The Post

Monday is its last day. Sad for those who work there or have worked there. I got my start writing columns at The Post, in 1988. At the time, Cincinnati was the best place in America to write sports opinion, and would remain that way for the 6 years I worked on Court Street. Consider the material: Marge, Pete, Boomer, Sam, Huggs, Stanley Wilson (sigh), Lou, Nasty Boys, wire to wire and on and on and on. What I learned at The Post was it's OK to take chances, to be a little outrageous, to stretch propriety's bounds. Newspapering is not a polite business. Number-two-in-town newspapering is less so. The Post gave me some latitude; encouraged it, in fact. I'm forever grateful.

Newspapers might have character still, but they lack characters. Their corporate, cookie-cutter nature discourages quirks. Bill Peterson -- shoulder-length red hair, dressed in combat fatigues -- might not get a shot in newspapers today. He did well at The Post before moving on to Austin, TX (and writing a column still for CityBeat). Sarge got the first interview with Pete after the Hit King's banishment.

So many good people... my friend Jerry Crasnick covered the Reds... Bob Queenan, an institution at The Post, among the kindest people I've ever known... Joe Posnanski, talent on loan from the Hemingway Estate... Todd Jones, Jack Brennan, Butch Hobson, the patient and empathetic Mark Tomasik, George Diaz, Jeff Lenihan. I could go on. The current guys, especially Lonnie Wheeler, a gentleman in an arena not always gentlemanly... CT Rosecrans, whose blog posts sometimees pushed my radio gig forward... Josh Katzowitz, ditto... Kevin Goheen and Little Takeo...

I've worked for 2 papers that are extinct, The Post and the Dallas Times Herald. While I've been fortunate enough to stay a step ahead of the Reaper, I feel the loss of both. A newspaper isn't just a place to punch a clock, because these days, no one who works at one does so unwillingly. It's very much a living, breathing institution, given life and personality by those who work for it. The Post was feisty, edgy, fun, right to the end. It also, to a large extent, showed us the future of what we do. The Reds and UC blogs were a compelling mix of fact and whimsy, where you learned not only about the teams, but about the guys covering those teams. Trent and Josh got that. They taught me a little about it.

Rambling here. I'll miss The Post, but no more than I'll miss seeing the guys who worked there. It will be weird not having Lonnie or Josh or Trent to my right or left on press row. My best to each of them. They will be missed.