Has Dan misplaced his snideness?
He's submitted another workmanlike column for Saturday's Globe, essentially a game account of the Bruins' 4-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game One of the second round in the Stanley Cups.
What's missing are his snotty comments, low blows, Eighties references and smarmy asides. (He did slip one in about Moses Malone, though...)
Although one wonders why the Globe folks assent to a second game account (along with reporter Fluto Shinzawa's version) in lieu of a column, Dan does try to adhere to a story line -- the Bruins' facial hair.
Maybe the newspaper ought to take a page from that of the Baltimore Sun which has pared its Orioles coverage back to a single beat reporter. What a concept.
Eighties references...No, Shank remains mired in late 1960's references:
ReplyDeleteWhich gives you all another day to let your face grow long.
Goo goo gajoob!
Good catch, Rog. I missed it. Holy crabalocker fishwife!
ReplyDeleteOne less potential buyer for the Globe:
ReplyDeleteWarren Buffett will keep the Buffalo News and a stake in the Washington Post Company (NYSE: WPO)—but won’t play white knight for the newspaper industry. The billionaire financier told shareholders at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting taking place today in Omaha, Neb., that newspapers face possible “unending losses” and that the company would not buy most U.S. newspaper “at any price,” according to MarketWatch and WSJ.
Buffett also spoke of how newspapers once had been essential to readers—and thus to advertisers—but that was no longer the case. But what of Berkshire’s current holdings?
—Buffalo News: He said the paper is working with unions on a new business model.
—WaPoCo: Buffett, who is on the Washington Post board, spoke of its attractive businesses—singling out cable—but said “does not have answers to the problems of the newspaper business.”
—Twittering from the stage: The NYT’s Andrew Ross Sorkin, one of the journalists participating in the Q&A at the meeting, twittered live from the stage via BlackBerry, with the feed running in a widget on the DealBook blog. His take on the newspaper discussion: “Buffett says newspaper biz is no longer “essential” sigh. tho he’s not selling washpo or buffalo news.”
Update: Fox Business News anchor Liz Claman has this exchange with Buffett and his business partner Charlie Munger:
Question: At what price does it become compelling to invest in newspaper business or is there no price in today’s environment?
Buffett: The current environment is accentuating problem in newspapers -but it’s not the basic cause. Charlie and I read 5 a day. We’ll never give them up. We would not buy them at any price. They have the possibility of going to unending losses. They were essential to the public 20 years ago. Their pricing power was essential with customer. They lost the essential nature. The erosion has accelerated dramatically. They were only essential to advertiser as long as essential to reader. No one liked buying ads in the paper - it’s just that they worked. I don’t see anything on the horizon that causes that erosion to end.
Munger: It’s really a national tragedy. As they disappear - I think what replaces them won’t be as desirable as what we’re losing.
No bailout for you!The White House on Monday expressed "concern" and "sadness" over the state of the ailing US newspaper industry, but made clear that a government bailout was not in the cards.
ReplyDelete"I don't know what, in all honesty, government can do about it," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters. "That might be a bit of a tricky area to get into given the differing roles."
Gibbs was responding to a reporter who asked what the White House thought about the recent closure of several US newspapers and a threat to shut down the venerable Boston Globe.
"Obviously (President Barack Obama) believes there has to be a strong free press," the spokesman said. "I think there's a certain concern and a certain sadness when you see cities losing their newspapers or regions of the country losing their newspapers."
US newspapers have been grappling with a steep drop in print advertising revenue, steadily declining circulation and the migration of readers to free news online.
A US senator (would be helpful to, you know, actually name said Senator) recently introduced legislation aimed at helping US newspapers by giving them tax breaks as non-profit organizations, an arrangement similar to that enjoyed by public broadcasting outlets, which survive on tax-deductible contributions from listeners.
Most newspapers are currently non-profit, if you know what I mean...Advertising and subscription revenue would be tax exempt and contributions to support coverage or operations would be tax deductible.
Danny Boy has been worthless for years. I haven't read his drivel since he was shilling for Gerry Adams and Sinn Fein.
ReplyDeleteOB:
ReplyDeleteDude, how you feeling about the Globe being all Union bustin' and stuff? You think Marty Baron's out there on the picket line with an axe handle, swingin' away and bustin' Guild heads?
Your pal,
Timmy
Thanks to Dan, I learned for the first time that the Carolina Hurricanes used to be the Hartford Whalers. I don't think any hockey fans from around these parts knew this, so a sincere 'Thank You' to Dan for a real value-added column.
ReplyDelete