I'd like your opinion

[keepthefaith]

Hello, everybody. Tim Graham from ESPN.com here. I hope you don't view this as self promotion by posting a link to one of my blogs, but the comment section has totally floored me and I'd like your opinion.

 

When I covered the Sabres I became a member of the SabresFans message boards and got quite familiar with the general displeasure diehards have when it comes to local media coverage of the Bills and Sabres. And I don't disagree in general (although I did find the Buffalo News bashing sometimes unfair because it's the only outlet that spends money to cover every game home and road).

 

So I was troubled that when I made my usual rounds of newspaper sites for my daily AFC East roundup, the WNY papers had a grand total of one story from Indianapolis on the game. It was a comprehensive story by Mark Gaughan, but as somebody who follows NFL coverage at dozens upon dozens of newspaper sites, one story was shocking to me. This is, after all, the NFL. And coverage from local media plays a role in how the league views a market.

 

I also have to say that there were zero blogs on the game as of 11 a.m. this morning. The Rochester D&C used an Associated Press report, which remains the lead story on the D&C site as I write this early Tuesday.

 

I must point out this is not a reflection of the reporters, who are disgusted at the constant layoffs and belt-tightening, particularly with travel. They want to be at the games and reporting the news for their readers. They take immense pride in their jobs. It's more a testament to the sad state of the newspaper industry and mismangement. The Buffalo News just offered 108 buyouts. The Palm Beach Post, where I most recently worked before joining ESPN.com, cut 135 of 299 editorial jobs a couple weeks ago.

 

The way I view it, the reader is getting screwed.

 

So I made a comment on my AFC East roundup today that it was disconcerting to see such a lack of coverage on the most important preseason game of the year (and the scariest injury of preseason).

 

And the response pretty much was to go screw myself.

 

Please tell me I haven't totally misread Buffalo after spending eight years there. You really do want more coverage, right?

 

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afceast/0-2-133....html?post=true

 

The newspaper industry has had a rude awakening and has failed to respond to the enormous change in how people get their news. Circulation rates and thus revenues are shrinking as people rely more on the internet to get their news. Newspapers have been forced to reduce budgets due to this. Sooner or later, newspapers will figure out that people like me will pay for a high quality on-line newspaper. One that includes all of the content of a paper newspaper.

 

A few months ago, a very good friend of mine (who has a company that specializes in gathering and delivering web content in a very high quality fashion) had a meeting with the senior management of a very prominent newspaper in a large city to discuss exactly what I mentioned in the previous paragraph. The group of managers expressed the financial and marketing challenges that they now face. I asked my friend later how the meeting went. His exact words were, "these guys are a bunch of knuckleheads". He expressed that while they recognize the challenges they face, they continue to be loyal to a dying business model.

 

I discontinued my Chicago Tribune subscription a couple years ago. Don't read it anymore. It's a terrific paper but I now have too many choices from which to get my news that don't include flipping through paper, and the news that the Tribune delivers on-line is incomplete and not as timely as other sources because they're still trying to pedal paper. For newspaper writers, that industry isn't doing them any favors.

[BuffaloBilliever]

Sports writers too numerous? Not very many places hiring these days. Layoffs in editorial positions? I suspect you mean the people actually writing the copy, not the editors. You're getting the AP feed because there isn't anyone left to do a sidebar.

 

Spot on as usual Lori. At least around the Erie/Pittsburgh area the sports writers are numerous and as I've seen the Post Gazette has had about 4 different sports writers in as many months. Some have been laid off, others hired, and I meant the copy writers in the editorials. Thanks for clearing that up

[drnykterstein]

to the newspaper industry falling apart.

 

But yes, Tim I should think you know enough to ignore the ignorant folks who give critisism of your work. Some people are base enough to respond to any critisism of Buffalo with "you suck". Whether or not it was meant to be constructive and help in the long run.

 

Please don't let the loud, annoying minority get to you.

[GG]

Tim, I'm glad you started this discussion ... but do you really think Sam Zell and Lean Dean Singleton are listening to their readers? They should be, but are they?

