Clarence Hill Jr. was busy writing a story about Cee Dee Lamb signing a four-year $136 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys except for the first time in 27 years it wasn't for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Hill, 59, was on his first day of work with the All-City Sports Network where he's part of the sports digital media company’s launch in Dallas. You can now find him at ALLDLLS.COM

Hill told the Old Scribes Newsletter he pondered long and hard before deciding to leave the Star-Telegram after 29 years with the last 27 as the Cowboys' primary beat writer.

“It was a tough decision,” he said by telephone. “I’ve been with the Star-Telegram a long time. But I stepped out on faith. It’s an exciting chance to do something different at this point in my career.”

Hill, a proud University of Texas grad, emphasized he’ll “still be writing” and remain a “Cowboys insider.” But he won’t have to worry about every hangnail or sore ankle. “I won’t have to do a lot of the grunt work and I’ll be able to host my own podcast and do different things,” he said. “People my age usually don't do something different. It takes you out of your wheelhouse and what you've been doing. But it's exciting."

Hill offers an experienced and respected voice for a platform trying to branch into a competitive sports media market in Dallas after launching successful sites in Denver, Phoenix, Chicago, and Philadelphia.

“It’s been successful in other markets and Dallas is the new frontier," Hill said. "We've got a strong team of veteran journalists. I'll still remain the longest-tenured beat writer covering the Cowboys. That has not changed. I'll go to all the games and the events covering the Cowboys.”

Old school meets new school

During his three decades as a sports journalist, Hill has seen the industry change from his first few years on the beat when Troy Aikman and the job wasn’t 24-7 for 52 weeks a year.

“The internet has changed the game,” he said. “There’s no OFF button. There was a time when if something happened and you couldn't get it in the paper you didn't have to worry about it. Now you find yourself writing late at night, posting late at night, or early in the morning. I’m old school. I like to own my beat. Rarely do I go on vacation without my computer because there’s something always happening, especially with the Cowboys.”

Social media has played a huge impact on the coverage of sports. Any tweet or post can ruin a day off.  “Players are breaking their own news,” Hill said. “They have their own websites or podcasts or Instagram and Twitter and all that stuff. No one reads the newspaper anymore. Everyone goes to their phones or tablets or whatever else.”

Sports journalists have to adapt to the changing times to stay relevant. Hill has done that becoming the go-to guy for national media looking for insight into the Cowboys. “When I first got into the game you had to choose between broadcasting and digital,” he said. “You couldn’t be both. Now you’re encouraged to be both. So you have to be versatile. You have to be able to write and you have to be able to be in front of the camera and do podcasts. You have to be a multi-media journalist, which means you have to write and be on camera and be knowledgeable doing those things.”

Don’t be Stephen A.

What advice would he give a 22-year-old about being a sports journalist?

“First of all don’t think you’re Stephen A.,” Hill said. “My pet peeve with most young journalists is they think First Take is sports journalism. Everybody has a hot take and everybody wants to express their hot take. Stephen A. has a hot take based on his years of experience being an insider covering sports and being around the game. You just don't come out with a hot take for everything.”

There is value in learning how to write sports beyond a tweet.

“Young journalists should write as much as they can,” he said. “They should read as much as they can and find mentors. You don’t have to work at a newspaper to get started. You can start your own blog and you can start your own podcast and work your way in that way.”

New CFP Encourages Betting on Long Shots

What is the best part of the College Football Playoffs expanding from four to 12 teams? Trying to pick a long shot to win the national championship. It could be worth millions.

College Football hasn’t reached the level of March Madness where more than 60 teams theoretically have a chance to win a national championship, but expanding the CFP to 12 teams this year certainly adds more possibilities than deciding which four teams were going to emerge from the Power 5 conferences and win it all.

Under the revamped playoff system teams will be slotted based on their final rankings. The five highest-ranked conference champions earn a first-round bye, while the next highest-ranked teams complete the final seven spots.

The usual suspects are favored to win the national championship. Georgia, Oregon, Alabama, Notre Dame, and Tennessee are the favorites in most sportsbooks. However, wagers are also being made on long shots that previously wouldn’t have been given any consideration.

Per ESPN, someone placed a $200 bet on Army (+300000) to win the national title. Should that happen, the winner will receive $1 million. Another $100 bet was put on Kent State at +1000000.  Given a team could lose up to two or even three regular-season games and still make the tournament, here are a few sleepers who might have a chance to be college football’s Cinderella.

In its second year under Matt Rule, Nebraska (+20000 on DraftKings) will have a stout defense, an offense led by five-star freshman Dylan Riola, and should be unbeaten when it faces Ohio State in late October.  Wisconsin (+25000) has a tough schedule that includes ranked opponents Oregon, Alabama, Penn State, USC, and Iowa, but could lose two of those games and still make the tournament. Iowa State (+35000) returns its quarterback in Rocco Bechit, running back Abu Sama, and top receiving crops. Ole Miss (+1400) also can’t be overlooked.

Under the new College Football Playoff format, a small wager could return a huge fortune.

Worth Remembering

Back when Sports Gambling was a no-no, James George Snyder Sr, otherwise known as Jimmy the Greek was a fixture on The NFL Today program that preceded weekly NFL games. The Greek offered his predictions for 12 years before losing the job in 1988 when he was fired for suggesting breeding practices during slavery made African-Americans superior athletes. Today Sports Gambling is embraced by the NFL, which held its most recent Super Bowl in Las Vegas. He’s also one of the first to suggest Donald Trump could become President.