People & Personalities: Inquirer Reportedly Fires Stephen A.

Philadelphia Inquirer Fires Smith Citing Job Abandonment

The Philadelphia Inquirer fired Stephen A. Smith last Friday, citing “job abandonment,” according to Dan Gross of the PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS. Inquirer Editor Bill Marimow did not comment on the report, but Newspaper Guild of Greater Philadelphia Local 10 rep Bill Ross confirmed Smith was fired and said that "the union ‘will file a grievance and continue to defend him on our end.’” Gross noted Smith was stripped of his column in August and was asked “to stay with the paper as a sports reporter.” Smith took an unpaid leave and sources said that he “was at one point scheduled to return but has repeatedly failed to do so.” Smith could not be reached for comment (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS, 1/30).

OLSON OUT? THEBIGLEAD.com reported sources saying that Lisa Olson "recently stunned the sports media world by quitting'' the N.Y. Daily News.  After the Giants' NFC Championship game victory against the Packers two weeks ago, several Daily News writers decided what stories they were going to write, but Mike Lupica "decided to switch topics, effectively screwing Olson. This caused her to turn her column in late, irritating the New York office."  When Olson was not chosen by the Daily News to be among the more than 35 writers to go to Arizona to cover the Super Bowl, she allegedly "quit on the spot" (THEBIGLEAD.com, 1/30).  N.Y. Daily News Sports Editor Leon Carter could not be reached for comment (THE DAILY).

NESN: In Boston, gossip columnists Fee & Raposa report NESN reporter Tina Cervasio, who is not returning to the net when her contract expires in March, "had been in talks to renew her contract," but she was pulled from the net's Super Bowl XLII coverage in Arizona as "negotiations dragged out." NESN Promotions & PR Manager Gary Roy said, "She was indeed pulled from the Super Bowl assignment, but it was to allow her time to make this important decision with her family" (BOSTON HERALD, 1/31).