 

...

 

I was flat-out shocked to see that Sal Maiorana didn't go ... until I started thinking about it. The D&C is a Gannett shop, and it's unfrickinbelievable what's happening in that chain these days. (Congrats to CEO Craig Dubow for raking in $7.5 million last year, while the company's stock price has crashed from $75.31 to $17.67 since he took over in May 2005. Nice job.) Did I mention that the new Gannett Web sites suck? Yeah, I think I have, once or thrice.

 

....

 

Unfortunately, that part isn't true. There have been over 8,000 layoffs in newsrooms across the country since Jan 1. Lot of talented writers out there looking for work right now, or getting discouraged and leaving the business entirely -- and a lot more who are currently employed, but fear every phone call from the HR department. It's a buyer's market, and the veterans with all the sources and institutional knowledge are being shoved out the door in favor of fresh-out-of-J-school kids who are willing to work cheap. (Unfortunately, that management style isn't confined to the newspaper industry ...)

 

.....

 

To get back to Tim's original question, this isn't just a Buffalo problem. Remember how Hartford was going to be the Patriots*' new home? Can you imagine how many season-ticket holders live there? Well, from the looks of their Web site, the Courant isn't even staffing the team any more. It's all about UConn and preps, and picking up Pats* stuff off the wire. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- once one of the best sports sections in the country, with Van McKenzie running the show and guys like Chris Mortensen kicking ass on their beats -- just gutted the sports department. Steve Wyche was the only full-timer on the Falcons, and he ***BREAKING NEWS*** reportedly just bailed out to go to the NFL Network. Will the last guy out of the newsroom please turn off the lights?

 

And if sports journalism ever becomes the sole provenance of broadcast media and team-supplied information, fans everywhere will be poorer for it.

 

Sam Zell doesn't listen to readers, otherwise he'd never have bought Tribune, because what the readers have been saying over the last decade doesn't bode well for the newspaper industry. I think that you've nailed many issues in the post, but mostly, readers' changing preferences have moved on.

 

Do a simple poll of the assembled masses here. How many over 40 yrs old need to have their paper in the AM? How many over 30? How many over 20? The answers will give you the future of the industry.

[TimGraham]

It's been a long day with all the roster cuts and a few other developments going. I just got home a little bit ago and had a chance to sit down to read what everybody had to say. My sincerest thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts. This is an especially interesting discussion for me because it ties together the basis of my career: sports and journalism, not just one or the other. Seeing what everybody things on this specific issue is very enlightening for me.

 

There are a ton of comments on here I'd like to address, but rather than sort through each post and pull out a sentence here or there (I'd probably screw up the quote function anyway) please allow me to make some general responses.

 

1) I didn't start this thread so everybody can compare the reporters. I'm not saying you don't have the right; you certainly do. But coverage is determined more by factors outside a reporter's control. Money dedicated to the beat, management decisions on staffing, philosophies on how to implement the Web ... reporters have essentially no say in that sort of thing. What compelled me to start this thread was a scarcity of stories from Indianapolis. Six or seven years ago, the Buffalo News (two reporters), D&C (two reporters), Niagara Gazette (one reporter) and Olean Times Herald (one reporter) would have been in that pressbox. On Sunday, as far as I can tell by the stories I saw on-line, one reporter was there. Again, that reflects on the papers, not the reporters. I know all of these guys, and they work their butts off. They have integrity. Even the ones you don't agree with are good people who I not only admire but measure myself against every day because they are good at what they do.

 

2) A few people mentioned the loss of Empire Sports Network as a reason for the dropoff. That might be the case to a certain extent. But -- and I'm only speaking from my experience as the Sabres writer at the Buffalo News here -- what Empire or WGR did never once had any bearing on how the Buffalo News decided to cover something. The fact the Buffalo is a one-newspaper town absolutely impacts the decisions. In a highly competitive market like South Florida, I have seen it first-hand. The papers down here cover their teams like gangbusters out of fear the other paper might do it better. So everybody loads up to keep the fight close. That is great for the reader.

