"From Cy Young to Sayonara"

That was how Yankee Third Baseman Craig Nettles described the plight of reliever Sparky Lyle after the Bronx Bombers signed Goose Gossage to be their closer in 1978. It also fits what's going on in the New Orleans print media world. The Times-Picayune had its finest hour in the wake of Katrina and Federal flood. Columnist Chris Rose became a star for his highly personal and idiosyncratic coverage of life in the evacuated city. Rose was previously known for light and frothy writing but was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for the stories that were collected as 1 Dead In Attic.

Times have changed and like other urban dailies, the Picayune is in trouble. There have been a wave of buy outs but most of the takers have been near retirement anyway: yesterday Rose became the latest critter to jump off the sinking ship.

As far as I know that notorious newspaper killer, Athenae is not implicated in the Picayune's problems but she's pretty darn crafty so ya never know.

It's a day for strained metaphors for me. I compared the Picayune buy outs to, uh, a Who elpee at my blog. And like Sparky Lyle, Chris Rose has gone from Cy Young to sayonara; unfortunately, the Goose is nowhere in sight...

Comments

[pansypoo]

i thought all blogging was implicated is the death.

[Adrastos]

True but Athenae is the main culprit imo.

[Athenae]

Dammit. I don't want to take credit for this. Chris Rose is fucking brilliant.

A.

[Skepticat]

The Picayune should be allowed to live simply on the strength of the "Washing Away" series. And having a great name.

[liprap]

Thought it was Graig Nettles. Always loved Sparky Lyle's & Peter Golenbock's "The Bronx Zoo".

And with this latest, we are hearing the bell tolling here in New Orleans, and it's tolling for the T-P. Sad, sad.