Press Pass | Jim Owczarski From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Talks Aaron Rodgers, Profiles, and the Packers' Offseason Additions
By Liam McKeone
Jim Owczarski is the Packers beat writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In the past, he’s covered a variety of events for OnMilwaukee, earned a spot in the Best American Sportswriting publication, and worked the prep school beat for the Aurora Beacon-News in Chicago. He took the time to chat with The Big Lead about how his untraditional background helped him become the writer he is today, Matt LeFleur’s impact in Green Bay, and more.
Liam McKeone: Hey, Jim, appreciate you taking the time today. In your own words, describe how you got started in the industry and how you came to be the beat guy for the Packers at the Journal Sentinel.
Jim Owczarski: 80s baby from Chicago, so I grew up wanting to play NBA basketball, right? Sox fan from the South Side as well. Had a love of writing early on, so really in high school is when I determined I wanted to be a sports writer. Tribune, Sun-Times. Then my local paper, the Daily South Town, had traveling beat writers and all that stuff, so I consumed it. Went to North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. That was interesting because they weren’t your traditional journalism program, like a Syracuse. They’re a private, liberal arts college and while it presented some challenges post-graduation, because you didn’t have that sort of built-in network of alumni and all that stuff, there was a focus on writing. Fiction, non-fiction, creative writing. I had to do all that kind of stuff. I was there from 1998-2002, before the recession, before the industry changed. So I was doing narrative storytelling before that really became a thing. And, you know, being sort of the underdog in the market, not having the connections, I had to really hustle for freelance work, to make connections, to network. So I’m learning the craft of writing, I’m hustling to figure out how to get a job and meet people, right?
I graduate in ‘02, and I’m a little stubborn and refused to leave Chicago. The Naperville Sun went daily in 2003, and why would a three-day-a-week paper go daily in 2003? Because that happened, John Roberts, who is now an editor at ESPN.com, hired me as their sports clerk. That was one of those, you’re paid for 30 hours a week but you’re obviously gonna work way more if you want. John basically said, “Hey, do your requirements, but if you want to go cover the Cubs or Sox, if you want to cover pro golf, then go do it. Except, give me something different.” Because at the time, the Sun was one of the suburban papers that was owned by the Sun-Times. So he was like, “If you’re just gonna go there and do what the beat guys do, that’s a waste of all of our time because I can just pull that.” So here I was, this 22-year-old, given the world, if you will, but you have to make it your own world. You have to hustle, you have to fight for the interesting, unique stuff. As you can tell, it’s 2019, that was way ahead of the curve in how to report and write and look for stories.
That was the beginning. I moved to the Aurora Beacon-News as a full-time writer. That was also part of the same company, so it was like a transfer. Same type of deal– cover preps, and in your free time look for those unique stories in other areas. I want to give a shoutout to my editors there: Todd M. Adams, currently the APSE president, and Chris Sosa. They allowed me to do those things and pushed me as a writer. Then, laid off in 2012. Obviously I made it through some of the recession, but not all of it. The day before Wrapports was announced as the new buyers of the Sun-Times, I was part of that wave of guys getting laid off. That could have been terrible, but I saw the writing on the wall and saw it coming. So it sucked, but it actually led me to a promotion. I was hired by OnMilwaukee.com in the spring of 2012.
McKeone: Were you as stubborn about leaving Chicago this time around?
Owczarski: We were stubborn. My wife is in radio, her name is Michelle Rutkowski. She programs three radio station for the Milwaukee Radio Alliance, also a North Central College alumna. We wanted to stay in Chicago or close to home, we were willing to fight that battle in the No. 3 media market in the country. Opportunities presented themselves for her in Milwaukee so her career has grown here. We got married, we weren’t married when I got laid off, so as a couple… We always knew in radio and journalism that we may have to live apart, how do we do that type of deal? So again, OnMilwaukee, it was very fortunate in timing. I get laid off in Chicago and an outlet in the city where my wife works took a chance on me. Let me give those guys a shoutout, that was Andy Tarnoff and Jeff Sherman. Obviously they had an opening so the stars aligned.
Basically, OnMilwaukee took a chance on me. Here I was, this guy who was a preps writer with sub-pro experience, and they said, “Here you go. Bring interesting, compelling sports content, but it’s gotta be different from what the others are doing.” And I did everything there. Brewers, Bucks, Packers, Milwaukee Admirals, indoor soccer, there was a U.S. Women’s Open so I did some pro golf. Anything and everything under the sun. That was tremendous. Worked a bunch. Worked really hard. I was here when Giannis Antetokounmpo was drafted, and I was the first one to really do a, “Who is this kid, where did he come from, what an incredible story” type-feature. Steve Wojciechowski was hired as Marquette’s head coach, and I did the first kind of blowup profile on Steve. That was noticed by, and this is how it was told to me, a Marquette alum at ESPN saw the story, forwarded the story to a friend of his, who at the time was the sports editor at the Cincinnati Enquirer, Matthew Tabeek.
