Windy Interview on leaving for ESPN

[The Oi]

My question for all the people who are critical is, if you had the opportunity to move up and get a better job would you decline accept?

If I were Windy, I'd have done exactly what Windy did...

































And then I'd have eaten several cupcakes and suffered a severe high ankle sprain.

 

[Triumph36]

[*] Was cussed out by Randy Mims (I assume he was talking about him) for writing an article for the PD that said how he was hired by the Cavs and traveled with the team. This article led to an NBA investigation.

LOL

Randy Mims is an overweight talentless clown that was working at AT&T before hitching onto LeBron's nutsack and being with the Cavs. He needs to know his damn place.


eta: and congrats to Windy. Don't blame him at all for taking the job.

 

[wuck]

I don't understand why Windhorst would rip into LeBron's people (and to some degree LeBron) on his way to down to cover the Miami Heat. It seems, um, a bit counterproductive, but perhaps the damage is done already with getting just 1 interview in 7 years. It would be rather ironic to have Windhorst "covering" the Heat but churning out anti-LeBron articles ala Bill Simmons.

I wish he were staying in Cleveland--I will miss the ridiculous amount of copy (and blogs) he wrote last year.

 

[InBoobieWeTrust]

Bob Frantz is a joke.

 

[MDLT]

I don't understand why Windhorst would rip into LeBron's people (and to some degree LeBron) on his way to down to cover the Miami Heat. It seems, um, a bit counterproductive, but perhaps the damage is done already with getting just 1 interview in 7 years. It would be rather ironic to have Windhorst "covering" the Heat but churning out anti-LeBron articles ala Bill Simmons.

The more I think about it, the more I think Windy going to Miami might be bad news for James.

A.) It sounds like James actually didn't do PR well if he only gave Windy one interview. That's unbelievable, if true. Then again, James lets Maverick Carter oversee his marketing.

B.) Windy is going to make every effort to be objective, meaning we could see some anti-LeBron articles to prove a point

C.) Possibly worst of all for James, Windy may now be the one basketball reporter/analyst who does not forget that James quit in the playoffs. Simmons knows it, but he does more op/ed and writes about a wide variety of issues. Windy won't say it outright but he knows it, you can tell by the way he talks when it comes up.

For as bad as this summer has been for James, it should have been much worse. He's incredibly fortunate people haven't talked about the Boston series in-depth. Maybe I'm wrong, but if the sports world understood what he did, James would be forever tarnished. Windy taking his talents to South Beach may just shed more light on it (not that I'm holding my breath).

 

[abraxas]

I don't think it matters what Windy believes or wants to write...he's going to work for ESPN. They'll let him have some leeway but there's no way they're going to let him go off like Simmons. He won't have the same editorial freedom that he had in Cleveland.

I think this interview was partly coming out of Windy's guilt for knowing how raw folks are and that this hurts us fans. I doubt he intended to get that honest, but at the same time maybe he's trying to prepare himself for knowing that he's going to have to fight to get that honesty out once he's a full-time ESPN employee.

I still hope he is able to write a book about what he experienced going down over the past couple years.

 

[futuristxen]

If you're on the "heat index" beat, I would imagine there is a unique pressure as a journalist to prove that you're not just there slobbing off the Heat knob. I imagine there's always going to be some tension between the people there trying to live with that beat by writing negative articles, and ESPN wanting it to be a portal for Miami Heat fans.

It's a very weird idea to have a whole section of a national website dedicated to just one team.

 

[futuristxen]

These callers and Frantz are being fucking brutal. I don't know how Windy is managing to keep his cool. Also, there seems to be a misunderstanding with the way he's covering the NBA. He's going to ESPN.com to write with an emphasis on the Heat, not to join ESPNMiami.com. I really don't like the fact that these people are calling him a sellout. He's taking a better job. That's just the facts.

The funny thing is that there's not an ESPNmiami.com. ESPN in their infinite wisdom is skipping Miami sports coverage in favor of a section called the Heat Index, which is just about the Heat with new Heat-Centric content every day. Windhorst is one of the primary contributors. Windy can try and spin it however he wants, but he is essentially being paid to once again cover Lebron James. He's been branded as the "lebron james reporter", and it's going to be tough for him to break out of that mold. It's sort of like how Stephen A. was the Allen Iverson guy for awhile.

What's amazing about windy is that he is able to cover Lebron so well with what it sounds like little to no cooperation on Lebron's side. Usually reporters have to kiss ass, but windy shows you can be objective and keep your balls. I hope the exposure he gets at ESPN doing it the right way, changes the way sports journalism has gone.

 

[palin99999]

As someone who actually knows Brian I'm very happy for him. I know that he was nervous about the reception he would get, but I didn't think people would react this badly. I can understand some of the anger, but it's not like he's going to ESPN for less money/status - he's going there to fulfill a dream of his. And whether people like ESPN or not (I don't) it is one of the highest positions a sports writer can achieve.

I also believe he knows the insides of what happened both during the playoffs and in the offseason.

:chuckles:

 

[futuristxen]

but I didn't think people would react this badly.

Really? Anything Lebron associated right now is nuclear. And for Windhorst to do essentially the same thing as Lebron did(leave his hometown paper to go write for the evil empire)--it's not surprising he's getting blasted for it. It's unfortunate because their situations are different. A pay upgrade to a guy like Windy is a much bigger deal than an NBA player. Windy really is taking care of his family.

It's just that people are so emotional right now about Lebron that anything that's even remotely attached to that is going to cause an emotional reaction.

 

[Green Lantern]

Listening to this, and hearing Frantz continue to brag on fat head Triv is annoying..who cares what Triv thinks except the sheep that are under his control..Triv didn't like Lebron so he could say what he wanted,and anyone who get some info on James and pass it on to Triv just played into his hand...

Windy can't report everything he's heard because he can't prove it..oh but I wish he could..

Funny part is LeDrama's people don't want Windy down there...they act like he's a secret spy or something..
I'm not shocked people are ticked off ..one caller did challenge him when he questioned if Brian was actually covering other teams while in Miami..and I wish those two could have responded back n forth ..
The only part that raised my eyebrow was when Windy said it doesn't affect him whether the Cavs win or lose..really?
I got the opposite impression from him listening to him and reading his stuff..it's not a coincidence that ESPN offered him to cover the Heat(Index) and other things(minor)..
I wish he woulda stayed..but all in all I don't he revealed everything in that interview regarding his new assignment.

 

[udilicious42584]

I hope the Heat Index catches Frost Bite...

 

[Joe Henderson]

His access might change dramatically with the move to ESPN. Maybe Lebron didn't want to talk to local media, but i'm sure he'll be more inclined to give interviews to national outlets. Also, sooner or later he'll figure out that shutting out guys like Windhorst won't do anything to help repair his image. Then again, he is likely to ask some questions that Lebron may not like and won't let him get away with stock cliches... So who knows, he might not be ready to face that sort of pressure.

 

[kevolution]

Strictly business.

If he has family down there, then to me it's an easy decision, good for him.

I left Cleveland 5 years ago for more $, opportunity and change, after 5 years, I'd like to be closer to my friends & family. So I am looking to move back next year, accept a lifestyle change and pay cut to return to the city I love and the people I miss.

I really can't believe there are this many comments regarding a sports writer leaving. If anything be happy that he will rep Ohio while working for the number one sports entertainment company. In his line of work this is getting the call to the big leagues.

Do you BW.

 

[kjq1269]

Go getem Windy!! Thanks for everything!! Goodluck