Category Archives: Sports Writers

Jackie MacMullan fake Twitter account removed

Editor’s Note: This is also featured on Batter-up with Bruno

Twitter is known for having fake accounts for athletes and famous movie stars and singers. But now it’s reached a new level particular to people who honestly have nothing better else to do.

There was a fake Twitter account for former Boston Globe sports columnist and Around the Horn panelist Jackie MacMullan.

I was one of those roughly 500+ followers who was duped into following the account thinking it was the real Jackie Mac.

This evening there was a suspicious tweet that arose from the account saying, J_MacMullan “Hearing Adrian Gonzalez for Ellsbury, Buchholz, Kelly, and Reddick.”

Like a smart person I retweeted it, but then decided to delete it a minute later.

About five minutes afterwards Ian M. Browne of MLB.com tweeted: “A co worker just told me that Jackie MacMullan’s fake twitter account said Adrian Gonz for Ellsbury, Buchholz Kelly, and Reddick. Classic!” Then I went back to check the fake twitter account and the page magically doesn’t exist anymore, but if you search for “Jackie MacMullan” you’ll see two accounts. One looks legit, but is fake and one that looks fake and probably is another fake one.

What is seriously wrong with people? And the best part is that MacMullan probably has no idea about it.

Amanda Bruno is a freelance sportswriter for The Springfield Republican and also writes weekly features for the Plus Papers on Wednesdays. She also writes over at Batter-up with Bruno where she shares her thoughts about the Boston Red Sox and the Boston sports media. You can follow her on Twitter @batterupbruno and can reach Amanda through email at brunosportshawk[at]gmail.com.

The Commish Is Leaving ESPN: Happy Trails Peter Gammons

Peter GammonsIt’s sad day for the fans of Peter Gammons who has decided to leave ESPN after the Baseball Winter Meetings to pursue other opportunities.

“My decision to leave ESPN and move on at this point in my life has been conflicted. I owe a great deal of my professional life to ESPN, having spent more than half of my 40 years in journalism working for the network, and the choice to move on was made with nothing but the strongest feelings for the people with whom I worked. ESPN gave me a great deal more than I gave it, and will always be a huge part of who I am.”

I’ve always been a fan of Gammons and that’s not just because he’s a Boston guy. He’s always provided valuable insight and was one of the most trusted in the business.

The MLB Network came in last year and hurt ESPN’s baseball coverage. I’m pretty sure this could kill it. Gammons will be moderating the Sports Roundtable at Fenway Park as part of the events for Hot Stove Cool Music on January 9, 2010.

Update: Gammons will be joining the MLB Network and will also be doing work for NESN and NESN.com.

Introducing BostonSportsWoman.com

BostonSportsWoman.comA couple of months ago I was contacted by Absolute Broadcasting General Manager Mike Winn about a new website targeted at active, sports minded women in the surrounding Boston and New England Area.

Winn represents multiple radio stations in Nashua, New Hampshire including WGAM Radio, 1250 AM Manchester, WGHM 900AM Nashua, and WSMN 1590 AM Nashua.

With that said, say hello to BostonSportsWoman.com the only online magazine dedicated to female sports fans in the Boston area.

I’m one of five featured bloggers, which also includes fellow Red Sox blogger Kayla Chadwick of Off the Monster.

I encourage everyone to check it out and pass the word around. The site promotes Boston sports, health and fitness, and events, including fundraising for charities. You can become a fan on Facebook and follow BSW on Twitter.

Amanda Bruno is a freelance sportswriter for The Springfield Republican and also writes weekly features for the Plus Papers on Wednesdays. She also writes over at Batter-up with Bruno where she shares her thoughts about the Boston Red Sox and the Boston sports media. You can follow her on Twitter @batterupbruno and can reach Amanda through email at brunosportshawk[at]gmail.com.

Peter Abraham recruited by The Boston Globe to cover Red Sox

Peter AbrahamNew Bedford, Mass. native and New York Yankees beat writer Peter Abraham is leaving his post at The Journal News after nearly 10 years and taking on every Boston sports journalists dream, being the newest recruit at The Boston Globe covering the Boston Red Sox.

Abraham announced the news on The LoHud Yankees Blog around 7 p.m. Thursday night and said that it was not an easy decision for him.

From his blog: “But it wasn’t an easy call. I have literally not slept for 48 hours pondering this decision. The Journal News has treated me better than I had any right to expect and tried very hard to convince me to stay. I also really, really love covering the Yankees.”

Abraham will not only write about the Sox in print, but also blog on Boston.com. At The Journal News he covered the Yankees and New York Mets. Prior to that, he was the beat writer for UConn basketball for The Norwich (Conn.) Bulletin for 13 seasons. The UMass-Amherst graduate got his first gig part-time at The Standard Times covering high school sports back in the day.

That is actually very interesting, a Mass. native who loves covering the Yankees and will now be covering his hometown team. What will readers think of this?

And if Abraham is coming aboard, does this mean someone else is leaving?

Amalie Benjamin? Adam Kilgore?

Certainly it can’t be Nick Cafardo or Tony Massarotti.

My bet is Adam Kilgore because I doubt they are creating another new position unless things are being shift around because of the latest departure in Mike Reiss.

I guess we will see within the next two weeks.

