Not sure about the reasoning, but there are plenty of folks upset at the San Diego Union-Tribune for booting out popular long-time columnist Tim Sullivan yesterday.
On his Twitter account, Sullivan said:
(Friday) marks the end of my 10 years with the Union-Tribune. Thanks to all who have offered their insight, their time and their readership.
Later, he said:
No idea. I was reporting a column this afternoon when I was notified my services were no longer required.
Naturally, members of our fraternity were shocked. Sullivan is among the most respected columnists in the business, and he more than made his mark during his 10 years in San Diego. Hard to see how this makes the U-T a better paper.
Reaction from the Voice of San Diego.
The UT fired its best sports writer,” KPBS reporter Tom Fudge.
“I’m better for having worked beside Tim Sullivan. Craftsman, truth seeker, unfailingly fair. A journalist in the finest sense of the word,” U-T Chargers writer Kevin Acee.
Among those weighing on Twitter, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal:
I’m biased, TimSullivan is my friend. But I will say this – it is insane that the SanDiego U-T let him go. He is a brilliant columnist.
Scott Miller of CBSSports.com:
UT San Diego firing columnist Tim Sullivan takes “dumbing down product for readers” to embarrassing low. Owner dumber than readers.
Dave Kindred:
TimSullivan laid off in SanDiego. Have all newspaper executives lost their minds?
Tim Brown, Yahoo Sports:
TimSullivan714 is one of the most talented, decent and intelligent columnists in the country. What a thing.
Sullivan’s columns still are up on the U-T’s site. Earlier this week, he had a column about Phil Mickelson wanting to own a piece of the San Diego Padres, which made national news.
Little wonder why people are baffled by this move.
Sullivan was fired for three suspect activities: he was widely read, thought about other perspectives, and valued complex truth over simplistic opinion. To SDUT, these are UnAmerican activities.
It was a corporate decision he either made too much money, said something corporate honcho(s) didn’t like or your guess good as mine. He was obviously too good to work for them. He’ll find a better if not lucrative job. What about VOSD?
The U-T is heading for the dumpster. Just look at its editorial board.
Terminating a respected sports columnist is just excelerating the process.
Word is that U-T fired Sullivan because his writing indicated a left-wing political perspective. Sullivan was also not fully on-board with the publisher’s efforts to get a new football stadium built in San Diego, which is a fireable offense especially after the publisher has turned the U-T into a cheerleader for his own pet projects. The U-T has lost all credibility and the publisher, management and top-level editors have essentially told readers that they have no respect for them.
I just returned from a grand daughter’s graduation in Virginia, and heard of the most stupid decision by the Union-Tribthat that any paper could make by letting go the best sports columnist the paper has had in the 29 years that I have been a subscriber. When Tim first came on board, and i read his first column, i said , WOW! A much needed breath of fresh air, and my initial reaction has never altered. As a result , this may be my last before switching to the La Times. Tim should have little trouble finding a paper with a Board or CEO who appreciate honest intelligent reporting,
Tim was obviously well read, a journalist in the truest sense and had the character to never stray from the “hippocratic” oath of the true journalist.
Manchester and his lot are the enemy of all things good in the human spirit.
Money talks, but truth endures. Bill Becker
In my opinion, UT has a track record of making terrible decisions, the ousting of Tim Sullivan being the most recent. Saying that Tim Sullivan was an excellent sports reporter is an understatement. He was one of the best writers the UT had on staff, sports or otherwise, and the UT will not find a replacement that is even close to as talented as Sullivan. Very sad news for San Diego sports fans.