 

3) I'm not going to get into the tired and misguided debate the Buffalo News has an agenda. I worked there for eight years. It's simply not true. The Buffalo News doesn't pay me anymore, so I have no reason to lie to you. There is no conspiracy to cover only one side of any story.

 

4) Lori has some very astute observations of the newspaper business. Everything she said is absolutely fair and true. No need for me to add anything there. The most attractive part about being offered a job at ESPN.com was that it's not a newspaper. There's an obvious future there.

 

5) I understand where people come from when they say there's no reason to click on a newspaper's site because you can get all of your news here. Believe me, I come to TBD three or four times a day to check the links and forums. But if not for original stories by credentialed reporters, what would you talk about? Would you just believe what Joe in Hamburg had to say about how great Leodis McKelvin looked at training camp, or would you rather read a story from someone who spoke to McKelvin and Dick Jauron? These forums are awesome, but the information still has to be generated by people with access.

 

6) BuffaloBud asked if the News has ever had three reporters covering the Bills full-time ... Not as far as I know. They didn't have two reporters covering the Sabres full-time until last season -- after I left.

 

7) A few have asked me to elaborate on what I meant when I said the NFL takes notice of how local media covers its teams. While I don't think they keep a running scorecard, I'm sure they notice the extremes. For example, I'm sure they noted how the New York press covered Brett Favre (many might assume the Jets always get covered heavily, but that's not true because the Giants are the darlings; I was at their camp before the Favre trade and there was only one reporter from each paper, with the New York Times not covering at all) and they note when there's a glaring lack of coverage.

 

8) TimAnderson: "But I have noticed in reading your blog that you consistently push the idea of the Bills moving. I don't feel like you have any belief the Bills will remain in Buffalo. And I guess that's fine, it's a personal opinion you've developed. I don't think you've been fair - I feel like other AFC East fans reading the blog would get the impression that it's hopeless - but that is my opinion.

 

"My question is, are you thinking in the back of your mind that the Bills moving to Toronto is something that will help you professionally? I don't think you would admit it, but I get the impression based on your blogs that it might be something you'd prefer. I'm sure you have some allegiances here to Buffalo, but I am just telling you how I have perceived some of the blogs."

 

I don't think I'm constantly pushing the idea of the Bills moving. I just recognize it as the biggest single storyline regarding the team and its fans. I would've loved for the Cleveland Plain Dealer to explore Art Modell's dissatisfaction more before the Browns moved. It was mostly ignored. I think it's a mistake not to write about this as much as possible.

 

I'm not sure why you would think the Bills moving to Toronto would help me professionally. I'll have a job at ESPN whether the Bills stay, fold, move to Toronto or settle in Timbuktu. But it sure would be a hassle when it comes to international travel if they did move to Toronto ... and I wouldn't get free trips to see my family in Buffalo anymore ... and it would totally negate any chance of me moving back to WNY as I'd like to ... and it would rip the hearts out of my friends' chests. So your perception couldn't be more off. If I wanted to be in Toronto, I would have kept covering the NHL.

 

9) Somebody mentioned night games not getting coverage because of printing deadlines. About 90 Sabres games (counting playoffs) happen at night every season, and the deadlines are the same. Two stories on a Sabres game night is the norm. It can be done if papers would bother to staff the games properly, or in some cases, staff them at all. The only situation I can see where a newspaper might as well not even bother is an Eastern Time Zone publication at a major boxing match out West.

 

10) Thank you again for the discussion. I'll be around if you want to keep chatting.

[Rubes]

5) I understand where people come from when they say there's no reason to click on a newspaper's site because you can get all of your news here. Believe me, I come to TBD three or four times a day to check the links and forums. But if not for original stories by credentialed reporters, what would you talk about? Would you just believe what Joe in Hamburg had to say about how great Leodis McKelvin looked at training camp, or would you rather read a story from someone who spoke to McKelvin and Dick Jauron? These forums are awesome, but the information still has to be generated by people with access.

