Meet your sports editor: Jamie George

What made you want to join The Advocate?

Obviously my love for sports played a huge factor, but that’s not why I actually joined the team. I’m going to Mt. Hood to become a broadcaster and I know journalism and broadcasting go hand-in-hand. So I decided to push myself by joining the team to learn the journalism side.

Who are you? (One sentence that describes you.)

I’m a loud, outgoing, sarcastic 21-year-old who loves giving my opinion.

WHAT:

Favorite sport?

Baseball, with out a doubt!

Favorite baseball team?

The Los Angeles Dodgers

Favorite basketball team?

The Los Angeles Lakers

Your biases?

Wow, that’s assuming I have biases. In all seriousness, when I was younger I was definitely biased towards the Lakers, Dodgers, USC, and the Rams. I was the worst to watch a game with when my team was losing. Oh, and Kobe’s the greatest player of all time, obviously.

Have there been any differences between what you thought about sports before you started writing for the newspaper, and now?

I don’t necessarily see sports differently, but I’ve found enjoyment in sports I didn’t think I would. For example, volleyball. I started watching volleyball for the first time this year and by the end of the season I was sad it was ending!

Do you feel that the sports world is growing, changing, or shrinking?

The sports world is changing, and not for the better. Professional sports used to be about the rivalries and the competition. But with all the money in sports, that’s fading away. Now it’s about making sure everyone has their paycheck and stays healthy, especially in the NBA. The NFL and the MLB are changing rules, but the competition is clearly still there.

What advice would you give to people that aren’t as interested in sports?

Understand that to a sports fan its more than just a game, or a ball and a stick. Sure, you can see anything in life at its most basic form and mock it. But for sports fans it becomes a part of our identity, it’s who we are. When our teams lose – it’s not the Lakers losing, it’s us losing.

Would you change anything about a certain sport?

Two things: In the NBA I would either take away the max player contracts or I would take away team salary caps. The problem with having both is it leads to players like Mike Conley having the biggest contract in the NBA, and it’s a joke. In the NFL, I’d bring back touchdown celebrations.

Have you enjoyed being the sports editor?

I really have. At first it was fairly overwhelming, but thanks to the Advocate team they’ve made it really easy for me. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know all of the athletes and finding out their stories. It’s also grown me into a much better writer and I’m really thankful for that.