One phone call changed everything for Rich Cimini

Story by EJay Zarett
Photo Provided by ESPN

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Rich Cimini left for a European vacation after graduating from college thinking he was going to accept a full-time position at the Syracuse Post-Standard.

When he returned from that vacation, there was a message on his answering machine that changed the course of his life.

“I interned at Newsday, had a great internship,” Cimini said in a phone interview last week. “When I graduated, the sports editor at Newsday called me, the late Dick Sandler, who was a great, great sports editor and he said ‘Hey, look Rich. We love you here... But, you need to go out and get some experience…’

I went away on a vacation for three weeks with a couple of college buddies...When I got back I had a phone message from Newsday and it was Dick Sandler saying, ‘forget about what I told you. I’d like to hire you right now.’”

Since then, Cimini has worked in the New York area. He took over as the New York Jets beat writer in 1989, then worked in the same position for the New York Daily News (1996-2010) and now he’s with ESPN.com. He attributes his success to dedication.

“Once you’re in the field, it’s just proving yourself as a hard-worker and showing people that you’re always prepared, you’re always professional,” he said. “It’s kind of a very small business...And when you build a solid reputation it spreads quickly.”

Cimini, who said he has covered 26 Super Bowls and around 600 football games over his professional career, is the longest tenured beat writer in Jets history, according to ESPN. But, Cimini said he is always looking ahead.

“I have a lot of vivid memories of certain games,” Cimini said. “But to pick out one game or one story would be really hard. One of the things that I always try to live by, and I think it’s a great message to young journalists, is you never really look back on stories.”

Q: EJay Zarett

A: Rich Cimini

Q: What made you decide to get into the sports writing field? And specifically, on the writing side?

A: I mean this goes way, way back to probably junior high school, where I just, loved sports, came to the realization that I wouldn’t be good enough, ability wise, to play sports through high school or college, so I just decided to write about them. I just happened to be a good writer. Maybe, in retrospect, I could have gone into TV or radio, but, writing always came naturally to me so that was really why I probably put all of my emphasis on that going through college and a big part of my career.

Q: After graduating from Syracuse, what was the biggest thing you learned or best experience that you had here that really helped you break into the field and also succeed in it?

A: Well, there is no substitute for great experience. That is why I’d highly recommend internships through college. They are invaluable. I was lucky enough to have two really good ones through college which I think was a great springboard for me after graduation. I interned for two summers at the Post-Standard in Syracuse and then I had a summer internship at Newsday which was hometown paper on Long Island. And after graduating from Syracuse, I was hired full-time through Newsday and there’s just no way that ever happens without that internship. So, I think just having those great internships and then once you’re in the field, it’s just proving yourself as a hard-worker and showing people that you’re always prepared, you’re always professional. It’s kind of a very small business, so word travels quickly. You meet people, you network and you build a reputation. And when you build a solid reputation it spreads quickly. I think that was a big key.

Q: After you graduated from Syracuse, how did you go about getting your first job and was Newsday a place that you looked at specifically or did they come to you after you interned there?

A: It’s actually a funny story. I interned at Newsday, had a great internship. Then, when I graduated, I sent out probably 20-25 resumes to various newspapers up and down the East Coast. I aimed pretty high. I went for the New York Times, the Boston Globe and I got a couple of little nibbles here and there and then the Sports Editor and Newsday called me up, the late Dick Sandler, who was a great, great Sports Editor and he said ‘Hey, look Rich. We love you here. We’re going to hire you some day. But, you need to go out and get some experience. So, I was fine with that. I had been offered a full-time job by the Post-Standard to take over the football beat, the SU football beat, which of course was great, coming out of college, to cover SU football. So I said ‘ok, I’ll start in Syracuse.’ I went away on a vacation for three weeks with a couple of college buddies, we went to Europe, and when I got back I had a phone message from Newsday and it was Dick Sandler saying, “forget about what I told you. I’d like to hire you right now.” They had a couple of people who retired unexpectedly and they had a couple of openings. It pained me to call the Syracuse Post-Standard and decline their job, but it was a thrill to start my career at Newsday.

Q: You’ve been covering football for a long-time, what was the most memorable experience you’ve had or the best story you’ve gotten to write?

A: Well, when you cover a team for 26 years it’s really hard to pin down, especially a team like the Jets that’s always making news, it’s really hard to pin down a story. I have trouble coming up with a top-10 list. I’ve covered, I think, 26 Super Bowls, they’re all memorable, each in their own way. I’ve covered I can’t even count how many playoff games. I think I’ve figured out recently that I’ve covered probably over 600 football games over the course of my career, counting regular season and postseason. I have a lot of vivid memories of certain games. But to pick out one game or one story would be really hard. One of the things that I always try to live by, and I think it’s a great message to young journalists, is you never really look back on stories. Once a story is out, and it’s out there, if it’s a big story, that’s great. You get to enjoy your moment in the sun for a few hours, maybe even a day. You really should put it in your rear-view mirror and look ahead. I’m kind of always looking ahead and not back. That’s why when it comes to recall, I don’t really catalog them or rank them or anything.

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