Major Shakeup At Zionist Conspiracy: Era Ends As Brizel Replaces SchickNEW YORK - FEBRUARY 3 - In a stunning development, The Zionist Conspiracy this morning announced the firing of Joe Schick, who had posted for the blog since its inception nearly three years ago.
Schick will be replaced by Steve Brizel.
The announcement by The Zionist Conspiracy GM Terry Blogway came only hours after the conclusion of the final round of the Jewish & Israeli Blog Awards, where under Schick's leadership, The Zionist Conspiracy finished in eighth place for best politics and current affairs blog, and a yet to be displayed (but believed to be below the top five) place for best series.
"This was a tough decision, but one that we feel is in our best long-term interests," Blogway said in making the announcement. "Unfortunately, while some progress has been made recently, those results have not met our expectations. We have plans in place that we believe will enable us to compete for a JIB medal in 2007."
While Brizel has not managed his own blog, according to Blogway, "Steve's comments on Hirhurim, Godol Hador, Protocols and other Jblogs speak for themselves. We believe that Steve Brizel has the skill set to take The Zionist Conspiracy to the next level."
Brizel, on assignment in Detroit for Sunday's Super Bowl, could not be reached for comment.
Blogway acknowledged that Schick's "eclectic mix" of sports, politics and controversial Jewish issues was "interesting to some" but was "ultimately a tough sell in the highly specialized blogosphere of 2006."
While Brizel is most known for his thoughts about Jewish issues, he has recently demonstrated a surprisingly impressive sports acumen along with keen insights about football.
In a move to alleviate the concerns of sports fans, Brizel has reportedly informed jetsphan of his intention to retain jetsphan's services. However, jetsphan, who was signed prior to the 2005 NFL season to provide NFL opinion and commentary on The Zionist Conspiracy, expressed dismay over the decision to keep him on, saying, "I'm upset because I came to work with Joe Schick and I'm having to stay and work with someone not named Joe Schick. Steve Brizel is a Giants phan and I just don't like Giants phans."
Orthomom, the agent for jetsphan, added that her client "is grossly unhappy with the situation."
"We expect jetsphan to fulfill the terms of his contract," Blogway maintained.
During Schick's tenure, which began on May 8, 2003, 901 posts appeared on The Zionist Conspiracy. It is not yet known whether he will pursue other blogging opportunities.
posted on 2/03/2006
