Athens (Ga.) Banner-Herald

Boots and others: What exactly has the AJC beaten Athens on in recent years? Schlabach got several scoops when he worked at the AJC, but the beat has balanced out since he left for the Post. I dare say the other beat writers -- Marc Weiszer (Athens) and Josh Kendell (Macon) -- have had the upper hand since the AJC started shuffling people on and off the beat. Both are thorough reporters AND VETERANS and deserve respect.

 

I wouldn't say it's an upper hand. Weiszer has done well and so has Kendell. Unfortunately, many across the country believe the AJC does a better job with UGA than the hometown paper. It's a perceptioin that doesn't mean anything except if I have to spend my last 50 cents and I want to read good UGA coverage, nine times out of 10 it won't be to purchase the ABH. It's just the way it is.

 

Boots: You are a journalist, right? You say the AJC has been beating Athens like a whore for years. Give some examples from the last two years. I wish I didn't have to call you out like this, but what you are doing is bush. Look hard enough and you can find issues with every paper in the country. Athens has its flaws, but getting beat on UGA stuff by its competitors is not one of them. Spend your 50 cents however you want, just don't drag a paper and its reporters through the mud without anything to back it up.

 

I'd say Kendall is more on top of things right now than anyone. As far as I know, he was the first one to report that Inman had failed a drug test. He also was the first to report about the Harrick lawsuit being pretty much toast.

 

No one is being called out. It's a simple case of perception. If you want UGA news, and you're spending 50 cents, and you have the AJC and the ABH to read, you aren't going to spend it on the ABH. It's been that way for years. Two things that you never tell a man what to do: how raise his kids and how to spend his money. For my money, over the years that I've seen those papers, the AJC has been better. That's my opinion. I'm sticking with it. End of your argument. Call it bush or what have you but the perception is valid.

 

Not sure why boots is beating up on the ABH here. Athens does what is does very well, which is cover the heck out of ALL of UGA's sports, while the AJC and Macon focus primarily on the biggies (football, hoops, baseball) with occasional stories on the other sports. You're also comparing a 300K and a 70K to a 30K. Of course the AJC and Macon are going to beat the ABH sometimes. Those papers have more resources. Strickland has Chip Towers, who I believe has been the 'two' guy on the UGA beat for years, backing him up. Neither Strickland or Kendall have to hustle back to the office to paginate, and both — especially Kendall — have been trolling college beats for a while. I believe Kendall is an ABH alum and was a finalist for the AJC job when Strickland was hired, which just proves that whoever gets this job can go places.

The guys on this beat, regardless of their paper, are pros. All have broken stories that the others didn't have at one time or another. It's competitive but not cutthroat, which is why this gig would be great for someone looking to sink their teeth into a major college beat.

Get those resumes in soon, boys, 'cause there is going to be a tall stack.

 

Weiszer's not doing much paginating, either. Maybe, MAYBE, during the offseason, but certainly not during football season.

Between Strickland, Weiszer and Kendall, I'll take Kendall any day. The only reason Kendall wasn't the best on the beat while he was in Athens is because he was up against one of the best college beat reporters in the country.

Look, this ain't a bad job, but it ain't the damn holy grail. It's a No. 3/No. 4 job on a six- or seven-man staff in a decent town.

 

I agree with everything except one thing, I wasn't beating up the ABH. Just stating the obvious.

 

seriously, is it ever a suprise when boots has no idea what the fuck he's talking about?

 

no, it's not; been kind of a regular deal here as far as i can remember.

 

kendall also broke felton breaking ncaa practice rules (or was warned not to break them again) and no one else even picked up on that story.

 

"This is Maaaaarc Weiszer. This is Maaaaarc Weiszer. This is Maaaarc Weiszer, the King of Beers."