More Spurrier-Morris drama

Oh, please. Most staff members make a lot -- A LOT -- less than the columnist in question. If he's not willing to risk his paycheck to take a principled stand (and I don't blame him), why should they?

 

In fairness, I have never heard that Morris is the biggest team player, either. This isn't relevant to the larger conversation, which is about a publisher benching its columnist because a football coach told him to, but Morris doesn't have a track record of taking bullets for others. Which is fine and probably not all that unusual, but people won't be risking their own employment to make a statement about his.

It's a nice idea and all, but it's not exactly realistic or advisable.

 

A byline strike is risking your employment?

 

One of the stories I read earlier about Morris claimed the publisher wanted to fire him months, maybe even a few years ago, for his war with Spurrier. But the publisher was told by the editor they didn't have the grounds.

 

Mixed feelings on this. On one hand, coaches probably have enough to worry about with their own athletes and coaching staffs. On the other hand, plenty of writers and broadcasters think nothing about calling for a coach to get fired.... so maybe that street should run both ways.

 

At some places it can be.

 

Roger that.

 

A publisher should know better. But as many of us have found out, sometimes the publishers are the biggest fanbois out there.

Spurrier is a dick, and has been a bully his entire coaching career... Why should anything change now?

 

I wouldn't do the byline strike either. I'd probably just look for a new job. These days that can be easier said than done. I don't blame anyone for doing something in the interest of self-preservation, as long as they're not throwing anyone under the bus in that process.

 

I could never see the columnist reciprocating.
More to do with ego size than salary stratification.
If a paper is going to kiss a coach's ass for 10 years, this sort of outcome is a likelihood.

 

Sure thing. That would, of course, entail giving writers and broadcasters the same kind of real-world power that plenty of coaches have been flaunting for years.

 

Spurrier got that in Gainesville, so that's the treatment he expects, at least from the hometown paper.