PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS sports columnist Bill Conlin will respond if you e-mail him. And he doesn't seem to take criticism lightly. When a blogger questioned one of Conlin's recent articles, Conlin wrote back, "The only positive thing I can think of about Hitler's time on earth-I'm sure he would have eliminated all bloggers."
Whoa.
And then Conlin explained how a 73-year old sportswriting legend pays the bills:
"My fastball has slipped so much that when I attempted to accept the buyout on the table in 2002 (I was already 68), the editors took me to lunch and asked what it would take for me to keep working. I replied one less column a week and reduced travel. At a second meeting, they gave me a two column a week schedule, sharply reduced travel and a mandate to write mostly commentary. They also gave me a generous signing bonus, a quarterly performance bonus and matched the lump sum that would have accompanied the buyout package. They also continued the subsidy of my Florida condo that has been paying the taxes and monthly maintenance since 1987. By law, they had to begin paying me my full pension in 2004, so at age 73 I'm making the top salary at the paper plus collecting the biggest monthly pension check ever paid out. With the social security check my wife and I receive, I'm making ballplayer money for two columns a week."
Is there anything wrong with the old guy cashing in? Was it wrong for the blogger to post the dialogue? Or should Conlin realize that bloggers can publish just about anything these days?
IN OTHER SPORTS NEWS: The beat writers covering the New York Knicks say that if they write critically about the team, the team won't give them access or information. READ the story. It is awesome.
4 comments:
Bill Conlin needs to go. He is old and bitter and really hurts the Daily News in my opinion. And George, you of all people should know how selfish he is.
Yes. He should move somewhere with beachfront condos and no first amendment rights. Then everyone will be happy. (Bill Conlin, not our teacher.)
-Caitlyn
And what's with validating his talent with salary and benefits? Are there poor people with talent in this world? I'd say yes. Are there rich people without much talent in this world? I'd assume so.
-Also Caitlyn
Here's where Bill Conlin went wrong in wearing that "old media badge" or whatever they called it -he completely failed to realize or acknowledge that anything he says to a blogger is fair game to be posted, picked up, and blown way out of proportion. The Hitler comment? Maybe okay for someone who will acknowledge it was just intended as an analogy and won't sell him out on it. Not okay for a blogger he has bad blood with already.
I'll admit, I really don't know much of Conlin other than this (not so big into sports), but I would assume his credentials, experience, and reputation are fairly impressive, to say the least. He is, after all, 73 and apparently they practically begged him to stay at the Daily News. That says something.
Should have done his homework, though, and thought twice about what he was saying to whom. Tough break.
Conlin just learned the way of the world of blogs the hard way.
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