2008 is over ... here comes 2009

As we get ready for tonight's Peach Bowl, er, Chic-Fil-A Bowl, I thought I'd leave 2008 with one last website post from the computer. I may, and that's a big may, post from tonight's game at the Georiga Dome via handheld. But, I may visit with clients and colleagues and not worry about posting pictures from tonight's game of Tech vs. LSU.

2008 was an interesting year, wasn't it?

Let's see ... our 401K's are now cut in half, we have a pending president that is not a white male for the first time ever, and we had some great moments in sports. Plus, Jen and I are experiencing parenthood for the first-time ever - and unless something wasn't tied right during the Caesarian, Alpha and Omega will be the only children in our household.

Needless to say, it's been an eventful year. A year in which America is resetting in so many ways. The world that I love so much and have as long as I can remember - media - is changing faster than any industry other than the automobile business. The way you consume your media is changing everyday. The way we produce media is changing everyday. The frequency and method with which your acquire a vehicle is going to change also.

I never thought media would change this fast, however, it is. I thought we'd be able to avoid the fate of the travel agent, yet we might be coming towards that cliff quicker than we thought.

I don't want to be one to make new year's predictions, but a minimum of 10 newspapers will declare bankruptcy next year.

I've worked at a couple newspapers in my media career and it was a great experience. The two best media companies I've worked for (current - Cox and former - Journal) were built by newspaper revenues.

However, the quote that sums up the newspaper was told to me by a professor at the University of Wisconsin named Jake Stockinger. He was an editor at the no longer daily Captial Times in Madison. He said you read the newspaper on Monday and wrapped the fish in it on Tuesday. It was true, but now I wonder what we're going to wrap the fish in?

When I started writing at newspapers and being on the radio, you had to work to get published or get "on-the-air." Now, anybody can have a website or start a podcast. We used to joke about audition tapes made with a Mr. Microphone. Now, some people with their Mr. Microphone set-ups and blogs are more influential than mainstream newspapers, radio shows, and television.

Let's not even talk about TV yet. That's going to be the ugliest media to shake out as we know it. Long-time anchors, weather people, and sellers are going to experience a different world very soon. Being #1 at 11 p.m. isn't going to matter when you can get your information on-demand.

Well, enough of the silliness, I have to finish watching the UH Cougars win their first bowl game since the Garden State Bowl in 1980. Yes, UW played at the Garden State Bowl in 1981.

And, Tony Barnhart, the best college football writer in America, officially put Brett Bielema on the hot seat in 2009 on a radio show the other day.

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