Sports columnist, Sun Sentinel

I actually think they're going after Israel Gutierrez.

 

Why do you think they are going after Gutierrez Mizzou?

 

Job description makes it sound like they're willing to consider people who aren't currently columnists. Assuming this is a genuinely national search, might we infer that part of the idea might be to catch a young (cheap) person on the rise for a discounted price?

 

They tried that the last time...with mixed results. Said it before: Nothing against Juice or his replacement, but just about any new hire will hit sixth at best in this SoFla lineup. As for Izzy, 1HP (and ESPN) tried to make him the next big thing. He's more in tune with the Heat, obviously, than Juice was, and presents well on camera, but he will offer the same type of impact. Minimal. Ira's always the first Heat read at the S-S.
Doubt Cote would bolt 1HP, and know nothing to hint he might be considering it, but if the S-S is looking for an established game-changer, he's the guy.

 

He's the best of the guys they can afford to poach. Rumor has it he hasn't cashed in at The Herald yet, which would not be a surprise because they have quite a few high dollar columnists there.

There also always seems to be a lot of movement between the three papers there.

He's also very good, young and has become pretty high-profile in the last couple years.

 

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Mizzou, I have no beef with you but I'm not throwing names around like you are. There are other guys who fit that bill. If I had thrown this guy's name in the hat, some wiseguy would say I'm throwing something against the wall to see if it stick.
Maybe you're right. Maybe you're wrong. Unless you're making the decision, you are basically promoting Guitierrez.

 

This is what I was told from someone who works at one of the Tribune papers in Florida.

They are looking at someone from the Herald. They may also be looking at 50 other people, I don't know. It's not exactly uncommon for one of the South Florida papers to raid the other two for talent.

I asked him two names from The Herald and he basically said, "Well, you can figure it out."

They're not going to spend a ton of money (likely under $100K)

That's what I know and based on that, I think he's talking about Israel. It could be Darlington too. It could be someone covering preps. It could be your mother, I don't know.

If you believe me, good. If you don't, I don't care.

 

Getting Izzy ain't exactly a raid. He's just an average writer in that market. Rojas took a chance on him probably earlier than he deserved.

 

You've worked with him so you would know better than I would, but I've always thought his stuff was pretty damn good.

Apparently ESPN likes him quite a bit as well.

 

He presents well. That's what ESPN likes. He totally looks the hip South Beach part, and maybe I haven't been watching as closely, but it seems like that is slowing down a bit, too.
Average in that market isn't an insult or a knock. It's just that he's already had that job, in that market, and didn't really make a dent. Again, more to do with the quality of the market. Same with Juice. Juice is fine, and he'll do fine at the PBPost.
But neither will make you put down Tard, Cote, Hyde, George, Linda, Habib (if he's writing Heat that day), Ira, maybe even Stoda, etc., etc., to read their stuff first.