Basketball <\/p>\n
Adrian Wojnarowski left his ESPN NBA insider job earlier this year<\/a> to take a gig as the new general manager for the men\u2019s basketball team at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure. In the process, Woj took a pay cut from the $6.5 million per year to $75K. Why would he do it? Sports Illustrated\u2019s Chris Mannix, a close friend of Woj, got the inside scoop in one of the best pieces of sportswriting you will read this year<\/a>.<\/p>\n Great feature writing often comes down to how many details you can uncover, and Mannix got a bunch of wild ones. The biggest was the revelation that Woj was diagnosed with prostate cancer in March. Around the same time, former ESPN NFL insider Chris Mortensen passed away from throat cancer. As Woj traveled to his funeral in Arkansas, he was struck by the number of Mort\u2019s former colleagues who didn\u2019t make it. It led to this grim bit of wisdom that is too good not to highlight. <\/p>\n Many ESPNers made the trip to Arkansas. What Woj was struck by was how many did not. \u201cIt made me remember that the job isn\u2019t everything,\u201d Woj says. \u201cIn the end it\u2019s just going to be your family and close friends. And it\u2019s also, like, nobody gives a s—. Nobody remembers [breaking stories] in the end. It\u2019s just vapor.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n This is right up there with Mike Tyson\u2019s nihilist quotes to a child reporter<\/a> ahead of his Jake Paul fight when it comes to framing the meaning of life.<\/p>\n Woj is 55 years old, and has made so much more money than any sportswriter can reasonably dream of. What he wanted at this point of his life was to get some time back for himself, for his family, and for his alma mater. For as stressful as Woj\u2019s newsbreaking job was, the idea of helping a middling A-10 program compete in the NIL era sure doesn\u2019t sound like a walk in the park. For Woj, there\u2019s still love in his work, and that makes all the difference.<\/p>\n Woj sent out this tweet after the story went viral:<\/p>\n Appreciate all the kind words and concern but I\u2019m going to be fine. My goal in sharing a prostate cancer diagnosis is to encourage screening and testing among men. Early diagnosis will make all the difference for me \u2014- and many others too. https:\/\/t.co\/7xiGfC5RNw<\/a><\/p>\n\n
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