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|| SportsShooter.com: Member Message Board
The National Died 20 Years Ago This Week
Brad Mangin, Photographer
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Pleasanton | CA | USA | Posted: 5:22 PM on 06.10.11 |
->> Hello everyone, most of you are too young to know what The National Sports Daily is, or was. It was a daily national sports newspaper run by Frank Deford and Neil Leifer (photo department) that published from January of 1990 till June 13, 1991.
It was the best job I EVER had as I was on staff working as the San Francisco staff photographer. I found out we folded the day I shot Game 5 of the 1991 NBA Finals at The Forum in Los Angeles with Chris Covatta. We shot Michael Jordan and the Bulls beating the Lakers that night to win their first title. Then we were unemployed.
If you would like to read a fascinating story about the paper and it's demise 20 years ago check out this NEW piece on the super cool new site Grantland:
http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/6629257/view/full/the-greatest-paper-ev...
We had a ball. |
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Dave Einsel, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Houston | TX | United States | Posted: 6:02 PM on 06.10.11 |
| ->> Those were the days! Thanks for sharing. |
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Jeff Brehm, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Salisbury | NC | USA | Posted: 6:19 PM on 06.10.11 |
| ->> That is one of the funniest, most interesting, and saddest stories I've ever read. Even knowing how it ended, I'd have worked there just to have been part of that group of guys. I'd even have fed Feinstein's cat. |
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Jim Colburn, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Omaha | NE | USA | Posted: 6:24 PM on 06.10.11 |
| ->> Wasn't it some sort of flexible iPad? |
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Ben Mackey, Photographer
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Columbia | MD | USA | Posted: 9:04 PM on 06.10.11 |
| ->> So. Anyone know a billionaire who wants to skip all the messy printing and distribution issues and reinvent this as an app? |
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Sam Morris, Photographer
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Henderson (Las Vegas) | NV | USA | Posted: 12:11 AM on 06.11.11 |
->> Brad, it's been 20 years. It's time to move on. Let it go.
Kidding. I understand, maybe more than you know, what it's like to be a part of greatness and have the rug pulled out from under your feet.
Great article. I knew the framework of the story but it was wonderful to hear the voices.
Now, agreeing with Ben - who is the millionaire (don't need a billionaire) who is going to step up and fund the new National Sports Daily, available for download on your device of choice? With printing and distribution taken out of the equation, it seems like someone could do it with a lot less money and actually make money. |
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Jeff Gammons, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Niceville | Fl | USA | Posted: 12:51 AM on 06.11.11 |
->> "I've had barbecue ribs 500 times in my life. He did not get a drip of sauce anywhere on his face, suit, tie. The guy is carved out of stone. I don't even know how he ate the ribs. He was like a god. He didn't even need a napkin."
I was crying after I read this, my side hurts.... |
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Michael McNamara, Photographer, Photo Editor
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Matt Brown, Photographer
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Fullerton | CA | USA | Posted: 1:49 AM on 06.11.11 |
| ->> It was the first time I saw a Mike Goulding byline. He was a stud (still is!). I don't know Brad was a kid working for a paper. Picked it up everyday before class. I still have some papers. I would have killed to have been a part of something like that. Ground braking is no a big enough work to use for what the Paper tried to do at the time. |
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Jeff Lewis, Photographer
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Los Angeles | CA | USA | Posted: 1:56 AM on 06.11.11 |
->> I used to read The National everyday while on my way to school. It was right there at the bus stop and completely devoted to sports, unlike the rest of the newspapers.
I still have a few issues in a box at my parents house with other things from high school.
Jeff |
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Daniel Berman, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Seattle | WA | US | Posted: 2:51 AM on 06.11.11 |
->> Brad,
Your link was a great read. Got all the way to the end and could have read more. |
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Daniel Berman, Student/Intern, Photographer
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Seattle | WA | US | Posted: 2:51 AM on 06.11.11 |
| ->> P.S. any tearsheets you could share, Brad? |
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Paul Nelson, Photographer
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Temperance | MI | USA | Posted: 4:31 AM on 06.11.11 |
->> Wow that was a great read.