 

There's a lot here to digest, and I also wanted to thank Tim for coming around to open a discussion like this. I'm no newspaper insider, so I don't have the same kind of insights as Lori, for instance, but I'd just like to point out that #5 above is something I think bears repeating.

 

I often give a hard time to the writers from realfootball365.com -- for many reasons, of course, number one being their writing is just God awful. But there's obviously more to it than that: if you look at it, it really is nothing more than just some guy's blog. Why? Because the writers have no access to the team. They just sit at their computers and conjure up whatever opinions come into their tiny heads and try to pass it off as "journalism". They don't talk to the coaches or the players, they don't travel to see the teams play, they have absolutely no more insight into the people involved than any of us knuckleheads do.

 

That's one of the true values of local journalists, especially as those journalists grow into their jobs and develop close relationships with the local owners, players, and coaches. And it's one of the things that is gradually going to disappear as more and more media companies eschew the local perspective for a more generic, national one.

 

Thanks again, Tim.

[Tim Anderson's Lunch Pail]

8) TimAnderson: "But I have noticed in reading your blog that you consistently push the idea of the Bills moving. I don't feel like you have any belief the Bills will remain in Buffalo. And I guess that's fine, it's a personal opinion you've developed. I don't think you've been fair - I feel like other AFC East fans reading the blog would get the impression that it's hopeless - but that is my opinion.

 

"My question is, are you thinking in the back of your mind that the Bills moving to Toronto is something that will help you professionally? I don't think you would admit it, but I get the impression based on your blogs that it might be something you'd prefer. I'm sure you have some allegiances here to Buffalo, but I am just telling you how I have perceived some of the blogs."

 

I don't think I'm constantly pushing the idea of the Bills moving. I just recognize it as the biggest single storyline regarding the team and its fans. I would've loved for the Cleveland Plain Dealer to explore Art Modell's dissatisfaction more before the Browns moved. It was mostly ignored. I think it's a mistake not to write about this as much as possible.

 

I'm not sure why you would think the Bills moving to Toronto would help me professionally. I'll have a job at ESPN whether the Bills stay, fold, move to Toronto or settle in Timbuktu. But it sure would be a hassle when it comes to international travel if they did move to Toronto ... and I wouldn't get free trips to see my family in Buffalo anymore ... and it would totally negate any chance of me moving back to WNY as I'd like to ... and it would rip the hearts out of my friends' chests. So your perception couldn't be more off. If I wanted to be in Toronto, I would have kept covering the NHL.

 

Fair enough. I guess I was referring to the idea that one of the teams in your division would go from minimal national coverage (Buffalo Bills) to major national coverage (shudder - Toronto Bills). It just seems like it would help increase your blog's exposure, thus increasing your exposure. That is all I was inferring.

[Simon]

5) I understand where people come from when they say there's no reason to click on a newspaper's site because you can get all of your news here. Believe me, I come to TBD three or four times a day to check the links and forums. But if not for original stories by credentialed reporters, what would you talk about? Would you just believe what Joe in Hamburg had to say about how great Leodis McKelvin looked at training camp, or would you rather read a story from someone who spoke to McKelvin and Dick Jauron? These forums are awesome, but the information still has to be generated by people with access.

 

I'm going to mimic Rubes and comment on the same 'graph.

I haven't read any on-line versions of the local papers for years. Why? Because every time I bother opening one up it seems like I'm immediately greeted by a Jerry Sullivan style column and I just close it and don't bother looking at the site for yet another 6 months, when the same thing inevitably happens again.

There may be well upwards of 100 people on this board whom I'd rather read than the self-indulgent, egocentric, sensationalist nonsense I find in my brief occasional forays into local print journalism. The amount of intelligent insight available here is overwhelmingly superior to the flotsam I've seen in the Buffalo sports pages, regardless of issues such as access, training and availability.

[Lori]

There's a lot here to digest, and I also wanted to thank Tim for coming around to open a discussion like this. I'm no newspaper insider, so I don't have the same kind of insights as Lori, for instance, but I'd just like to point out that #5 above is something I think bears repeating.