It’s been quite the changing of the guard over the last year and a half at the Globe. Here are all of the big moves since April of 2008:

Boston Celtics Peter May – takes buyout guest appearances for Yahoo! Sports and Globe Marc J. Spears – leaves Denver Post goes to Globe; leaves Globe goes to Yahoo! Sports

Columnists Jackie MacMullan – takes buyout goes to ESPN.com, guest Globe correspondent Tony Massarotti – leaves Boston Herald goes to Boston Globe/Boston.com

Boston.com/bloggers Chad Finn – promoted from copy editor to Boston.com blogger

Editors Ken Fratus – (asst. sports editor) takes buyout goes to ESPN in Bristol, Conn. Reid Laymance – (senior asst. sports editor) takes buyout goes to St. Louis Post Dispatch

Boston Red Sox Gordon Edes – leaves Globe goes to Yahoo! Sports Amalie Benjamin – promoted to beat writer Adam Kilgore – leaves Washington Post goes to Globe

New England Patriots Mike Reiss – leaves Globe goes to ESPNBoston.com That’s what happens when you intern during all of this, you actually remember it all unfolding in front of your eyes and continue to cover it afterwards.

Amanda Bruno is a freelance sportswriter for The Springfield Republican and also writes weekly features for the Plus Papers on Wednesdays. She also writes over at Batter-up with Bruno where she shares her thoughts about the Boston Red Sox and the Boston sports media. You can follow her on Twitter @batterupbruno and can reach Amanda through email at brunosportshawk [at] gmail.com.

Breaking News: Sean McAdam Jumps To The Herald

Sean McAdamAccording to David Scott at Scott’s Shots, veteran Providence Journal baseball writer Sean McAdam is leaving the paper after 23 years to join to the staff at the Boston Herald, where he will join up with newly hired columnist Ron Borges.

McAdam has been with the ProJo since 1985 and the Red Sox beat writer since 1989.  In addition to his newspaper duties McAdam also is a contributing baseball writer for ESPN.com, a co-host with WEEI’s “The Big Show”, he can also be heard on the WEEI Baseball Show and appears on Sports Tonight on Comcast Sports Net New England.

Breaking News: Borges To Leave WEEI.com for Herald

Ron BorgesNoted plagarist Ron Borges is done at WEEI.com after one month and writing less than 20 pieces.  Borges turned the part-time WEEI.com opportunity into a new full-time job with the Boston Herald.

Borges is likely done with the dot-com sometime around October 3rd and should be writing for the Herald when the Patriots return from the bye week on October 5th with a game in San Francisco.

Amalie’s Army

The Unofficial Amalie Benjamin Fanclub

amaliefanclub.gifThis page is dedicated to Amalie Benjamin, who covers the Red Sox for the Boston Globe. She is frequently covering the Sox as the resident blogger at Extra Bases when she doesn’t have to do the game story.

  • Amalie graduated from Northwestern University in 2004.
  • She interned at the Washington Post in 2004.
  • Amalie’s bio at the Boston Globe: Benjamin is a general assignment reporter for the Boston Globe sports section. She specializes in baseball and tennis. Prior to her current position, Benjamin covered high school sports for the Globe. Benjamin is a graduate of Northwestern University and has been with the Globe since 2004.

Sorry boys but Amalie is taken and has a boyfriend. If you don’t believe me, watch this video from the pre-game show where Don Orsillo calls her Amalie Brown. It’s right at the end. Update 7/7: Amalie was recently engaged to her boyfriend and is really off the market now. Amalie is also currently the narrator for “The Sox I Know” feature on boston.com.

Did A Page 2 Columnist Come Out of the Closet?

As many of you have heard, Tim Hardaway made some comments about gay people that weren’t so nice. Basically what he said was “I hate gay people”. Well it seems that one columnist at ESPN.com’s Page 2 is a little pissed off about it. In fact, she was so pissed off that she came out of the closet without actually saying she was a lesbian. In her article, Mary Buckheit says, “Tim Hardaway hates me.”

While I believe Tim Hardaway’s comments were tactless and hurtful, especially because they were stridently directed at me, I still believe them to be permissible. We can say whatever we want in this country. That’s generally a really good thing — with freedom comes variety. But inherent in that privilege is a regrettable truth: Free, unfiltered speech sometimes brims with hate. Tim Hardaway said, “I hate gay people.” You may hate gay people too. You may respect Tim Hardaway more because he is willing to unshakably declare his hate for people like me.

She has never told her parents, any coaches she has had or even her boss, that she is in fact a lesbian. She never states these three words, “I’m a lesbian,” anywhere in the article. But she clearly implies that she is one as evidenced in the quotes above with the bold words. The point of her article is not about coming out but rather it is about “athletic professionalism.” Yes, Tim Hardaway shared his beliefs on gay people, but he also said they could affect the way he plays. He says he can’t trust the person because he “doesn’t beleive in them.” The main question is should he have made his beliefs public? My answer is no. He should have kept his mouth shut. There’s a time and a place to share your personal beliefs. Most beliefs are better off being unsaid. His idiocracy got him banned from the NBA All-Star weekend in Vegas. Tim Hardaway was a great basketball player. But as a human being, he sucks major ass. By the way, I don’t have a problem with gay people at all. And as Jerry Seinfield said, “Not that there’s anything wrong with it.” TechnoratiTechnorati: , , , , ,