Newspapers Attack!

The newspaper biz is in a tough time these days. People read the news online, often don't purchase the paper, and the papers are late on scoops.

So it's not been unusual to see the local papers skew from their standard storylines.

Case in point: the recent criticism of Bo Pelini.

Now we don't want to turn this into a discussion of the Nebraska football program (and whether or not the problem may be rooted in the offensive coordinator position). But ever since T.O. went political, the head coaching job has transcended simple Nebraska sports. So, rather, we want to look at the Omaha World Herald's and Lincoln Journal Star's carping on the head football coach.

Lee Barfknecht of the OWH and Steve Sipple of the LJS both wrote columns giving their personal views of the "boorishness" of "ugly" Pelini on the sidelines and in the press room. Both suggested a certain immaturity on the part of young (41 year old) Bo, and maybe, could we say, non-Nebraska-ishness?

Whether or not that's the case, it is still a bit surprising to see the OWH and LJS -- through their reporters -- calling out the most visible man in the state. There was a day when such statements would be considered heresy and would get a reporter sent to the woodshed by the Athletic Department, and maybe see one's press credentials curtailed.

But frankly, with the blogs posting everyone's thoughts and emotions on the subjects, the newspapers must feel that they have to keep up.

Look at the OWH's recent boasting that, Look at us! Look at us!, the OWH "was the first to reveal" the settlement on the Mayor of Papillion! (Uh, yeah guys, we read it.)

(By the way, want to make a quick quarter million? Have a consensual relationship with a single man in Papio, then break up with him. Cha-ching!)

Then there was the story last week about the plant closing in Auburn, Nebraska. The OWH pointed out that the cabinet making plant had a number of reasons for moving everything to Pennsylvania and that the Nebraska department of economic development had been in touch with the company as well.

But then who did they get a comment from -- in the story, mind you? Some guy in Hagerstown, Maryland. Maryland? And why? Because the guy has some relatives who live near Auburn.

That's it. No other connection. No other insights. No other expertise on the issue. But the story quotes said Marylander that "the governor has to get involved".

Thank you Maryland! Juneau, Alaska on the line, go ahead.

We should see the papers getting more and more creative and see more and more opinions in the "news".

But please, just remember where to come if you want the REAL, original snarkiness...

**UPDATE**

As long as we're talking about the OWH, Papio and non-sequiturs, get aload of this afternoon's story about Papio fire recruits cheating on a test.

First, the headline:

Cheater, cheater - pants on fire.

No, we did not make that up.

So the story goes on about how someone discovered guys cheated, they don't know who and they're going to re-administer the test.

Now...here's how that story ends:

The fire department controversy surfaced just days after Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning concluded his investigation into the City of Papillion's previously secret settlement and $200,000 payout by the city's taxpayer-funded insurance carrier to former Mayor James Blinn's female assistant, Racheal Cascio.

Blinn and Cascio had a longstanding romance that ended badly in June, and she accused Blinn of work place sexual harassment.

Blinn, 40, resigned without explanation July 7, the same day Cascio filed her claim. Neither has spoken publicly about the settlement or their relationship.

We did not make this up.

You get two free tickets to the Kansas State game if you can tell us what on Earth those two stories have to do with each other, other than that they both took place in Papillion.

Will every article about Papio now end with that story?

"...and the Papillion police took the bank robber into custody. This is the same Papillion where former Mayor James Blin was nailing his assistant and then she got paid a bunch of money. The World Herald reported that first, you know. Not WOWT. Or Joe Jordan and his stupid Watchdog blog, for gawd's sake..."