Jim Romenesko has the update on the story he first reported:

Mark Lett, executive editor of McClatchy’s The State in Columbia SC, tells his staff that “no subject or individual is off limits for examination” by sports columnist Ron Morris and other columnists at the paper.  The editor says Morris was “asked …to focus first on coverage other than the USC football program.”

Romenesko posted the publisher’s letter to the staff. An excerpt:

As with any relationship, it sometimes helps to step back and allow conditions to cool. In recent months, we asked Ron to draw upon his considerable sports knowledge and experience to produce highly readable, relevant columns and enterprise features. The work has been outstanding and has given sports fans much to enjoy and to think about.

During this time, we asked Ron to focus first on coverage other than the USC football program. Moving forward, all topics — including USC football — are in play. As always, this is a newspaper committed to accuracy, fairness and holding accountable the news makers and institutions that serve our community and our state.

Question: Why was it necessary to “allow conditions to cool?”