Jeff Pearlman

I am the New York Times best-selling author of 11 books, former Sports Illustrated and ESPN.com writer, host of the Press Box Chronicles and Two Writers Slinging Yang and longtime Chapman University adjunct journalism professor.

Teaching

Back in 2010, a few years after my wife and I relocated to New Rochelle, N.Y. from New York City, I was hired by Manhattanville College (now University) to head an introductory sports media class. I'd never before taught. I was nervous and fidgety and ... and I loved it. 

First, it allowed me to share my passions for writing and reporting. Second, it gave me a chance to work with young people eager to understand the profession. Third, it helped me improve my game, both as a media member and as an educator.

Now, 16 years later, I'm more passionate than ever when it comes to standing before a classroom and digging into the subject. I believe, strongly, sports media courses should never be dull or listless. When a subject is this lively and engrossing, boredom is inexcusable. Hence, I strive to make my classes as interactive as possible. We create sporting events (coin flipping, carpet rolling, upside down thumb wrestling) and cover them. I've brought in a bevy of guest speakers, ranging from Lakers owner Jeanie Buss to former Dodgers slugger Shawn Green to star NFL linebacker Na'il Diggs to journalists like Mirin Fader (The Athletic) and Jon Wertheim (60 Minutes/Sports Illustrated) and Seth Davis (CBS Sports). I've taken my classes to Angels games (where we sit in the press box) and Ducks games (where we conduct a private press conference with the head coach). Most years, my final assignment is "The Draft"—I enlist celebrities to be profiled by students, and we hold a draft (modeled off of the NFL and NBA Drafts) to determine student-subject pairings.

With three decades in media, I have a lengthy contact list, and I never hesitate to call in favors, be it for guest speakers, arranging internships, pairing students with mentors. I have helped my students land internships at dozens of spots, including Sports Illustrated, ESPN, the Los Angeles Times and the Rachel Maddow Show.

This is my passion.

My Teaching Philosophy

Sports media is fun, and sports media courses need to be fun, too. I am all about engagement and first-person experiences. For example, the first lesson of every semester involves the importance of details. So I have the students step outside, take five minutes and jot down a list of what they see. Inevitably, most return with something like BEIGE CARPET, BIG WALL, TWO PEOPLE STANDING, WHITE CEILING. I then explain the importance of minutiae—"It's not just a wall. It's a brownish-white wall. With three dark smudges, a 3-inch white tear, a rectangular sticker that reads PANTERA in black Georgia font atop a red base." I have them return outside, make a new list, come back and read it. Without fail, the material is improved.

When it comes to learning game coverage, I literally create the games we cover. For example, former Dodger Shawn Green has become a class staple, and we always invent a sport (Carpet Ball! Chase the Pencil!) that the class and Shawn play together. Students take notes as they participate, and afterward they need to write game stories. It makes it fun, it keeps their attention and it offers them exposure to a former Major League All-Star.

Along those lines, I believe in the power of guest speakers. Media pros, athletes, PR reps, television reporters, YouTubers. This semester's attendees include Green, former Viking punter Chris Kluwe, Mirin Fader of The Athletic, Los Angeles Chargers host/reporter Hayley Elwood, Adam Brady, director of publications for the Anaheim Ducks, and the great Seth Davis of CBS Sports. 

I want my students to see what it is to work in sports media, while also making contacts. This field is eternally changing, and they need to be able to roll with the new.