A mere 300 miles separate Boston, Massachusetts, from Washington, D.C. It’s just 5 hours by car and 1 hour, 20 minutes by plane. But, like it or not, these two metropolises and the slew of cities squeezed in between them represent the epicenter of American sports. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, Dallas, and Detroit are all important chess pieces in the game of sport, but the cities of the northeast remain on the board as King and Queen.
Washington D.C. is no longer all about politics; star athletes like RGIII, John Wall, Stephen Strasburg, Bryce Harper, and Alex Ovechkin bring their fair share of readers to the Washington Post too. In the Beltway, sports careers are no longer fallback options for those that can’t get into the political scene. Big-name athletes and playoff-contending teams draw readers, listeners, and viewers to sports pages, websites, radio stations, and television broadcasts. For years, the DC sports scene was filled with losing teams and overpaid, underperforming athletes. That has changed drastically in recent years, as has the sports media. The Washington Post, recently purchased by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, will evolve, but most predict it’ll be for the better; the sports department will surely begin utilizing the latest in technology. Fans have bought in too. The Nationals home attendance is improving, just outside the top 10, and the Redskins, despite growing concern about the team’s nickname and early season struggles, remain the talk of the town. Sports reporters, graphic designers, and more are in need at a variety of companies in the D.C. area.
Baltimore is a blue-collar city, and its professional sports teams – the Ravens and Orioles – are built similarly. The two-time Super Bowl champion Ravens were led by emotionally charged linebacker Ray Lewis and hardworking, non-descript quarterbacks Trent Dilfer and Joe Flacco. The Orioles, in recent years, have dug their way out of the basement of the AL East and are building a contender with a coalition of reasonably priced stars like Matt Wieters, Adam Jones, Manny Machado, and Chris Davis. From Talent Acquisition Manager and Marketing Analyst to Board Operator and Sales Account Manager, Baltimore offers a variety of sports jobs for experienced and up-and-coming professionals in the business.
Philadelphia, the fifth most populous city in the US, has a fan base that takes its sports as seriously as it does its cheesesteaks. The city that booed Santa Claus supports the Phillies, Eagles, 76ers, and Flyers through the good times and heckles them into improving through the bad times. ESPN’s SportsNation ranked Philly bottom ten in most miserable sports cities because its teams win and its media covers sports seriously. Unlike go-along, get-along media members in smaller towns, Philly media asks the tough questions that need answering. And sports talk is big time in The City of Brotherly Love; WIP-FM ranks #8 in the nation in sports talk. Whether you’re into video production, community relations or event management, Philly is the place to be.
New York is the true hub of east coast media. With multiple professional teams in basketball, baseball, football, and hockey, there are more sports to cover in New York than anywhere else in the country. Even Major League Soccer is preparing to add a second team in the city that never sleeps. From sports media journalism and front office management to video production and digital media analysis, scores of sports job opportunities are available in the Big Apple. With Wall Street right down the road, even financial analysts, economists, and accounting professionals can get into the sports game if they so desire.
Hartford is Connecticut’s capital city, but Stamford and Bristol are its centers of sports. Bristol is the home to ESPN, the mothership of sports media. Bristol’s largest taxpayer employs thousands in this growing east coast town across a wide spectrum of careers. And nearby Stamford hosts the YES Network, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as well as NBC Sports Group – home of NBC Sports, NBC Olympics, and the NBC Sports Network. Both cities are a short drive away from New York City, allowing for the ability to cover sports that matter while remaining isolated enough to keep employees focused. Web developers, writers, product managers, and engineers are in high demand with media companies, especially major ones like ESPN and NBC, who strive to remain on the cutting edge of sports.
Boston is one of the most historic cities in America, sports and otherwise. Tradition-rich teams like the Celtics, Bruins, Red Sox, and Patriots combined to win seven championships in the 2000s. The high win rates combined with gutsy front-office leaders give the media a lot to cover and the fans a reason to watch the teams they love. Since the times when Bill James advised the Red Sox, statisticians have found their place in Boston too. Mike Zarren, a known stat head, has risen to Assistant GM within the Celtic’s organization. Boston sports teams and supporting sports organizations need graphic designers, sports radio producers, payroll specialists, and mobile app developers to keep the teams relevant and prevalent across the country.