Le Batard taking year off from paper

Pulls a Pat Riley and takes some time to recharge.

http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2008/04/heralds_le_batard_vacating_spo.php

 

Boy howdy, is this one not going to end well.

 

What was he doing the past two years?

 

More time for great radio with Jay Bilas. Excellent news.

 

Dan Le Batard is so important that the paper can live without him appearing in it for a year -- but they'll leave the light on for him when he decides to come back? And it's going to take a year? Why not three months? Does he have a contract that covers the next year?

Everyone else there should ask for a leave of absence because they are too busy working other jobs. You know, like night-shift manager at the local Pizza Hut.

 

Six or seven years ago, I would have been surprised. Now, I'm not. With LeBatard, it's no longer about the profession anymore. It's about his persona.

 

One more example of the privileged few in this business getting whatever they want, while putting their "A" job last in priority. If your run-of-the-mill beat guy or rim gal did this, he or she would be a) too poor in the first place, and b) told "no" in less than five seconds. No, as in you won't have a job to return to. And no, we don't think it's cute that you ran yourself ragged chasing gigs with other media.

So I don't know who to sneer at more: Blowhard like DLB for pulling this self-important stuff or the editors at the Herald who bend over, grab their ankles and smile as they let this happen.

 

I believe that leaves of absence are also given to folks who aren't stars, so I don't know that the Herald is doing something horribly wrong here.

I also assume that often the leave takers don't end up back at the paper after their time is up.

 

OK, I'll grant the leave of absence part. But they usually don't spring from the fact that the person overextended himself to other employers and therefore needs a break from the job that led to all that opportunity.

Editors are fools if they think this crossover stuff paid off in any measurable way for the Herald. It did line DLB's pockets and allowed Tony K and Wilbon some time off though.

 

TWO?

 

I was just about to reverse myself and say, at least Le Batard deserves credit for stepping away for a year, if it has anything at all to do with not giving 100 percent to his paper.

Then I thought, nah, I'll wait to be impressed by the guy who gives up his side gigs for a year to focus hard on his column instead. I'll be waiting a while for that guy, I know.

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA