By Erik Hall
The Associated Press Sports Editors celebrates its 50th year in 2023. A series of interviews with the organization’s presidents will be unveiled throughout the year to mark this milestone.
Mike Sherman, who is starting a new venture as director of content for Sellout Crowd, was the APSE president in 2014-15 while sports editor at The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City. He is interviewed by St. Louis Post-Dispatch digital sports editor Erik Hall.
Sellout Crowd launches Sept. 1 at www.sellout-crowd.com.
Sherman discusses his early involvement with APSE region meetings while he was the sports editor at The Observer-Dispatch in Utica, New York, from 1994-97. In 2003 He attended his first APSE Summer Conference in Dallas when he became sports editor of The Oklahoman, a role he held from 2003-16.
When he was APSE president, Sherman organized the 2015 Summer Conference in San Diego. It included Bob Ryan receiving the Red Smith Award, and Bill Walton spoke at the presentation.
He talks about how vital then-Minneapolis Star Tribune sports editor Glen Crevier was as a mentor. He describes how former Boston Globe sports editor Joe Sullivan influenced him and APSE.
Sherman praises the APSE presidents that immediately preceded him and succeeded him – Gerry Ahern, Tim Stephens, Mary Byrne and Tommy Deas. He talked about how Byrne led a transformation in the APSE contest structure. He points to Ahern saving APSE’s relationship with The Associated Press, Stephens successfully launching student chapters and Deas being key to APSE’s current financial health.
He talks about how important teammates in APSE leadership and in his newsrooms have helped him have a successful sports journalism career. He also reflects on APSE navigated the Great Recession in 2008 and the ensuing years and how that changed the organization.
Sherman had been the executive editor at Oklahoma Watch from 2020-23. He led the Tampa Bay Times sports department from 2016-20, and he was an assignment editor at The Tennessean from 1997-2003. He is a 1986 graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma.
Video link: https://youtu.be/D82Lig4v8aA
If you are a former APSE president and have yet to conduct or schedule an interview, contact Erik Hall at hallerik7@gmail.com.
