T'Wolves Owner GLEN TAYLOR said that his "primary reason" for attempting to buy the Minneapolis Star Tribune is "financial, with the belief that it 'will pay for itself,'" according to Roger Yu of USA TODAY. Taylor, who expects the deal to close next month, said that the paper being a "local institution is a draw ... but using it to be a power-broker is not part of the plan." He added, "It's like running a professional basketball team. And a lot of people think I'm doing it wrong. I hire other guys to do it. I have a bunch of businesses, and that's the way I run them." Taylor: "It's a business that will pay for itself. And it's a Minnesota paper. I'm not looking at any other newspaper. Compared to other newspapers in the U.S., I think they're ahead of the game" (USATODAY.com, 4/4).
RUTGERS ROW: Rutgers AD JULIE HERMANN while speaking to a journalism class reportedly said it would be "great" if the Newark Star-Ledger went out of business. She said, "That would be great. I’m going to do all I can to not give them a headline to keep them alive." In Newark, Steve Politi writes he is betting most people will "see her comments as what they are: Unbefitting a person in a high-profile position at a major university, at a time when Rutgers needs a leader for its transition into the Big Ten." She "has declared war on the largest news gathering organization that covers her athletic department." Politi: "What could possibly be gained by that?" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 4/7). CBSSports.com’s Jon Heyman wrote on Twitter, “julie hermann was an embarrassing hire as AD. congrats, rutgers.” The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington: “If I'm Rutgers, I fire AD Julie Hermann. Today.” SI’s Richard Deitsch writes, “The trainwreck that is Rutgers AD Julie Hermann continues. What a disgrace for alums and students." MLB.com's Richard Justice: “How awful a person is the Rutgers AD? There are no words.”
