Brian’s Résumé

Brian Sandalow
SandalowBrian@gmail.com
@BrianSandalow

FREELANCE SPORTS WRITER
Chicago Sun-Times, November 2013 – January 2016, October 2016-Present
– Contributes coverage of the Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, and Bulls. Has also covered NFL events, the 2014 Arlington Million, the New Zealand All Blacks’ appearance in Chicago, and written other features. Also ran the @suntimes_hoops Twitter feed and started Facebook.com/SunTimesSports.
– Covers MLS’s Chicago Fire, and monitors AHL’s Chicago Wolves and WNBA’s Chicago Sky, and frequently reports from other random events.
– Covered the Blackhawks’ 2015 training camp at South Bend, Ind. and reported on Patrick Kane and his presence with the team. Filed multiple breaking news items and videos, and also appeared on Canadian radio.
– Currently around 4,200 Twitter followers and have a Verified account.
– For baseball, basketball hockey games, files a game story, notebook, and other entries. Adds to audience engagement by doing postgame Periscope question-and-answer sessions with readers and Twitter followers.
– Covered the first College Athletes Players Association news conference, and also Northwestern football’s vote on whether to unionize.
– Has appeared on “Chicago Tonight” to discuss the Sky, and made multiple radio appearances on New Zealand shows to talk about the All Blacks’ match in Chicago, and then sports in the city. Also a frequent guest on “CLTV’s Sports Feed.”

Associated Press/Wire Services, April 2013 – January 2016
– Covered Cubs, White Sox, Bulls, Northwestern and DePaul basketball games for the Associated Press, gathering quotes and writing stories for a national wire service. Required to file minutes after the game ends before writing a longer piece that includes quotes. Also contributed quotes to the central desk for major national stories. Contributed coverage during the Cubs’ 2015 playoffs.
– In 2013, contributed to coverage of the Sky. Duties included filing minutes after the game ends before writing a longer and more-detailed piece.
– Also contributed baseball coverage to The Sports Xchange. Duties were similar to the Associated Press, but also have to send player notes following each game.
o On Aug. 5-7, 2013, covered Alex Rodriguez’s return to the New York Yankees on the same week he was suspended. Wrote sidebars and game stories in the midst of a national media scene.

AUTHOR, Chicago: America’s Best Sports Town
Published June 2018
– Was chosen by publisher North Star Editions to write a book focused on the history of Chicago sports and the fans’ love of their teams.
– The foreword is by Mike Ditka, and the book includes pieces on all five major franchises and items on other sports teams and levels.
– Appeared on WGN Radio and WSCR 670-AM to discuss the book.

OTHER FREELANCE ASSIGNMENTS
November 2013 – January 2016, October 2016-November 2018
– In October 2017 began contributing NHL coverage for The Sporting News. Wrote pieces about the Blackhawks and other NHL stories.
– Have covered games for the Seattle Times, Providence Journal and Deseret News.

AMERICAN FOUNDRY SOCIETY, Associate Editor
January 2016 – Present, Schaumburg, Illinois
– Writes and edits numerous articles per month for a trade publication focused on the foundry industry. Has had to learn quickly about metalcasting, both the state of the industry and the technical side of melting metal and shaping it for use in countless products. In three years, have built relationships with leaders of many companies that are important to the world of foundries.
– Member of the American Society of Professional Business Editors. In 2018, story Danko Arlington Plots its Future was named a silver medal winner at the Upper Midwest regional Azbee awards.
– Also helps keep the website updated with industry news and the most recent magazines.
– Assists with layout and design and planning, while learning a completely new industry and its various quirks. Contributes to the company’s social media and public relations as well.

CHICAGOSIDE SPORTS, Senior Editor
December 2012 – October 2013, Chicago
– Wrote web content for numerous short and longer features for a website run by best-selling author Jonathan Eig. Stayed current on the pulse of Chicago sports and tried to set the tone for the website.
– Ran the website’s Twitter feed (@ChicagoSide) and Instagram while doing daily email writing and contributing to the Facebook page to market the website.
– Had stories linked on Deadspin, Romenesko, Uni Watch, and Puck Daddy.

THE MONITOR, Sports Reporter
September 2007 – December 2012, Rio Grande Valley, Texas
– Beat reporter for the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees of the CHL. Wrote game-stories, features, previews, and maintained a popular blog. Had stories linked on national websites.
– Blogged live during high school football games, while keeping statistics.
– Designed approximately 10 pages per week on InDesign, edited photos on PhotoShop, and edited copy and became the de facto sports web editor.
– Updated and maintained Facebook page which had reach of over 40,000 while building the Friday night football social media presence. Hosted and produced a football webcast.

THE OKLAHOMAN, May 2007 – July 2007, Oklahoma City
Reporting Intern
– Covered the 2007 Women’s College World Series and other events.
– Interviewed the WWE’s Jim Ross one week after the Chris Benoit tragedy.

COLUMBIA MISSOURIAN, Reporter/Copy Editor
January 2006 – May 2007, Columbia, Missouri
– Lead MU men’s basketball reporter during the 2006-2007 season and was the beat writer for MU softball and MU spring football.

EDUCATION
– University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri
– Bachelor of News-Editorial Journalism: May 2007

TECHNOLOGY
– Uses Adobe InDesign, and has used Adobe PhotoShop and Quark to design pages.
– Updates website with Drupal and has used OnSet and Town News. Posts Sun-Times stories on WordPress and used Mail Chimp and other content management systems.
– User of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Periscope, TweetDeck and HootSuite.

FUN FACT
– I appeared as a contestant in summer of 2006 on ESPN Classic’s Stump the Schwab sports trivia show. In first two appearances I defeated Howie Schwab to win $8,000 before falling in the championship show.