Replacing Kravitz at the Indianapolis Star is...

I found Tard easy to deal with, too, but he was not yet a columnist, in fact he was covering UM while he was attending UM. I had no problem with Shelton, although the SE asked me during my interview how I'd deal with him, and he was a beat writer at the time. I thought his concern was that I could be blunt. Armando was PT when I was there because the Miami News had folded not too long before, so he was easy before he took a signing bonus to go to the PB Post. Nothing bad to say about him -- he worked very hard for little money and I respected that. Cote was the only one I tangled with, but he was just frustrated with his Dolphins beat stuff getting cut all the time (he kept filing way too much, trying to match the Sun Sentinel guy). Funny how people change. Not doubting either of you, BTW.

 

They were buds. Don't know Doyel, so I'm not saying he was wrong. Craig and I did not agree about Simers, who was his bud, too. Although I think T.J. was the best beat reporter I ever saw, just a pain as a colleague.

 

Whicker is great. One time he volunteered to file early because it was opening night for prep football and I told him it wasn't his problem. I'll bet the LADN desk people are loving having him aboard.

You know, there are people who are high-maintenance but mean no harm. I edited only one columnist who dicked the desk intentionally. He thought I was his enemy, but actually I stood up for him initially and it was my boss who was telling staffers stuff that managers really ought to keep to themselves. I couldn't exactly tell him that, though, without the boss thinking I sold him out.

Some beat writers have been prima donnas. One guy, now a columnist elsewhere, could not get it through his head on an extra-innings West Coast game that the press run was OVER. They'd printed all they were gonna print. Not even God could have restarted those presses. He went nuts. Not long after, he interviewed for the sports editor vacancy and apparently demonstrated his complete ignorance of the production basics, including, from what I was told, bringing up that incident. The people making the decision did not know a whole lot about production, either, but they knew more than him.

My last paper, both columnists were terrific. That's not to say there weren't some disagreements, but I tend to forgive stuff that happens on deadline, as opposed to people who try to make trouble the next morning.

 

Doyel wrote a very nice tribute when Craig passed.

 

Trying to think what green tennis shoes go good with ... other than a garbage can.

And tuck in your shirt and get off of my lawn.

 

Whicker is great. One time he volunteered to file early because it was opening night for prep football and I told him it wasn't his problem. I'll bet the LADN desk people are loving having him aboard.

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Whicker is willing to write a column, gamer and notes from an event. He'll be done with all three before anyone else is done with one. And all three will be damn good.

 

Whicker is willing to write a column, gamer and notes from an event. He'll be done with all three before anyone else is done with one. And all three will be damn good.
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I can confirm this. One time he filed his column from a UCLA football game and was home before I filed my gamer. Oh, and the game was in Tucson.

 

You had me until you said they'd be good. Mark Whicker may write clean and fast, but he has authored many a terrible column. And no, I'm not only referring to the biggest abomination to ever appear as a newspaper sports column.

 

This one?

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/world-208802-won-most.html

 

Yes.

 

I'm trying to think if you sound like Clint Eastwood or Neidermayer from Animal House (and goddamn it, tuck in those pajamas!)