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Friday, December 18, 2009

The Big Lead: ESPNLA.com Has Assembled Quite a Team

A source has leaked us the staff for the new ESPNLA.com team, and Eric Neel, the site’s managing editor, has assembled a talented group of writers. ESPN has done some serious poaching, allegedly stealing writers from the LA Times, LA Daily News, and Sports Illustrated.com.

According to our source, this is the assembled team:

* J.A. Adande will be a columnist
* Ramona Shelburne is leaving her columnist position at the LA Daily News to be a staff writer
* Andrew Kamenetzky, who was/is a freelancer for ESPN the Magazine and LA Times Lakers blogger will be an ESPNLA staff writer*
* Brian Kamenetzky, who is/was a freelancer for ESPN the Magazine and LA Times Lakers blogger, will be an ESPNLA staff writer*
* Dave McMenamin, who is/was at NBA.com, will cover the Lakers
* Jon Weisman, who blogs about the Dodgers for the LA Times
* Arash Markazi, who is SI.com’s pop culture maven/resident party guy will be a staff writer
* Tony Jackson, formerly of the LA Daily News, will cover the Dodgers for ESPNLA

Tripon Posted: December 18, 2009 at 06:54 PM | 17 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: business, dodgers, media, online, rumors, special topics

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1. robinred

Posted: December 18, 2009 at 07:37 PM (#3416971)

What about Plaschke and Simers?

2. Maury Brown Posted: December 18, 2009 at 07:38 PM (#3416973)

All I'll say... Weisman is a great pickup, and couldn't happen to a nicer guy. Jackson is top notch.

3. Tripon Posted: December 18, 2009 at 07:45 PM (#3416989)

What about Plaschke and Simers?

Their salaries are too large at the L.A. Times to consider leaving?

4. Tripon Posted: December 18, 2009 at 07:48 PM (#3416993)

[UPDATE]: * We hear that Mark Saxon of the OC Register has been hired to cover USC and the Anaheim Angels.

5. salvomania Posted: December 18, 2009 at 07:57 PM (#3417007)

Arash Markazi, who is SI.com’s pop culture maven/resident party guy will be a staff writer

What does "S.I." stand for again?

6. Willie Mayspedes Posted: December 18, 2009 at 07:58 PM (#3417011)

ESPN EAST COAST BIAS!!!!111!???

7. He's Bought a Bat Like Prince Fielder Posted: December 18, 2009 at 08:02 PM (#3417017)

Say what you will about ESPN's on-air talent, but .com knows talent and how to bring it in. I still subscribe to BP, but I would eagerly subscribe to ESPN if they put together ESPNSTATS or something and brought in the remaining interesting BP guys, Szymborski, Appelman, Cerrone, maybe Tango and a few others. Then again, I also still enjoy Asia without a trace of irony.

8. Tripon Posted: December 18, 2009 at 08:12 PM (#3417029)

ESPN EAST COAST BIAS!!!!111!???

Well, it is the first ESPN local website on the west coast.

9. JoeHova Posted: December 18, 2009 at 08:40 PM (#3417061)

Is it just me or is J.A. Adande's voice/demeanor really annoying?

10. scareduck Posted: December 18, 2009 at 08:56 PM (#3417091)

Is it just me or is J.A. Adande's voice/demeanor really annoying?

I don't think so. After seeing him live at an LA Press Club function 2-3 years ago, he came off as pretty reasonable. Then I saw some of his fluff pieces that he wrote subsequently ... blech. It was almost like he was a Plaschke-in-training.

11. drone1313 Posted: December 18, 2009 at 08:59 PM (#3417097)

Then again, I also still enjoy Asia without a trace of irony

Prog groups often feel the same way about themselves.

Is it just me or is J.A. Adande's voice/demeanor really annoying?

Somewhat, but compared to others he's not terribly offensive. On Around the Horn (a guilty pleasure) he's a reasoned voice in the wilderness.

12. Tripon Posted: December 18, 2009 at 09:14 PM (#3417130)

Another former Dodgers beat writer(Diamond Leung) also joined ESPN.com has a college basketball beat writer.

I’m happy to announce that on Monday, I’ll start my new job covering college basketball for ESPN.com. I’ll mainly be writing about the West Coast hoops scene at the new College Basketball Nation Blog.

http://diamondleung.tumblr.com/post/289258776/off-to-espn-com

Credit goes to Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A. for sharing the link.

13. Der_K is feeling better now. Posted: December 18, 2009 at 09:17 PM (#3417137)

Not LA related, but it looks like Kiley McDaniel is leaving B-Pro (I don't subscribe, but he's useful/helpful).

14. SteveM. Posted: December 19, 2009 at 12:33 AM (#3417312)

ESPN.Com has first rate college football coverage which makes senese as college football isthe only thing I think ESPN itself does well anymore.

15. WillYoung Posted: December 19, 2009 at 05:50 AM (#3417434)

Steve, Mark Schlabach (one of the main college football writers) is a major league ######### who only helps fuel the NCAA hypocrisy by never pointing out any scandals by the big schools, yet harping on the smaller ones who the NCAA doesn't hesitate to punish.

16. Repoz

Posted: December 19, 2009 at 05:58 AM (#3417438)

BTW...sources tell me that I'm about to be contacted about possibly joining ESPNHACKENSACK.com.

I'm torn.

17. Designated Sitter (GGC) Posted: December 19, 2009 at 06:01 AM (#3417439)

What is this, Repoz? Is it like CSI? Eventually there will be a CSI Willimantic asuming the world last long enough.

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Friday, December 18, 2009

The Big Lead: ESPNLA.com Has Assembled Quite a Team

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