Windy Interview on leaving for ESPN

CBBI said:

The thing is, I can only imagine this "Heat Index" concept is only going to last this season. Once the novelty wears off after this season, Windy can settle into being a National NBA Writer who happens to be based out of Miami and writes articles about the Heat when they play significant games throughout the season.

In his own words, Windhorst is aiming to be the new Marc Stein/JA Adande. Within 15 months, you'll see him contributing to NBA Fastbreak, NBA Coast to Coast and breaking league wide news on trades and things of that nature.

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I'm sure that's what he's hoping, but the fact he didn't get an agreement up front leaves him very vulnerable to being pigeon-holed or axed.

With newspapers going under, and/or cutting back, it wouldn't be surprising in the least that ESPN would try to fill that gap by building up their own cadre of online beat writers. If necessary the league would just do it themselves, but as we saw with NBATV, they'd rather let their partners handle these things.

As you pointed out, being a headliner at ESPN involves giving interviews and doing the rounds on the various ESPN TV and radio shows. I doubt anybody checked out his "Q" rating at the ABR or the PD, but at ESPN Windy is going to have to compete with the pretty boys/girls, and others with more experience in front of the camera.

Nothing personal Brian but you make Mark Stein look like a male model.

Really? Are some of you really serious about this?

You want to crucify the man for leaving a local newspaper where he would be covering what is now essentially a lottery team for a job covering one of the most interesting stories in the NBA as well as fulfilling a dream of his? We're all very raw right now. First Ferry leaves us, then we basically wait around for Lebron's decision with bated breath, while at the same time missing out on really improving our team, and then we have to suffer through The Decision. Now after all of that our beat writer, the person who has been our window into the Cavs, is leaving us to move on to a better position. Reacting emotionally isn't going to do anything but draw us deeper into our hole.

I don't like it, I wish things could have turned out differently, but if I were in Brian's situation I'd make the same decision. Like it or not, the Heat are the most fascinating story in the NBA at the moment. If you like them you want to see how they're succeeding, if you hate them you want to see them crushed. Either way you're still interested in the story. Even though we hate Lebron we're still keeping tabs on him, that's just how much pull this story has. You don't like ESPN? That's completely understandable, especially after this Summer of non-stop Lebron nut-hugging. However, they are still the leading sports authority and career wise this is definitely the best choice for Brian. You want to stop the evil empire? Hating them won't do it, you need to just stop caring. I know it's easier said than done, but there's not much else to do.

I personally believe the novelty of the Heat will wear off after the season, so at least then Windy will be able to really shine while covering the NBA in general.

Class act gets a premier journalism job. Climbing the ladder. Best of Luck Windy!

dirtywax said:

I can't believe all the bitterness toward a beat writer leaving for a better job. Completely asinine.

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He's not "leaving for a better job" - he's going over to the dark side. It sounds like he had LOTS of offers for "better jobs" that would give him promotions and raises, and he took one, in particular. ESPN was complicit in everything that happened this summer, or worse.

The point is this: so the Heat is the main story in the NBA today. Well, the resurgence of the Taliban is the major story in Afghanistan these days. If you want to objectively cover the Taliban, do you go do write for THEIR NEWSPAPER - THEIR PROPAGANDA ARM? No. You do it from a newspaper where you don't have a conflict of interest.

What about this is complicated? The NBA is ESPN's PRODUCT. They have an interest in promoting the NBA, and in squashing any news detrimental to it's product, be it objective reporting or not. Is Windhorst going to be able to tell a story that puts LeBron's entourage or the NBA in a bad light? I don't think so.

It's not rocket science....

I should say that I think that Windhorst is a great beat writer, and that he's rightfully growing in prominence. And I'm sure that he is a fine guy. I would have wished him well had he taken any number of jobs with high-profile news sources, including, but not limited to:
- Sports Illustrated
- The New York Times
- CBS Sports
- Fox Sports
- Yahoo! Sports

But the decision to join ESPN doesn't compute for me, if the guy cares about journalistic integrity, or integrity at all, for that matter. A lot of you appear to measure success according to money and exposure. If that's so, then nothing that happened this summer should bother you. This summer was all about money and exposure. It was all about selling shoes in China.

And, at some point, I WON'T care. In fact, I am trying NOT to care. But the whole thing CONTINUES to stink. LeBron says something stupid and obnoxious every week or so. Someone excuses LeBron's behavior every week or so. Someone runs off to join the party in Miami. Someone forgets that LeBron basically threw Game 5. Moving on involves being honest about what happened and what continues to happen.

Windy has writing skills, and I enjoyed them.

