AJC Firings, A Familiar Face Goes, Then Good News

Sad news, Mike Knobler has been laid off* by the wonderful, competent AJC. We here at the Chronicle are sad and sorry to hear this news, unfortunate for Mike and for the other writers. The next question is, of course, if there's no more hockey writing, what's even the point of the damn paper?  This is a sad day for journalism, more proof of the death of the printed press. Best of luck to Mike and his cohorts.

Here is the link. 

- On another note, good or hopeful news, here:

The Thrashers’ captain is eligible to negotiate and sign a contract extension on July 1 but wants to see the team’s other offseason moves before making his decision.

“That will be a big factor,” Kovalchuk said Monday, two days after the Thrashers ended a 35-41-6 season. “I want to see them do something to get everybody better, the whole organization. If I feel like we’re in the right direction, for sure I think we’ll figure out a way to sign a new deal.”

I guess I'll hold onto that for a bit.

UPDATE

The section in the comments where this was said by Knobler himself is here:

R. Stroz Fortunately, I was bought out, not laid off.

Here is the story. I am going to law school in the fall. I had been planning that move before I began covering the Thrashers a year ago. I had a great time covering the Thrashers and wouldn’t have minded doing it for another year or five or six, but I’m 45 and if I’m going to change careers I need to do it now rather than later.

There are other sports people taking the buyout. Terence Moore is one of them. Others are people who work behind the scenes.

Thanks, again, to all of you on this blog. You have made it fun for me.

* AW, HELL NO. HE WUZ BOUGHT OUT.