Saturday, March 15, 2008

Cal Poly run comes to an end

Well, the Cal Poly women’s basketball team’s run has come to an end at the Big West Tournament, falling to eventual champion UC Santa Barbara in the semifinals.
That just about wraps up the winter season for Cal Poly athletics, minus what has probably been the best story of the season — wrestler Chad Mendes, who hopes to complete his undefeated season this coming week at the NCAA Championships. (I’m working on another Mendes feature for the middle of the week, so look for that.)
The conclusion of the winter season all but wraps up my tenure on the college beat, at least for the immediate future.
Other than a couple of stories I’ve had on the backburner, I probably won’t be taking on much on the Cal Poly beat this spring. Because of some changes around the sports desk, and in my own life, I’ve decided to pass the torch to one of our other reporters.
In the meantime, I’ll be filling in on the desk, editing and laying out the section, along with some general-assignment reporting, i.e. alumni updates, action and outdoors sports coverage and possibly a column. Stories that don’t fit on the college and prep beats, like the kayak series and the big-wave surfing piece that our readers really seemed to enjoy.
I’ve been covering college sports in SLO since 2000, so I still hope to get out to Cal Poly and Cuesta College from time to time for features and various columns. But the day-to-day beat work will be handled by someone else.
When we sort out the details, I’m sure the new reporter will let you know and pick up where I left off on the blog.
I’ll still be looking for column and story ideas, on and off the college beat, if you want to pass them along to bmilne@thetribunenews.com. Thanks for following my stuff over the years.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm am sorry to hear you won't be the mainstay of reporting on Cal Poly sports. You have been absolutely great these past years. I, for one, certainly wish you the best, but hope you will make it out to a Poly football game and chime in with your insight via the written word!

Thanks

Anonymous said...

Brian...

The Cal Poly sports scene will miss you. You always were a great support of Cal Poly sports and filling your shoes will be a tough assignment for the new sports editor. Best wishes for continued success in your career.

Anonymous said...

Brian,

Thanks for many years of outstanding coverage of Cal Poly athletics. Your reporting will be missed. Good luck in the next phase of your career at the Tribune and beyond!

Anonymous said...

Good riddance! Thats what I say! Just kidding... you are a great writer. I just hope that they don't sub out your job to India!

Anonymous said...

So far I don't think that anyone has seen much reporting on Cal Poly sports -- even the sports that are in season. In fact, it actually looks like The Tribune has subbed out some of their stories/coverage to Mustang Daily writers. I guess that this is probably the cheaper way to go. Question: Will there be any coverage on Saturday for the Cal Poly Spring Football Game?

Anonymous said...

I guess I have my answer regarding the spring football game. There was absolutely nothing in the Sunday on-line sports section regarding the game. What is happening with The Tribune?????

Anonymous said...

OK, the Trib sports has been sucking big time since Brian has ditched beat writing to become columnist, but you're wrong about the spring game. The trib was there. it was on top of my Sunday sports page. here's the web link: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/sports/story/324890.html

It appears Erick Smith is taking over the Poly beat for good. Someone said he is a Poly grad. He needs to get going on this blog. We want the inside scoop. Or maybe Brian should still blog, since he is writing opinions.

Anonymous said...

FYI -- the Spring Game story did NOT make the on-line version. Evidently the paper edition and the on-line edition sometimes differ. I am NOT local so I depend on the on-line version to stay on of Cal Poly sports. You are right -- see the attached from his "My Space"...

Erick's Blurbs
About me:
I am a 23-year-old graduate from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and i am a sports journalist at The Tribune in SLO. I enjoy living the SLO life and hanging out with my friends and am kept busy at work. Before i moved to San Luis Obispo i lived in Encinitas where i enjoyed surfing and hanging out at the beach.

Comment:

Hopefully we start seeing more effort including use of the blog to report and support Cal Poly sports.

Anonymous said...

If it did NOT make the online edition, then how can it be found here!?

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/sports/story/324890.htm

Isn't that online? That other poster was right. Or are you using a different Internet than we are?

Anonymous said...

I attended the Spring Game which in retrospect ended up being better than the UCLA vs Memphis game. I checked the on-line edition of The Tribune on Sunday AM and the article was not there. Perhaps they posted it later. Thanks for the address, however, it appears that it is now too late as the article has been taken down.

My point is still that with the departure of Brian Milne from the Cal Poly college scene, that we are not getting enough coverage of Cal Poly sports. Anyone agree or disagree?

Anonymous said...

Not true. The story has not been taken down. That other person who linked it just did not copy and paste it right. It's still here.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/sports/story/324890.html

...and it was there the morning after the game. I read it. But I agree to this: CP coverage sucks without Milne.

Anonymous said...

GREAT -- I could not find it on the website and I was specifically looking for it. I live in Orange County and I do notice that there are many times when the published paper edition that I purchase when I am in SLO differs from what is available to view on The Tribune's website.

