Time for a Re-introduction?
We Are West Coast Sports Back Story, RIP Nate Dogg and 30 job links from the pacific time zone
Hello, Welcome to those opening this newsletter for the first time. It’s the third week since we pivoted to publishing twice every week.
Wednesday’s edition features a project update and/or a deep dive into regional sports bias. There’s also a song at the end to help you keep a West Coast state of mind all week. Friday’s newsletter curates the best stories from professional sports in the pacific time zone. The goal is for you to connect more with friends, family and colleagues who appreciate sports across the time zone after reading this letter.
Please let me re-introduce myself to the folks who didn’t catch this wave right when I started it three months ago. Then, we’ll get into the job listings for folks making their living in West Coast Sports.
Who am I?
Hi, I’m Pete D. Camarillo. Maybe you clicked on a Raiders column, read a Lakers game recap, met me at a networking event or heard my podcast Touchdowns and Tangents.
Over the past five years, I’ve been an active sports writer and content creator by night while building a career in media relations and marketing. I’ve hosted and produced over 200 podcasts as well as published over 1,000 news blogs, articles and columns about sports. I’ve worked with major sports journalists for media relations campaigns and I helped grow major sports advertisers via direct video ad campaigns.
Now, I’m forging these paths with a quest for the first sustainable and totally West Coast focused sports news outlet. That begins with this newsletter which I started developing two years ago with AAJA’s Catalyst program.
MY BIGGEST PROBLEM
There’s so much sports media. It usually falls into a local or national focus.
Yet, sports from the pacific time zone are usually only at the top of the page or home page when they have to be. Otherwise, you got to dig through sub-pages to find what you need on your favorite national sports sites.
Every national sports site features content from Chicago, New York or Boston no matter how irrelevant they are? Why do I need to dig for Lakers, Raiders, Giants, or Seahawks content when these teams feature the strongest fans?
Newspapers and local news sites feed on taking you deeper with your favorite team. They push you down a deep wormhole with ads or subscription pop-ups. However, what happens if you just want to snack on sports news and go?
Every major sports market features at least one or two local/regional papers along with a regional broadcast partner. That’s on top of whatever beat writer or influencer the Athletic pays to own coverage of those individual teams. Yet, they’re paid to take you deeper not tell you why you should care or help you on your next zoom call.
What if you want to discover news on your second or third favorite team in your city? What if you want to see when your division rival did something notable before you play them next week?
What is West Coast Sports?
Part of the problem is, nobody knows what West Coast Sports is. Some of that comes from sports being accessed regionally. It also comes from major sports outlets getting operated, owned and influenced by people who grew up on the Yankees, Celtics or Dolphins.
These are folks who probably know how much flights cost to Chicago, New York, Boston or Miami. However, do these folks regularly fly to Vegas, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles or San Diego like many people who live in the pacific time zone?
This is the first sports newsletter cutting that East Coast influence and connecting the sports community on the West Coast. I define West Coast sports as pro sports across the pacific time zone aka California, Nevada, Washington and Oregon. We exclusively focus on pro sports in the pacific time zone for fans and professionals because life is different here.
The West Coast State of Mind
People live and breathe differently on the West Coast. Our Weather is warmer. We’ve got mountains, deserts, and maybe beaches within a few hours. Our live events are different or time-shifted.
These states all teamed up on COVID-19 initial responses. They followed each other on rights for student-athletes and legalized gambling. Weed is recreational too.
Our music gods and radio DJs are different. Our slang and references as well. Sports fans and professionals need a sports outlet reflecting the different lifestyles and cultures in the pacific time zone.
We Are West Coast Sports flips sports on its head by being a publication for the West Coast Sports community by the West Coast Sports community. The hope is to better define what it means to be a sports fan on the West Coast. Long-term
Our unique tone and preferences really cater to sports fans on the West Coast who watch Kobe or the Warriors every night. This is for those who watched Barry's chase live or those who remember the 49ers’ dynasty. They’re the ones who remember how great the Jailblazers or Legion of Boom was. It's for those whose favorite player was Arod or the Kidd before they moved to other time zones
Wait, are people already doing this?
The internet cut some regional bias by making it easier to access sports as well as start your publication. There’s Western Standard Time, Sports Out West, the West Coast Sports Podcast, and various outlets that cater to a West Coast centric point of view.
There’s so much talent here. I’m not just talking about the purebred journalists who go unread or unheard. Many of these people are told to move to a new market despite all the sports happening in this very time zone. There’s a reason, the best athletes in the world maintain some sort of presence in L.A., the Bay, Vegas or Pacific NorthWest.
However, few West Coast publications sustain. It’s an uphill battle because too much sports media is framed from East to West. Sure, you can find your favorite team news on any number of local or national news sites. But do they share why it matters to your experience and culture watching sports in the pacific time zone?
More on Sports Media
Nationally, ESPN has long been the life-blood of cable. How many networks do they have? We can’t forget ESPN+. It’s all pushed towards consuming more ESPN content which is largely influenced by Bristol’s proximity to the East Coast.
