More from Lean Dean

That's a pretty lengthy roster. Some good people on that list, and three who surprise the shit out of me...

 

As an alum of a competing paper, I can tell you -- as I was once told by an editor: "Everyone in here knows who Billy Witz is."

The editor meant that in a good way, in an admiring nod to Billy's work at the time as the Daily News' UCLA beat writer.

Taking note, I began watching for and reading Billy's stuff more closely, and, sure enough, I quickly became a fan of his work.

Then, once, when I was covering the L.A. Marathon -- no, I am not out there today -- I finally met Billy for the first (and only) time, and was pleased when he took note of me.

I had asked several persistent but legitimate questions of a race official regarding a possible news story involving the event.

After we were done with the post-race press conference, and the official had walked away, a bit harried, somewhat hurriedly, and clearly happy to get away, Billy turned to me, smiled, and said, "Great job. Way to not back down."

It was just a little act of acknowledgment, and, I thought, a not-so-random act of kindness that, really, he didn't have to impart. Many competing writers wouldn't have.

And, as I recalled again my editor's long-ago recognition of Billy, I was honored.

If you're on here, Billy, consider this my way of returning that small but meaningful compliment.

 

Billy Witz is a true professional. Matt McHale is one of the finest sports writers and human beings I've ever known.
It kills me that management is so unconcerned with quality now. Dollars and deadlines are the only things that matter.

 

You didn't honestly think anything else did matter, did you?

Welcome to the real world friend.

 

Billy lost a lot of his mojo when he became NFL beat guy, which is a pretty useless gig to have in a town without a team, and working for a newspaper group that is looking to cut budget.

On UCLA (and preps before that), Mr. Witz was excellent.

 

Billy Witz is the type of professional that I am striving to be. Good guy, all around.

 

There's no reason for snide comments here, Huck. Believe me, I know the real world. I don't know you, but I bet anything you've done in this biz I've done 10 times over.
Until a few months ago, my paper WAS concerned about quality. They bought one of those computer systems from Denmark in which the SLOT process was renamed QUALITY CHECKER. Me and my guys are determined to maintain quality, but we're swimming upstream.

 

Worked alongside both McHale and Witz in my past life and you're talking about two of the most consummate professionals in this business. Period.

I'm shocked and appalled about McHale, since I viewed him as perhaps the most indispensable person in that department for the reasons that blog pointed out.

Hard to add anything original to the sentiments already posted here about Singleton, but karma's a bitch.

 

Billy Witz is one of the best reporters in LA and an even better person.

 

More details http://www.insidesocal.com/soccer/2008/03/not_quite_100_percent.html

And LA has two pro teams, is home to the sport's biggest star, has an ever-growing Latino population, is the U.S. national teams' training HQ, has top-ranked college programs, is the home of AYSO and so on.

 

From 2005-07, 10 different people either covered Chivas USA or the Galaxy, or wrote soccer columns, and/or dabbled in covering the national teams for the Singleton group in LA. All have an affection for the sport, and four remain with the newspaper group.

They'll find someone to do the sport locally. And that person will likely have to squeeze it in between desk/prep shifts, a sign of the times for newspaper journalism.

 

Witz is known as a good guy. I know that top newsroom management was frustrated that he didn't do much --- or wasn't able to do much --- on the "national" NFL beat. At least, management didn't think so. So his exit might have been in the works for a long time.