Raise your hand if you have ‘the best job in the world’

Editor’s Note: As a bonus to our readers who have followed us into year two, the East Idaho Sports staff will post a special story on Sundays. It could be a column, opinion, feature or just something fun and goofy. We hope you enjoy, and thanks again for coming along on this journey.

IDAHO FALLS — I’ve heard it so many times.

“You have the best job in the world.”

“Wow, that’s great,” they say after learning what I do for a living.

I even had a former editor remind the sports staff during a particularly rough time in the business that “everyone would love to do what you guys do.”

That was his way of saying, “Stop complaining and do your jobs.”

Harsh, but everyone understood the essence of what he was saying.

I was reminded of all this lately when a high school player I was interviewing mentioned she was going to study journalism in college and wanted to become a sports writer.

Not a news reporter. Not a flashy broadcast journalist. A sports writer.

Hearing that actually brightened my day.

We didn’t have time to talk about the sports writing profession and what having “the best job in the world” actually means, but I was happy that someone, a young person, had the passion to pursue it.

If we had talked, I would have told her that being a sports writer is tough.

Every name you see in a byline has likely been through some stuff.

And by “stuff,” I mean grinding through “I love this job!” to “What’s going on? Why is no one calling me back?” on a daily basis. There’s likely some curse words scattered throughout those quotes, but you get the idea.

This life can seem glamorous from the outside.

In some sports beats, you get to travel, breezing through airports and hotels like some wannabe rock star on tour, darting from town to town — and if you’re lucky enough, you get an expense account for food.

Sometimes — again, if you’re lucky — you can splurge and expense a steak dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Nashville while you’re in town to cover a college basketball tournament. (Not an admission of guilt. But it was probably delicious.)

“You get into the games for free,” they say.

Yes, that’s another perk of the job. Well, maybe not a perk, but actually part of the job.

In some beats, there’s also free parking, a press box with your own seat, and easy access to coaches and players.

In other beats, you have to keep your own stats, find a seat in the bleachers, or walk the sideline during football games while trying not to get run over. Sometimes you literally have to chase down coaches and players for your story.

Still the best job in the world?

Probably.

I can already see my colleagues nodding.

Yes, all that “stuff” is real, and it’s what makes sports writing special.

It’s an art, and it’s not for the weary.

During my career, I’ve been threatened with lawsuits and banned by a coach from covering a team (a ban that lasted for about two days before cooler heads prevailed).

I’ve been berated by editors for missing a story, and I’ve gotten calls from copy editors about style, spelling or just the general tone of a story that I thought was perfect.

It’s all part of the job.

Most experiences with the general public have been great. The occasional hateful email or social media post can be annoying, but that’s to be expected when you put your name and face out on the internet.

For the future sports writer who inspired this column, I would also have to mention the other part of the profession.

I’ve experienced walking into the clubhouse at Dodger Stadium for the first time when I got a chance to cover a team I’d loved since I was about 8 years old. That was definitely one of those “I love this job!” moments.

I’ve almost been trampled by college basketball fans in Montana celebrating a last-second win and storming the court.

I learned the hard way that I probably should have worn boots to cover my first rodeo.

At least I got a good story out of all those experiences.

With the exception of entry-level jobs at small media outlets, most of the sports writers you read have been on the job for years. Most have been at multiple papers and covered a variety of beats over their careers.

The stress of working on tight deadlines with typically low pay, while having to work nights, weekends and occasional holidays, is a work-life balance that tends to wash out many would-be sports writers.

Those who survive, rise and remain able to handle the daily grind are truly devoted to their craft and the lifestyle.

Most have probably been intrigued by other jobs with less stress and more money.

Those who stayed have their own crazy and hilarious stories to tell, and each could probably write a great book.

Who among the sports writing community hasn’t been locked in a stadium or parking lot after a game? It’s almost like a rite of passage.

For this story, we won’t get into the business aspect of sports writing or media in general.

As an old-school newspaper enthusiast, it pains me to see the industry continue to crumble, as well as what’s happened to once-vibrant newsrooms.

For those would-be sports writers out there, continue to follow your dream. It’s a hard but rewarding profession, and it’s still a thrill to see your byline on a story that you created.

I’m sure that most of my dedicated colleagues would agree that landing “the best job in the world” is something special, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.