Upcoming High School Sports in Bay Area Newspapers!

[Rmbr26]

Received an email earlier that Prep2Prep high school sports publication has agreed with "BANG" [Bay Area News Group] to contribute to their newspapers in the bay area. This means the Mercury News, San Mateo County Times & others will all share in any sports news coming from Prep2Prep.

Can anyone else say "Its about time!"

 

[jordan24]

What?!? Prep2Prep and BANG have not contacted you, Rmbr26, to contribute?!?

 

[colhenrylives]

The SM Times was put to sleep permanently earlier this year. Staff layoffs ensued. Coverage of prep sports will be reduced significantly, with or without Prep2Prep which has serious limitations too.

 

[Rmbr26]

What?!? Prep2Prep and BANG have not contacted you, Rmbr26, to contribute?!?

Thanks jordan & funny over the last several years as I've seen a few WCAL articles with comments that closely resemble remarks I've posted on NCP's post forum [you think? Ha,ha, YES!!].

Yes I would have been happy to contribute at that, but also like the camaraderie of exchanges on NCP's with persons like jordan24 , colhenry, WCAL75, NorCalSportsFan, PAL95 & many others.

Colhenry caught me in a slip of sorts. As he states the long time SM Times quietly went away about 4 months ago and now subscribers simply receive the Mercury News [which at least has some HS sports coverage]. I do have a subscription to Prep2Prep magazine & while limited is a secondary source for info covering the other side of the bay to Sacto as well.

 

[NorCalSportsFan]

John Murphy (aka prepcat) does a great job at Prep2prep. In the past, he used non-student contributors in for Norcal coverage but not sure if he still does. I like the student angle as it is great experience for young writers and builds skills that can be used anywhere. The agreement with Bang should make it all the more attractive for aspiring writers to be mentored and read by a larger audience. Good stuff.

I too enjoy the camaraderie of exchanges on NCP's personalities and meeting in person at a game or combine from time to time. Can't believe its been 15 years next month on this board and a few more on earlier ones.

 

[concrete17]

I do have a subscription to Perp2Perp magazine & while limited is a secondary source for info covering the other side of the bay to Sacto as well.

Didn't realize you could subscribe to "trade" publications while doing time in the joint...

 

[PAL95]

Thanks jordan & funny over the last several years as I've seen a few WCAL articles with comments that closely resemble remarks I've posted on NCP's post forum [you think? Ha,ha, YES!!].

Yes I would have been happy to contribute at that, but also like the camaraderie of exchanges on NCP's with persons like jordan24 , colhenry, WCAL75, NorCalSportsFan, PAL95 & many others.

Colhenry caught me in a slip of sorts. As he states the long time SM Times quietly went away about 4 months ago and now subscribers simply receive the Mercury News [which at least has some HS sports coverage]. I do have a subscription to Perp2Perp magazine & while limited is a secondary source for info covering the other side of the bay to Sacto as well.

One other link online that had alot of info was prepfeed.com. I enjoyed that site as they had all articles written from various sources combined throughout the bay area as well as rankings and links. I used to go to this site every Saturday morning. Seems like the site is up but stopped in 2013 I believe. RMBR26 I am shocked that you haven't got any offers to take this over as you have had more meaningful info than all the papers as well as the websites when it's come to CCS football. I'm sure we all hope at some point in the future someone can fund you a website or something or just be a writer for NorCal preps. Norcalsportsfan could also be in on it as he has provided tons of info on NorCal football, BTW I even see you on the Spartans scout board as I am a member there also.

 

[Rmbr26]

Didn't realize you could subscribe to "trade" publications while doing time in the joint...

Ha,ha - just saw my post & read yours [ie: "Perp2Perp"], I better be more careful reading my own posts

 

[Rmbr26]

One other link online that had alot of info was prepfeed.com. I enjoyed that site as they had all articles written from various sources combined throughout the bay area as well as rankings and links. I used to go to this site every Saturday morning. Seems like the site is up but stopped in 2013 I believe. RMBR26 I am shocked that you haven't got any offers to take this over as you have had more meaningful info than all the papers as well as the websites when it's come to CCS football. I'm sure we all hope at some point in the future someone can fund you a website or something or just be a writer for NorCal preps. Norcalsportsfan could also be in on it as he has provided tons of info on NorCal football, BTW I even see you on the Spartans scout board as I am a member there also.

Thanks PAL95 for your comments. I sure miss the days of the local newspapers covering all the games complete with pictures. It was only a dozen years ago the SM Times would have all the Friday nite scores on the top page of the sports section and devote 2 full pages to the games. Going back further in time you could actually see results of the JV & frosh games with brief summaries. "The Good 'Ol Days"

 

[2wcats]

It is unfortunate that the local papers really aren't local anymore. BANG had a major restructuring and is down to two main papers: East Bay Times and The Mercury News. All the local content is shunted to the Weeklies which they have 27. The unfortunate side effect has been a drastic down turn in HS sports content in the main papers. It dwindled to a one day a week effort but it was still nice to have a over view of HS sports across the CCS on Thursdays in the Merc but even that has virtually gone away. I sent in a letter inquiring about the lack of HS coverage and did receive a prompt reply from James Robinson but not the news I was hoping for. Apparently in the wake of an extensive survey of print readers last fall BANG determined that high school sports is the topic in which readers are least interested and according to James by a wide margin. Hopefully the relationship with Prep2Prep will provide enough free content that BANG will free up some column space and include it. I would suggest if we want the coverage, let BANG know. Write him at jhrobinson@bayareanewsgroup.com

 

[Bluedog2]