Unbeknownst to me, Matt was looking for a Bengals writer, looking for a guy to bring something different to the beat, saw my stuff, called me out of the blue, and got me to leave Milwaukee. So I went to the Cincinnati Enquirer in April of 2015 to cover the Bengals, helped out with their All-Star game coverage in July of that year too. Did the Bengals for three-and-a-half years. Michael Cohen left the Journal Sentinel to go to The Athletic at the start of last year, which opened up a Packers beat job. I’ve had roots in Milwaukee for about a decade through my wife. They said, “Hey Jim, would you want to come home?” And of course! My wife is there, I live there in the offseason, so that was a no-brainer. I’m very fortunate. My sports editor at the Enquirer, Jason Hoffman, former sports editor at the Journal Sentinel Mike Davis, all collegial, it was great. Transferred over right at Week 1 last year, and here I am, on the Packers beat!
McKeone: You definitely have a more unique path than most beat guys. How did coming from more of a traditional writing background, rather than a journalistic one, help you in your career?
Owczarski: It’s definitely… It’s a different way to look at storytelling, you know? If you’re studying, and my professors are going to kill me for not remembering the authors, when you’re sort of trained in either the fiction or non-fiction world, or the creative writing with poetry and different kinds of poetry, of course, you view writing and storytelling just differently than standard journalism. There’s no other way to say it. It’s not just nut graphs and basic ledes. That was taught to me, but it was along with this other way and as the industry changed– initially, with the boom of the internet where we were told, “No one reads anything, write shorter write shorter,” to the reverse of it, which was “Tell good stories, people will read it,” but it’s gotta be different. I wish I could be more specific than to say it’s just that part of the brain was exercised more often and it had to be.
And again, you’re going to a university where the teachers know you by name because there’s only 20 of you and you’re really pushed in that way. So I guess, as I’ve gone along… I’ve been fortunate, too, because every outlet I’ve been, every editor I’ve had has given me that freedom to continue to exercise it. So it’d be different, I guess, if I was put in a place where, “No, you must write to this word count, it must be nuts and bolts.” Every place I’ve been has allowed me to work that creative part of the mind… Just having to be creative all the time in the college environment and obviously having bosses in the professional one that let me foster that. And they let me take risks! I would say, the Tim Krumrie profile I did that earned a Best American Sportswriting publication, the John Ross profile I did just before I left Cincinnati, sort of sand out to me as different ways to write that stuff. I know we mentioned the Giannis story years ago, and that was a little different. It’s just a different way to think about storytelling.
McKeone: I heard Giannis is notoriously hard to get ahold of for one-on-one stuff now, so you got in early with that.
Owczarski: Well, yeah, that makes sense because he’s a superstar now. When he was a rookie, people tend to forget that stuff. He was a reach, no one knew who he was, and the Bucks were just so bad. Honestly, I found him interesting and spent a lot of time with him. I’m very fortunate that that piece lived, in a way. I think any profiles of him that came after that actually referenced that piece for quite a while. He’s a lot of fun. I haven’t been around him since I returned to Milwaukee, I think I would have covered the Finals for the Journal-Sentinel if they had made it that far. That’s the exact type of thing. I remember talking to the guy who discovered him in Greece and talking to his parents on the phone when they were still in Greece, staying up till four in the morning to do that or whatever the time change was. One of the more fun stories I’ve ever done, because at the time, whoever would have thought, right?
Five Big Things
McKeone: The culture in Green Bay seemed to get stale by the end of the year. What kind of attitude is Matt LeFleur bringing to the table and what kind of impact will this fresh culture have on the team?
Owczarski: It’s a little cliché to say, “Oh it’s a useful attitude” but clichés are that for a reason, right? Here’s a guy who’s not yet 40, young kids, offensive coordinator is not yet 40, young kids. The staff is pretty young. They brought that type of energy. Look, they’re excited to be there, you know what I mean? From the very superficial, like new lighting and new paint, to something like bringing music to training camp practices. That stuff matters, to a degree. It gets the guys excited about it and then you bring in an offense that these guys all have seen work. Not just on film. They played the Rams last year, they played the Falcons a couple years ago when they were there, so they know that if this gets clicking, it can lead to big things. I definitely think there is a palpable [feeling] of “Hey, this is different, this is new.” I do think, just from talking to guys, that they’ve bought into what him and his staff are selling.
McKeone: How do you see LeFleur’s offensive system benefitting Aaron Rodgers?
