The Times, they are a-changin’.
In years gone by, the Sunday edition of the New York Times was the standard bearer for excellence in journalism. It was what the others aspired to be. The sports section was particularly compelling. It was an eagerly anticipated part of every Sunday’s morning ritual.
There would be in-depth stories of team rivalries. Which team was in decline and which one might benefit in the next contest? Which player had elevated his craft to rise above others and lead his team to unexpected success?
All major sporting events were covered. Readers were given insight into the subtleties that ultimately determined outcomes of events not only in the United States, but from around the world. More important, the reporting was being done by writers who actually attended the events, not by staffers reading off a news wire.
That was then. This is now. Be it by budget cuts or changing priorities, that excellence is a thing of the past.
Look at today’s Sunday Times. The sports section has been relegated to three obscure pages, tucked behind the paper’s obituary section. The entire first page features a story on competitive fishing. Fishing? Really?
How could that be? Oh, okay. The story featured the Ebony Anglers, a team made up entirely of women of color, fishing in waters previously the domain of white male fishermen. A worthy topic, for sure. But in the sports section?
The Times, they are a-changin’. For the worse. Sad but true.