WTF? Tennessean not covering the SEC tournaments

Heard around the bend that The Tennessean, Nashville's premier news source, has chosen not to cover the SEC men's and women's tournaments.
Has anyone else heard this or is this all a figment of my imagination?

 

You mean in trying economic times, newspapers are cutting back on the events they cover? NO WAI

 

Apparently, the powers that be think that AP can do an adequate job. Definitely a growing trend in a cookie-cutter industry.

 

I don't know if it's as much AP as it is Florida Today or Fort Myers or another Gannett paper down there ...

 

People made a big deal out of the AJC not covering the Super Bowl or Richmond not going to Daytona.
Nashville has never missed the SEC tournament. Never.
Yet, here they are, and the coverage plan, from what I hear, is to cover neither tourney. Men's or women's — one they could drive to cover.
So the question becomes, if this is true, are they saving money to cover the NCAAs or is the plan to skip them as well?
And, again, for the old money Vandy fans that make up a large chunk of the Tennessean's readership. How is not covering the 'Dores going to go over?
Fred Russell is rolling over in his grave.

 

Jay---you do understand that a business facing a budget deficit and which has been ordered to cut expenses X amount, has to do things like not cover conference basketball tournaments?

I think it's fair to say that The Tennessean does NOT relish skipping the SEC tournament. I would guess it's not a bunch of idiots making unpopular decisions such as this just to make themselves look foolish.

If it was your money, what would you do?

 

IF IT WERE MY MONEY I WOULD STOP WASTING TIME PHOTOSHOPING MUSTACHES ON PEOPLE AND STAFF THE GOD DAMN TOURNAMENTS!!!!

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=DN&Dato=20090210&Kategori=FEATURES01&Lopenr=902100803&Ref=PH&Profile=1004&SectionCat=FEATURES

 

I've never been impressed with The Tennessean's selection of what's important. They seem to choose the wrong things over and over.

 

Oh good, it's not like women's basketball is important in that state or anything. And it's not like Vanderbilt has any kind of hoops following or Tennessee has had a sudden spike in interest since Bruce Pearl arrived. And it certainly is unlikely that any Kentucky fans moved down to their fair city for work but would still want to follow the Cats.

 

You kidding? That number of hits they probably got off the site for that probably just saved a guy's job for another week.
Mustaches rock.

 

In this economic climate, it's not surprising that a newspaper will decide they can't afford to staff a conference tournament, or that wire copy will do an adequate job.

From a newsgathering standpoint, it sucks. From a quality standpoint, it sucks. But these aren't normal times we live in.

 

It does, but this is where newspapers are bass-ackwards as usual.

For instance, at my shop, we are having some serious trying economic times, but we are sending two writers and a photographer to cover the state wrestling tournament for three days.

Yes, that is three nights of hotels, mileage, meals, etc., and all told it will probably add up to close to $1,000.

But we will get great daily content for our Web pages, great weekly content for our print products, readers will take us seriously, advertisers (hopefully) will take us seriously, etc.

And that $1,000 is not going to save anyone's job if it's already on the chopping block.