More Spurrier-Morris drama

Please explain how a byline strike works to right the wrong that it seeks to protest. How might the powers that be in the newspaper in question - and/or Steve Spurrier - feel the arrival of an all-surmounting force against them because a bunch of folks chose not to put bylines on their stories in the newspaper.

Now, if everyone in the area refused to write anything about the S. Carolina football team, that might exert some pressure. But a byline strike...? Seems awfully symbolic - - and impotent - - to me.

 

So who is the bigger dick here? Spurrier or the publisher?

Have to say the publisher.

 

There aren't many bigger dicks in the room when any publisher is in it me thinks.

 

No way I'd go on a byline strike to show solidarity for any columnist.

 

Of course the publisher is the bigger dick/dumbass. Coaches complain about coverage and columnists all the time. This is nothing new. But usually editors and, if it reaches that high, publishers have to swat them away because their agendas and wishes have nothing to do with how the paper is run.

In this case, it evidently carries a lot of weight. Pretty sad.

 

Ironic when you consider that this particular dick has no balls.

 

Byline strikes won't do shit.

A refusal to write anything about South Carolina football might work. Better yet, organize the whole newsroom and have everyone demand the publisher explain why he's such a kiss-ass.

 

Huh?

 

I'm sure that they have plenty of loyalty to their families. A byline strike? That's a dumber idea than the South Carolina ban.

 

What should have happened is that publisher say to Spurrier, fine the columnist won't write another word about you, but neither will the rest of the paper. Letting ANY outside person, but especially a public figure who is, in fact, a public employee, dictate staffing and coverage? Wrong on so many levels.

 

It's wrong, but what are you going to do? Steve Spurrier isn't dumb. He knows that the newspaper in Columbia is not going to stop covering the football program in Columbia. If a publisher ever followed through on a threat like that, he might as well turn off the lights and lock up the shop on his way out of the door.

If anything is going to work, the publisher would probably have to attack this from a financial standpoint. My guess is that The State probably has some money tied up with USC-related advertising (billboards at games, jumbotron ads, ads in programs, etc.), so maybe the publisher should have a talk with the athletic director and some of the marketing folks at the school. Maybe that could help.

But threatening to pull the coverage that is anchoring your newspaper is not going to hurt the intended target.

 

The paper should just run this as its A1 centerpiece every day until Spurrier backs off: