Comments on: SLAM Magazine Editor-In-Chief Ben Osborne

By: Eric Woodyard

Eric Woodyard — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:32:51 +0000

I’m a couple of years late but this is a great interview! I’m still studying your style and looking for my niche…I hope I can get an article in the mag soon too!

By: Negus McKenna

Negus McKenna — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:41:02 +0000

could i have ben’s email addres as i would love to find out how to join the SLAM family and also, i think i may have an idea that will help broaden SLAM’s dominance over basketball magazines all around the world

Look forward to hear from you soon,

By: Laura M. Disbro

Laura M. Disbro — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 17:03:56 +0000

Could I have Ben Osbourne’s e-mail address so that I can ask questions regarding how to freelance write for SLAM Magazine. I am a subscriber, I also want you to know I am a professional writer for a local magazine in the greater Cleveland area. I also am a photographer, as well as a marketing representative. Would like to hear from you soon.
Thank you,
Laura M. Disbro

By: Laura M. Disbro

Laura M. Disbro — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 05:53:28 +0000

I am a writer for a local magazine. I’ve been a subscriber to SLAM Magazine for the last several years. I’m a season ticket holder to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and I am looking to be a regular sportswriter for the team. Would you have anytyhing to point me in the right direction? My dream is to be a permeant writer for the Cav’s and basketball in general. I will be looking for any comments and advice you have that may help me. I am also a photographer, if that helps!
Thank you,
LAURA m. dISBRO

By: Ben Griffith

Ben Griffith — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 02:16:02 +0000

Could I please have Ben Osborne’s e-mail address for questions.

By: Jason Gibbons

Jason Gibbons — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 03:49:06 +0000

My name is Jason Gibbons and I play comedy basketball with the Harlem Rockets. I’m on the taxi squad and play 15 to 20 games ayear. One of my teammates Greg “The Finisher” Wells has an amazing story that you might be interested in. Greg is an unbelievable athlete who has used his story to inspire thousands of kids in schools all over the country. He grew up hard on the streets of K.C. He got caught up in the gang scene and ended up spending a decade behind bars. He turned his life around and focused all of his energy into the game of basketball. He was playing with And1 when he got discovered by the owner of the Harlem Rockets. For the past 3 years he has been touring the country telling his story in schools everywhere he goes. The Harlem Rockets play anywhere from 150 to170 games a year and each game they play they visit all of the area schools where they put on a demo and talk to the kids delivering a powerful message of hope. The Rockets reach thousands of kids every year and Greg Well is a huge part of that. He’s a guy who truly cares about these kids. Greg has been through things that would bring most men down and turned it into a tool to reach a generation of kids. He can do some things with the rock that will blow your mind but it’s what he does off the court that separates him from most athletes. My hope is that you look into his story and because I think it could truly inspire some people who have been dealt a bad hand in life to see what’s possible. To see Greg on youtube go to: Amazing dunks by “The Finisher” Thanks,
Jason
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By: Marquis

Marquis — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 07:28:52 +0000

I used to love SLAM. A lot of other magazines took their blueprint and ran with it.

http://alltalksports.wordpress.com/

By: Buzzer Beaters « HoopsAddict.com

Buzzer Beaters « HoopsAddict.com — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 15:11:31 +0000

[...] Michael Tillery posted an interview with Slam Magazine Editor In Chief Ben Osborne. [...]

By: Cliff

Cliff — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 13:15:49 +0000

SLAM is great, and I like the direction that Ben is taking it, BUT execution is still lacking. The article on race and prejudice in the NBA in the last issue was certainly a good idea, but poorly written and completely unfocused. It pretty much read like a high school summary of six or seven articles from this very website! All SLAM has to do to appease all ages is to write more intelligently, which doesn’t necessarily mean they need to get rid of their whole fake hip-hop vibe…but I think they should tone it down. Real basketball fans don’t need a spoonful of slang-that-sam-rubenstein’s-intern-heard-on-The-Wire to make the medicine go down.

By: KevDog

KevDog — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 21:26:44 +0000

Being white is nice work if you can get it…..

