No football preview from the Athens Messenger

[93Bulldog]

Because of main-stream media - local high school sports coverage is the one 'unique news' the Messenger can offer ... your right Steely Dan, I read the Dispatch every morning and get all my national sports information from that - but you can't read about the Bulldogs, Buckeyes, Spartans, etc.. etc in their ... hence, the reason to at least focus on the one thing different you can still offer ... I'm not saying totally dump all your resources into the sports dept KarlAgathon - I'm saying PLEASE DON'T MAKE IT WORSE THAN IT ALREADY IS ... (i.e. taking the high school football preview away).

BTW ... your underestimating the value of high school sports in THIS AREA ... take the number of athletes at ALL 5 county schools, football, volleyball, cross country, etc... times that number by 2 parents, add some grandparents, throw in all the coaches and their immediate families ... add in all the school teachers, folks employed at schools, how about all the retired folks that still like to read about the teams/schools they worked for ... when you add it all up - it equals a helluva lot of people who have some intrest in high school sports.

But the bottom line is: The Messenger only has a few things it can offer that people still want/need ... obituaries, local news and LOCAL sports ... and just like a tri-pod, you kick one of the legs out the entire thing is gonna fall.

[Steely Dan]

Believe me, I am not happy about the Messenger's decision to forgo publishing a preview, and I agree, it will impact the newspaper's sales, and will alienate some readers, or potential readers. Here's what really concerns me with decisions like this, THE FUTURE. Print media provides permanent documentation of events that build a lifetime of memories. Bulldog and NYBuckeye96 both kind of alluded to this. Local sports reporting provides a record for posterity's sake, and as we lose more and more local print publications, the threat of losing documentation grows. The Messenger's archives, as most newspapers, I'm sure are on microfilm or microfiche', in multiple locations. In the future, you are going to have to search cyberspace and hope to find something, provided a virus or a crashed server doesn't wipe out the information.

I guess I'm old school in this respect. Being able to pull out a scrap book or old newspaper articles to settle arguments with your old high school buddies is priceless. I'm afraid that those days may be an afterthought very soon.

[93Bulldog]

I still have the last 6 previews right here at my desk - for football AND basketball ... that's a very good point Steely!

[loganlocos]

I have about every Saturday morning Logan Daily News, every football preview section, and nearly all Thursday preview stories going back to about 2000 or 2001 in my basement. I have scanned PDFs of every Logan football game story from the LDN from 1935-1997 on my lap top.

Print media going away is terrible for HS sports, I've already seen it up here in Central Ohio. Hard to follow these schools outside of minimal box scores and small paragraphs on each game.

BUT, I will say, according to Jason Arkley on twitter the Messenger WILL be previewing each area team on separate days. I know that both the Messenger and the LDN will be doing special pullouts each Friday that will break down games and preview games each week.

I'm excited to continue my work at the LDN as long as they'll have me. I truly believe the LDN is providing LHS Football with the best coverage of any single high school in the state. Continue to support the newspaper industry with your dollars and make it known to editors WHY you buy their product.

[M0TIVAT0R]

You fellas may be correct about high school sports not paying the bills for a newspaper. But I have to tell you that I no longer have a subscription to the Mess, nor does my father, any of my brothers, or for that matter anyone I know of. Not too many years ago every family member and friend I can think of had a subscription, and for the soul reason for the most part, of reading about high school sports. I haven't even looked at an edition of that rag for a few years as the decline of high school sports coverage has become greater. So, if there are many others like those I know, I wonder what that does for their revenue and advertising? I am sure it can't help.

[CavsFan08]

Let me guess Steely you scored the game winning touchdown in 1965 to give your team 6 wins on the season and you think that gives you the right to throw your opinion around about h.s. football for the rest of your life? Bragging with your old h.s. buddies is about the most hilarious/pathetic thing I have heard on here in a while.

If you want to put the blame somewhere folks, blame the local businesses who did not choose to pay for advertising to get the preview in the paper. I'm sure if their was a business step forward and put up some $ an advertiser would emerge very quickly.

[93Bulldog]

The advertising isn't their because the decline in readers has already declined too much I'm afraid.

[Steely Dan]

Let me guess Steely you scored the game winning touchdown in 1965 to give your team 6 wins on the season and you think that gives you the right to throw your opinion around about h.s. football for the rest of your life? Bragging with your old h.s. buddies is about the most hilarious/pathetic thing I have heard on here in a while.

If you want to put the blame somewhere folks, blame the local businesses who did not choose to pay for advertising to get the preview in the paper. I'm sure if their was a business step forward and put up some $ an advertiser would emerge very quickly.

