By LARRY AMES
Ventura County (Calif.) Star

Boston is a city steeped in sports tradition.

The Boston Marathon, The Wall at Fenway, the Celtics' 16 NBA championships, the likes of Bill Russell, Bobby Orr, Larry Bird and Ted Williams and even the dreaded Curse of the Bambino have made the Hub a sports hotbed.

Another Boston tradition, hiring the Boston Globe sports editor from within, was in danger earlier this year when Globe management decided to go outside the department when assistant managing editor/sports Don Skwar announced on Feb. 28 he was leaving to take a position with ESPN.

In the 20th century, the Globe had always looked within to replace legends such as Jerry Nason, Dave Smith, Vince Doria and Skwar.

When management began a nationwide search, there was much consternation among the Globe staff about an outsider taking over the top spot at the paper, which has traditionally been a top 10 APSE section winner and often a Triple Crown winner (including 2003).

"The staff was concerned that an outsider would come in and 'reinvent' the Globe's sports department," said TV-radio sports columnist Bill Griffith, a former assistant sports editor who began his Globe career as a co-op student in the 1960s.

"With veteran reporters plugged into nationwide networks in every sport, word was coming back almost daily about which out-of-town sports editors were being considered for the post ... and, within several weeks, who had turned it down," said Griffith.

"Globe staffers contacted by candidates to get the 'lay of the land,' were forthright. The new sports editor would be following Don Skwar, a creative editor also renowned for his prodigious work hours and detailed 'plans of action' for big events and special sections. She or he also would be facing a scheduling nightmare with beat writers and columnists committed to appearing on New England Sports Network (NESN) pregame shows before Red Sox and Bruins games and on ESPN programming (with a satellite studio in the Globe building)."

Finally, in early May, management promoted senior assistant sports editor Joe Sullivan to the top spot, AME/Sports.

Sullivan's appointment was well received.

The announcement was greeted with a prolonged ovation that quickly spread through the paper's editorial departments.

In accepting the position, Sullivan said, "I'm honored and humbled to assume a position that has been held by some of the legends in sports journalism. Our entire staff will work to maintain the Globe's sports section as one of the best in the United States."

Sullivan, 52, was willing to accept management's original plan, but he was overwhelmed by the support "not only from the department, but across the building."

Being the Globe sports editor is different from being a sports editor in almost any other town, according to Sullivan.

"It's a unique city and every day you have to be prepared for the unexpected," said Sullivan.

He cited Patriot's Day this year, for example.

The Globe was geared up for its usual top-notch coverage of the Boston Marathon. The traditional Red Sox holiday morning game at Fenway took on additional significance because Boston was playing archrival New York. In addition, the Bruins were playing the Canadiens in Game 7 of their first-round NHL series.

The clincher of a huge day in sports came when the Super Bowl champion Patriots traded a second-round draft choice to Cincinnati for disgruntled running back Corey Dillon.

"Days like that have become what we've been used to dealing with," said Sullivan. "Boston sports fans have come to expect the best from the Globe," wrote Globe editor Martin Baron in appointing Sullivan. "They can be confident that the sports section is in steady and caring hands. Joe appreciates what our sports department has accomplished and knows that we can build on its remarkable achievements.

"Joe has won deep respect from colleagues throughout the newsroom, admired both for his tireless work ethic and his amiable manner."

Sullivan, in his role as senior assistant sports editor for the past 9 1/2 years, primarily has been responsible for the daily sports section. In that role, he has been the liaison when reporters from other departments collaborated on a story or graphic illustration, something that has become almost a daily occurrence as sports, news, business, and lifestyle stories become ever more intertwined.

Sullivan graduated from Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia with a bachelor's degree in political science in 1974. Before coming to the Globe, he worked at the Daily Record in Parsippany, N.J., The News of Paterson, N.J., the Trenton Times, and the Asbury Park Press.

Duluth News Tribune: Promoted Craig Gustafson from sports team leader to sports editor. Dave Nevanen decided to step down after three years at the helm, but will remain on staff as a sports copy editor.

Cincinnati Enquirer: Michael Perry replaced Julie Engebrecht (now Metro Editor) as sports editor. Named Josh Pichler, a copy editor/designer, to assistant sports editor.

Peoria Journal Star: Phil Theobald, with the paper since 1965 and columnist since 1994, retired. ... Kirk Wessler, sports editor since 1991, is now executive sports editor and columnist. ... Bill Liesse, promoted from assistant sports editor to sports editor. ... Gary Childs named assistant sports editor. ...Wes Huett hired as sports copy editor.

Indianapolis Star: Hired Chris Wright, an assistant at the Miami Herald in charge of Broward Co. High schools, as assistant sports editor. ... Hired Ted Green, former deputy sports editor, in Miami as Sports Enterprise Editor.

Fort Wayne Journal Gazette: Hired Stacy Clardie, formerly of the Press & Sun-Bulletin in Binghamton, N.Y., as Purdue University beat writer. She'll also cover the NIFL team in Fort Wayne as well as high schools.

Philadelphia Daily News: Pat McLoone has been promoted to assistant managing editor at the Philadelphia Daily News, where he still will oversee the sports section. McLoone was named sport editor in 1989 and executive sports editor in 2000.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Hired Donna Eyring, former AME/News at the Charleston (S.C.) Post-Courier, as sports editor.

Baltimore Sun: Hired former Los Angeles Times senior assistant sports editor Randy Harvey as assistant managing editor/sports.

Asbury Park Press (N.J.): Named Eric Girard sports editor of the Asbury Park Press (N.J.), replacing John Quinn, who left for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Bucks County Courier Times: Hired Kevin Cooney, a part-time sports writer with The Intelligencer (Doylestown, Pa.), full-time by the Intel's sister paper in April, the Bucks County (Pa.) Courier Times.

Newsday: Gwen Knapp, a sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, is joining Newsday as senior assignment editor for sports enterprise. She will be responsible for coordinating enterprise, features and projects in sports and will act as the sports liaison editor with other desks. Before becoming a columnist in 1995, Gwen worked at the Philadelphia Inquirer and Wilmington News Journal as a reporter and copy editor.

Savannah Morning News: Hired Noell Barnidge, who had covered Hardin-Simmons University for the Abilene Reporter-News, to cover Savannah State University.

Gainesville (Ga.) Times: Hired Amber Shaw as a sports reporter. Shaw is a 2003 graduate of the University of Georgia and had previously done freelance work for the Athens Banner-Herald, the Gwinnett Daily Post and Georgia Bulldog magazine.

Northern Virginia Daily (Strasburg, Va.): Hired David Hubbard of the Rocky Mount (N.C.) Telegram as a sports reporter, covering high schools and Shenandoah University. He replaces Jeff Sentell, who became a preps writer at the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle.

Marin Independent Journal: Named sports editor Brent Ainsworth as the paper's Lifestyles editor.

Contra Costa Times: Hired Tom Barnidge as sports editor. He had been with NFL Properties and had previously been with The Sporting News and The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Reno Gazette-Journal: Named Pete Boele sports editor.

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Send personnel moves to Larry Ames by calling (805) 655-5818 or send an e-mail message to lames@venturacountystar.com.