AA News: Hire Brian Cook

Submitted by Swayze Howell Sheen on

Dear Ann Arbor News,

You have a job to fill. Sports columnist. The problem with your last one (Jim Carty): not enough of a homer. You could go the traditional, boring route: hire some other dude with the "right" credentials. And watch us all hate him.

Or you could hire Brian Cook. Brian, as you may know, happens to run the best damn Michigan blog in the land. He would make an excellent hire, and would make a splash (the mixing of new and old media, and all that).

So, a choice. Hire some lame dude/dudette. Or hire Brian (if he's willing). Don't miss the opportunity!

Your pal,

Coach Schiano

These words are here in order to meet the 200-word diary minimum that Brian so ruthlessly enforces. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. Especially these words: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0.

 

 

Comments

mbrummer

October 7th, 2008 at 9:04 PM ^

Quick story: I was living in Ann Arbor two years ago or so, walking my dog and found some Ann Arbor News Sports Reporter's Portfolio laying in the ground. It had lots of notes and important information, so I called expecting a sports fan like me.

 

He showed up at my apartment and was A. pretty much a jerk and B. clearly not a sports fan. My apartment was filled with Tigers and U of M memorabilia and we sat there and made very awkward small talk.
First of all, he didn't notice or care about any of the sports stuff I had which is fine but it would would have relieved our awkward conversation "hey looks like your a sports fan" and we could have talked about michigan for 2 minutes. 2nd it was very clear that he was a typical writer who wanted a job in journalism or wanted to write a book and didn't care about sports, but it was a job and he took it. The tweed jacket, scarf and driving cap said it all.

 

I thought I was being a good Samaritan, by finding and returning a lost item on a Sunday, and the guy looked at me like I stole his stuff.
This is the type of writer that writes sports in newspapers. People who want to write about other stuff, but get stuck writing sports and end up hating sports and everything else. (Drew Sharp I'm looking at you.)

 

This is exactly the type of guy who will be promoted to Carty's job.
So unfortunately Brian who likes sports and writes about something he likes, and doesn't try and find people to rip doesn't qualify.

MMB 82

October 7th, 2008 at 9:46 PM ^

....writing for a newspaper will 1) cut into the time Brian has for the blog; 2) in this day and age, cause him to take a pay cut; 3) seriously impede on what he can write in the blog (conflict of interest issues, content issues, etc.); 4) cause him to get laid off anyway when the AA News goes under.

Dix

October 8th, 2008 at 12:08 AM ^

Anything that distracts Brian from MGoBlog is my worst fear and enemy. My life enjoyment would diminish by about half without this website.

Ben from SF

October 8th, 2008 at 1:41 AM ^

Brian, you should negotiate a deal with Ann Arbor News to license the mgoblog content. It is obvious that the AANews needs greater circulation, hence the requirement for a bigger homer to cover U of M sports. It is always nice to get paid twice for the same work.

AaronGoBlue

October 8th, 2008 at 7:21 AM ^

Jason Whitlock used to write for the Ann Arbor News, not sure what that says. But I grew up reading that paper. I live in another state now and read it online periodically to see how my Ann Arbor area high school I went to did in their football games. I noticed this year they were asking for volunteer writers for their high school sports. Their game articles are about the same length of blurb I'm typing and no author seems to be listed. Is the AA News going broke?

Jim Carty and Michael Rosenberg are equally bad. I don't think either of them talk sports, they just overly cover minor controversies. It is like both those guys are padding their resumes trying to get a job reporting for Outside the Lines.

AaronGoBlue

October 8th, 2008 at 7:21 AM ^

Jason Whitlock used to write for the Ann Arbor News, not sure what that says. But I grew up reading that paper. I live in another state now and read it online periodically to see how my Ann Arbor area high school I went to did in their football games. I noticed this year they were asking for volunteer writers for their high school sports. Their game articles are about the same length of blurb I'm typing and no author seems to be listed. Is the AA News going broke?

Jim Carty and Michael Rosenberg are equally bad. I don't think either of them talk sports, they just overly cover minor controversies. It is like both those guys are padding their resumes trying to get a job reporting for Outside the Lines.

Six Zero

October 8th, 2008 at 8:06 AM ^

Brian admits to not making Jay-Z cash money. Personally, I don't buy it.

Honestly BC-- I used to be in the newspaper business, and staying out is about the best advice I can give you. It's a dying animal-- you might as well become a pay phone repairman. These interwebs things are the future.

Love the site, love the community you've built here. No one around me felt the pain this weekend, but at least I could turn to MGoBlog.

GO BLUE

jamiemac

October 8th, 2008 at 9:19 AM ^

I am a recovering news repoter and editor.

Pay blows, I swear I put in 80 hour work weeks, and I got sooooo burned out. When I ended my career, I had gained more than 80 pounds....so it was unhealthy as well.

Its been four years, and, at times, I miss it, but I know if i ever go back in, I might slit my wrists while at a city council meeting past midnight.

When I started my career, I covered high school sports up in northern Michigan, won some awards and had the time of my life doing that.....but, I dont want to cover high school sports full time again......

Keep blogging.