"Leon Carter is The Laughing Stock ...........

You would think. But from what I've heard (and this is just me talking out of my ass) I don't think Lupica really feels the need to check in with a site editor.

I'd think he changed his mind, called to tell someone, and Lisa got screwed in the situation. It happens. But to follow that with the move of leaving her off the SB when she's done either the Giants or Jets all year is a BS move.

 

You are correct but I think the issue here arose because they had already started writing and Lupica changed his mind mid-sentence.

 

It appears to me that Raissman's comments were firsthand observations after listening to the WFAN broadcasts or a tape of them. That is like a writer describing what he saw on the field -- he was there, he saw it. I don't think the radio people are claiming any firsthand observation of the Daily News drama.

 

From what I've heard, the only person who has pull over Lupica is the editor of the whole paper. Other than that, he's on his own.

My argument is this: when you're there, you're on a team. When assignments are mailed out, you write back and say "I'm hitting him in a column, try something else" so at least Lisa can have time with the players to find a new angle. As it apparently was, she was left to scramble with the notes she had to find something new. Which is bullshit.

 

It's not a question of stones or protocol. It's a matter of getting the right angle, and better late than never. While Lupica may take heat on this board, the fact is that he is the best-known sports writer in his city and, like him or not, more people are going to read him than any other columnist in that newspaper. So the question then becomes, are you going to hold the author of the most-read column to a decision that was made before anyone went to the locker room and talked to people? How does that best serve your readers? I don't think you hold people to bad decisions because it's convenient. I think on major events you do what's best for the majority of your readers no matter how big a pain in the ass it is for the people putting out the product. It doesn't have to be fair to the people involved. It has to be right for the readers. In a perfect world, the highest-profile writer picks the correct angle at halftime. In a less-perfect world, he picks the correct angle eventually, sometimes between editions. In a less-less-perfect world, he never picks it and writes about something less important to make life easier for colleagues and life more perplexing for readers.

 

I see your point, Frank, and it's one being argued to me simultaneously on AIM. But I'm saying there was no WAY that wasn't the angle as soon as they won the game. That's before the locker room. He should have called it right then, when Lisa still had access. Otherwise, you're doing a disservice to every single person you work with.

 

this discussion is way off the beaten path. yes, according to my daily news sources, lupica pulled a late switcheroo on lisa. all participants know they write at the whim of "the little unit."

problem here was, lisa had to change what she was writing after she had begun, contributing her to file late. her tardiness allegedly led to her being lopped off the super bowl list.

that is supposedly when she quit. she did more giants columns all season than loopy but didn't make the super list 'cause of missing deadline, which was loopy's fault, from what i've heard.

that's why she quit. a wise old vet told me once, "you don't cover the pots and pans and then don't get invited to the ball."

i think that's what happened to lisa.

p.s. -- i hear loopy did it again at the supe, telling everyone, "i'm writing eli," only then hardly writing eli at all. the newsies then had to scramble piecing together an eli story for today. i think gary myers ended up writing an eli column to go with his first column.

ah, life with mikey. just grand.

 

No question. But they are in an extremely competitive situation and you really cannot make decisions without the readers as your primary concern. Now, after making someone take one for the team that way, the right thing to do is to make it up to him/her later. But that is a separate issue. On deadline, sometimes you have to make unpleasant choices in favor of the product as a whole.

 

Would one missed deadline from a writer of Olson's status warrant getting bumped from the Super Bowl?

 

Frank, you know that "readers as your first conern" is a crock of shit. Lupica's first, last and only concern is Lupica ... readers, co-workers, bosses and everyone else be damned.