In the era of ubiquitous blogging and of fiery talk shows like “First Take” and “Pardon the Interruption,” one might assume that all sports reporters are larger-than-life personalities who teeter between being charismatic and obnoxious. Sports fans are so adrenalized that it’s not uncommon to see their fervor rub off on commentators, and some of them thrive on this particular brand of ostentatious reporting.
Nevertheless, not every sports journalist out there fits this description. Mark Murphy, the Boston Celtics’ beat reporter for the Boston Herald since 1988, is living proof that one does not need to resort to cheesy histrionics to achieve success in sports journalism. Don’t let his calm demeanor fool you, though; Murphy is an extremely passionate reporter who feels a profound sense of gratitude towards his profession.
“I’m very lucky. Writing is what I do well, and when it comes to newspaper work, some of the best pure writing opportunities are in sports. I’ve also covered some great teams, like the KG-era Celtics,” he said.
A 1978 graduate of Suffolk University, Murphy parlayed his bachelor’s degree in journalism into a lengthy career that has also seen him cover the Boston Red Sox, the UMass Minutemen, and USA Basketball. Along the way, he has come across every kind of character one could think of in the sports world. From the very private Kevin Garnett to the extroverted Shaquille O’Neal, and from the reserved Avery Bradley to the attention-demanding John Calipari, Murphy knows the value that reading personalities offers to the beat reporter.
“You have to ask tough questions, but you’ve got to be friendly. You can’t be hostile. Some guys want to get stuff off their chest, and if you approach them as non-confrontationally as possible, they’ll answer it,” he said.
This easygoing approach to human interaction led him to become close to players such as the notoriously quiet Robert Parish, whom he describes as “funniest guy in the world” and someone who “would talk about anything.” Even Kendrick Perkins, famous for his ever-present scowl and tough-guy demeanor on the court, is the “greatest guy in the world, just phenomenal,” according to Murphy.
However, this does not mean that he can’t be critical when he needs to be.
“You have to remember that you’re there to do a job and not to be a fan. It’s a very important distinction to make. I did a story on Jared Sullinger the other day where I was talking about his attitude last year, and you have to write that his attitude sucked,” he said.
Although he is able to be objective in his writing, Murphy is still a Celtics fan at heart. The subject of Ray Allen’s departure from the team in 2012 appeared to be a delicate one, especially considering the fact that he named Allen as the one player he became particularly close to.
“Well…I didn’t want to see him go…but, you know…I had to…you know, he didn’t like some stuff that I wrote when he left,” he said.
“Like what? What did you write?” I asked.
“Uh…his motivations for leaving, you know? He obviously wasn’t doing it for the money, because he took less to go to Miami, and he had issues with Rajon Rondo. He was in denial about the effect he had on Celtics fans. He thought they respected him still; he just didn’t want to admit to himself that he was persona non grata, or at least not to the media,” he replied.
When Allen left the team, Boston sports fans felt a similar sense of betrayal to when Johnny Damon left the Red Sox to sign with the New York Yankees. What shocked people the most was not that he left, but that he went to the Miami Heat, the Celtics’ most recent rival. Murphy summed up the feelings of every Celtics fan with one brilliantly succinct phrase that simultaneously demonstrated his ability to interpret specific situations and his love for the team:
“He could’ve gone to the Lakers and it wouldn’t have been that bad.”
Statements like these reveal Murphy’s attachment to the Celtics and his devotion to his work, and this has endeared him to his coworkers and drawn him closer to his family. Adam Kurkjian, an editorial assistant at the Boston Herald, praised his hands-on approach and availability.
“Mark simply makes you a better writer and reporter. He’s very detail-oriented and he brings out the best in you. If you have a story or feature idea, he’s really good at helping you flush things out,” he said.
Murphy has also had a profound influence on his daughter Emma, a journalism major at the University of Vermont.
“I always thought it was so cool that my dad covered sports for a living. I love to read and write, which my parents really encouraged growing up, and my dad has always been there to give me advice. What he’s taught me has really helped me to figure out what I want to do and has helped me grow as a journalist,” she said.
Even when his reporting duties become challenging, Murphy remains unruffled in the face of adversity. He admits that getting the most withdrawn players to open up can be a daunting task, but he persists until he gets the material he needs, even if it doesn’t come directly from the source.
“Some players can be really difficult to cover. You just gotta keep going back at ‘em. After a game, you gotta be there at their locker, even if he doesn’t want to talk to you. Hopefully, over the years you develop other contacts with these players – high school coaches, all the people in their agent’s office, family members. Sometimes they’re going to tell you more about the athlete than the athlete himself,” he said.
According to Murphy, the key to getting interview subjects to open up is being able to speak to them privately.
“You try to get guys alone, because they’re going to be less likely to answer tough questions in a room full of reporters. In these days, with so many different websites and blogs popping up, it gets more difficult to get a guy alone. It’s easier to do it when you’re traveling, because when you’re on the road, the crowd isn’t there.”
The constant traveling that comes with sports reporting results in a hectic schedule with irregular hours, and Murphy joked that his wife likes to stress that it’s a great job for a single person. Despite these complications, he always makes sure to check in with his family.
“When I was in high school, my mom and I tended to oversleep, and regardless of the time zone he was in or how much sleep he’d gotten, my dad would make sure to call us every morning to make sure we were up. I also played field hockey, and so long as he was home he made sure to be at every single one of my games. Given his busy schedule, I think it’s pretty great that he chose to spend his limited free time watching a high school field hockey game. Not many people would do that!” said his daughter Emma.
Indeed. The world needs more people like Mark Murphy.
A Journalist Who Bleeds Green 