The mass writing exodus is now impacting part-time bloggers.

Two talented Liberty Ballers writers, Jake Pavorsky and Shamus Clancy, announced today they are leaving the site.

Jake:

When I first started writing for Liberty Ballers, I viewed it as a hobby and nothing more. As my role with the website grew, I quickly began to realize that this could be the beginning stages of a rewarding career. But when I started to become more invested in turning my sports writing gig into an eventual full time job, the industry began to crumble, and this past year has been especially ugly. ESPN laid off plenty of its writers and reporters in an attempt to save some extra money, and if the world’s largest sports media entity is forced to scale back, it speaks volumes. Over the past month alone, Fox Sports completely obliterated its writing staff, and now Vice Sports ceases to exist. The changes SB Nation’s basketball network has decided to make in order to stay competitive during these turbulent times have certainly been a factor in my decision to leave.

Opportunities for fair paying, stable writing jobs are almost unheard of these days. Perhaps it will eventually right itself, but I presently have concerns about staying aboard a ship that appears to be sinking. I love basketball, and it’s my dream to have a job working in this sport, although it may be time to pursue that goal in a new capacity.

I’m hoping to still have a platform to write on going forward (if you’re interested in hiring me to write about the Sixers or the NBA, please email me at [email protected]), but I plan on spending my last year of college pursuing new opportunities in the basketball world.

And Shamus:

It might not register in the world of national sports writing layoffs, but the fact that two decent writers with followings who write about a team that is on the cusp of becoming bigtime are throwing in the towel on the profession, at least for now, tells you all you need to know about the current state of sports journalism. Gone are the days of aspiring to write for ESPN, SI or any other of the big national publications, which have ESCHEWED the written word in favor of video– not because video is a better medium but because it’s easier to monetize. However, I actually think there’s a really good opportunity now with so many talented writers not having sustainable places to do their thing. Whether it’s local bloggers or bigtime national guys and girls, people – perhaps you, sitting at work – still like to read. There’s a solution there, and I think I’ve found it.

Anyway, with Pavorsky and Clancy bailing on LB, Derek Bodner going behind a paywall, and, um, Jim leaving this site, Sixers blogging has been decimated just as the team was getting good. Odd.

Maybe someone will find the right model for all this.