I was intrigued about the CompuServe reference. The ideal medium for this business model was on the horizon and would have played out nicely. I wonder how they (and the customers) would have embraced it given the track record they laid down. Goes to show timing is everything. |
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Louis Lopez, Photographer
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Southern California | CA | USA | Posted: 5:18 AM on 06.11.11 |
| ->> Great writing and an easy enjoyable read. Sounds like a great time while it lasted. |
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Greg Foster, Photographer
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Atlanta | GA | | Posted: 9:58 AM on 06.11.11 |
| ->> Brad, I'm trying to think of all the photographers who were on staff at The National, and all my old copies are packed away where I can't find them...do you remember everybody who was there, including those who left before it folded? Wondering if all of them are still in the business... |
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Brad Mangin, Photographer
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Pleasanton | CA | USA | Posted: 12:11 PM on 06.11.11 |
->> Greg- here is who I recall being on staff as photographers at one time or another:
Greg Foster (hey that's YOU!), Brad Mangin (me), Ben Van Hook, Ben Weaver, Dan Levine, Michael Goulding, Frank Becerra Jr., Tony Casale, Andy Hayt, Chris Covatta, Kent Kriegshauser, and Barry Jarvinen. |
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Doug Pizac, Photographer
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Sandy | UT | USA | Posted: 12:18 PM on 06.11.11 |
->> Brad...
My wife, Betty, who was The National's west coast photo editor and worked with you, Chris and the others says hello. She is saddened to remember it's been 20 years. It was a great time for her too with great memories of working with top class shooters. |
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Brad Mangin, Photographer
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Pleasanton | CA | USA | Posted: 12:27 PM on 06.11.11 |
| ->> Doug, I remember Betty editing a few times for me when I shot in LA. That bastard Covatta took some vacation time so I had to go down and cover the Nissan (LA) Open golf tourney. Betty knew how to drive a Leafax! |
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Gary Bogdon, Photographer
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Orlando | FL | USA | Posted: 1:24 PM on 06.11.11 |
->> Don't forget about Van McKenzie, ( who passed away a few years ago ) . I almost went to work on staff for them myself, and then it folded.
Had some great times shooting stories for them, including the Kentucky Derby with Carmen ( a very rainy Derby if I remember correctly) and processing film in a tiny closet of a darkroom with Carmen and the crew. |
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Greg Foster, Photographer
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Atlanta | GA | | Posted: 5:33 PM on 06.11.11 |
| ->> It was a dream job for me, and it ended way too soon. I was hired to shoot mostly portraits and feature stories, but wound up shooting a lot of action too. No office to go to everyday, just wait for the phone calls with the assignments. I made a lot of friends and a lot of contacts that were good to know in the business, especially Carmin. The day I got the news I was scheduled to go to Philadelphia to work on a story with the great writer Peter Richmond. I checked my messages, and there was one from Rick Jaffe saying to cancel the trip, that we were folding. |
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Doug Holleman, Photographer
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Temple | TX | USA | Posted: 1:56 PM on 06.12.11 |
| ->> I wish we could trade ESPN the Magazine for having The National back. |
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Robert O'Rourk, Photographer
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Setauket | NY | USA | Posted: 4:22 PM on 06.13.11 |
->> I retained several copies of the NY edition of the paper when I freelanced for them during the hockey season. Great memories.
It was a great experience for me as I discovered that ice hockey is about the fastest happening sport there is. And the experience of meeting a deadline, which meant leaving the Nassau Colesium and driving into Queens where I caught a subway to 666 Fifth Ave. Then souping my film and inputting select photos for the editor. Also of course hockey was not a good vertical oriented sport, but the holes in the paper were vertical, ergo some good horizontal action never saw the light of day. That 2 hour stretch, from game to editors desk, is now minutes with our digital equipment and transmitting ability.
Because I had to allow so much time to ride and develop, I never saw any game past the first period. In fact one game, saw a first period injury that stopped the game for many minutes. That game ran on photos from 10 minutes |
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Jeff Stanton, Photographer
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Princeton | IN | USA | Posted: 11:52 PM on 06.13.11 |
| ->> People can say whatever they want about The National, I know I just loved it. I read it each day before I started work at that time while living in Miami. Circulation may have been an issue in some places, but the place I got it each day it was always available. I enjoyed it tremendously. |
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Randy Abrams, Photographer
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Bath | NY | US | Posted: 9:30 AM on 06.14.11 |
| ->> Great article. One could make a movie out of the story. Thinking of an investor to renew the National, someone should send the article and a proposal to Mark Cuban. He is a sports nut and will most likely have an extra million or two from the Mavs success. |
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Chris McGathey, Photo Editor
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Dallas | TX | USA | Posted: 12:46 PM on 06.14.11 |
| ->> Boy that brings back some memories. It was like Sportscenter only in print form. I remember stopping each morning (this was in high school by the way) and picking up a few from a box or rack. I did read everyday as well. |
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Ian Halperin, Photographer
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Plano(Dallas) | TX | USA | Posted: 2:18 PM on 06.14.11 |
->> It's ironic that today's technology would make bringing back a publication like The National more challenging. With every team, in every league, now providing full game recaps, stats and line scores on their websites there are options to the local daily and its early deadline.
It used to be hard to get all those details for your favorite out-of-town team. But not now.
The same thing has hit the college sports mags. |
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