 

I often give a hard time to the writers from realfootball365.com -- for many reasons, of course, number one being their writing is just God awful. But there's obviously more to it than that: if you look at it, it really is nothing more than just some guy's blog. Why? Because the writers have no access to the team. They just sit at their computers and conjure up whatever opinions come into their heads and try to pass it off as "journalism". They don't talk to the coaches or the players, they don't travel to see the teams play, they have absolutely no more insight into the people involved than any of us knuckleheads do.

 

That's one of the true values of local journalists. And it's one of the things that is gradually going to disappear as more and more media companies eschew the local perspective for a more generic, national one.

 

Thanks again, Tim.

I'll echo that thanks, and pass along a frightening rumor that plays directly into what you're talking about, Rubes. Scuttlebutt around Gannett has them essentially blowing up the newsrooms at some smaller papers (not Rochester, thank goodness), and repackaging a limited amount of their content as a 'wrap' for USA Today.

 

If I wanted McPaper, I'd buy McPaper.

 

Two things, Tim. Before I use Sunday's game to judge overall Bills coverage, I'd want to ask Allen, Sal, and Leo why they weren't there. The first two should have been; if their absence was determined by budgeting issues, that's something the readers might want to know. Looking through the D&C archive, Leo hasn't written much on the Bills lately. (As I recall, Sal had every byline in the camp guide.) Is this just for the preseason, or does it mark a significant change in their coverage plan? Gotta wonder.

 

And to be honest, I can't remember the last time Chuck traveled for a preseason game. Maybe Pittsburgh, but certainly nothing as far as Indy. Thinking it's been longer than six or seven years since he gave up the West Coast games, too, but I'd have to ask him about that. (Not until after this weekend, though. Their tab should be done, but ours isn't ... which makes me wonder why I'm killing time here instead of doing actual work ...)

 

Simon, that's what you get for reading the columns instead of the beat coverage.

[GG]

I'm going to mimic Rubes and comment on the same 'graph.

I haven't read any on-line versions of the local papers for years. Why? Because every time I bother opening one up it seems like I'm immediately greeted by a Jerry Sullivan style column and I just close it and don't bother looking at the site for yet another 6 months, when the same thing inevitably happens again.

There may be well upwards of 100 people on this board whom I'd rather read than the self-indulgent, egocentric, sensationalist nonsense I find in my brief occasional forays into local print journalism. The amount of intelligent insight available here is overwhelmingly superior to the flotsam I've seen in the Buffalo sports pages, regardless of issues such as access, training and availability.

 

Would you like to have the chicken or the egg? Or specifically which one will become extinct first? I wouldn't lump Sullivan into Tim's rant, because I think he's more concerned about the future of the beat writers, or general grunts who are the real journalists. Sullivan is no different than most of us who happen to have access to a keyboard. His just happens to be a bit louder.

[Simon]

Simon, that's what you get for reading the columns instead of the beat coverage.

 

I'm too galdanged dumb to know the difference, much less find the right one.

I guess I'm just more comfy with an actual paper in my hands.

[Fewell733]

also Sullivan just got back from the Olympics so he's probably off. It could just be guys getting in vacation days before the season starts. Normally there are at least 2 articles, even when its preseason.

[Sen. John Blutarsky]

So I was troubled that when I made my usual rounds of newspaper sites for my daily AFC East roundup, the WNY papers had a grand total of one story from Indianapolis on the game. It was a comprehensive story by Mark Gaughan, but as somebody who follows NFL coverage at dozens upon dozens of newspaper sites, one story was shocking to me. This is, after all, the NFL. And coverage from local media plays a role in how the league views a market.

 

I also have to say that there were zero blogs on the game as of 11 a.m. this morning. The Rochester D&C used an Associated Press report, which remains the lead story on the D&C site as I write this early Tuesday.

