You might have noticed that recent Full Court Press posts haven't included many links to The Columbian.
The reason: esteemed beat writer Brian Hendrickson announced shortly after draft night that he will be leaving the paper and moving with his family out of state to pursue other writing opportunities. Hendrickson's Blazers Banter was consistently a must-read for Blazers fans and his friendly personality and helpful advice will be missed by colleagues during the long grind of the NBA season.
Blazersedge has learned today that Hendrickson's replacement will be Brian T. Smith, formerly of Tennessee's Bristol Herald-Courier.
Earlier this week, it was announced Mr. Smith recently earned some hardware...
Bristol Herald Courier sports writers Brian T. Smith and Allen Gregory each earned awards in the 2008-09 Tennessee Sports Writers Association writing contest.
Smith earned second place in the best series/investigative category for three stories documenting a five-year decline in East Tennessee State University men's basketball home ticket sales.
Mr. Hendrickson writes...
[Brian T. Smith] got his start at the Columbian a few years ago and [has] been covering East Tennessee State for the last two years.
The Columbian's Blazers coverage definitely won't drop with Brian on board, which makes me very happy and relieved to say.
In May, The Columbian sought Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection from its creditors. The paper had a choice whether or not to fill this position and it's nice to see that it remains committed to Blazers coverage despite any financial uncertainty.
Bon Voyage, Brian! And... Bienvenidos other Brian!
Hopefully, Jay Jensen is at the airport to greet him.
-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)