Replacing Kravitz at the Indianapolis Star is...

[Bob Cook]

...Gregg Doyel.

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/2014/10/08/gregg-doyel-to-join-indystar-as-sports-columnist/16905811/

 

[Mr. Sunshine]

Worlds colliding. This should be fun.

 

[JackReacher]

Whoa.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

Wow.

That's a ****ing home run right there.

I know what I've said about Ramos, and I like Kravitz a lot, but that's a huge upgrade.

I'm going to have to start reading the Star.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

This will either be a smashing success or smashing catastrophe for all concerned, but worth following either way.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

This will either be a smashing success or smashing catastrophe for all concerned, but worth following either way.

Agreed. I have a ton of theories about why Doyel would do this. It may simply be that CBS Sports isn't paying top dollar for columnists anymore. Freeman is gone. Doyel is gone.

Who is the must-read national columnist at CBS Sports right now?

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

Does anyone remember if Freeman had to take time off as dictated by a non-compete in between CBS Sports and joining Bleacher report?

I'm wondering if Doyel took this to avoid that. I have ZERO idea if anyone at CBS Sports has to sign a non-compete clause. I know Schefter had one when he was at NFL Network and Reilly had one when he was at SI.

Hell, even if Doyel only stays at The Star for a year, it will be one hell of a year. He's perfect for that job. He knows college hoops as well as anybody.

 

[Ace]

Wow. That's a surprise. Good for Gregg.

Say what you want about newspapers and Gannett, but these days the writers and especially columnists can build their brands and make themselves marketable (which is why they should be paid more).

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

Wow. That's a surprise. Good for Gregg.

Say what you want about newspapers and Gannett, but these days the writers and especially columnists can build their brands and make themselves marketable (which is why they should be paid more).

Gregg is one of the few columnists out there who I consider a must-read. It's stunning to see him move from a national job to a paper, but it wouldn't surprise me if he's somebody who ESPN steers away from. That is not meant as a knock on Gregg.

 

[reformedhack]

I hired Gregg at our college paper circa 1990, helped him land a full-time job in Tampa circa 1992, and I was lucky to have him on my team when I was one of the deputy SEs there. I'd like to think I'm responsible for his entire career. You're welcome, America.

In all seriousness, he did good stuff in Tampa and great stuff at his subsequent stops, and I've every reason to believe he'll do excellent stuff in Indy. Given his passion for college basketball, telling stories about real people and having strong points of view, this should be a comfortable fit.

Nice hire, IndyStar. Enjoy your new adventure, Gregg.

 

[Ace]

If Gregg is so great at college basketball, why did he go to Indy? To cover Butler?

Just kidding, Mr. Crean.

 

[Dick Whitman]

Are there other examples of guys going from a national site back to newspapers?

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

Are there other examples of guys going from a national site back to newspapers?

Writers? Sure, plenty of them.

Columnists? Woody Paige went back to The Denver Post after doing just ESPN stuff for a couple years. It's not really the same as this though.

 

[1HPGrad]

Didn't see that coming. They wanted impact. They got impact. Great for them.
Kravitz challenged people, but Gregg takes that form to a whole notha level.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

Didn't see that coming. They wanted impact. They got impact. Great for them.
Kravitz challenged people, but Gregg takes that form to a whole notha level.

Yeah, I'm a big Kravitz fan and have been back to his days in Denver.

Doyel is a top 5 guy, IMO. There are few columnists who are almost never boring and ones who will take stances that they know won't be popular.

I will read the Star regularly when he starts.

 

[Bronco77]

Just checked out IndyStar.com and Doyel's hiring is the lead story.

I guess the question is, will he and Ramos be able to coexist?

 

[MileHigh]

I don't do wow much, but that certainly qualifies.

 

[steveu]

GREAT hire for Indianapolis. I miss reading Kravitz's work, but this sharpens the Star's staff big time. :)

 

[playthrough]

I'm impressed (and pretty surprised) that the Star took a big swing. And as an Indy resident I'm excited to have Doyel.

He did a great job a couple months back on the small-town football story in Southern Indiana. If he can mix that kind of work in with his sharp tongue, he should do well here.

 

[Versatile]

They hire a columnist who undoubtedly costs as much as four or five of their recent laidoff employees, and we're throwing confetti? I enjoy Gregg Doyel as much as the next guy, but that feeling of surprise is generated by the lack of logic.