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Terry Foster: "The News wanted me to cover Pistons full time. It conflicted with my radio career."
On a newsy Friday in Detroit sports media, here's another roster change:
Veteran Detroit News sportswriter Terry Foster leaves the paper in five weeks. He came aboard 27 years ago.
He announces the Christmas week departure on social media, saying he'll accept an early retirement buyout offer. "I really enjoyed the run," the newsman says on Facebook.
"I thought this would be a sad day or time," the 56-year-old columnist tweets. "But I'm really happy and looking forward to new adventures."
The reason is partly beat-related:
The ground work for this was The News wanted me to cover Pistons full time. It conflicted with my radio career. I was mad at first but
— Terry Foster (@TerryFoster971) November 20, 2015
no longer. No ill will. After a long talk with the wife,who settled me, I realize this is best for me and my family.
— Terry Foster (@TerryFoster971) November 20, 2015
The Pistons were his first beat at The News from 1988-94.
He has covered Super Bowls, World Series, NBA finals, Stanley Cup finals, the 1996 Summer Olympics and Wimbledon, his Wikipedia page says
The newsman plans to stay with "The Valenti and Foster Show," a 2-6 p.m. weekday sports talk radio gig on WXYT 97.1 FM, "until Mike grows tired of me or I can no longer speak. Or until I say a dirty word on air and am fired."
The same morning as Foster drops his news, the Detroit Lions announce a switch from 97.1 to WJR as their game broadcaster -- partly, if not largely, because Valenti and the station resist team efforts to tone down on-air criticism.
► Our coverage: Mike Valenti Lashes Out at 'Petty, Juvenile, Nasty' Lions Over Dumping 97.1
In tweet exchanges with well-wishers, Foster quips: "I did apply for Lions general manager. But I do not think that will happen." On a more substantive and serious note, he assures followers he's free to work wherever he wants and can speak freely:
"There is no non-compete clause and no gag orders. I can blog or say anything I want."
Foster, a native Detroiter who turns 57 in three months, lives in West Bloomfield. He graduated in 1981 from Central Michigan University. Before joining The News in 1988, he worked for five years at the Detroit Free Press (covering Macomb County high school sports) and 16 months at the Grand Rapids Press -- a kind of farm team for his rise to the majors.
Among online tributes is this from 97.1 on-air colleague Danny Leach
Thanks to the great Terry Foster for 27 years of tremedous writing wizardry. We are all better people for reading your great work over the years and I, for one, am tremendously grateful to know you, my man. You inspired me as a youngster and still do every day!
Jim Verros, managing partner of Pegasus restaurant in Greektown, posts:
Congrats to Terry Foster. I will miss reading him in the Detroit News. Very few writers have stayed in tune with the Detroit fanbase throughout the years. The local "fish wrap" has lost a great one today.