Speaking as an ex-pat (as many of us sadly are) I would love to have more coverage from the News or the D&C, particulalry on the day to day inside things that you would only expect a local reporter to have. We haven't gotten that for a long time from the News and I think in many ways that role has been filled by people like yourself as well as other (often less than reputable) bloggers. I know what I need to know about major stories from major media outlets such as the four lettered behemoth who cannot be named here. For the local pulse I come here. I can check the pulse of the fanbase in ten minutes as well as get my fill of gossip and rumors intermingled with some truth. In terms of the pre-seaosn game, does it burn me that there was pretty minimal coverage fromt he paper? Not really, because to me the guy at the paper has just as much creditbility as some of the good posters on here. We all know Jerry Sullivan is Chicken Little and we all wait for his column just to rip it apart, on TBD we all know that there are certain people who are constantly negative. It's not much different. We all watch the game and then kick around a conversation. Obviously there is a lot of chaff to sort through but once you know who to look for to read you can get a lot of really good analysis by people who have spent 5 or 10 times as much time watching and covering the team as the actual journalist.

 

The dividing line between a journaist and a blogger is the truth, but when I can watch supposed journalists like Adam Schefter continue to offer a one sided view of the Jason Peters situation what difference does truth make? When we see people like Chris Mortensen continue to hammer the Bills organization long after it's become clear that he's just getting ridiculous (last years draft for example, also re: the CBA which Wilson turned out to be right about) how relevant is truth? The whole slant of national Bills media coverage changed after Donahoe got canned. Technically everything people like Schefter and Mort say is accurate but there's definietly spin attached and once you spin you become a blogger with a press pass to me.

[Pyrite Gal]

also Sullivan just got back from the Olympics so he's probably off. It could just be guys getting in vacation days before the season starts. Normally there are at least 2 articles, even when its preseason.

I think mentioning of the Olympics is actually a big part of the lack of coverage or perceived lack of interest. The media and the newspapers as part of it have specific limits on their news holes to fill and the 2008 Bills paled in terms of storylines and import compared to the big sports story of this summer.

 

I would expect a lower amount of focus on the Bills through the Olympics and actually a bit after it as these storylines are not turned on and off like a tap as some media outlets simply sent their reporters overseas or even if not the NFL interest has not been set up with it being the central focus for the average fan so far this year. Add to that the timing of the Olys ending just as many people are getting in their last vacation periods even if they are still in country before the earlier than the norm Labor Day this year.

 

Was this Oly distaction visible in other papers and towns or did Buffalo pale next to other NFL towns in this regard. As the official station of the Bills is the NBC affiliate, it clearly was more focused on the Olys than the Bills and it happened that the Buff Snooze sent at least one of its major Bills coverage guys to Beijing.

 

2. In addition to coverage in this town being Oly biased, i would also say that this town even more than most others has developed the habit of taking the pre-season not seriously. marv never cared about winning and losing in the pre-season and I think that attitude really prevails still in Buffalo. if the lame coverage persists into the regular season then there may be a real issue here, but if not there may well be other explanations for the lack of interest.

 

3. The news media coverage is one thing but there are other measures of fan interest. Bills season ticket sales for the "real" games tell a different story than the media tale. In addition, the signs I saw of amazing interest in St. Johns Fisher and pre-season games in this outback indicate strong interests.

 

4. The product overall is worse. It used to be a sport that also happened to be a business and now it is a business that also happens to be a sport. The Jason Peters situation is an example of this. It is simply hard for folks to get all exercised about this situation that does impact how well we will do in the sport when the actual discussion or keeping track of it means keeping track of the business, Many follow the NFL as an escape from reality and here the league is foisting reality on to this fantasy. I think the Bills/Peters situations is worse than most in the league and may be in part why some discretionary coverage is simply waiting until the real season starts.

 

5. Part of the lack of public upset about this Peters situation actually goes to Parker not saying a word. its hard to have a fight when only one guy is fighting and the result is less coverage. This may also explain why their might be marginally less press stories about the Bills than in other cities.

