:31 PM
Why write about baseball when you can write about how many people may or may not watch baseball?
March 30th, 2012 at 1:31 PM
or Moleman’s frozen pizzas
March 30th, 2012 at 1:32 PM
Did he really do this? What a waste of words and time.
Yes. It was a long-winded narrative on appreciating things, and how an athlete might not be the best but might be the best you’ve seen. I just spared you 5900 words of reading. Even so, he’s the best. If I was an active sprotswriter, I’d beg him to mentor and help my writing.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:33 PM
(((((( this season of Archer was kind of disappointing, especially the finales ))))))
March 30th, 2012 at 1:33 PM
They come in thirty minutes or less or your money back.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:35 PM
It disgusts me that I know enough about your masturbation habits to get this joke.
/vomits
March 30th, 2012 at 1:35 PM
Even I’m starting to feel badly for Leafs fans. Only a little, but still.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:39 PM
Won $50 off the Leafs won’t make the playoffs early season bet. You can make a small fortune betting against Toronto fans. In my weaker moments, I almost pity them.
March 30th, 2012 at 1:41 PM
Rats.
March 30th, 2012 at 2:25 PM
Yes. It was a long-winded narrative on appreciating things, and how an athlete might not be the best but might be the best you’ve seen. I just spared you 5900 words of reading. Even so, he’s the best. If I was an active sprotswriter, I’d beg him to mentor and help my writing.
I met him at a SABR meeting in KC a few years ago, really nice. It would have been Jan of 2010. There were like 30 people over 50, me, and Posnanski was one of the key note speakers. I talked to him afterward, even gave him a story idea. We exchanged emails on Ellis Rubin, as he was going to Miami for the Super Bowl the next week. He ended up not writing about it because he was dead, and he was going to try to track him down. I ended up writing about it instead–http://www.pro-football-reference.com/blog/?p=5967
I can attest that he is as nice in private as he seems in his writing.
March 30th, 2012 at 2:38 PM
Any chance USA Today will be able to set him up with a new place to live? That State College cocoon he’s living in now can’t be that appealing.
March 30th, 2012 at 3:20 PM
this guy hasn’t been the same since the world found out Paterno hid a child molestor. ruined the book he was writing on it. well u just know that book will be a defense now of Paterno. Which will be horseshit.
March 30th, 2012 at 7:02 PM
Best damned writer in the sports business
March 30th, 2012 at 10:38 PM
Still, the best writer of the past 5 years altogether.
Still, the best writer of the past five years.
April 8th, 2012 at 5:01 AM
Actually, I work at SI and he was about to be terminated (technically, they weren’t going to renew his contract, which is usually a formality). The editors were really unhappy with his handling of the Penn State situation, they almost terminated him on the spot back then.