By Ron Matejko
MVP Magazine

MVP Magazine recently caught up with Scott Bordow, who, in January, began his new position as the high school columnist for The Arizona Republic after 26 years with the East Valley Tribune.

Bordow explained how he ended up with the state’s largest newspaper, reflected on his time with the Tribune and how the digital evolution in media has changed his role as a sportswriter.

MVP Magazine: How did you end up with the Arizona Republic after so many years with the Tribune?

Bordow: Generally, they created a position for me. I’ll be doing what I did with the Tribune, except for high school instead of college and the pros. I am thankful because when the Tribune announced it would close, I thought I would be out of a job. I thought I would have to move or get out of the business but I was lucky that I got this job and I didn’t even have to send out a resume.

MVP Magazine: This move seemed long overdue. Why didn’t it happen sooner?

Bordow: The Republic and I have danced with each other in the past 10 years but there was never a firm offer made. I thought my days of going over there were done. I wasn’t looking to go anywhere until I heard the Tribune was closing and seeing what it had become. I put a lot of heart and soul in that place and to see it change was hard. I’m not sure I would have moved if it wasn’t for the uncertainty of the Tribune. When the Republic called and made me a firm offer, I was thankful.

MVP Magazine: What are some of your favorite memories from your time at the Tribune?

Bordow: I’ll always remember covering the 2001 World Series and the whole playoff run for the Diamondbacks and the backdrop of the terrorist attacks. To go to New York and cover the games at Yankee Stadium and see where the towers were and the tattered American flag was very emotional and an incredible experience.

I also remember a time I had to cover two events and caught a red eye. I was up for 37 hours straight to cover the events. It’s amazing how adrenaline can keep you going.

I also remember the 1993 NBA Finals between the Suns and Bulls; going back to Chicago, and the triple overtime game.

MVP Magazine: What do you take away from your time at the Tribune?

Bordow: I’m proud of a lot of work we did. A couple years ago, Craig Morgan and I did a special six-page section on the use of supplements by high school athletes. The AIA purchased 150 copies of the paper and changed their bylaws to warn kids about the use of supplements.

I am also proud of how from 1983 when I started I worked with people who built a section that was a second-tier sports section into one that could compete with any of the bigger papers around the country. There was a 12-year stretch where we did a hell of a job and I’d like to think I had a small part in that.

MVP Magazine: How important is it for the Tribune to survive so there isn’t just one voice in town among the newspapers?

Bordow: Any market is healthier when it has two newspapers in town. It makes both of them better when they compete. They are challenged to break stories. Any market is hurt when it loses a voice.

MVP Magazine: How has the evolution of digital media changed your role as a sportswriter?

Bordow: The biggest thing is you are on 24-7. Before the internet, you wrote for the next day’s paper and you had a 10:30 deadline. Now you have a deadline whenever you hear about a story. There is more focus on immediacy that is a concern. There is too much emphasis on who is first, instead of being right. Some people throw stuff on internet to be first instead of accurate. The irony is newspaper is struggling at a time they have more readers than ever before.

MVP Magazine: How has digital media changed the way you do your job?

Bordow: Here’s an example. On Monday, (Jan. 18) I was at the MLK Basketball Classic, which featured five games. I went to meet and talk to coaches but I ended up tweeting 36 times and writing four blogs. If you would have told me 15 years ago, I’d be blogging and twittering, I’d have looked at you funny. But there I was. I didn’t write a single story but I blogged and tweeted.

You can read Bordow’s columns in the Arizona Republic and at azcentral.com each Wednesday in the Scottsdale/East Valley section and on Friday in the main section.

Note: This article originally appeared in the February issue of MVP Magazine. To read the current issue, visit www.mvptoday.com.