 

The media points you make are real. However, even if real they do not explain everything. Simply because you have a hammer do not look to define everything as a nail. Explanations of greater or lesser interest simply may not be caused by or reflected in lack of newspaper or media coverage. They clearly are related to each other but which is a cause and which is an effect is not clear at all and how much a particular outcome is caused by another is not clear either.

 

Your comments were quite interesting though and many thanks for them!

[BillsFan-4-Ever]

If you're accusing Maiorana (or anyone else in that newsroom) of plagiarism, you'd damn well better be prepared to show some proof. Otherwise, your post is libelous.

 

Tell me that when you read the multiple outlets that you don't see the same thing copied from the news wire? The D&C isn't the only outlet guilty of it as well. They start with a Wire feed and edit out paragraphs and add personal comments.

 

Could be why they don't have daily Bills news ....

 

Google the following and tell me if I am seeing different articles

 

The grand opening of Lucas Oil Stadium turned into a big dud for the Indianapolis

 

Two different papers / outles start out EXACTLY the same.

 

D and C

INDIANAPOLIS — The grand opening of Lucas Oil Stadium turned into a big dud for the Indianapolis Colts Sunday night.

At least, they'll have another chance to christen their new stadium properly in two weeks when the games really count.

Xavier Omon scored on a short touchdown run, Terrence McGee returned a Colts fumble 68 yards for a touchdown and the Buffalo Bills forced five turnovers in a 20-7 victory over the Colts.

 

It certainly didn't go according to the script for Indy

 

Indy's plan called for the retractable roof and the sliding window behind the north end zone to open about 20 minutes before kickoff, sending the crowd of more than 63,000 into a frenzy. The roof and window were both closed in the third quarter.

 

wsfltv.sun-sentinel.com South Florida sports outlet

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ The grand opening of Lucas Oil Stadium turned into a big dud for the Indianapolis Colts Sunday night. At least, they'll have another chance to christen their new stadium properly in two weeks when the games really count.

Xavier Omon scored on a short touchdown run, Terrence McGee returned a Colts fumble 68 yards for a touchdown and the Buffalo Bills forced five turnovers in a 20-7 victory over the Colts.

 

"It was a rather disappointing evening for us," coach Tony Dungy said. "We wanted to play much better to open up the stadium, but it didn't happen. They outplayed us tonight."

 

It certainly didn't go according to the script.

 

Indy's plan called for the retractable roof and the sliding window behind the north end zone to open about 20 minutes before kickoff, sending the crowd of more than 63,000 into a frenzy. The roof and window were both closed in the third quarter.

[MattyT]

Tell me that when you read the multiple outlets that you don't see the same thing copied from the news wire? The D&C isn't the only outlet guilty of it as well. They start with a Wire feed and edit out paragraphs and add personal comments.

 

Could be why they don't have daily Bills news ....

 

Google the following and tell me if I am seeing different articles

 

The grand opening of Lucas Oil Stadium turned into a big dud for the Indianapolis

 

Two different papers / outles start out EXACTLY the same.

 

D and C

INDIANAPOLIS — The grand opening of Lucas Oil Stadium turned into a big dud for the Indianapolis Colts Sunday night.

At least, they'll have another chance to christen their new stadium properly in two weeks when the games really count.

Xavier Omon scored on a short touchdown run, Terrence McGee returned a Colts fumble 68 yards for a touchdown and the Buffalo Bills forced five turnovers in a 20-7 victory over the Colts.

 

It certainly didn't go according to the script for Indy

 

Indy's plan called for the retractable roof and the sliding window behind the north end zone to open about 20 minutes before kickoff, sending the crowd of more than 63,000 into a frenzy. The roof and window were both closed in the third quarter.

 

wsfltv.sun-sentinel.com South Florida sports outlet

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ The grand opening of Lucas Oil Stadium turned into a big dud for the Indianapolis Colts Sunday night. At least, they'll have another chance to christen their new stadium properly in two weeks when the games really count.

Xavier Omon scored on a short touchdown run, Terrence McGee returned a Colts fumble 68 yards for a touchdown and the Buffalo Bills forced five turnovers in a 20-7 victory over the Colts.