You can get down off your sanctimonious high horse and shove it. What I posted was with all sincerity, and no, I don't go bragging with my old HS buddies. I simply cited that as an example of what will be missed with the demise of print media. Obviously, you don't get it. You just feel you need to attack and insult people. due to your own lack of self-worth and personal inadequacies. It is people like you that make blogging miserable. You take something that was an honest statement, and twist it to belittle and offend others. All you are doing is showing how shallow you actually are, and what little, if any, substance, you have in your pathetic little brain.

Your last two sentences reveal that your are a sheeple that supports the marxist in office. Blame anyone but your self, but, for a cheap and easy mark, blame business. In case you haven't noticed, we have been in a recession the last four years. Why in the Hell would any business throw money into advertising in a paper that has severely declining readership? Bottom line is tight, but let's throw money at the local newspaper, because some dipstick leftwing says that that businesses should do so?!?!?! Sounds like the point-of-view of someone that has an entitlement mentality and feels that the world owes them a living. Yea, right. SD out.

[M0TIVAT0R]

Steely,

Great post my friend! BTW Cav I like bragging with my high school teammates, and most of them can spell correctly and more often than not have a grasp of proper word usage.

[Orange and Brown]

Let me guess Steely you scored the game winning touchdown in 1965 to give your team 6 wins on the season and you think that gives you the right to throw your opinion around about h.s. football for the rest of your life? Bragging with your old h.s. buddies is about the most hilarious/pathetic thing I have heard on here in a while.

If you want to put the blame somewhere folks, blame the local businesses who did not choose to pay for advertising to get the preview in the paper. I'm sure if their was a business step forward and put up some $ an advertiser would emerge very quickly.

Someone didn't take there meds today!

I wasn't aware you were an Athens Messenger reader....................

[Orange and Brown]

Let me guess Steely you scored the game winning touchdown in 1965 to give your team 6 wins on the season and you think that gives you the right to throw your opinion around about h.s. football for the rest of your life? Bragging with your old h.s. buddies is about the most hilarious/pathetic thing I have heard on here in a while.

If you want to put the blame somewhere folks, blame the local businesses who did not choose to pay for advertising to get the preview in the paper. I'm sure if their was a business step forward and put up some $ an advertiser would emerge very quickly.

You can get down off your sanctimonious high horse and shove it. What I posted was with all sincerity, and no, I don't go bragging with my old HS buddies. I simply cited that as an example of what will be missed with the demise of print media. Obviously, you don't get it. You just feel you need to attack and insult people. due to your own lack of self-worth and personal inadequacies. It is people like you that make blogging miserable. You take something that was an honest statement, and twist it to belittle and offend others. All you are doing is showing how shallow you actually are, and what little, if any, substance, you have in your pathetic little brain.

Your last two sentences reveal that your are a sheeple that supports the marxist in office. Blame anyone but your self, but, for a cheap and easy mark, blame business. In case you haven't noticed, we have been in a recession the last four years. Why in the Hell would any business throw money into advertising in a paper that has severely declining readership? Bottom line is tight, but let's throw money at the local newspaper, because some dipstick leftwing says that that businesses should do so?!?!?! Sounds like the point-of-view of someone that has an entitlement mentality and feels that the world owes them a living. Yea, right. SD out.

:aaaaa56 :aaaaa56 :aaaaa56 :aaaaa56 :aaaaa56 :aaaaa56 :aaaaa56 :aaaaa56 :aaaaa56 :aaaaa56 :aaaaa56

That sir, is a darn good post!

[93Bulldog]

Wednesday August 15th

Got up this morning - grabbed my cup coffee and read a nice article on the front page of the dispatch sports page about high school football ... looked in the lower right hand corner and seen an announcement that the 2012 high school football preview would be in the August 24th edition.

When I was done reading - I picked up the Messenger sports page - and read a nice article about the Indians win over the Angels ........................... which occured on MONDAY!
(To Jason Arkley's credit, he did have a good story on the Bobcats though)

[NYBuckeye96]

When I was done reading - I picked up the Messenger sports page - and read a nice article about the Indians win over the Angels

And any sports fan can look to the internet to find all the relevant information for that Indians-Angels game in real time. It is not necessary for the Messenger to cover major league sports in this day and age. Where a sports fan can't go to the internet to find all the details of a game is at the high school level. That is the niche that needs filled and if the Messenger wants to survive, that is the niche it needs to fill.

Same goes for news. The Messenger doesn't need to talk about international or national news. That is all over the internet and TV. By the time it comes out in the Messenger, we all already know about it. It's old news. What don't we know about? How about the Nelsonville City Council meeting or the Alexander School Board Meeting??? That is what we need the Messenger for.

