A veteran sportswriter is speaking out against his former employer, who he says «didn’t give a fuck» about him.
Bob Kravitz has been in sports media for 41 years, working for Sports Illustrated, IndyStar and most recently The Athletic as a reporter for the Indianapolis Colts.
The Athletic fired Kravitz early last month as part of mass layoffs, and the outlet continued its spree to focus on national outlets instead of local beats after being bought by The New York Times.
That’s the unfortunate issue, and Kravitz is still «mad» about it, but Kravitz does have some personal conflict with The Athletic.
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A detailed view of an Indianapolis Colts logo is seen on a banner in action during an NFL game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Cincinnati Bengals on October 18, 2020 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (MSA/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Kravitz revealed that he was «not happy» at The Athletic as he «never felt wanted» and «barely felt tolerated». Her feelings seemed to come to life in 2020 when he was «placed… on parole just months after a quadruple bypass.»
«I guess my numbers weren’t what they wanted, but heck, I was recovering from a life-changing medical event,» Kravitz wrote in his new Substack debuting on Thursday. «You’d think that would have some impact on his thinking, but no. I had to produce 395 subscriptions in three months, or else. That’s absurd, unfair and outrageous, especially given my health situation. Well, I survived, producing over 400 subscribers working to death, a great idea after open-heart surgery. But that soured me on the spot forever. I felt it in my bones.
«They don’t give a fuck about me as a human being.»
Kravitz credited the outlet for taking mental health seriously, but falling short of the metrics, which Kravitz says «were absolutely central to how we were judged» and had a «detrimental impact on our collective mental health as well as personal health.»
«There was nothing more daunting than working hard on a story, only to look at the metrics and see one subscription and 2,000 unique views. Honestly, it was soul sucking,» Kravitz wrote.
The 63-year-old also singled out two pieces he was proud to have written, but was «fucked up» on both.
A general view of Lucas Oil Stadium is seen in action during an NFL game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Cincinnati Bengals on October 18, 2020, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (MSA/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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A story about Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf that he wrote «one day after spending time in the hospital after another cardiac event» was supposed to drop on the day of the NFL Draft. Kravitz said he should have been considered for first place at the site, but he was buried.
Another was a story about Jay Mariotti, the former talk show host who was ousted from the media after a domestic violence charge. Athletic told him that the story may have been «too dangerous» and that «it wasn’t worth squeezing the juice out of».
Kravitz said it was only the second time in his career that he had an «enriched» story: the other was in the 1980s with Sports Illustrated.
«Honestly, I think they chickened out. The New York Times had just bought The Athletic, and our new owners were under pressure with a series of lawsuits. I think they were afraid of more litigation, or something. They were safe,» Kravitz said.
A general view of an Indianapolis Colts helmet during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 11, 2018 in Indianapolis. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
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«I’ve always taken the right path, or at least tried to, but I’m not going to the bullfights — you and I tell you everything was like honey and my memories of working there were universally happy.»
Kravitz will now contribute to Indianapolis Monthly magazine and «will dive headfirst into making this Substack column a huge success.»
«We’re growing this from the ground up, and if I didn’t admit it scares me to death, I’m also very excited at the prospect of making this a go-to place for Indy-centric sports fans,» he said.