Another blow to the San Bernardino Sun, and specifically to its sports section:
John Murphy is leaving the paper to join its arch-rival, the Riverside-based Press-Enterprise.
And there just went one of the last reasons to buy The Sun instead of the PE.
John has covered prep sports for The Sun since, I’m gonna say, 1999. After having spent several years before that at the Daily Press in Victorville.
And much of that time, John was kicking the butt of all the competition around him. Including, yes, the backside of the Press-Enterprise. Which had more prep sports guys, even covering sports on the San Bernardino County side of the county line, but none were as connected as was John.
If you wanted to know who had been hired or fired, or who was feuding, or about the controversy out of any high school event north of I-10 and east of I-15 … John was your man.
He would have it in the paper the next morning or, in recent years, on his “Prep-dog” site at sbsun.com
John was the go-to guy for breaking prep sports news. He just was. And he got better as he went along, developing more sources and firming up his reputation. The past several years, he seemed to be a 24/7 prep news machine, posting scads of info on his blog, breaking stories, setting the agenda.
Actually, I had been wondering for years why the PE didn’t pursue John. Well, it did, and there he goes.
Had The Sun treated him better, attached to him the value commensurate with being the most important high schools writer in the Inland Empire, maybe he would have turned down the offer of a job.
But he wasn’t really appreciated the way he should have been, and there he goes. Another local-local reporter The Sun (or even the Daily Bulletin, The Sun’s shot-gun marriage partner) can ill afford to lose. Who cannot be replaced by someone remotely as competent. (If he is replaced at all.)
The Press-Enterprise will be that much better when John arrives and starts giving it the blow-by-blow of this or that coach leaving his job, or athletic director retiring, etc.
John is doing a final two weeks with San Bernardino. (Remember when The Sun had enough pride to force people leaving for the PE to leave the building immediately?) After that, he is a Press-Enterprise asset.
Congratulations to John. He deserves the bigger stage the PE can give him.
Condolences to The Sun, which is running out of reasons for anyone to buy it.
14 responses so far ↓
1 Michael Munoz // Oct 17, 2008 at 10:55 AM
John,
If you read this, Congratulations my friend. I was cheering you on as I read this and I wish you the best at The PE. And next time in San Bernardino, we will hit up the BELLE in Highland!!!!!!! LOL!
Congrats brutha,
Michael Munoz
2 anonymous // Oct 17, 2008 at 6:12 PM
The PE just had another round of layoffs Thursday.
3 Dennis Pope // Oct 17, 2008 at 11:19 PM
Funny. I just saw John at the Miller-Carter football game.
I had finished talking to Miller QB Juan Flores (5 TDs against Carter) when I saw John standing with Miller coach Jeff Steinberg. I walked by and patted him on the shoulder.
I didn’t know I was congratulating him!
4 Derek Rich // Oct 18, 2008 at 12:08 AM
Nice to read that The Sun is continuing its Montreal Expo method of management.
Congrats, John. Maybe now you can afford a better wardrobe.
5 Chuck Hickey // Oct 18, 2008 at 6:19 AM
Congrats to a very good guy who does bang-up work all the time, as you said. Huge pickup for the P-E. If you’re the Sun, and your “attempt” is to be local-local, how do you let him walk out the door? But then again, they showed you the door, which is all you need to know of how things have been run there since the sale. Seriously, how much longer will the Sun even be around?
6 Fan from Highland // Oct 18, 2008 at 8:22 PM
John Murphy deserves more than what The Sun had offered him. He is very dedicated and serious when it comes to his job. Keep up the good work, John! I have been a great fan of yours for 2 years now. No doubt, you will be a great asset to the Press Enterprise.
7 Pogue Mahone // Oct 19, 2008 at 1:53 AM
I’m beginning to question a world that discusses me on the Internet.
Thanks for the tribute, PaulO. Where in Hong Kong do I sent the check?
I enjoyed my time as the Sun prep guy. People at The Sun were nice to me. And there are still talented people there, inside and outside of sports.
DRich, I maintain that a Flogging Molly sweatshirt and denim is suitable for any occasion.
DPope, your stats from the Miller vs. Carter game were more accurate than mine.
Mike Munoz, I’ll see you at The Bell,
8 Silver Streak // Oct 19, 2008 at 12:45 PM
The only strange thing about this is that it took the PE so long to figure this out. I’m wondering how the PE managed to hire him with all of the people leaving there.
9 Deputy Dawg // Oct 19, 2008 at 9:56 PM
I’ve known the Prep Dog since we were pup sportswriters in Watsonville in 1979. I truly count the years I spent there with John as the most fun I’ve ever had in Toy Town.
Congrats, Mighty Murph
10 cindy // Oct 20, 2008 at 9:49 AM
Congrats John. You deserve to leave the already sunk ship. Sad to see the sun become nothing more than basically a weekly. too many good people treated horribly since Singleton took over but nice to see some us given a life ring. The PE will definitely be better because of John.
11 John Paul // Oct 20, 2008 at 10:51 AM
Really? The Sun is doing something wrong? Is that why they published only two sections today (that’s right, front page was section A (including comics) and section B was Sports (including classified ads)?
12 John Paul // Oct 20, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Oh, and 28 pages total; 14 per section.
13 Gina T // Oct 21, 2008 at 8:57 PM
Congratulations John. You’ll be working with some of former Bulletin guys, Bill and Phil.
14 Vlad // Oct 24, 2008 at 4:18 PM
John, In old country we would throw roast in your honor, but Singleton Dean don’t pay enough for roast so I throw you package of Oscar Meyer Weiner instead. Okay?
Until we meet again, Ooflaatistravv!
(And p.s. Don’t forget to turn off machine of coffee.)
–Vlad
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