Jon Wertheim today may be known by fans more for his TV time on The Tennis Channel than for all the work he has done and is doing as one of America’s most-read sports journalists. As executive editor and a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, his work has been cited in The Best American Sports Writing anthology numerous times, as well as in The Best American Crime Writing. He is also the author of seven highly praised books, and his latest book, “Rookie Bookie,” is a fictional story about a boy who uses analytics to eventually help his school’s football team to be successful. We caught up with Wertheim to talk about his latest book, what’s going on at Sports Illustrated and what he thinks of Bill Simmons and the new world of sports media.Q: Scorecasting got rave reviews because it broke down predictability. What do you guys hope to accomplish for a younger audience with “Rookie Bookie”?
JW: Thanks. After Toby and I wrote Scorecasting we were both surprised how many kids read it and seemed to enjoy it. We have six kids between us—he has me, 4-2—and, instead of doing a conventional sequel, we said, Why not try something different? Basically we wrote a book for our kids and their friends, a novel that tries to use a sports story to introduce some basics of behavioral economics. If kids come away enjoying the book; knowing a little more about probability, math, personal finance; realizing data is to be embraced, not feared… well, our work here is done….
Q: What was the reason you guys decided to do this book, and is it the first of a potential series?
JW: We wanted our kids to think we’re cooler than we really are. That and we had so much fun working together—we’re friends from when we were kids—and figured why not keep this thing going? We saw this as a one-off, a passion project. But who knows? We didn’t kill off Mitch, our protagonist, so maybe there’s a series….
Q: Sports Illustrated as a brand continues to look for its digital legs. What have you seen that has worked best with all the new launches?
JW: I hope this doesn’t come across as too insufferably immodest, but I think we’ve done a good job overall of tapping into passions and audiences and transitioning—whether it’s Peter King’s TheMMQB, Grant Wahl’s Planet Futbol, Maggie Grey’s daily SI Now show, or the partnership with 120 Sports. Also, the video team and resources we’ve invested have already paid off with an Emmy. Like everyone else, we’ve had to adjust to the mobile-first shift. Like everyone else, the strategy changes and there have been efforts that called for a mulligan. But sports is so well-suited to digital/mobile/social, it’s made the transition easier.
Q: The voice of women in sport as credible announcers seems to be getting louder. Has SI thought about a standalone platform for exemplary female journalists like others have created or is it necessary?
JW: It’s great that there are more voices in the chorus. And this isn’t limited to women. The former officials—I’m thinking Mike Carey and Mike Pereira —are such strong additions to NFL broadcasts. Amy Trask, speaking with candor from the perspective of a former NFL executive, is a strong hire for CBS. Ten years ago, Men in Blazers would never have happened. I applaud Fox’s willingness to rearrange the chairs in the studio and make a seat at the table for the sabermetrics crowd. But I think you risk defeating the purpose—and backtracking on progress—when you then create these standalone platforms. We have a number of talented young female writers here at SI. I want to read them alongside Peter King and Tom Verducci and Lee Jenkins; I want access to their work and voice and perspective at the same place I get my fill of Scott Price and Steve Rushin. I’m not sure anyone is well-served by creating a specialty platform.
Q: Your TV presence has grown, is that a necessary evil of the business more now than ever?
JW: With sodium pentathol honesty: I really enjoy the TV work and have been pleasantly surprised by how accommodating TV can be to writing and journalism and storytelling. I have the extreme good fortune of working with Mary Carillo and she gave me great advice: “Use the medium to your advantage, your strengths; don’t let it use you and turn you into someone you’re not.” As for the “necessary evil” I guess I think it goes the other way. It’s more of a welcome, additional option. If there’s another medium that also enables you to tell your stories and use your writing and reporting skills, why not run with it?
Q: Any thoughts on the Simmons/ESPN clash? Can a personality like Bill Simmons stand alone as a brand?JW: Good question. This has obviously drawn a lot of interest and chatter in the Land of Sports Media. Sure, some of it is fight-in-the-schoolyard voyeurism. But I also think there’s a lot of curiosity about the outcome and the consequences that this might have for media and leverage and Brands-of-One. There was a great Malcolm Gladwell piece about the market for talent and it really echoes here. Thank you, Bill Simmons, for potentially being our canary in the coal mine. Or in the soundproof podcast booth, anyway.
Q: You have broken several big stories in the last year, from LeBron going home to Jason Collins coming out; what are some of the stories you are watching in the coming months?
JW: I don’t think I’m trafficking in company secrets when I say that the strange predicament of football—and the NFL in particular—is of deep interest to us. The most popular sport (discuss: the most popular singular force in the culture?) is also facing existential issues unlike any other sport. That’s an awfully rich vein. We’re working with Frontline on an investigative collaboration. New frontiers in technology and competitive advantages (including doping) are always interesting.
But I was just speaking with another writer about this: sports used to be pure diversion. So much so that the media would help conceal bad news and bad acts that threatened this veneer. Now, it’s the opposite: the public appetite for the sports scandal is unlimited. It’s often the stuff of classical themes—flawed heroes; corrupt institutions; punishments that don’t fit crimes—and it’s intensely interesting, even to non-fans.
