Houston Chronicle offering buyouts

Bingo!

 

What's past is past. The point is Brent is a good reporter. A good guy and he's going to do a good job. I hope the other papers who are picking up his stuff won't try to burn him out with stupid stories for "their readers."

 

Continentaldivide,

I guess it doesn't matter that that story was in March when the Aggies happened to have been playing in the NCAA Tourney in Lexington. That was a what if story. Remember, Kentucky went after Billy Donovan first and maybe even Rick Barnes before turning to Gillispie that next month. That wasn't a scoop story because a lot of dominoes had to fall before Gillispie was even in line. Donovan takes the KU job then it's just a silly little story to get fans talking. Arkansas was in pursuit of Gillispie at that point, not Kentucky. You should link to the rest of the Harris story because it does mention Kentucky as being in play. It's funny how you cut the story off.

 

How about this link? And please pay attention to the date.


http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2007_4315835

 

All Houston pro coverage that's in the Express-News is done by Houston. The E-N used to staff some Astros and most Texans games (rare Rockets games are still staffed if they are interesting or playing a team whose story would matter the next day or two related to the Spurs), but that has changed. Everybody covers U-T, and that doesn't seem likely to change.

 

Here's my point on this whole exchange:
Part of the motivation behind getting these stories fast is competition. If Brent doesn't get it, the Chronicle guy might have. When you start combining these resources, it isn't just fewer butts in press box seats, it's fewer people on the story and less pressure to beat each other, which ultimately does a disservice to the beat in general.

When I worked in Louisiana, we had five Gannetts go to one pool reporter for LSU. Although said reporter (Glen Guilbeau) is outstanding, it can't be good for overall coverage of LSU in the state. Let's say the other four major dailies in Louisiana -- Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lake Charles and Houma (using the term "major" loosely) all came under one corporate wing (we're currently talking a family, a Cox, a family and a Times, respectively) and they pooled their resources. All of a sudden, LSU's newspaper coverage will be down to two guys. That's going to be better coverage? Even if the two remaining beat reporters are the best of the bunch, that can't be a good thing.

 

Scoops, notice the pub date below (a day before the TH story you posted on the same subject). Below that is the March 28 Chronicle story (in its entirety) by John Lopez

San Antonio Express-News

March 30, 2007 Friday
METRO Edition

Gillispie balks at A&M deal, for now

BYLINE: Brent Zwerneman, EXPRESS-NEWS STAFF WRITER

SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. 1D

LENGTH: 762 words


COLLEGE STATION -- At the end of another bizarre day in Texas A&M's quest to lock down basketball coach Billy Gillispie, school officials delayed an announcement of a new contract agreement after receiving indications from Gillispie that he wants to keep his options open.

Possibly so he can stay in the running for the most tantalizing of current job openings -- Kentucky.

According to sources close to the situation, Gillispie late in the day balked at verbally agreeing to a new contract placed before the A&M board of regents for approval Thursday. Under the new contract, Gillispie's base salary would jump from $1.25 million to around $1.6 million per year, excluding incentives.

The school hoped to announce the new deal Thursday afternoon and put to rest nearly a week of speculation about Gillispie's intentions to stay at A&M. The proposed deal, like his current contract, would expire in 2012.

The day's maneuverings kept the uncertainty alive for A&M fans, but brought a week of drama at Arkansas to an end.

According to reports, the Razorbacks elected to drop their pursuit of Gillispie around noon on Thursday after A&M athletic director Bill Byrne informed them that Gillispie, who is in Atlanta for the Final Four, was accepting a new contract offer at A&M and staying put.

Curiously, according to reports, Byrne contacted Arkansas athletic director Frank Broyles around 10 a.m. Thursday to grant permission for the Razorbacks to talk to Gillispie. Two hours later, after Broyles reportedly was unable to reach Gillispie, he was informed by Byrne of the agreement to keep Gillispie at A&M.

Following the A&M regents' closed-door meeting, school officials prepared a statement to acknowledge the new contract and announce Gillispie's acceptance of the deal.

Around 7 p.m., the announcement plans were scrapped.

Two A&M athletic department sources said officials hope to make the planned announcement today, following a public meeting of the regents during which the contract, as a formality, is expected to be approved.

