Sacramento Bee Layoffs Hit the Sports Page: McNeal, Howard-Cooper Gone

Man ....

keep Cooper and get rid of Voison! :-)

They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.

by Dub_TC on Mar 14, 2009 9:47 AM PDT reply actions

Seemed to be more of an NBA beat writer, though he was also more willing to criticize the team. I’m not sure what Marty was actually doing. But it’s never good to see these things happen with the local paper.

by Carl on Mar 14, 2009 10:41 AM PDT reply actions

Professional journalism takes another blow to the gut.

Whatever you thought of them this means more amatuerism by bozos like us. Thats not a good thing. Best of luck to them.

So imitate the action of the tiger!
Stiffen the sinews, summon up the blood,
Disguise fair nature with hard-favoured rage.
- lend the eye a terrible aspect,

Now set the teeth - and teach them how to war!
Henry V iii

by lietothegirls on Mar 14, 2009 10:59 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs

Rec'd

Most of us (outside of Ziller, section214 and a few others) don’t actually produce anything worthwhile. It’s easy for me to be an armchair coach.

by Carl on Mar 14, 2009 12:08 PM PDT up reply actions

Wait...

…are you implying that Griffin la Vida Loca and the Ballad of Kenny Natt aren’t worthwhile?! I’m offended!!!

Jokes aside, it’s very true. Many of us (myself at the top of the list) are hacks.

Never forget: I am a complete idiot

by Exhibit G on Mar 14, 2009 12:51 PM PDT up reply actions

I'm not sure I even qualify as a hack

I’d have to do more than throw pot shots in from time to time to even reach the level of a hack.

by Carl on Mar 14, 2009 3:32 PM PDT up reply actions

Can

I be the Donte Greene of the hacks??

They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.

by Dub_TC on Mar 14, 2009 11:12 PM PDT up reply actions

see

hack style

They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time.

by Dub_TC on Mar 14, 2009 11:12 PM PDT up reply actions

McNeal isn't a terrible loss

But he knew how to fit content within the restrictions. Scoop is a loss, if only because he had access that other reporters didn’t have. He was never my favorite, but he didn’t do his job poorly either. I have a feeling Scoop will be okay moving forward. Marty Mac? Yeah, that’s another story. Again, I don’t feel too badly here.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....

I am the stone that builder refused..I am the visual...The inspiration..That made lady sing the blues....I'm the spark that makes your idea bright.....The same spark that lights the dark....So that you can know your left from your right...I am the ballot in your box....The bullet in your gun...The inner glow that lets you know...To call your brother son....The story that just begun...The promise of what's to come...And I'm 'a remain a soldier till the war is won....

by pookeyguru on Mar 14, 2009 11:02 AM PDT reply actions

Nail on the head Pookey.

Every team needs a guy like Cooper. McNeil was just collecting a pay check. Voison should have been the one to go instead of Cooper IMO. Good Luck Scott, I’m sure you’ll land on your feet.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Mar 14, 2009 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions

Cooper isn't broke

A guy with his contacts and writing ability will find a way to make it work for him. Guaranteed. In fact, I look forward to see what he does moving forward.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....

I am the stone that builder refused..I am the visual...The inspiration..That made lady sing the blues....I'm the spark that makes your idea bright.....The same spark that lights the dark....So that you can know your left from your right...I am the ballot in your box....The bullet in your gun...The inner glow that lets you know...To call your brother son....The story that just begun...The promise of what's to come...And I'm 'a remain a soldier till the war is won....

by pookeyguru on Mar 14, 2009 11:46 AM PDT up reply actions

I'm not sure

Didn’t the paper take him off the Kings beat a few years back? He ended up doing high school football IIRC, makes you realize there just isn’t much work out there for these guys.

McNeal will probably end up on KHTK, giving me another reason to not listen.

Lonely people mixing with one another? Breeding? Creating an even lonelier generation? You're not allowing natural selection to do its work. You're like the guy that invented the seat belt.

by otis29 on Mar 14, 2009 1:24 PM PDT up reply actions

Brutal industry, this newspaper business

Good luck to them (and anyone else) currently in search of employment.

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Mar 14, 2009 12:03 PM PDT reply actions

For an interesting take

Check out Part 2 of Bill Simmons’ podcast with Chuck Klosterman. Here’s the link (Sorry, the way ESPN links their podcasts is weird, I’m pretty sure this link will at least take you to his podcast). They spend a good 45 minutes debating the causes of the fall of newspapers and the state of writing on the internet, and they strongly disagree with each other in many ways. Good discussion.

Never forget: I am a complete idiot

by Exhibit G on Mar 14, 2009 12:55 PM PDT reply actions

I blame the Age of the Interwebs

by Aykis16 on Mar 14, 2009 1:03 PM PDT reply actions

Newspapers are businesses

They have to learn to adjust to the technology era. Technological progress has phased out many industries.

Scary part is, newspapers have always had the ability to be a check on governmental excesses. Will the internet be able to replace that? We’ll see…

Lonely people mixing with one another? Breeding? Creating an even lonelier generation? You're not allowing natural selection to do its work. You're like the guy that invented the seat belt.

by otis29 on Mar 14, 2009 1:25 PM PDT up reply actions

Scary part is, newspapers have always had the ability to be a check on governmental excesses. Will the internet be able to replace that? We’ll see…

TV News sure as hell won’t.

by Carl on Mar 14, 2009 3:33 PM PDT up reply actions

That's something we totally agree on

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....