Don’t forget Fox Sports. They’re based in L.A. even if it doesn’t always feel like it with the talent and stories they feature.
There’s also Turner with the NBA and MLB. They have their own networks along with the NFL. Some sport-specific magazines still exist too. However, most take directive from corporate entities outside the pacific time zone.
Plus, Whatever Sports Illustrated and Deadspin are these days. The Ringer is good for a few listens or reads a week. Do they consistently reflect what it is like to be a sports fan in the pacific time zone? Do they even watch our games live?
Clutchpoints, Bleacher Report and SB Nation all fight it out for fan engagement. They rely on some combination of original coverage, aggregation, distribution, communities and social media.
Does it seems these sites just inflame you by encouraging hot takes, the same news and extended arguments? Why not connect fans of teams who play in the same city and division?
Trade publications like Sportico, Front Office, Axios Sports and the Sports Business Journal became even more critical with the pandemic shutting down. They all do a great job covering the sports innovation happening in the Bay, NorthWest and California. Yet, they lack events and job boards specifically for the pacific time zone.
Then, there’s the recent surge in daily sports newsletter. Shoutout to the RoundUup, Morning Blitz, Gist, SportsLetter and daily products from some of the places mentioned above. They’re all worthy reads for different reasons but they all send their emails before most of us are out of bed. I’m trying to make sure West Coast Sports fans aren’t left behind in the inbox any longer.
What’s the goal for PST?
PST’s goal is to build the first sustainable sports publication exclusively focused on the West Coast.
If we can surface *just* one new think piece to a savvy reader who thinks it added value to their day, we’ve succeeded. This will compound over time.
Who is it for?
Sports fans and professionals working in sports who live in the pacific time zone.
People who follow more than two professional sports will get the most value on Friday. Job seekers and those making their way in sports on the West Coast will love our job newsletter on Wednesday.
Students looking to break into sports and casual fans looking for why sports matter in their city will also get value here.
What can you expect?
Our first product is We Are West Coast Sports. It aims to build the West Coast Sports community with a job newsletter and top industry read on Wednesday. On Friday, we share a comprehensive newsletter with the best sports reads from the pacific time zone.
As we move forward we hope to roll out more products including:
A daily text alert with odds for West Coast matchups, along with links for action.
A podcast featuring the best talent and newsmakers from the West Coast.
Original local reporting is based on where we have the most subscribers.
Lists of the top reporters and influencers on the West Coast.
Products from advertisers exclusive to the pacific time zone.
You can always expect all our products to share the tone, references and experiences of fans on the West Coast.
Why now?
There are a million reasons to write a newsletter these days including owning a direct relationship with audiences. The trend of journalists building publications around their audience while the news business struggles. Publications like the Morning Brew, Axios, the Skimm and Hustle proved newsletters could help cut through the competition. Even local successes like 6 am showed the power in scaling the push medium.
These all influenced my initial idea. However, COVID-19 gave me some extra time by taking away my commute and Lakers’ credentials. My maternal Grandpa and paternal Grandma passed which gave me added motivation. Both loved sports and provided a safety net for me to get this far. I wanted to do something in their honor. My teenage brothers and sisters were also taken from me which gave me even more incentive and time to make this idea real.
Why me?
I’ve been writing and advocating for West Coast Sports for many years. It started with writing at SportsOutWest.com. They blessed me with credentials and a platform to aggregate news and share my opinions. I did thousands of page views but never saw a check.
I tried launching my own West Coast Sports blog under TheSportsDaily.com blog umbrella. Well, I also racked up page views there I could not pay myself or contributors off $2 CPMs.
Nonetheless, these experiences helped me find a sizable audience who understands the importance of West Coast sports culture. I’ve also managed newsletter lists in my media relations role and developed a newsletter for my college newspaper. My work on this newsletter vertically aligns those experiences.
Want to help?
Please share this newsletter with 2 of your fellow newsletter readers or friends who might find value in the best news and jobs from the West Coast. It’ll help me build a really passionate community. I need that for feedback and sharing ideas. This way WE can build a sustainable publication for sports fans in the pacific time zone.
Back to the Careers Page
For those chasing their sports career dreams in the Pacific Time zone.
California
Nevada
Oregon
Washington
Remote
A West Coast Vibe
A song or album that promotes a healthy West Coast State of Mind.
Shoutout to all the Leos and happy Born Day to the West Coast icon Nate Dogg.
This week’s vibe is a tribute to the West Coast OG who I imagine is singing with the angels. Nate made everything he touched a hit throughout the G-Funk area.
Here’s my favorite song from tha Dogg Pound and 213 legend.
This joint makes these summer days in Cali feel a lot less hot. I remember it was my ring tone for a while.
What’s your favorite Nate Dogg track? RIP.
Once again, thank you for your trust and interest in this product. Please share with another West Coast Sports fan.
Sincerely,
Pete D. Camarillo aka a dude who doesn’t need to be reminded we’re all living in Damian Standard Time.