By: Mizzo

Mizzo — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 16:31:56 +0000

KD, it confounds me that MSM pundits aren’t making the contrast between alleged misconduct and true crime. People are dead! Not dogs.

It’s a travesty. Benoit and his family are deceased, so I don’t want to say anything insensitive here, but this should be a wake up call for the tabloid driven media to quit their bullcrap and do what their jobs should be.

Yeah, I know I’m dreaming.

By: KevDog

KevDog — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 15:02:51 +0000

Speaking of media and particularly BSPN coverage of black athletes, Kobe v. Benoit. Anyone here find it ironic or anger producing this piece and it’s tone regarding the mass murderer Benoit given how BSPN assails Kobe at ever turn?http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2922166

By: TheLastPoet

TheLastPoet — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 21:24:06 +0000

I also appreciate SLAM’s mission to celebrate the NBA athlete rather than constantly tear him down. I used to read it years ago for precisely that reason.

Then I grew older, I continued to mature, but SLAM didn’t. Even though I’ve always appreciated what SLAM brings to the table from a cultural perspective, it was clear they were aiming for an adolescent readership. So I had to move on.

After reading this interview, and hearing about Mr Osborn’s effort to add sophistication to the ‘zine, I decided to head over to Slamonline to see what I could see.

And what did I find? Some good, some bad, and then some ridiculous article about a juvenile, self-loathing man who has taken untold pleasure in heckling Stephen A Smith at the past two NBA Drafts. The feature article actually included links to YouTube videos where we could all witness this heckler in action.

Now, granted, I’ve got teenaged nephews who’ve probably pissed themselves while watching and laughing so hard. But for me, it was the stupidest thing this grown damn man has ever seen, and one doesn’t have to be a fan of Stephen A to feel that way. Just watch the video yourself, if you like to be tortured, that is.

So all of that is simply to say that while I laud Mr Osborn’s desire to raise the level of maturity in his mag, and I know that bringing Mike T on board will go a long way toward making it happen, suffice it to say that SLAM, though lovable in many ways, still has a ways to go.

By: KevDog

KevDog — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 15:11:43 +0000

Nice interview MT. It’s nice to learn more about the magazine and how it’s fundamental paradigm is so different from the mainstream media in covering the league.

Not terribly surprised that Kobe is the most compelling figure in the NBA at this point, despite the mainstream campaign to marginalize and demonize him. I was struck at the behavior of players in this years all-star game in Vegas. Those dudes acted awestruck in his presence and this from the ALL-STARS themselves.

The game is far less enjoyable now. Stern is destroying the only game I love by trying to take the gehtto out of it. F-Adolph Stern.

By: TC

TC — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 04:04:44 +0000

dwil: thanks for the clarification about how you had to repost the Andrew Bogut piece. I figured it was something like that. You guys rule!

By: mcbias

mcbias — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 02:03:28 +0000

I love Slam, but it frustrates me too. ESPN the Mag essentially ripped off a lot of Slam-isms (very urban feel, very pro-athlete rather than tearing athletes down, etc.), didn’t do it as well as Slam, and still has become fairly well read. Slamonline.com had a real chance to own a decent piece of the sportsblogging game, was one of the few decent voices for many years, and didn’t. etc. I hope people still appreciate, though, that Slam knew where much of sports media coverage was going to go in the next decade and went there first. Good luck to Ben Osborne in keeping up that trend.

By: paul

paul — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 20:03:39 +0000

I was a subscriber to slam about 8yrs ago. I would appreciate Slam going in a more mature direction and would consider renewing my subscription. Another good interview. Looking forward to Mizzo’s feature and I wouldn’t mind reading more from the Starting Five as a group. Mizzo you and Dwil should start your own magazine I’d buy it. Just some food for thought. More good stuff.

By: » A quick word about the Next Great American Center - SLAM ONLINE

» A quick word about the Next Great American Center - SLAM ONLINE — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 18:33:49 +0000

[...] big man becomes a NBA superstar and wins a title (or three). As I said in an interview with the Starting 5 Blog I did yesterday, I say he will accomplish those things as well. var staf_confirmtext = ‘Mail [...]