Owczarski: It’ll be a boon for Rodgers in that… Look, the play-action game is the QB’s best friend in 2019. They are going to run the ball, and Aaron Rodgers, if you give him those extra seconds, that can be problems. I’ve talked to a defensive coordinator who’s going to play him this year, a defensive back who’s going to play him this year, and even Robert Griffin III, who went on the record for a recent piece on the offense, said, “Look. No one in the league wants things easier for Aaron Rodgers.” And that’s exactly what this offense is going to do. That’s just how it’s designed. While they work out the kinks as they naturally do with anything new, I think those things together will make it easier for Rodgers.
McKeone: Davante Adams is the clear No. 1. Who do you think will step up as the No. 2 guy in that offense?
Owczarski: In the pass game… Put it this way. This offense is very democratic. If you go back to even Atlanta in 2016, it was Julio Jones, then Mohamed Sanu and Taylor Gabriel. You had a handful of guys who on any one day could produce big numbers, but for the most part it wasn’t a clear No. 2 and 3. And I think that’s going to be an adjustment for Packers fans, to be honest, Liam. They’re used to, “Hey, it’s Donald Driver, it’s Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, and then Randall Cobb.” That’s just not how this works. So yes, I think Geronimo Allison, Marquez Valdes-Scantling… at this point, any of them might have a big day, but Davante Adams is still the big bellcow in the pass game. I think it’s honestly Aaron Jones, the running back. If he’s healthy, he’s going to be the No. 2 guy. They’re going to run the ball that much.
McKeone: There’s a lot of talent on the defensive side of the ball. Who do you think will have a breakout year?
Owczarski: I’m on the Jaire Alexander hype train as well, if you will. I know he stepped out this offseason and said he believes he can be an All-Pro. I don’t vote on that, so that, I can’t say. But he is very good. I think if he’s healthy, he is that type of premier cover corner. I hesitate to say lockdown because I don’t know if the rules permit that anymore, but he’s as close to that as you’re gonna get. He’s one to watch, specifically. As a group, this defense is very good. Brian Gutekunst spent the money and the draft capital for a reason,. They do look very good so far, and I think that as the offense tries to figure itself out, this group will be ready to win Week 1 in Chicago. That’s a group that’s not going to need an adjustment period.
McKeone: Out of Green Bay’s big offseason acquisitions on defense, who do you see having the biggest impact?
Owczarski: Well, I think statistically I’ll go chalk with Za’Darius Smith. The way Mike Pettine is going to use those guys, he should in line for his first double-digit sack season the way they’ll move him around. Kenny Clark should be emerging as an All-Pro. But honestly, the biggest impact might be Adrian Amos. He may finish the year with zero interceptions. But last year, they were victimized so often early over the top with deep balls completed, miscommunications. Adrian Amos may not be sexy, but he prevents all that from happening. Having him back there, paired with Darnell Savage, who’s more of a ball-hawking safety, Amos will make the biggest impact schematically. Za’Darius Smith might have the biggest numbers of the three, and the highlights, if you will.
Five Little Things
McKeone: Favorite stadium in the NFL?
Owczarski: Oh… I haven’t been to all of them yet… You know what, I’ll go with the L.A. Coliseum. That was quite a trip and experience.
McKeone: Favorite person you’ve interviewed in your career so far?
Owczarski: Tiger Woods. I actually did get a brief one-on-one with him back in 2003. The reason is, he was engaged and thought my story idea was interesting, which is why he agreed to an interview. So to have a star of that caliber find my pitch interesting and to be engaged and answer those questions… Definitely sort of a seminal moment in a young career. There’s been a lot since, but that was pretty impactful.
McKeone: What’s your go-to spot to eat in Green Bay?
Owczarski: I don’t eat out very often there, so I’ll go with Margaritas, a Mexican place literally a half-block away from Lambeau.
McKeone: How about Milwaukee?
Owczarski: Comet Cafe. The mac ‘n cheese is the best in the city and I’ll fight anybody on that.
McKeone: What’s one thing about this job you feel other people don’t know?
Owczarski: How much waiting around and waiting on other people’s time we do. I don’t think people know we are so beholden to the story. I’m available when they are available, even if it means it’s during a birthday party or dinner or, as I said with the time change, at 3:30 in the morning my time. I think that’s what people don’t know. We spend a lot of time… waiting. And being available for other people, making it work for them. I think that’s something that’s a little unknown about this job.
McKeone: What’s one thing you wished you knew back when you were starting out?
Owczarski: The multimedia aspect, and I guess that’s unfair to myself because that was 2002, 2003. I always said I’m not going to do radio, I don’t want to do TV. But now you’re basically doing all those things and, ideally, I would have made the effort early in my career to learn how to do TV and radio. I’m still learning. I don’t know if I do it well, but I’m better at it now. I do wish I had prepared myself in that way, that we’d be all over the place in media.