Daily Southtown no longer covering pro sports

This news coming on the heels of the merger with the Star.

 

Wow. Just wow.

What happens to Nate Whalen, Jeff Vorva, Phil Arvia, etc., etc.? They turn them into prepsters?

 

Not going to release the scuttlebutt right now. But since the Southtown is non-Guild, no one's job is safe there.

 

I've seen this one coming. Sort of surprised it didn't happen sooner, the way this biz is going.

 

Man, the Southtown is going to be dead in a year. It can't even pony up for home Sox and Bears games? Crazy.

 

Hey, Good Doctor: Do you have the full version of that memo. I'm kinda curious if there's anything more to it.

As for the sports folks at the Southtown, don't feel all that sorry for them. There's been an arrogant attitude like their s*** didn't stink that's permeated through both writers and desk for years. They've walked on, laughed at, embarrassed and insulted a lot of good people over the years. I guess payback will be a b****.

This place -- not just sports, but the whole paper -- has gotten rid of a lot of good people for no good reason, simply because they weren't in the clique. Some folks really busted their butt for years, only to be "laid off" more because it was a convenient excuse to get rid of them, rather than a legitimate way for the company to save money.

Several years back, an outstanding and extremely underpaid news-side reporter was "laid off" to supposedly save money (she was earning less than $40k a year after 11 years there). Yeah, that lasted real long: They hired three cub reporters less than a month later at $25k per. Because she wasn't part of the clique, they screwed her over. Maybe now some of those same people that got rid of her will find out what it feels like.

Or how about the front-page designer who thought she was part of the clique, only to be stabbed in the back and "laid off" simply because someone else in the clique wanted her job and the only way to do so was to push her aside. Real good loyalty there.

Don't be surprised if the next move is to merge the Southtown with the Joliet Herald-News and Gary Post-Tribune and even more layoffs. I predict that happens in the next 6 to 9 months. And within the next 18 to 36 months, don't be surprised if all that disappears completely and everything is merged into the Sun-Times with more zoned pages. It's a no-brainer. Too bad those at the Southtown haven't had the foresight to see it, because some of us have seen it coming for years.

BTW, isn't the Southtown supposed to have a new name once the merger with the Star Newspapers is completed next month? From an inside source, I've heard a lot of thought is being given to "Southland Sun" (a take-off on the Sun-Times, as well as to conform somewhat with the Naperville Sun).

All I can say is thank God I'm 1,000 miles away from the Southtown these days.

 

That is the full version, minus one line which contained a name, and the author of the memo, which I deleted.

 

The Southtown was a regular APSE Top 10 section. This is a shame.

 

I may be mistaken, but I think it's been a few years at least that the Southtown was an APSE Top-10. I'm guessing maybe 2002?

 

Bitter, party of one ....

 

I can see a "merger" with the Sun-Times coming where the paper simply folds into the Sun-Times or is some sort of supplement. God. Cowley got out just in time.

 

Whatever do you mean? Joe would have welcomed a move to preps.