Another Veteran Ohio Journo Sent Packing By Gannett's Cincinnati Operation: Bengals Blogger Chick Ludwig Booted From Cincinnati.com

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Retired Dayton Daily News sportswriter Chick Ludwig -- who spent 12 years as that newspaper's Bengals beat writer -- has been sacked after a year at Cincinnati.com.  He wrote a popular blog (1.3 million page views) mostly about the NFL football team.  Ludwig said his contract wasn't renewed, apparently for economic reasons.  Ludwig spent 30 years with the Dayton Daily News and hooked up with Cincinnati.com last October.  Cincinnati.com is the Cincinnati Enquirer's companion website and is a property of Gannett Co., Inc. the giant media company that owns USA Today.  Gannet's stock was down $1.24, or 8.8%, Friday o n the New York Stock Exchange.  Investors were disappointed by the company's third quarter earnings report .  So adios, Chick, a Cincinnati native who appears to be yet another victim of Gannett, and the entire traditional media's, constant cost-cutting mode.

This is some of what Ludwig had to say about his departure, which he wrote on the blog.  He was classy and didn't offer sour grapes:

"The awesomeness, intensity and belligerence that marked 'Typing Away With Chick Ludwig' has come to an end.  I often use the term 'knifed' when a Cincinnati Bengals player gets terminated, released or waived. Now the time has come for 'The Chickster' to get knifed.  My contract is up, and I haven’t been renewed. The economy has claimed yet another victim. So this is my final entry for the Cincinnati.com Blog Network.

"I’d like to think my specialty is the written and spoken word. And all I ever wanted to do was offer opinion, insight and analysis on the Cincinnati Bengals, and bring a little levity to your day. Hopefully, 397 blog entries and 1.4 million page views are signs I made a dent, if not a smidgen of difference, in your daily life.  My immediate plan: Fire up a Hav-A-Tampa sweet jewel, sip a glass of Rolling Rock, take a nap and prep for my Sunday, Oct. 17, speech at the Maketewah Country Club Caddie Banquet (cocktails 5:30, dinner 6:30)."

By the way, The Chickster remains the Bengals correspondent for the Sporting News.