I wanted to put a big Ames Horray in the heading but didn't want to mislead people. One of the guys I considered to be among the worst local media guys is leaving his post. Ames Tribune sports editor Bobby La Gesse is leaving for the Land of 10. The Land of 10, a new Big 10 site, is accumulating some familiar names including Sean Keeler and Scott Dochterman. Most remember Keeler from the Register. Dochterman covered the Hawkeyes for the Cedar Rapids Gazette.
La Gesse earned his reputation with me for some very poor columns where I thought he played very loose with the facts. Because of his track record and position as sports editor, I often wondered if he played a big part in the Travis Hines' hotel room article that claimed the basketball team was left homeless in Hawaii because Pollard was too cheap to pay for another day in the hotel. I thought that was completely bogus. They were leaving the day they checked out of the hotel. Most hotels checkout time is in the morning, so the team had to find other places to hang out while they waited for their flight later that day. What normal person doesn't find themselves in that situation from time to time? Travis had a good track record up to that time, which is why it felt like it had La Gesse written all over it. I am happy to see that guy gone from the Cyclone beat.
La Gesse earned his reputation with me for some very poor columns where I thought he played very loose with the facts. Because of his track record and position as sports editor, I often wondered if he played a big part in the Travis Hines' hotel room article that claimed the basketball team was left homeless in Hawaii because Pollard was too cheap to pay for another day in the hotel. I thought that was completely bogus. They were leaving the day they checked out of the hotel. Most hotels checkout time is in the morning, so the team had to find other places to hang out while they waited for their flight later that day. What normal person doesn't find themselves in that situation from time to time? Travis had a good track record up to that time, which is why it felt like it had La Gesse written all over it. I am happy to see that guy gone from the Cyclone beat.
