dueling columnists

in today's newsday, johnette howard wrote a column ripping tiki barber for saying tom coughlin's rigid ways contributed to his decision to retire. in tomorrow's newsday, wally matthews rips everyone in the media for attacking tiki for speaking the "truth" at his nbc news conference -- curiously, tiki's now paid, in part, to say controversial things.

i have no horse in this race. just wondering: if you're the sports ed of newsday, and howard writes column 1, and then wally calls that day and says, "i disagree with johnette on tiki and want to rip her and everyone else in the media," what do you do?

i know some editors who would've told wally, "cool your jets -- johnette was at the presser, she weighed in on it, enough's enough." thoughts?

 

I got no beef with Wally's second-day column. His job is to opine, and he's doing that. It could be a situation where he's slated to write particular days, or he read that column, disagreed and wanted to write one of his own. As long as he isn't writing the column and ripping his fellow co-worker for having a different opinion, I got no problem with this.

 

I would think this would be good for the product, as long as the columnists truly disagree and the paper isn't just trying to make up a duel.

 

Ahhh, the good old days columnists truly disagree....
Like when Joe Falls and Jerry Green would bitchslap at 10 paces and a streetlight's shadow...

 

I think Johnette's going to throw a coffee mug at Wally.

 

I didn't read Johnette's column but I don't see the wisdom in criticizing someone for speaking their mind about their own experience, which is what we all want. Rip away, Wally.

Readers love that crap.

 

I think she's gonna Comet bomb him.

 

It's no big deal at all.

Wally was expressing his opinion. He is not personally attacking Johnette whatsoever.

If you want a feud between columnists, read what Rick Telander said about Mariotti when Ozzie ripped Mariotti last year.

 

That's not a feud...
As Sean Connery said in Untouchables, "just like a wop to bring a knife to a gun fight."

 

If Tiki felt so strongly about Coughlin, and given his penchant for calling people idiots, why didn't he say something during the season?

No wonder why Coughlin is so insane. He has to get rid of that country club atmosphere at Chez Fassel.

 

Anybody got links?

 

http://www.newsday.com/sports/printedition/ny-spwally155094874feb15,0,4331239.column?coll=ny-sports-print

http://www.newsday.com/sports/printedition/ny-sphow145093561feb14,0,1871945.column?coll=ny-sports-print

guess part of my point is: did we really need a day 2 take on this muck after johnette had already weighed in?