I am the stone that builder refused..I am the visual...The inspiration..That made lady sing the blues....I'm the spark that makes your idea bright.....The same spark that lights the dark....So that you can know your left from your right...I am the ballot in your box....The bullet in your gun...The inner glow that lets you know...To call your brother son....The story that just begun...The promise of what's to come...And I'm 'a remain a soldier till the war is won....

by pookeyguru on Mar 14, 2009 7:22 PM PDT up reply actions

You guys are missing the point

They’re obviously clearing a roster spot for a Mr. Ziller.

Really though, this is a tough age for the printed word.

The doctor said I wouldn't get so many nosebleeds if I just kept my finger outta there.
-Ralph

by kangsfan on Mar 14, 2009 2:02 PM PDT reply actions

Unbelievable!!!

I often didn’t like Martin McNeal’s slant on things, but I can’t believe that they’d keep Ailene Voisin over him. She’s a horrible writer and her opinion on things changes everytime the wind blows a different direction. If you have ever seen her sitting at press row at a Kings game, she often has her mouth hanging open, has a dumbfounded look on her face, or is chewing gum so fast you’d think her life depended on it. Horrible, horrible, horrible…

by sacnewsnet on Mar 14, 2009 3:35 PM PDT reply actions

It probably came down to a combination

of salary and their role. Scoop wrote about the NBA alone any Marty Mac wrote about everything including high school kids. I think the bee would rather have low paid team intensive bloggers who get lots of internet readership. Sam Amick is great and probably comes in at half the price and gives twice the content.

by mayfieldcol on Mar 16, 2009 9:26 AM PDT up reply actions

Bee Layoffs

Just another reason to stop reading the Bee

by ARTSMART on Mar 15, 2009 2:27 PM PDT reply actions

or to support them so others like Amick don't go next.

I think this is a time to show your dedication to community; the Sacramento community, the sports community and the print community. If we have limited access and limited national exposure already, just imagine trying to sell the Kings locally/nationally/globally if the Bee and its writers are no longer around to pass on what little information is available. This is bad news overall for Kings fans and the franchise itself, even if you don’t like S.H. Cooper or McNeal.

Hot dogs, get your hot dogs.

by jjham15 on Mar 15, 2009 2:59 PM PDT up reply actions

I just wrote on sacbee blog that everyone but Amick and one should go

Three days of covering the prank seemed excessive. I wasn’t a fan of either one but I didn’t really mean to have more unemployed people during these tough times.

Draft Balls Be Kind, The Kings Need Blake! The Padres need Strausberg and the Chargers need Mauluaga!

by bringbackbuddytrees on Mar 15, 2009 10:26 PM PDT reply actions

NOT the people's choice

I feared this day would come; it’s a shame sacbee editors didn’t follow the will of the people (http://www.sactownroyalty.com/2009/2/26/773042/poll-if-sacbee-had-to-cut).

Someone really needs to investigate what dirt voisin has over sacbee management!

by fire_voisin on Mar 16, 2009 1:02 AM PDT reply actions

layoffs by bee

VOISON would hve been my first choice,her colums are nothing short of crap.marty mac told it like it was,i guess thats why he is gone.and i can’t print what i think of marcus brenton.BAD CHOICE SACRAMENTO BEE .I won’t even look at the same page when VOISON does a story she is the worst writer i have read in all my years of reading the BEE.

by dogma1949 on Mar 16, 2009 5:40 AM PDT reply actions

HOW in GOD's GREEN EARTH does VOISIN still have a JOB !!!

Well, that does it.. I’m cancelling my subscription to the Bee…. Enough of the BS !!

Marty Mac wasn’t a very skilled writer, but Scooper was a very good read most of the time. They should have kept Scooper and dumped Voisin…

I have cut the Mouth and Nose out of my Paper Bag, but I am contemplating not cutting out any EYE HOLES so I don't have to watch this mess at all...

by FaStRmAn on Mar 16, 2009 12:41 PM PDT reply actions

It could have been voluntary

Perhaps Scoop felt that leaving the paper was the right choice at this time for him as their other options for media out there now that weren’t as prevalent even just 2 or 3 years ago.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....

I am the stone that builder refused..I am the visual...The inspiration..That made lady sing the blues....I'm the spark that makes your idea bright.....The same spark that lights the dark....So that you can know your left from your right...I am the ballot in your box....The bullet in your gun...The inner glow that lets you know...To call your brother son....The story that just begun...The promise of what's to come...And I'm 'a remain a soldier till the war is won....

by pookeyguru on Mar 16, 2009 5:31 PM PDT up reply actions

Seattle Post Intelliger - Gone

And so it goes –

SACTOWN ROYALTY - Try our thick creamy shakes!

by section214 on Mar 16, 2009 6:02 PM PDT reply actions

I will say this

Alot of this is “major corporation” downshifting. After all, it’s the biggest companies that are suffering. The Seattle Times purports itself as “locally owned”, and that helps sells papers.

No mistakes in the tango, darling. Not like life. Simple. That's what makes the tango so great. If you make a mistake, and get all tangled up, you just tango on.....

I am the stone that builder refused..I am the visual...The inspiration..That made lady sing the blues....I'm the spark that makes your idea bright.....The same spark that lights the dark....So that you can know your left from your right...I am the ballot in your box....The bullet in your gun...The inner glow that lets you know...To call your brother son....The story that just begun...The promise of what's to come...And I'm 'a remain a soldier till the war is won....

by pookeyguru on Mar 16, 2009 6:30 PM PDT up reply actions