Whitlock on diversity

Jason Whitlock writes an interesting column on who's responsible for the lack of diversity in newspaper sports sections in today's Kansas City Star. He says that would-be minority sports writers have to shoulder part of the blame.

As you'd expect, this prompted a thread and debate on the sj.com board, and a good point was made: Just because a prominent black sportswriter says that the lack of diversity isn't all newspapers' fault, that doesn't mean they should assume they can be comfortable with their makeup. There has to be a strong commitment to diversity from all sides.

L.A. Times scales back hockey coverage

Randy Harvey confirms for LA Observed that the Los Angeles Times will cease to travel with the Kings and Ducks for the most part, and that Hockey Hall of Famer Helene Elliott will no longer write a weekly NHL column, becoming a general columnist who sometimes writes about hockey.

I know times (lowercase) are tough, and Harvey is obviously facing tough decisions. But when the major metro of record in a city like Los Angeles isn't granted the resources that allow it to travel with all of its pro sports franchises -- at least early in the season when they remain in contention -- something is really wrong.

We've seen it coming in increments, but this news, coupled with the expected vast cutbacks at the Dallas Morning News, is extremely depressing for anybody who saw how good sports sections were not that long ago.

A golden age is ending, if it hasn't ended already.

Chad on diversity

Norman Chad weighs in, predictably irreverently, on the lack of diversity in the leadership of newspaper sports departments.