Blogville

There’s a Sports Media Canada member covering most sports events of note. He or she will be one of the busiest people at the event -- closely observing, checking details, interviewing the key people and writing the stories and taking the pictures -- or facing the cameras or microphones to help fans know and understand ‘What Happened’ at the event and in their favourite sport.
Sometimes the sports journalist will relay their observations in the form of a Blog. The Blog is usually a revelation of a more personal reaction to the event and its participants -- more like an opinion column than the conventional ‘here are the facts’ report.
From time to time that Sports Media Canada member will Blog more about some aspects of covering the event and the media assembled for coverage -- and share it with you via the Sports Media Canada website and the department we call BlogVille.

‘BoniBlog – Jay not only one influenced by Howie

By John Iaboni, Sports Media Canada special correspondent Spring Training and virtually all aspects involving the media simply couldn’t operate as smoothly as it does without the Blue Jays communications unit. In October 2002, Jay Stenhouse was promoted to the lead role in that department as director, communications after six years as assistant director, public … [Read More …]

‘BoniBlog – “Sacrifice” Has Many Meanings

By John Iaboni, Sports Media Canada special correspondent The sacrifice bunt and the sac fly are both well known terms in baseball but so is the word “sacrifice” for many covering the beat. Ken Fidlin, part of the Sun Media/Toronto Sun baseball crew along with Bob Elliott (the Sports Media Canada Lifetime Achievement Award recipient … [Read More …]

‘BoniBlog – No longer a rookie on the baseball beat

By John Iaboni, Sports Media Canada special correspondent For the past two Spring Trainings, I’ve had the opportunity to keep an eye on the development of one young man around the Blue Jays. This guy doesn’t swing a bat, run the bases, or throw 100 miles an hour but he’s getting the job done nonetheless. … [Read More …]

‘BoniBlog – MacLeod Legacy: Like father, like son

By John Iaboni, Sports Media Canada special correspondent Rex MacLeod was a sports writer I read during my youth in Toronto. I then had the good fortune of working the Maple Leafs hockey beat with The Toronto Sun during the time Rex was still with The Globe and Mail and then when he moved to … [Read More …]

‘BoniBlog – From Teacher to Practioner

By John Iaboni, Sports Media Canada special correspondent When I first started in this business some 42 years ago, I could never resist the urge to come into the office and eagerly relay the information I’d uncovered. Invariably, George (The Baron) Gross would say: “Don’t tell me about it, kid, write it!” John Lott of … [Read More …]

‘BoniBlog – Espo: Still shooting from the lip

by John Iaboni, Sports Media Canada special correspondent — now reporting from Blue Jays spring training in Dunedin, Florida One thing about Phil Esposito, he’s never been one to conceal his feelings. His emotional outburst with Johnny Esaw (a Sports Media Canada Lifetime Achievement Award recipient in 1997) at Vancouver’s Pacific Coliseum following Game 4 … [Read More …]

‘BoniBlog – Larry and me — “lifers” in this racket

By John Iaboni, Sports Media Canada special correspondent Larry Millson checked into Spring Training this week, covering the Blue Jays as a freelancer for The Canadian Press. He’s been a solid pro in this business for a long, long time. And it was Larry who gets credit for opening the big door that changed my … [Read More …]

‘BoniBlog – Defining Jerry Howarth

by John Iaboni, Sports Media Canada special correspondent. Jerry Howarth and I first crossed paths in the early 1980s and with it came a cherished friendship. He says I taught him a lot about hockey; I say he took my affection for baseball and elevated it even more. He still does — because whenever I … [Read More …]