Wisconsin State Journal Axes Andy Baggot

This is really bad news for the college hockey world. It's the nature of the business, I don't like very much. I can predict that with the retirement of Andy Johnson and the axing of Andy Baggot, the coverage of Wisconsin Badgers hockey will take a hit next season. I had the pleasure to run into Baggot during a couple of UND hockey games and they guy was interesting and always had some good work.

The Wisconsin State Journal has launched a new round of staff cuts that look more like slashes, laying off four staffers and announcing that three key departures will go unfilled.

Among the layoff victims are columnist Doug Moe, a veteran Madison journalist whom the paper hired away from the jointly owned Capital Times in 2008; sports columnist Andy Baggot, who has written for the paper since 1978; and sports columnist Dennis Semrau, who has covered local prep sports and the Milwaukee Brewers for decades. Brandon Storlie, who joined the paper in 2009 and has worked as a reporter and sports copy editor, has also been laid off.

Sources says these layoffs, announced to staff late Thursday afternoon by State Journal editor John Smalley, were not voluntary. (Read the rest of the story)