Sam the Sham
Things are getting seriously sad at Kansas City’s newspaper of record…
What’s left of its news staff – tails between their legs – exited their historic brick home at 1729 Grand a few years back and moved into, later selling its gigundo $250 million glass house that many assumed was a step up.
It wasn’t.
The Star has been fire selling off assets for a dozen years, trying to keep its head above water as subscribers, readers, columnists and staff fled the fast sinking ship in record numbers. Just prior to editor-turned-publisher Art Brisbane‘s departure in 2006, the newspaper had more than 2,000 employees.
It’s anybody’s guess now, but well under 100 would not surprise.
Take me, for instance…
Convicted felon/editor Mike Fannin continues to hang onto his paycheck, but anyone who one-upon-a-time mattered there is long gone.
Now, the last writer with the slightest semblance of Star power sports columnist Sam Mellinger has left for a cushy PR job with the Royals.
Not a good sign.
At 2021 year end the few remaining news staffers had to flee the newspaper’s downtown glass house to work out of their ramshackle homes and apartments. And now, the Curious George of retired Star newsies, Jim Fitzpatrick, has tracked what passes for the newspaper’s new headquarters to a mere Post Office box on the Plaza.
Yes, it’s come to that…
Toby Cook
As for vanilla sports columnist Mellinger, he’ll now be getting a halfway decent paycheck, along with a reasonable chance at holding down his “communications” position with the Royals.
Even underwhelming Fox 4 news escapee Toby Cook – Mellinger’s predecessor at the Royals – lasted 14 years before walking the plank late last year and several months later landing another PR gig with the University of Kansas health system.
I digress.
Kevin Collison
Truth be known, actual journalists don’t often make it in the competitive world of public relations, kissing you-know-what at big corporations. Does the name Kevin Collison – the former Star business columnist – ring any bells?
One local who won’t miss Mellinger is Westport businessman Bill Nigro.
“Yeah, I remember Sam Mellinger,” Nigro says. “He’s the sports columnist who wrote about me on the front page of the Star. Yeah, he’s a jack 0ff; it’s hard to forget jack offs.
“He got all this information about me from Kyle Kelly‘s son, so he took all this info from Kelly – who hates me – and then went with it. I hope I run into him one day in person. I already called him and talked to him and I tricked him into telling me it was Kelly’s son – he admitted it – so he told me about it. He’s a loser; I hope they fire that guy.”
Uh, too late…Mellinger already took the Royals job late last month.
“That’s too bad,” Nigro says. “I would have told the old owner of the Royals not to hire him. I would have sent a message to David Glass.”
Cushy? Dealing with the media on one side and prickly athletes on the other involves a heck of a lot of diplomacy and good humor. Mike Swanson handled the job with dignity and grace for 20-plus years, and I think Sam is a heckuva good successor. Good wishes to him.
He may well be…
That said, people that are schooled and conditioned for journalism are taught to approach matters with a critical eye and dish out criticism when warranted.
Even in something as arguably inconsequential as sports…pro sports, no less.
And while Sam was far more of a brown noser that most of his successful predecessors, he still partook in a certain amount of critical thinking – which was both expected and appreciated by his editors and readers.
That is NOT was public relations types are known or appreciated for.
So yes, he won’t have to dial it back anywhere near someone like Jason Whitlock or even Nick Wright, he will have sharpen his you-know-what kissing skills and work one heckuva lot more and harder than print journalists at the Star in radio do.
One thing is for sure, the job security and healthier paycheck will help him along in this transition.