If you live in New Jersey and you pick up The Star-Ledger every morning, it might be a little lighter from here on out.
The paper announced that more than 200 non-union employees had signed up for buyouts, buyouts necessary to avoid a sale or a shutdown.
Those people have until the end of business on Tuesday to rescind their decisions.
We hear Tony Soprano’s favorite newspaper had 16 people in the sports department take buyouts, including everyone who covers Major League Baseball. Wonder who will be covering the Mets and the Yanks for the Ledger during the offseason and next spring.
Meantime, the Ledger said it was close to a settlement with its union drivers, which has to be completed by Oct. 8.
“I urge the Drivers to vote ‘yes’ to protect their own jobs and those of everyone else who works at The Star-Ledger,” publisher George Arwady said in an email.
All of this is just more evidence that newspapers are dying, and many scribes are jumping to the Internet faster than you can say ESPN.com.
RUTGERS ADDS OVERSIGHT
Meantime, after the Ledger published a series of articles detailing the cost of big-time sports at Rutgers, the university has hired a full-time oversight person to the position of deputy director of athletics for finance and administration.
Richard J. Costello, a former AD at Delaware State, will be paid $195,000 to oversee a department that has received intense scrutiny over the cost of its football stadium expansion ($102 million) and disclosures about football coach Greg Schiano’s compensation package.
“Rick brings an impressive background in finance, budget planning and management of intercollegiate athletics to this very important position,” Rutgers University president Richard McCormick said in a statement announcing Costello’s hiring yesterday. “Our athletics program has experienced significant growth, and as we move forward, the university will continue to make every effort to ensure that its
