Local sports coverage talk (the Athletic/Local TV/TBN/WGR/Charging Buffalo/LGA, etc)

[vcv]

Tim Graham might be the best writer of the currently local bunch but he's an obnovioux douche on social media. Not sure how much that would factor in.

How much are they sticking to hockey? The best writer (at least as far as features go) that came out of the area recently is probably Tyler Dunne, but he does just football I think.

People like Bill Hoppe because he isn't an irredeemable douche-bag, but I'm not convinced on his writing.

 

[joshjull]

Tim Graham might be the best writer of the currently local bunch but he's an obnovioux *****e on social media. Not sure how much that would factor in.

How much are they sticking to hockey? The best writer (at least as far as features go) that came out of the area recently is probably Tyler Dunne, but he does just football I think.

People like Bill Hoppe because he isn't an irredeemable *****e-bag, but I'm not convinced on his writing.

If they set up shop here it will be to cover the local sports scene not just hockey.

 

[vcv]

If they set up shop here it will be to cover the local sports scene not just hockey.

Tyler Dunne is exactly the type of writer that would fit them then. One can hope.

 

[vcv]

The Buffalo News has done some buy-outs, so there is some "talent" available.



(click to read the thread, John Vogl accepted a voluntary buy-out option)

 

[joshjull]

The Buffalo News has done some buy-outs, so there is some "talent" available.



(click to read the thread, John Vogl accepted a voluntary buy-out option)

I’ve always like him. Feel bad for those effected.

 

[Zip15]

I’ve always like him. Feel bad for those effected.

He took a voluntary buyout, so it was his decision - though I share the sentiment for the targeted buyout folks. I think it's more than a little convenient that the Sabres' primary beat guy becomes available just at the time The Athletic is hiring staff for its Buffalo coverage. I'm not sure The Athletic will hire more than one hockey-centric writing for this market.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

Gotta figure Vogl had a good bead on The Athletic situation and that played a big part in him taking the buyout offer. This is not good news for Hoppe and Yerdon.

 

[MayDay]

Gotta figure Vogl had a good bead on The Athletic situation and that played a big part in him taking the buyout offer. This is not good news for Hoppe and Yerdon.

That was my thought.

You probably wouldn't take a voluntary buyout unless you were confident you had another opportunity lined up.

And the Athletic is the obvious opportunity that just happens to be opening at the moment for Buffalo-area sportswriters.

At this point, I'd say the odds are greater than 50:50 that Vogl ends up at the Athletic.

 

[Chainshot]

Nice guy to talk to at the rink, hope all is well in Vogl's world.

 

[Buffaloed]

Gotta figure Vogl had a good bead on The Athletic situation and that played a big part in him taking the buyout offer. This is not good news for Hoppe and Yerdon.

His lack of seniority was the main reason. BN is a union shop. They go by last hired, first fired. The 3 Stooges, Amy Moritz, Mark Gaughn, Vic Carucci, and Tim Graham all have seniority on Vogl. If enough people don't take the buyout, they start laying people off. Vogl could see the writing on the wall. The stooges have been there for over 30 years. Buffett needs to hire some leg breakers to save that paper. lol

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[Buffaloed]

I’ve always like him. Feel bad for those effected.

I feel terrible about circumventing their paywall. This is all my fault. I have to do better.

 

[DON VITO]

The WGR App here in Europe/Germany isn't working anymore....i can't listen to the ON DEMAND stuff ....anyone from Europe can confirm this?

 

[sabrebuild]

I’m a Kings fan but live in Buffalo and obviously follow the Sabres.. but does anyone remember Schopp hoping Jonathan Quick got injured so the Sabres had a team to trade Ryan Miller to? Insane.

I don’t. But I’m confident that if a caller said the same thing, he would have said they are disgusting and hung up.

 

[Buffaloed]

T

I have known fm djs in much smaller markets that made in the high 70s with similar career lengths.

Radio pays like three positions and one of them is the flagship show hosts. I bet Howard Simon is the highest paid personality and is around 100k. Bulldog and Schopp have similar time in with Bulldog the senior, probably around 85-95. White the newest, let’s say 75k.

And everyone else makes squat, less than 50 for the main producers, less than 40 for the night time and weekend young guys that are hustling and grinding for the other shows.

I would be shocked if wgr doesn’t do well. They have a monopoly on public media sports talk for basically all of western ny, from Jamestown to Rochester. They are affiliated with every major team. They have a large advertising base.

So unless, their ownership is squeezing them dry and they just keeping taking sub-market deals, I bet the top guys flirt with 6 figures.

That sounds about right.
Salary Survey—Local A.M. Jocks Having VERY Good Mornings.

 

[sabrebuild]

T


That sounds about right.
Salary Survey—Local A.M. Jocks Having VERY Good Mornings.

I wonder what their radio share is? I think Buffalo comes in as like 50th market in the country for tv. Rochester at like 70. I’m not sure how they measure the radio market, since it has a wider spread for potential listeners.

 

[Reddawg]

I don't know if this is the appropriate thread, but it looks like John Vogl took a buyout at TBN and wont be covering the Sabres anymore -

Nine Buffalo News reporters take buyout offers

 

[Chainshot]

I don't know if this is the appropriate thread, but it looks like John Vogl took a buyout at TBN and wont be covering the Sabres anymore -

Nine Buffalo News reporters take buyout offers

It's in the Athletic thread down the page a bit too.

 

[Reddawg]

It's in the Athletic thread down the page a bit too.

Thanks, I didn't see it there until you pointed it out.

 

[haseoke39]

I don't know if this is the appropriate thread, but it looks like John Vogl took a buyout at TBN and wont be covering the Sabres anymore -

Nine Buffalo News reporters take buyout offers

Wow. There goes the one guy on that staff who could do his job.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[pigpen65]

I don't know if this is the appropriate thread, but it looks like John Vogl took a buyout at TBN and wont be covering the Sabres anymore -

Nine Buffalo News reporters take buyout offers

Hopefully the hack pack of Bucky and Harrington is among the 9.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[SwordStanley10]

I mean, I don’t particularly want to kick a guy while he’s down, but...yeah. I have purposely avoided clicking on links to his work for the past few years, no matter how intriguing the headline first seemed. His incidenary pieces on the Sabres reeked to me of malice and click bait, and most of his hockey work was lazy and uninformed. But still, always sucks when the economy takes its toll on people. Best of luck in the future I guess? As an Athletic subscriber who can’t wait to see their Buffalo coverage, I hope it’s Vogl if anyone affiliated with BN who gets the call.

 

[pigpen65]

I don’t particularly want to kick a guy while he’s down, but...yeah. I have purposely avoided clicking on links to his work for the past few years, no matter how intriguing the headline first seemed.

He spent 10 years re-publishing the same article about July 1st 2007. He never had any leads, never had any inside information, never had any sources, and never had any new or interesting opinions. He just kept writing the same article over and over and over. He was the epitome of a hack. Sports are huge in Buffalo. The sports section of the paper was it's major draw. So don't feel bad about kicking anybody when they are down. This guy being very bad at his job is a huge reason the paper is in the mess that it is. It's what forced people like you (and me) to stop reading the paper and start seeking out different sources for our Sabres news. It always struck me as ridiculous that i would have to find a way to tune into TSN1050 out of Toronto or read a sports section from a different city when i wanted to find out about something going on with the Buffalo hockey team.