Gittelson says goodbye

By Fred Robledo on December 8, 2008 4:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) |

Good friend Gerry Gittelson of the L.A. Daily News lost his job last Thursday. He was one of the hardest working prep writers in Southern California. He's going to be missed, here is what he wrote in his final blog

Well, this is my last Blog. I was informed today that I've been laid off from the Los Angeles Daily News because of ongoing budgets cuts.
A huge part of me is devastated, of course, as i've put my life and soul into being a sports reporter through the seasons. But I'm also just grateful and happy to have had a chance to do what i love for so long, and to have been able to enjoy being a writer because it's really been a pleasure. I've never thought i worked a day in my life. That's how much I love writing. I'd like to thank my editor, Vincent Bonsignore, who has been a great co-worker and a great friend since the day I arrived at the Daily News as a Friday-night stringer in 1997. I'd also like to thank all my other good friends at the newspaper -- Gene Warnick, Rich Hammond, Kevin Modesti, Chris Hart, Erik Boal, Ramona Shelburne, Jack Pollon and so many others. And I am forever grateful to former Daily News staffers who helped me along the way, especially Eric Sondheimer, who I've tried to emulate at every turn, along with Mike Anastasi, Michael Rosenthal, Darrin Beane, Rick Hazeltine, the late Matt McHale and all the others who've touched my life.
It's a new turn, a new chapter. God only knows what will happen next, but for some reason i know it's going to be OK.
I'd love to keep in touch with everyone. My email is gerryg123@hotmail.com
All the best forever and ever,
Gerry Gittelson

5 Comments

Never silence the pen! said:

Gee Fred it must be tough to see so many great people go especially when they love their jobs. I've never understood why bloggers take the time to slam writers when all they do is talk about their children and shine the spot light on players who would otherwise never have that honor.

You've done a great job for us Fred. Hope you stay around as long as you'd like.

Now as far as Aram goes...just kidding. Aram had skills for sure and that huge stand he took for Mike Mc Donough always earned my respect.

Gerry Gittelson...may God best you and yours and may your words shine a light on an otherwise ever increasingly dark world.

Here's to the writer and the wordsmith...cheers!!!!!!

December 8, 2008 10:30 PM

jcaz said:

There used to be a sports radio announcer on KABC radio back in the 80's that would discribe sports programing as the "toy department" of life.

I think he made that anaolgy because maybe he thought that sports, at its purest level, is simply enterainment for most of us.

But for a few select professionals, its a livleyhood.

It is so sad to see that in this "down" economy, that so many fine people have been cast off.

They have touch all of us in some way and I for one am very concerned about the future of prep sports coverage in general.

However, where I am most concerned in of course, is in the future of this blogg here, because over the last few months, we have read about cut backs at the SGV Tribune, and even in the last few hours, there has been speculation that the Times was going to go into a BK situation.

Hopefully it wont get to bad for you in here Fred, but you just never know where the hammers gonna strike next.

December 8, 2008 10:25 PM

JFR said:

Good luck Sir and thank you.

December 8, 2008 7:20 PM

us govt said:

time to apply 4 a govt bailout?

December 8, 2008 6:33 PM

amat fan said:

sad times going on right now. Good luck Gerry.

December 8, 2008 5:48 PM