Yahoo Sports shows it’s ready for the major leagues
In exposing the numerous payments to former USC star Reggie Bush and showing how he and his family were on the take for much of the latter part of Bush’s career at USC, Yahoo Sports shows that it is far more than an aggregater of AP stories.
As papers such as the Los Angeles Times dwindle in size, resources and influence, it is interesting to see Internet giants such as Yahoo pick up the slack. There was probably a day that the Times would have been embarrassed for a Bay Area Internet company to have nailed Los Angeles’ premier football team who that pays just a few miles down the road from the Times headquarters. But today they’ll probably be happy as it provides fodder to combat Tribune number crunchers who are reportedly considering even more cuts.
h/t: LA Observed
Update: LA Observed notes that the Yahoo! editor who probably signed off on the story was probably an ex-LA Times staffer. For all intensive purposes, Kevin predicted something like this would happen way back last January:
The LAT Sports section has been cut back considerably in recent years, something I hear lots of complaints about from readers and staffers. I’m convinced that the pared-down sports report is a factor in the Times’ declining circulation. Times editor Dean Baquet told me during our Zócalo interview in November that he believed Sports had been cut too much. I don’t know if any of that is behind Morgan’s departure.
Maybe (hopefully) Hiltzik is working on something big that can bring a little prestige to the section.
Update: Kudos to Andy and Blair for correcting my poor grammar. Me writely bad last night.
tags: usc reggie bush ncaa yahoo sports
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September 15th, 2006 at 8:52 am
And let’s face it–the Times has been the number one cheerleader for USC since their program has reached the top again. It might be thought of the Times covering the number one football team in town since there isn’t an NFL team, but in the 90s, after the Raiders and Rams left, the Times was nowhere near as effusive in their coverage as they have been lately. I seriously wonder if that has something to do with the Sports section not producing anything like Yahoo’s investigation.
September 15th, 2006 at 9:23 am
this is neither here nor there, but a large percentage of Times reporters graduated from USC and many former Times reporters and editors teach in the journalism school there. it’s a natural connection, obviously, but one that occasionally leads to the belief in the industry that the Times and USC are very tight.
September 15th, 2006 at 9:41 am
Could ESPN have picked a worse weekend to do a lot of programming from the Coliseum? Dan Patrick is there now, the college football preview show is there…wonder if they’ll give this story the seriousness it deserves, or if they’ll tiptoe around it.
September 15th, 2006 at 1:01 pm
It’s “for all intents and purposes,” not “intensive purposes.” You obviously didn’t get a USC education.
September 15th, 2006 at 2:25 pm
Update: LA Observed notes that the Yahoo! editor who probably signed off on the story was probably an ex-LA Times staffer. For all intensive purposes, Kevin…
Are you guys kidding? for all intensive purposes!!!The LAT may not have broke the story, but they sure as hell would know the phrase, “for all intents and purposes…”
September 15th, 2006 at 2:43 pm
You guys are right. For all intents and purposes that was bad writing.
September 15th, 2006 at 4:29 pm
Also, not to split hairs, but as long as we’re talking grammar: A team can be one “that plays” or “which plays” — but certainly not “who plays.” (Unless the “team unity” thing has come a long way since played!)
September 15th, 2006 at 6:54 pm
Corrected. Did I mention we have an opening in our editorial dept?
September 16th, 2006 at 1:22 am
scooped the dead-tree media with their 8-month investigation of Heisman-winner Reggie Bush taking way too much cash and swag while at USC. Local blog Indepndent Sources sees the triumph of the on-line reporters as more bad news for the LA Times sports section, which had been badly hit by enforced cuts. The commentors see mis-placed Trojan loyalty in the press room. And LA Observed suggests that Dave Morgan, former Times staffer
September 18th, 2006 at 11:48 pm
mingle in the inner sanctums of the program was akin to playing with fire. And in this case the Trojans got burned. Noted: The Yahoo! editor who probably signed off on the story shares an earlier LA Observed link to Bush, as I’m reminded. Also, Independent Sources sees a good omen for Yahoo! and a bad for the LAT. Photo: Reuters