It is unfortunate that the local papers really aren't local anymore. BANG had a major restructuring and is down to two main papers: East Bay Times and The Mercury News. All the local content is shunted to the Weeklies which they have 27. The unfortunate side effect has been a drastic down turn in HS sports content in the main papers. It dwindled to a one day a week effort but it was still nice to have a over view of HS sports across the CCS on Thursdays in the Merc but even that has virtually gone away. I sent in a letter inquiring about the lack of HS coverage and did receive a prompt reply from James Robinson but not the news I was hoping for. Apparently in the wake of an extensive survey of print readers last fall BANG determined that high school sports is the topic in which readers are least interested and according to James by a wide margin. Hopefully the relationship with Prep2Prep will provide enough free content that BANG will free up some column space and include it. I would suggest if we want the coverage, let BANG know. Write him at jhrobinson@bayareanewsgroup.com

Unfortnately, for some time, the newspaper business has been in trouble, the future for sports writers is next to zero as well as all the rest of the columns that are written...This all began when, the Newspapers went morning and TV and now the internet have been pushing the newspaper aside. The public is hungry for news and with all the small newspapers folding and the major newspapers making major cut backs, its up to the internet to fill the gap...
Writers use to make good money and good writers made top dollar, but no more, its the future and it is not good.
So its up to us to supply information, so every body is informed, some times, the information is not right, but others will step forward and point every body in the right direction. And it becomes fun.....

 

[Rmbr26]

It is unfortunate that the local papers really aren't local anymore. BANG had a major restructuring and is down to two main papers: East Bay Times and The Mercury News. All the local content is shunted to the Weeklies which they have 27. The unfortunate side effect has been a drastic down turn in HS sports content in the main papers. It dwindled to a one day a week effort but it was still nice to have a over view of HS sports across the CCS on Thursdays in the Merc but even that has virtually gone away. I sent in a letter inquiring about the lack of HS coverage and did receive a prompt reply from James Robinson but not the news I was hoping for. Apparently in the wake of an extensive survey of print readers last fall BANG determined that high school sports is the topic in which readers are least interested and according to James by a wide margin. Hopefully the relationship with Prep2Prep will provide enough free content that BANG will free up some column space and include it. I would suggest if we want the coverage, let BANG know. Write him at jhrobinson@bayareanewsgroup.com

2wcats - fired off a note to James Robinson today regarding HS Sports & coverage & encouraged him to visit NorCalPreps and see the amount of views the various posts receive. Sports fans want HS Sports News & there are just not that many sources for it any more [unfortunately].

 

[jordan24]

It's interesting the very message boards/social media outlets that we post on today have contributed mightily to the demise of print media publications. It started with Yahoo! back in the day, with Google putting the final nail in the coffin as advertising $$$ shifted to online.

 

[ncscalfootball]

Received an email earlier that Prep2Prep high school sports publication has agreed with "BANG" [Bay Area News Group] to contribute to their newspapers in the bay area. This means the Mercury News, San Mateo County Times & others will all share in any sports news coming from Prep2Prep.

Can anyone else say "Its about time!"

Hopefully the Reporter & Vallejo Times Herald adds these and hope to see their teams in their as well.

 

[colhenrylives]

The Mercury News has announced major changes (cuts) in its prep sports coverage. These can be found on the newspaper's Varsity Extra website. Here's a teaser: The MN will no longer run prep scores, photos, stories, stats, etc. in Saturday's print editions; there will be Bay Area-wide summaries and highlights Sunday instead. Much the same thing will be done in the East Bay Times, the MN's sister publication. It's a new day.

 

[observer22]

There are only so many more cuts that can be made with their prep coverage.

 

[Rmbr26]

The Mercury News has announced major changes (cuts) in its prep sports coverage. These can be found on the newspaper's Varsity Extra website. Here's a teaser: The MN will no longer run prep scores, photos, stories, stats, etc. in Saturday's print editions; there will be Bay Area-wide summaries and highlights Sunday instead. Much the same thing will be done in the East Bay Times, the MN's sister publication. It's a new day.

That is quite humorous Colhenry on the part of the Merc News as there is almost no coverage currently. & of the scores reported about 1/2 the games are missing. Honestly they could assign a local HS freshman for extra credit & they'd contribute more than any local newspaper currently. How sad & how quickly the people in charge decided HS Sports are not worthy of covering. OK going back to my MercNews sports article on Ryan Lochte's sports sponsor's droppping him &how many Million $$ he's losing - great stuff! ;(

 

[PAL95]

That is quite humorous Colhenry on the part of the Merc News as there is almost no coverage currently. & of the scores reported about 1/2 the games are missing. Honestly they could assign a local HS freshman for extra credit & they'd contribute more than any local newspaper currently. How sad & how quickly the people in charge decided HS Sports worth are not worthy of covering. OK going back to my MercNews sports article on Ryan Lochte's sports sponsor's droppping him &how many Million $$ he's losing - great stuff! ;(

So does this mean no more athlete of the week? The moving on up? The highlight reel? That would just suck. Being a former athlete of the week I was juiced to be featured and remember it like it was yesterday.

 

[2wcats]

I believe all of us on the board would like more coverage so how about we all let the management know. The squeaky wheel...

President and Publisher: Sharon Ryan, (408) 920-5576 SRyan@bayareanewsgroup.com
Responsible for all aspects of the Mercury News.

Managing Editor - Content: James "Bert" Robinson, (408) 920-5970. jhrobinson@bayareanewsgroup.com
Responsible for the Bay Area and statewide news coverage.

Managing Editor - Digital: Randy Keith, (408) 271-3747 rkeith@bayareanewsgroup.com
Responsible for all digital content on the websites, mobile sites and mobile apps.

 

[jordan24]

Appears SFGate.com is continuing Prep Sports coverage thru Maxprep's Mitch Stephens and other contributing sources.
http://m.sfgate.com/preps/