From Detroit

[Moderator1]

Apparently, enough are taking the buyouts so there won't be layoffs. That's good news. Anyway, this was sent to The Pipeline:

"I don't know if I mentioned it, but we had buyouts at the News/Freep/Media Partnership. They were looking for 150 and 116 took them, including 11 from the News and 18 from the Freep. They decided the other day that they will not need to have layoffs to make up the difference, thank goodness. There were three major departures from the Sports department so things are about to change significantly there. Mike O'Hara and Vartan Kupelian (golf) are taking the buyout. O'Hara has been there since 1966 and I think Vartan has been there maybe longer. Fred Girard also took it. So with the Lions beat opening after about 100 years, they're going to switch things up. Everyone in sports is getting the news Monday. [...]

" .. the Tigers and Michigan won't change. Everything else is going to. Golf won't be replaced as they had already decided not to travel anymore for the majors."

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

The impressive thing is that they're not laying off to make up the difference.

 

[TwoGloves]

Just heard about O'Hara today. He's been on the Lions at least 30 years.

 

[Birdscribe]

Vart has been one of the state's top writers on golf forever and someone highly respected on all fronts. I'm assuming he'll cover that little thing called the PGA Championship that's in his backyard in two weeks.

 

[deskslave]

The impressive thing is that they're not laying off to make up the difference.

Yeah, this week.

 

[TwoGloves]

Vart has been one of the state's top writers on golf forever and someone highly respected on all fronts. I'm assuming he'll cover that little thing called the PGA Championship that's in his backyard in two weeks.

My guess is the PGA and Ryder Cup are his last two events. I'm sure he wasn't thrilled they didn't send him to to the (British) Open.

 

[dooley_womack1]

Man, is golf going to start turning into the NHL as far as coverage being pulled from it all over the country?

 

[slappy4428]

Vart has been one of the state's top writers on golf forever and someone highly respected on all fronts. I'm assuming he'll cover that little thing called the PGA Championship that's in his backyard in two weeks.

My guess is the PGA and Ryder Cup are his last two events. I'm sure he wasn't thrilled they didn't send him to to the (British) Open.

I like Vartan's writing and all, but compared to O'Hara, he's been on scholarship for quite a while.
Also heard that Fred Girard is leaving too and if that's the case, someone else will have to make much ado about nothing. Sometimes, when you FOIA documents, there is indeed nothing there.

 

[steveu]

I doubt preps will change at the Freep, either. Mick McCabe is their top prep guy and he knows the area through and through. (No, I'm not Mick, but I have run into and talked to him several times.)

 

[slappy4428]

I doubt preps will change at the Freep, either. Mick McCabe is their top prep guy and he knows the area through and through. (No, I'm not Mick, but I have run into and talked to him several times.)

He's not taking the buyout.

 

[Montezuma's Revenge]

Man, is golf going to start turning into the NHL as far as coverage being pulled from it all over the country?

Hasn't that already happened?

 

[Overrated]

So, who gets the Lions beat? Does John Niyo move over from the Wings?

 

[TwoGloves]

So, who gets the Lions beat? Does John Niyo move over from the Wings?

Larry Lage?

 

[steveu]

I doubt preps will change at the Freep, either. Mick McCabe is their top prep guy and he knows the area through and through. (No, I'm not Mick, but I have run into and talked to him several times.)

He's not taking the buyout.

Good for him. Their preps coverage would suffer big time if that was the case. Plus, that paper blows out the football and basketball finals in terms of coverage (even if no area teams are involved, which rarely happens).

It'll be sad to see Vartan, Fred and Mike go, however.

 

[John Taylor]

Man, is golf going to start turning into the NHL as far as coverage being pulled from it all over the country?

Hasn't that already happened?

May depend on where you are, etc. We made a bigger investment in hockey this season, but the Caps were a playoff team and have the best player in the league. We didn't go to the British Open and didn't send a columnist to US Open (and won't to the PGA), but Tiger not playing certainly plays in to that decision.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

So, who gets the Lions beat? Does John Niyo move over from the Wings?

Larry Lage?

Lage is the sports guy for AP.

I doubt they'll be making new hires after a round of buyouts.

 

[TwoGloves]

So, who gets the Lions beat? Does John Niyo move over from the Wings?

Larry Lage?

Lage is the sports guy for AP.

That was sort of my point. Just like Doug Ferguson is becoming everybody's golf writer ...

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

I get what your saying. But I'm thinking the Lions (or any of the four major sports teams) would be too big of a beat to just take what AP gives you. Especially since it is still a two-newspaper town.


Golf is easier to cut since 95 percent of the events would be out of town and not as attached to the local readers as a local team.

But I could see the day coming where that does happen with a major beat.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

So, who gets the Lions beat? Does John Niyo move over from the Wings?

Would Niyo even want to move over from the Wings? I mean, why move from an organization as respected as the Wings for a bumbling, doddering old fool like the Lions. (although Nick Cotsonika did move from the Wings to the Lions a few years ago at the Freep).


Maybe Niyo can just take over for the injured Tiger Woods (those who know Niyo will get this).

 

[TwoGloves]

I get what your saying. But I'm thinking the Lions (or any of the four major sports teams) would be too big of a beat to just take what AP gives you. Especially since it is still a two-newspaper town.


Golf is easier to cut since 95 percent of the events would be out of town and not as attached to the local readers as a local team.

But I could see the day coming where that does happen with a major beat.

It was a joke. Of course the daily Detroit papers will have somebody on the beat fulltime. But I can see the day coming soon when they don't travel with the team and let AP pick up the coverage. Super Bowl too.