When the Messenger announced it was eliminating the Monday paper, the first thing I thought was, "Well at least they will get rid of that rediculous 'can you spot the differences between these pictures' contest that is just a waste of space. And all they did was move that to the Tuesday paper to eliminate even more news from the Tuesday paper. If I wanted to play a game, I could do that online or in a puzzle book.

While advertising dollars keeps the Messenger afloat, there won't be anyone to advertise to if everyone keeps dropping the Messenger for its crappy coverage of local events and over-reliance of gimmicks like puzzle contests and over-reliance of posting AP stories that we read 2-3 days ago online.

[93Bulldog]

Exactly ... take what positives you still have to work with - and run with it.

[noreply66]

When I was done reading - I picked up the Messenger sports page - and read a nice article about the Indians win over the Angels

And any sports fan can look to the internet to find all the relevant information for that Indians-Angels game in real time. It is not necessary for the Messenger to cover major league sports in this day and age. Where a sports fan can't go to the internet to find all the details of a game is at the high school level. That is the niche that needs filled and if the Messenger wants to survive, that is the niche it needs to fill.

Same goes for news. The Messenger doesn't need to talk about international or national news. That is all over the internet and TV. By the time it comes out in the Messenger, we all already know about it. It's old news. What don't we know about? How about the Nelsonville City Council meeting or the Alexander School Board Meeting??? That is what we need the Messenger for.

When the Messenger announced it was eliminating the Monday paper, the first thing I thought was, "Well at least they will get rid of that rediculous 'can you spot the differences between these pictures' contest that is just a waste of space. And all they did was move that to the Tuesday paper to eliminate even more news from the Tuesday paper. If I wanted to play a game, I could do that online or in a puzzle book.

While advertising dollars keeps the Messenger afloat, there won't be anyone to advertise to if everyone keeps dropping the Messenger for its crappy coverage of local events and over-reliance of gimmicks like puzzle contests and over-reliance of posting AP stories that we read 2-3 days ago online.

You are right about the pro sports. I hear the Logan Daily is full of pro sports too. A few times they would have two pages of sports with little on high school.

[CavsFan08]

Here is a new development. Everyone who is above 50 years old on SEOP's are standing up for one another. This is America, no one under 30 has a dang on clue on how to live life. Maybe you are the problem with this country SD, you read 2 sentences and you can pinpoint my political preferences? Not exactly cultured are we?

I do not know how old you are SD but one thing is usually true, the elderly do not like change, and when change happens they complain from their recliners and talk about how people are ruining America.

I know I won't get any likes on this post probably because it is only the elderly who cares about having an advertiser anyway.

Maybe Bulldog and SD could volunteer to do a few preview of teams in the area with all of their vast knowledge.

[Orange and Brown]

Here is a new development. Everyone who is above 50 years old on SEOP's are standing up for one another. This is America, no one under 30 has a dang on clue on how to live life. Maybe you are the problem with this country SD, you read 2 sentences and you can pinpoint my political preferences? Not exactly cultured are we?

I do not know how old you are SD but one thing is usually true, the elderly do not like change, and when change happens they complain from their recliners and talk about how people are ruining America.

I know I won't get any likes on this post probably because it is only the elderly who cares about having an advertiser anyway.

Maybe Bulldog and SD could volunteer to do a few preview of teams in the area with all of their vast knowledge.

I'm not even close to 50.......What the H*ll is your problem? Your the one who started running your mouth over something that you have no concern over... SD has a right to defend his posts, especially when he didn't say anything that merited getting bashed over. How the Heck can you get mad when people jump on you for attacking people for no reason?
All he was saying is that it is still nice to be able to pick up a newspaper and have a bit of local news to reference (in this case sports)....... Then you go jumping his *ss and spouting off for no reason...... Get a grip...

[93Bulldog]

Maybe Bulldog and SD could volunteer to do a few preview of teams in the area with all of their vast knowledge.

Here is a thought ... maybe THE MESSENGER, which I've been sending $20.00 to every month - for the past 20 years - could do it!

(BTW) ... I'm 37 ... not over 50.

[93Bulldog]

I do not know how old you are SD but one thing is usually true, the elderly do not like change, and when change happens they complain from their recliners and talk about how people are ruining America.

I don't mind change at all ... but there is a fine line between CHANGE & TAKING AWAY ... switching the day the preview comes out is change, maybe doing a completely different lay-out is change, etc... etc ...

NOT HAVING ONE ALL TOGETHER is not change - its 'subtraction'.

[93Bulldog]

Taken from the Athens Messenger facebook page:

The Athens Messenger: Rather than one HS FB preview, we've elected to bring our readers a special section every week of the season that will provide preview coverage for the five Athens County schools and also Vinton County. The remaining area teams will be previewed in upcoming editions of The Athens Messenger. Look for the first football "Blitz" next week.