Mike Sando is leaving the TNT for ESPN.com

[vegas_runnin_rebel]

While I'm happy for him, it sucks that we're losing the best beat reporter in the business to the national media.

Thanks, and see you around
Posted by Mike Sando @ 01:35:09 pm

As the internal News Tribune memo put it this morning: "Mike Sando, our Seahawks beat reporter for the last nine seasons, is leaving The News Tribune to join ESPN.com." It's true. I'll still be covering the NFL and I'll still be around the Seahawks and I'll still be blogging, but the other details are still being worked out.

It's been a great nine years here at the TNT and there are so many people to thank. I'll single out columnist Dave Boling, the greatest resource an NFL beat writer could have, and a better friend.

Thanks also to The News Tribune for maintaining the level of commitment to this beat that my predecessor and new ESPN.com teammate, John Clayton, insisted upon from 1986 until my hiring in May 1998. Not every news organization sends its NFL beat reporter to the scouting combine, league meetings, conference title games and Super Bowls, particularly in this age of cutbacks. Organizations unwilling to make that level of commitment are not serious about their coverage. They have to fake it. The News Tribune does not. Executive editor Dave Zeeck, sports editor Dale Phelps and Web editor Mark Briggs assure me that their commitment to this beat -- and to this blog -- is unwavering. They've proven it year after year and it's great having them on record saying that commitment will continue.

Thanks to the readers whose ideas, questions and criticisms have helped make this blog work. Thanks to my wife, whose periodic contributions here developed a bit of a cult following. She really is as unbelievable as she seems.

Of course, there are no goodbyes on the Web. I'll see you around.

[Sweezo]

As a general rule, reporters seem fairly replaceable to me. So why then was I horribly disappointed to hear Sando would be leaving?

He does a great job, and ESPN can certainly use a guy with his passion and smarts.

I'm not sure who's going to replace him at the News Tribune, but they've got huge shoes to fill.

As a 'Hawks fan, this is a huge loss. Sando made us privy to info we certainly wouldn't have had access to otherwise.

[vegas_runnin_rebel]

I'm not sure who's going to replace him at the News Tribune, but they've got huge shoes to fill.

It's pretty amazing that the News Tribune has produced both John Clayton and Sando. I don't envy whoever takes that job. .

On the plus side, the Seahawks now have two former Seahawks beat reporters working at ESPN. ESPN is going to have trouble maintaing an ESPN coast bias with Sando on board.

[Sweezo]

Good point. Here's hoping they don't pair him with Sean Salisbury...