Globe Sports Section In Jeopardy

The Boston Globe has been one of the few constants in my young life. I began reading the Globe sports section as an elementary school student, even waking up early on Sunday's to read what Peter Gammons had to tell me about the Red Sox and the rest of the baseball universe. Who needs cartoons when Gammons is explaining the ins-and-outs of a major trade? I read the Globe sports before high schoolevery day, always hoping for a Will McDonough story that taught me something that I would not have learned elsewhere. I even worked at the Globe, on the city desk, for six months when I was a senior in college. It was one of my professional highlights to have a byline in the Globe (not my best work -- I did have one front page story about a young man being beaten to death in Southie but I couldn't find a link to it.) Sadly, the poor economic times have coupled with poor management by the powers that be on Morrissey Boulevard to make the future of the Globe, owned by The New York Times, precarious at best. The news from Morrissey is not good tonight as the papers largest union voted against a massive paycut. The Times is now threatening an even bigger cut, which could eventually lead to the doors closing on Boston's biggest newspaper. Many people will lament the closing of the Globe because it will leave our great cty with only one major newspaper -- the Herald -- as the voice of the people. In a time when the politicians on Beacon Hill are leaving us with more questions than answers, good reporting is one of the few ways we can keep tabs on our lawmakers. On the other hand, I will miss the coverage of the Boston sports scene. The Globe sports section isn't what it used to be (must read) but it is still worth reading every day. Bob Ryan still pumps out great columns with Tony Massarotti developing in his own right as a columnist. I wouldn't miss The Curly Haired Boyfriend but without the Globe, writers such as Mike Reiss, Nick Cafardo, Chad Finn, and Marc Spears would be looking for work. It would end my hopes of seeing Bill Simmons return from Los Angeles to give the Globe a new voice for the 21st Century. Here's hoping that the problems at the Globe get fixed so our city -- and most importantly our sports -- doesn't lose its most influential voice.