But he is selling out here, and I don't like his take on Dec 2. Whatever happens at the Q, James has earned. To point that back at Cleveland is just piling on. The ESPN Marketing machine will play Cleveland as losers no matter how we behave because it is in their best interest to pump Lebron back up. All that crap about family in South Beach, the man is northeast Ohio guy for 6 years and now suddenly he is a native Gator? gimme a break.

I am not sure if anyone has considered this, but is it possible that Windy was brought to ESPN to tell the real story of what happened this summer? I know ESPN loves LeBron, but wouldn't the network get just as much hits/viewers if they were the one to expose LeBron and all the shi* he did?

Why wouldn't ESPN love to be the place where the truth comes out?

SaberTJDW said:

I am not sure if anyone has considered this, but is it possible that Windy was brought to ESPN to tell the real story of what happened this summer? I know ESPN loves LeBron, but wouldn't the network get just as much hits/viewers if they were the one to expose LeBron and all the shi* he did?

Why wouldn't ESPN love to be the place where the truth comes out?

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As close a partnership ABC/ESPN has with the NBA, they would never dare say very much negative at all about James or the Miami super team that was callously built this summer. If anything, the next several weeks, months, and years will be a kiss-ass fest by the network to try and repair its relationship with James after their horrible production and delivery of "The Decision."

Falb7 said:

As close a partnership ABC/ESPN has with the NBA, they would never dare say very much negative at all about James or the Miami super team that was callously built this summer. If anything, the next several weeks, months, and years will be a kiss-ass fest by the network to try and repair its relationship with James after their horrible production and delivery of "The Decision."

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And they plan on repairing that relationship by hiring the guy whom Lebron's mgmt team despises?

I like Windy's writing skills and have always enjoyed hearing him on the radio through the years and would never fault someone for advancing their career and more importantly making more money in a tough industry and market but.....

This one rubs me the wrong way a bit as he ascended to popularity by hitching himself to LBJ and he knows this, he would never have been giving all of the opportunities throughout the years based solely on his writing skills if it were not for his association with LBJ, no matter how much he wants to spin the fact that Lebrons crew doesn’t like him. With this move I question his journalistic integrity and wonder if he was 'hiding' or looking the other way not only during the time he covered LBJ/Cavs especially during the playoff LeBacle, the elbow, free agency and the locker room chemistry issues. Something happened during the Celtics series and he knows what it was and I feel he did not want to upset his golden goose. As for this job, it seems like a big risk and I wish him luck because the luster will wear off of the heat after this year and he will be a espn contributor based out of Miami. Not taking personal shots but he is not polished enough nor does he have the looks to sit behind the camera at ESPN and talk NBA basketball.

I will give him credit because I have heard him on WTAM and WKNR and he is facing it like a man as people are coming at him hard about this move. Time to move on. Go Cavs

KilgoreTrout said:

I should say that I think that Windhorst is a great beat writer, and that he's rightfully growing in prominence. And I'm sure that he is a fine guy. I would have wished him well had he taken any number of jobs with high-profile news sources, including, but not limited to:
- Sports Illustrated
- The New York Times
- CBS Sports
- Fox Sports
- Yahoo! Sports

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I would put NBA.com/TV on that list as well, but one reason why ESPN may have brought Windy into their team is to ask L____ the tough questions to avoid negative public feedback when it comes to softball questions. I am not saying that is the only reason why because I believe that Windy earned the job that he is going to, but it is an aspect that ESPN is going to need to use to prevent the 'heat index' from drawing negative criticism.

I wish I was a young journalist that went to the same school and had inside scoop on the biggest news story in sports. You're damn right I would hitch myself to that wagon and milk it for all it is worth.

Windy was very hard on LeBron on the Cavs over the years. He hitched himself to the LBJ story without sacrificing good journalism.

It was a smart move, and done with a lot of integrity. Wish the guy the best - it will be very interesting to see if ESPN will allow his pessimistic views to see the light of day.

Brian didn't owe us anything. Not sure why people are acting like he did.

For his sake, hope he does not plan on doing TV any time soon.. And skip the ESPN Christmas party..

Nom said:

I wish I was a young journalist that went to the same school and had inside scoop on the biggest news story in sports. You're damn right I would hitch myself to that wagon and milk it for all it is worth.

Windy was very hard on LeBron on the Cavs over the years. He hitched himself to the LBJ story without sacrificing good journalism.

It was a smart move, and done with a lot of integrity. Wish the guy the best - it will be very interesting to see if ESPN will allow his pessimistic views to see the light of day.

Brian didn't owe us anything. Not sure why people are acting like he did.

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Who is acting like Brian owed him something? Can you give me an example? I've seen that statement a few times, and I never know what the person MEANS by it.

If someone can clarify this for me, that would be great..

When exactly is Brian leaving the PD to cover the Heat?