 

"It was a rather disappointing evening for us," coach Tony Dungy said. "We wanted to play much better to open up the stadium, but it didn't happen. They outplayed us tonight."

 

It certainly didn't go according to the script.

 

Indy's plan called for the retractable roof and the sliding window behind the north end zone to open about 20 minutes before kickoff, sending the crowd of more than 63,000 into a frenzy. The roof and window were both closed in the third quarter.

Please go back to these stories and check the bylines.

[agilen]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?...e=ESPNHeadlines

 

Apparently, Jay Mariotti agrees that local news coverage is dying, and online is the new reality for sports news. Or, are there other reasons for him leaving?

[Lori]

Tell me that when you read the multiple outlets that you don't see the same thing copied from the news wire? The D&C isn't the only outlet guilty of it as well. They start with a Wire feed and edit out paragraphs and add personal comments.

 

Could be why they don't have daily Bills news ....

 

Google the following and tell me if I am seeing different articles

 

The grand opening of Lucas Oil Stadium turned into a big dud for the Indianapolis

 

Two different papers / outles start out EXACTLY the same.

 

D and C

INDIANAPOLIS — The grand opening of Lucas Oil Stadium turned into a big dud for the Indianapolis Colts Sunday night.

At least, they'll have another chance to christen their new stadium properly in two weeks when the games really count.

Xavier Omon scored on a short touchdown run, Terrence McGee returned a Colts fumble 68 yards for a touchdown and the Buffalo Bills forced five turnovers in a 20-7 victory over the Colts.

 

It certainly didn't go according to the script for Indy

 

Indy's plan called for the retractable roof and the sliding window behind the north end zone to open about 20 minutes before kickoff, sending the crowd of more than 63,000 into a frenzy. The roof and window were both closed in the third quarter.

 

wsfltv.sun-sentinel.com South Florida sports outlet

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ The grand opening of Lucas Oil Stadium turned into a big dud for the Indianapolis Colts Sunday night. At least, they'll have another chance to christen their new stadium properly in two weeks when the games really count.

Xavier Omon scored on a short touchdown run, Terrence McGee returned a Colts fumble 68 yards for a touchdown and the Buffalo Bills forced five turnovers in a 20-7 victory over the Colts.

 

"It was a rather disappointing evening for us," coach Tony Dungy said. "We wanted to play much better to open up the stadium, but it didn't happen. They outplayed us tonight."

 

It certainly didn't go according to the script.

 

Indy's plan called for the retractable roof and the sliding window behind the north end zone to open about 20 minutes before kickoff, sending the crowd of more than 63,000 into a frenzy. The roof and window were both closed in the third quarter.

Oh, dear Lord. Are you serious?

 

Please go back to these stories and check the bylines.

 

Here, I'll help:

Bills wreck Indy's party on new field

Losman plays well in exhibition game as Colts christen stadium

MICHAEL MAROT • The Associated Press • August 25, 2008

 

Michael Marot is the Indy-based sports writer for The Associated Press. The AP is a not-for-profit cooperative owned by 1,500 daily newspapers across the country, including the D&C. They pay for the right to use stories like Marot's, and rewrite them (when necessary) to add information of local interest. THAT'S HOW WIRE SERVICES WORK. Some newspapers, but not all, include the AP writer's byline. If they don't, you'll see an (AP) at the end of the dateline. Looking at the full story in my print copy of the Times Herald -- yes, they ran the piece as well -- it appears the D&C editor added two words: "... in Indy," while editing out most the Colts-related quotes and content.

 

Again: THEY'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT. THIS IS WHY WIRE SERVICES EXIST. Plagiarism? Only if it appeared under a D&C staff writer's byline, which this obviously didn't.

 

If that's your 'proof', you owe Sal Maiorana an apology.

[Rubes]

If that's your 'proof', you owe Sal Maiorana an apology.

 

Spank.

[Lurker]

so he's probably off.

Sully's been off for about a decade now...