When did Mitch Albom start mailing it in?

**Anchor Bar** · February-05-11, 09:16 AM

I can't remember the last Freep column he wrote that sounded like he put much effort into it.

http://www.freep.com/article/2011013...xt|FRONTPAGE|p

this is his latest, and like just about everything else he writes nowadays, it's pretty forgettable. anyone else feel this way?

**East Detroit** · February-05-11, 09:28 AM

LIkely after seeing that there was little public outrage about him being a scab and then having success as an author of schmaltz and then little public outrage about him faking reports [[not being at a game but pretending he was). After those three things, he probably began to feel entitled to live on easy street and that nobody would care.

Toolbox · February-05-11, 11:08 AM

About 20 years ago. Tuesdays with Morey=puke.

**Pickford-Bentler** · February-05-11, 11:15 AM

A few select quotes from his latest with my comments added:

[QUOTE]
Well. He's right about BS.
[/QUOTE

Coming from a guy who wrote a fake account of being at a game, I assume the "It takes one to know one" rule applies here.

And never have to look a man in the eye.
How cowardly for these athletes to take apart one of their own from the comfort of their living rooms. The very thing they always whine about the media -- "You're not there on the field!" -- they now violate with fast-typing thumbs

Well Mitch, you were never at that game you wrote about, were you? Does that make you an ethical coward?

When your house is made of glass, you should not cast stones.

**mjb3** · February-05-11, 12:08 PM

When he got on his soapbox and criticized McCarty for pummelling Claude Liemiuex at Joe Louis, saying what an outrage the violence was and how the brawl[[both goalies fighting) was a travesty to professional sports. Go drink your latte somewhere else mitch-ette, this is a blue collar town and lemiuex got off easy.

bartock · February-05-11, 12:34 PM

I agree with 20 years ago. I also agree with the comment about schmaltz.

Anyway, if you want to read a Mitch Album column, read Michael Rosenberg. His columns somewhat resemble/copy the early Album style.

I've always found his occassinal rants about paying too much in taxes to be incredibly ironic.

**daddeeo** · February-05-11, 01:39 PM

He kind of reminds me of how far Joe Falls dropped towards the end.
Course, he hasn't been caught with a hooker yet.
These guys are like athletes playing out the string. You can see the
spirit just isn't in them anymore.

Augustiner · February-05-11, 01:44 PM

I don't know the exact date, but it was before I was born.

DetroitPole · February-05-11, 02:38 PM

I don't know anyone who likes him or his column, so why the hell do they keep that doofus around? The same goes for Rochelle Riley. Do these people have a contract or something? I know if I was that sucky at my job, they could just can me and get somebody better. That stupid O Street vandal lady disappeared, why can't they?

citylover · February-05-11, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPole

I don't know anyone who likes him or his column, so why the hell do they keep that doofus around? The same goes for Rochelle Riley. Do these people have a contract or something? I know if I was that sucky at my job, they could just can me and get somebody better. That stupid O Street vandal lady disappeared, why can't they?

Forgive me but you are acting naive. The reason they .."Keep him around",,, is that he is a best selling author and nationally recognized columnist. And don't mistake my observation as being a blanket endorsement/praise of Mitch Album it isn't. I am aware enough to know that the DFP knows they have a star so to speak and any number of papers[[that are left) would snatch him up quickly were he available.

**Lowell** · February-05-11, 03:18 PM

Fading discredited publicaction, fading discredited writer - they're made for each other. Never read him, never listen to him. I thank the Internet for teaching me how to deal with people like him. Switched him off when betrayed his fellow and sister workers to collect his forty pieces.

**eno** · February-05-11, 04:01 PM

Wow, no wonder anybody who has the talent to leave this town does so considering the back stabbing Mitch Albom gets from his hometown readers. His writing may be sentimental and schmaltzy but that style appeals to a lot of people and it's won him a national audience. With his embarrassment of riches, Mitch Albom has donated to many causes to benefit those not as fortunate as the rest of us. Can you make the same claim?

**pffft** · February-05-11, 04:17 PM

Mitch has been a joke for a long time....but please, Elrick and Schaefer did a pretty good job on the mayor at that "faded" publication, and I continue to see numerous links here back to it. A little disingenous I think...

**smogboy** · February-05-11, 04:53 PM

As a fiction writer, sure sure- he sells well with his Morrie stuff. But as far as being a journalist with any measure of integrity, that went when he tried to fabricate the story about the MSU team. It was an outright lie and the Freep didn't have the backbone to can him. He's schmarmy at best for me as a radio personality and I turn away but when a newspaper, which should be an authority on the Truth goes spineless by not firing him- it went sour for me then. So shame on the Free Press and double dog shame on Albom for knowing better because once someone's integrity is shot- it's gonna take a heckuva lot to regain.

Would you ever trust his writings again? I won't. All novice journalist know better than to fabricate stories and he was caught red-handed.

**rjk** · February-05-11, 05:14 PM

Mitch Albom is a sportswriter?

Maybe I'm not giving him enough credit, but I've always seen him as a Jack of all trades and master of none.

citylover · February-05-11, 05:43 PM

The petty vindictiveness of the forum is truly admirable.