Whether Gillispie will commit to the proposal then is unclear. Gillispie has declined comment on his plans for next season.

Earlier in the week, following the disclosure of Arkansas' interest in Gillispie, a Houston Chronicle report quoted high-ranking A&M officials as saying that the new deal would keep Gillispie at the school.

Yet, Gillispie remained silent on the matter.

On Wednesday, interim A&M president Eddie Davis told the Bryan-College Station Eagle that Gillispie had assured him that he was staying at A&M.

Gillispie still offered no comment.

Affirmation from Gillispie was expected Thursday, but it didn't happen. The reason, sources close to the situation said, is Gillispie's keen interest in the Kentucky job, vacated last week when Tubby Smith resigned to go to Minnesota.

Kentucky is believed to be courting Florida's Billy Donovan, who coached the Gators to the national title last year and has his team back in the Final Four. Should Donovan prove to be out of Kentucky's grasp, as many observers believe he will be, the Wildcats would look to other similarly qualified candidates, a group almost certain to include Gillispie.

Kentucky, however, is obliged not to contact Donovan until the Gators complete their season.

Sources close to the Gillispie situation say he believes he would hurt his chances for the Kentucky job by committing to a new contract at A&M.

Thursday presented another series of dramatic behind-the-scenes events, according to sources. In an apparent battle of wills, described by one source, Byrne insisted that Gillispie decide one way or another whether he wanted to accept the contract -- or begin discussions with Arkansas.

Byrne's leverage was his belated call to Broyles, granting permission for contact. Reports in Arkansas said Broyles had tried for three days to contact Byrne, with no success.

Gillispie, according to sources, finally indicated he was ready to accept A&M's new deal, prompting A&M officials to say an announcement would be forthcoming.

Arkansas, according to reports, pegged Gillispie as its top choice even before firing Stan Heath, which the Razorbacks did on Monday. Arkansas then sought permission to speak to Gillispie, which Byrne finally granted Thursday morning.

Thursday's turmoil came one week after the Aggies lost to Memphis in the South Regional semifinals in the Alamodome. A&M finished 27-7, the most victories in school history.

Gillispie, who just wrapped up his third season at A&M, led the Aggies to consecutive NCAA tournaments for the first time.



Now the one from the Chronicle's Lopez:

March 28, 2007
Officials: Billy Gillispie to stay at Texas A&M
Texas A&M basketball coach Billy Gillispie will remain head coach of the basketball program he has turned into a national power, three high-ranking sources close to and within the A&M system have confirmed.

Gillispie apparently has not officially confirmed to athletic director Bill Byrne or the regents that he will accept a new contract that will pay him in the neighborhood of $2 million a year, including guarantees added to the deal that runs through 2012. But regents and athletic department officials feel confident the new deal, and construction on the new A&M basketball facility scheduled to begin Monday, are the guarantees Gillispie was pursuing.

"The fence will go up (at the construction site) and they'll get it rolling," one source said of the 50,000-square-foot, $20 million facility that will include practice areas for men's and women's basketball, offices and training areas.

After several meetings with A&M athletic director Bill Byrne, Gillispie received notice today that the A&M Board of Regents will rubber-stamp the contract and expedite the start of construction on the facility.

Gillispie has been contemplating an offer from the University of Arkansas to replace fired coach Stan Heath. If he accepts the A&M deal as expected, regents expect Gillispie to be, "a lifer."

The announcement should become official after the A&M regents meet Thursday and Friday.

Delays in the start of construction for the facility arrived after one of the lead architects died, and because of turnover in the A&M system facility construction administration.

The A&M regents also is expected to approve general contractor SpawGlass as the new construction manager for the project and has received assurances that the facility will be completed on time.

In three seasons at A&M, Gillispie has compiled a record of 70-26, carrying the once-lowly program to an NIT bid his first season and back-to-back berths in the NCAA Tournament the past two years, including an appearance in the Sweet 16 this season.

 

I think Terrance and Brent should take their little pissing match to pms

 

Gotcha, guys, we gotcha. I did come across this nugget about who broke what when I googled the names in this, from Jason King at Yahoo:
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=jn-kingofroad122607&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Scroll down for the info

 

That was a beautiful picture of the Playboy Playmate.