WE both do agree that The Tribune's coverage of Cal Poly sports sucks and that has happened since the departure of Brian Milne. The new guy looks like he is treating reporting on the Cal Poly sports scene as a part time job.

AND, the new sports editor, Ashley Conklin (a guy), did not even bother to answer an email that I sent over to him. I hope that this changes with the upcoming football season but all of the sports at Cal Poly deserve to be reported.

AND I thought that San Luis Obispo was a college town. Cal Poly sports used to be important to The Tribune -- the local community (which does not include someone who lives in Orange County) needs to let Ashley Conklin know that they expect his sports section to include quality reporting from his sports section...

Anonymous said...

THIS BLOG HAS COME TO AN END.

ACTUALLY, IT HAS BEEN GONE FOR A WHILE.

Anonymous said...

Then why not remove the link from The Tribune's website...

Anonymous said...

go here

http://calpolymustangs.yuku.com/forums/1/t/Mustang-Sports.html

Anonymous said...

The Trib continues to amaze....Cal Poly athletics are gaining momentum and the Trib pulls the plug on the CP sports blog. Friggin' amazing! That was the best thing they had going...Brian was great! Great insite. Great writing style. On top of things...but they make no effort to keep him on it, or at least replace him with someone interested in keeping the CP sports juices flowing....what a shame.

Anonymous said...

I live in Orange County but like to keep up on Cal Poly sports -- especially football. Really, The Tribune owes much more to the local community and to Cal Poly than what they are delivering. I personally e-mailed the new sports editor voicing my concerns but never even got the courtesy of a reply.

BOTTOM LINE -- after Brian left, nobody really cares -- certainly not the sports editor Ashley Conklin. The new guy on the Cal Poly beat is a former student -- Erick Smith. Did he ever even attend a Cal Poly football game? It looks like he has made the job that Brian Milne used to have and made it a part time job...

Anonymous said...

They should have the High School blog guy Scroggins at least post subjects of interest about Poly sports.
Or, just go to Cal Poly's blog.

Anonymous said...

Coulda, shoulda, woulda does not really matter. Unless the local community pushes The Tribune to give more coverage of Cal Poly sports nothing is going to happen. We have football coming up -- if that doesn't receive coverage I can only imagine how the coverage is going to be for the more minor sports which is pretty much everything else. Like I said the SLO community and the Cal Poly community deserves more than The Tribune is delivering.

Anonymous said...

I 2nd this.

http://calpolymustangs.yuku.com/topic/1046/t/when-does-it-start.html

WAKE UP TRIBUNE, we DON'T have to buy your newspaper.

Joshua D. Scroggin said...

Hold tight, blog fans. The new Cal Poly blog will be up and running soon. Football season is right around the corner.

I only need The Tribune's web team to get on the ball and build the blog at a new address.

Thanks,

- JD

Anonymous said...

Thanks Joshua for checking in! There are quite a few CP fans, especially football fans out here that look to the vehicles of the 21st century (internet) to get our news and interact. We all look forward to your insite to the season coming up. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a pretty weak excuse Scroggins. You have this blog here right now. It's all about content, not the look of the blog. POST A SUBJECT. Quit making lame excuses for doing nothing. You took the time to make a comment so Post a subject?? Also, walk over to Erick and tell him to post ANY new subject on the High School blog. It's getting out of hand over there.

Anonymous said...

Let's not be too rough on Josh. This comment is really the first sign that The Tribune is even aware that football season is fast approaching.

I am sure that the Cal Poly fans all hope that Josh does as much to report and support Cal Poly sports as Brian Milne. It was pretty much impossible to tell that there was even anybody assigned to Cal Poly sports since Milne. Erick Smith was very forgetable.

Anonymous said...

Hey JD...

From what I hear you have an article about Cal Poly football regarding the opening of summer practice. I read the article about thinning out the quarterbacks so this would be an article on day two.

I do NOT live locally so I depend on the internet for my Cal Poly football information.

Would you please make sure that all of your Cal Poly football articles are posted on The Tribune's sports website. The article about the opening of summer practice is not there.

Many thanks...

Anonymous said...

9:27 AM
Why don't you subscribe to the paper? The Trib doesn't do this as a public service.

Anonymous said...

Actually "The Trib" does not charge for their on-line service and therefore it could be considered a public service. They can choose to make this a website that you pay for at any time but right now it is a public service.

Anonymous said...

I think the Tribune "hopes" you may buy a subscription. If the print side goes out of business there will be no web side.

Anonymous said...

Lets face it -- the advertising makes or breaks any newspaper. True, readers (subscribers) are the reason that advertisers buy advertising. Kind of goes hand-in-hand...

Without news coverage that interests me or any other reader, they then lose the readership -- then the advertisers...