From walking with Mike Leach to sitting with Nick Saban, Dennis Dodd reflects on 27 years at CBS Sports

One of the first lessons they teach in journalism school is the KISS Method: Keep It Simple, Stupid. It means one should be concise and to the point. Don’t use 12 words when you can use three. It applies to everything from writing obituaries to covering inaugurals.

Having lasted 27 years at CBS Sports and almost 45 years in this profession, I certainly failed to adhere to that journalism canon.

J-school was right — nobody likes an endless story. Everything has an expiration date. 

Mine has arrived — professionally, that is. 

This is my farewell column at CBS Sports, a wonderful company that allowed me to be part of our wonderful craft. I’ve long believed journalism is a vocation, not just a job. It’s special. I’ve been lucky to be among those waking up each day absolutely loving what I do. 

Retirement was a hard decision, but it was mine. It’s time to be more with family, friends and my barcalounger.

Now, it’s time to sleep in just a bit … at the conclusion of the 2025 Final Four.

I estimate I’ve covered 250 college football games and had somewhere north of 6,000 bylines published. In a profession not known for its largesse, I’ve been working for more peanuts than circus elephants.

Actually, that’s not fair. CBS Sports has been more than fair to me. And by “fair,” I mean having the privilege to cover such marquee events as the Stanley Cup Playoff, multiple Final Fours and Frozen Fours and the 2002 Winter Olympics. At CBS Sports, I was able to keep my streak alive covering 22 straight College World Series, still the most underrated championship tournament out there. 

This crazy journey has taken me to Dublin, Ireland, for Notre Dame vs. Navy; to Garden City, Kansas, for the backroads of the game in junior…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/from-walking-with-mike-leach-to-sitting-with-nick-saban-dennis-dodd-reflects-on-27-years-at-cbs-sports/

Author : Dennis Dodd

Publish date : 2025-03-13 15:55:00

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