Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
By Ian CummIngs
icummings@kansan.com
When Josh Fisher, talking base-
ball over burgers and fries at a
downtown Kansas City restaurant,
cryptically tells a jaded Royals fan
not to worry because there are
good things in the works for next
year, one is inclined to listen, even
if only cautiously. Te University
of Kansas graduate is, afer all, a
baseball insider, even if he is only
25 years old.
He has made himself an insider
through the singular pursuit, as a
citizen journalist, of one story: a
messy Los Angeles divorce that
opened up the Dodgers books to
public controversy and led to bank-
ruptcy and Major League Baseball
Commissioner Bud Seligs move to
take over the team earlier this year.
Fisher is the creator of Dodger-
divorce.com, a website devoted to
the public distress of the Los Ange-
les Dodgers and its owners, Frank
and Jamie McCourt. In the past 20
months, Fisher has gone from
unknown blogger to a public
fxture in one particular con-
stellation of the sports media,
writing about the divorce and
other baseball topics for ESPN-
LosAngeles.com and Te Hard-
ball Times.
GaininG Profile
He missed the frst month of
law school last year because he
was attending the McCourt di-
vorce trial. Fisher said he found
himself fying to Los Angeles for
the trial because Molly Knight,
of ESPN Te Magazine, unex-
pectedly called him and asked
when are you getting in?
I wasnt planning to go,
Fisher said. But Knight persuad-
ed him that he should be there.
He called Dodgers ofcials to ask
about press seating, and when he
explained that he was from Dodg-
erdivorce.com, they said he had a
spot reserved, along with sports
journalists Knight, T.J. Simers of
the Los Angeles Times and Lee
Jenkins of Sports Illustrated.
Tat was a surreal experience,
Fisher said. Tat was when I was
like, this is real.
Since then, the New York
Times has profled him and he has
stuttered and stammered his way
through several radio interviews.
What Fisher called the shock mo-
In the wake of the current NBA
lockout situation Ive caught myself
staying up, watching re-runs of ev-
ery series from last years playofs,
followed by violent weeping (i.e.
Chris Bosh afer game six) until I
fall asleep.
Its been less than a month, and
Im already feeling Smeagol-like
nostalgia. Why? Because I know
the owners are about to take my
precious away from me.
Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs
capped of what was arguably the
most provocative season since MJ
called it quits. Television ratings
and league-wide buzz were as high
as they have been in recent history,
and many casual fans have fnally
become intrigued by the NBA once
again.
Perfect timing for work stop-
page, right?
Last season, 22 of 30 NBA teams
lost a total of $370 million as stated
by the league. So whos at fault for
these tremendous losses?
Te blame most certainly doesnt
fall on the players shoulders. Tis
season they brought us an intoxi-
cating seven months flled with
more drama than an afer-prom
party at Beckys house. Te likes of
Lebron, Kobe, Dirk, Durant, and
Rose restored the league to promi-
nence once again, as if to tell the
NFL and MLB, Hey dudes, you
know we kick-ass again right?
Although he will be the talking
head for the owners during these
negotiations, David Stern shouldnt
carry the burden of blame either.
He implemented a dress code a
few years ago to rid the association
of the thug athlete image it had
acquired thanks to Ron Artest and
the mele at the Palace. Te NBA is
now a league of young gentlemen,
and has fnally gained the respect it
had yearned for.
So much for that.
It seems absurd that so many
teams are losing money, until you
take a look at exactly how the
owners have been spending their
scrilla. Last year Rashard Lewis av-
eraged about 12 points per game,
while Michael Redd has played
in 28 total games in the past two
seasons. What do these players
have in common? Tey are two of
?
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
S
sports
PAGE 21 WEDNESDAY, jULY 6, 2011
grad writes up the intrigue
the dodgers divorce