**Lowell** · February-05-11, 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by pffft

Mitch has been a joke for a long time....but please, Elrick and Schaefer did a pretty good job on the mayor at that "faded" publication, and I continue to see numerous links here back to it. A little disingenous I think...

Don't get me wrong. There are many outstanding and trust-worthy journalists doing great work for the Freep. However it is a fading publication. In terms of circulation and influence, it is a shadow of its former self.

This is not the fault of the journalists, with the exception of a very few, but a management that once stood behind the working man, and sold papers based on that stance, but then immediately hired replacement workers as soon as the strike began after taking editorial stances against such practices. Combined with the subject of this thread, it is has been severely discredited IMO.

Management's role in bringing in 1200 outside mercenaries to suppress the strike and who committed acts of violence against Detroiters brought on further discredit. While other journalist suffered through the strike with dignity to fight for their rights Mitch Albom used it as an opportunity to catapult his career.

Management also lacked understanding of the internet revolution that was occurring at the same time and wasted valuable time in addressing that challenge and opportunity. It is arguable that the fading of their publication was due more to that failure than from loss of credibility due to their handling of the strike.

**pffft** · February-05-11, 07:52 PM

A management that stood behind "the working man"? The Free Press? In name only, in its editorial page.

**jackie5275** · February-05-11, 10:32 PM

Originally Posted by eno

With his embarrassment of riches, Mitch Albom has donated to many causes to benefit those not as fortunate as the rest of us. Can you make the same claim?

I don't have an embarrassment of riches, but with the money I have I do donate to many causes also. Plus, I never crossed my union brothers & sisters by crossing the picket line 3 days into a strike.

**smogboy** · February-05-11, 10:38 PM

Originally Posted by citylover

The petty vindictiveness of the forum is truly admirable.

I'm not sure if this is meant as sarcasm or not, but I firmly believe that years ago if it was anyone other than the Free Press' golden boy Mitch Albom- they would've been shown the door immediately for fabricating a story. Nothing vindictive about it- the facts bore themselves out and he even admitted to making up that story. His lame excuse was that he had to beat a deadline.

To see this sort of slipshod attempt at journalism really hurts the credibility of not just the writer but the paper's integrity too. It was wrong on Mitch's part and it only got more murkier when the Free Press didn't do anything about it other than giving him a few days off.

**laurin** · February-05-11, 10:39 PM

Awhile ago.

I generally stopped reading, but did happen to read one awhile back that had to do with estate taxes. It was absolutely horrible and filled with half truths and lazy researching. I actually wrote a letter to the editor complaining about it and pointing out various inaccuracies, of which some of the letter was actually printed in the paper.

**smogboy** · February-05-11, 11:01 PM

Originally Posted by laurin

I actually wrote a letter to the editor complaining about it and pointing out various inaccuracies, of which some of it was actually printed in the paper.

Makes me grow teary eyed for the days when if it got printed, it meant something. It was factual and well researched. We could bank on it and it was an accurate historical record to what happened. We counted on the likes of Mitch Albom to be a credible witness for us- and boy did he let us down bad.

citylover · February-05-11, 11:05 PM

Originally Posted by smogboy

I'm not sure if this is meant as sarcasm or not, but I firmly believe that years ago if it was anyone other than the Free Press' golden boy Mitch Albom- they would've been shown the door immediately for fabricating a story. Nothing vindictive about it- the facts bore themselves out and he even admitted to making up that story. His lame excuse was that he had to beat a deadline.

To see this sort of slipshod attempt at journalism really hurts the credibility of not just the writer but the paper's integrity too. It was wrong on Mitch's part and it only got more murkier when the Free Press didn't do anything about it other than giving him a few days off.

I agree it was wrong....so move on, don't read his stuff....why all the vitriol?

DetroitPole · February-06-11, 01:18 AM

Originally Posted by citylover

I agree it was wrong....so move on, don't read his stuff....why all the vitriol?

Because in this county we have a "free press" which has a bounden duty to expose untruths, not make a career out of creating them along with self-aggrandizement.

To be a journalist is not the same as working at Wal-Mart. These people have a higher standard to live up to.

There are 307 million people in the United States and I bet millions of them are damn fine writers and honest Americans looking for work, unlike scab Mitch Albom. I'm sick of looking at his shit-eating grin; hire one of them instead.

**smogboy** · February-06-11, 01:22 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitPole

Because in this county we have a "free press" which has a bounden duty to expose untruths, not make a career out of creating them along with self-aggrandizement.

To be a journalist is not the same as working at Wal-Mart. These people have a higher standard to live up to.

There are 307 million people in the United States and I bet millions of them are damn fine writers and honest Americans looking for work, unlike scab Mitch Albom. I'm sick of looking at his shit-eating grin; hire one of them instead.

I couldn't agree more. I don't read his stuff AT ALL. What galls me is that he's still allowed to write for a paper that I once respected. And quite honestly I don't wish Mitch any ill will; I just wish he would ply his craft to writing his fiction or his radio show. He breached that trust with us when he fabricated the story so if he's got a measure of talent for fabricating stuff- go for it. Write all the fiction and sell novels and make a mint that way. We Detroiters deserve better.