The decision by The Gazette of Colorado Springs last week to stop covering the Denver Broncos with a dedicated beat reporter has caused a stir not only in Colorado sports media circles, but also among NFL reporters in other cities.
It is a tribute to the respect within the industry for the Gazette's (now former) Broncos beat reporter Frank Schwab. It is also a reaction to the curious decision made by a newspaper that while not originating in Denver proper, does represent a large community in the Broncos "secondary market," where there is a strong Denver Broncos fan-base and a large number of season-ticket holders.
Schwab, who did an outstanding job and consistently got better during his seven years on the beat, will now cover the Air Force Falcons. Air Force football is huge in its home city of Colorado Springs, so putting Schwab on that beat is a wise move journalistically. The team deserves great local coverage and Schwab will provide that.
Schwab also gets a gift in the form of a reunion with Falcons head coach Troy Calhoun--not only an extremely talented and successful coach, but a true gentleman and first-class guy. I had the pleasure of working with Coach Calhoun when he was on the Broncos staff (2003-05) and have enjoyed seeing his ascension from quality-control coach to coordinator to collegiate head coach. A true example of good things happening to good people.
The timing of the Gazette's decision to drop the Broncos beat is odd too, because Schwab had gained even more of a foothold on the Broncos beat with last year's shuttering of the Rocky Mountain News and the relationships he had established through his longevity in that spot. Competing against the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News was not always easy, but Schwab made his mark and made those papers' coverage better in the process.
Schwab was also the most active reporter I've seen engaging readers/fans on Twitter. He worked hard to inform them and generate debate, but always maintained an even keel, took criticism in stride and never made it personal. Those who followed him as @fs3142 can now do so as @GazetteAirForce.
What remains to be seen is whether the Gazette experiences any drop-off in readership by replacing beat reporting on the most popular sports team in the region with what will presumably be a mix of AP stories and Gazette columns. The assumption is that the paper believes the work of its fine columnist David Ramsey will provide the personalized local touch on the Broncos beat.
Viewed through that lens, it could prove to be a financially savvy way for a newspaper to confront the economic challenges of its business by deploying its best people in places where they can make the most impact, while trusting they won't experience a drop-off in the process. But it does seem like a questionable decision given the immense popularity of the Denver Broncos in the state of Colorado and beyond. My suspicion is that it is a gamble on the habits of readers, not a statement that they believe that popularity has waned.
Time will tell, but what is certain is that it is time to salute Frank for his excellent work on the Broncos beat, and for being a true professional to work with (except when he kept my VHS copy of Super Bowl XXXII for more than a year for a piece he was researching; he did return it in proper working condition, though maybe not rewound). He appears to be the last in a line of outstanding reporters with whom I enjoyed working in that role, preceded by Kamon Simpson, John Branch, the late Jim Lassiter and Mike Burrows since 1995.
--Paul Kirk/ProLink Sports
www.prolinksports.net
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