Friend of goEMAW Cole Manbeck leaving the Mercury/Journalism in general

[Kat Kid]

http://colemanbeck.wordpress.com/2012/07/03/thank-you-and-good-bye/

Another huge loss to the K-State beat.  Austin and Kellis will have some big shoes to fill.  Cole, it has been a pleasure getting to know you.  You have been generous with your time, your words and your column space and you have gone above and beyond to get embedded in the beat.  It is sad to see you go, especially under these circumstances.  Not to be too conspiratorial, but sometimes it makes you wonder if Cole got "too close" to the truth re: Currie.  Anyway, you will always be welcome back here and good luck in your future endeavors.

Cole's goodbye in his own words:

Thank you and good bye
by colemanbeck

Leaving the Manhattan Mercury has been an extremely difficult decision. Leaving the journalism field as a whole has arguably been the toughest decision I’ve ever faced, but it was a decision I needed to make. In two weeks, my time with The Mercury will be finished as I have accepted a job in Kansas City. I will still free-lance whenever I get the opportunity to, but outside of that, I won’t be a full-time writer anymore.

I will undoubtedly miss the industry and the people I’ve worked alongside for the past three years. First, I’d like to thank my editor Josh Kinder. I was fresh out of college, and he worked tirelessly to get me hired full time at the Mercury. I was incredibly lucky to be afforded such an opportunity. Here I was, a 22-year old right out of Kansas State who was given a tremendous opportunity to cover K-State athletics. It was a dream come true and I will be forever grateful for it.

There are so many memories. As crazy as it sounds, my favorite memory is the trip to Salt Lake City with Josh for the third and fourth rounds of the NCAA tournament. What a fun ride that season was. That ride to Salt Lake, not so much. We hit a blizzard, got snowed in at a Holiday Inn in Wyoming, which jacked its rates up knowing we couldn’t leave. We woke up at 5 a.m. the next day knowing the snow had stopped for hours and figured the roads were open. After all, we had a press conference that afternoon to make in Salt Lake. When we went to leave, the hotel receptionist told us the roads weren’t open. We proceeded to argue with her how ridiculous it was that they still weren’t open. Hours later, when we finally did get on the road, we learned why. We nearly flew off the icy road probably 50 times, encountered around a 1,000 semis all annoyingly attempting to pass each other at the same speed. And then after a couple of hours of driving, we encountered a massive wreck that shut the highway down, resulting in a lengthy delay. Josh hated Wyoming so much he searched online how to get a “I hate Wyoming t-shirt” and became one of four members on facebook to join the “Wyoming sucks” facebook group. But we made it to Utah the night before the game and took in some thrilling basketball games.It was a trip filled with laughs.

I will save you the expense of other stories and will wrap this up soon. I’d like to thank all of my colleagues I’ve gotten to know well in the industry — all of whom I consider friends. That includes: D. Scott Fritchen, Rob Cassidy, Tim Fitzgerald, Kellis Robinett, Austin Meek, Kevin Haskin — all writers I have an immense amount of respect for. I’d like to thank Manhattan Broadcasting employees Rob Voelker, John Kurtz, Matt Walters and Tyler Dreiling. I consider all four of them friends, and I would like to thank them for allowing me to be on the radio with them from time to time over the past three years. It was something I really enjoyed doing. I’d like to thank K-State sports information members Kenny Lannou, Tom Gilbert, Randy Peterson, Ryan Lackey and David Wiechmann for being a huge help to me during my time.

Finally, I would like to thank my fiancee, Vanessa, for being my backbone during all of this. The life of a journalist can be a crazy schedule, and she has put up with it over the past 18 months (as has our black labrador retriever, Maverick). Also, thank you to my parents as well as my future in-laws and my closest friends for all their support (you know who you are) and to all the coaches and administrators I’ve worked with.

When you get right down to it, I’m a really lucky guy. For the past three years I’ve gone to games for a living. I absolutely loved it. I will certainly miss it. But like I said, this is an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. It’s a new challenge and something I must take on. Remember, it’s not as if I’m moving to some inhabited land. I will only be a couple of hours away and will still be in Manhattan often.

Thanks for everything,

Cole

[Dr Rick Daris]

well that sucks. you know what would be great though? if cole started posting more.

[ben ji]

J-Mart, then Cassidy, now Manbeck.

Why cant we have nice things?

[WillieWatanabe]

well that sucks. you know what would be great though? if cole started posting more.

yes.

[Dugout DickStone]

well that sucks. you know what would be great though? if cole started posting more.

He said he would freelance.   

[slobber]

well that sucks. you know what would be great though? if cole started posting more.

He said he would freelance.   

Better not be on the jugosnyds crap.

[C_Manbeck]

Thanks guys for all the support.

[Dugout DickStone]

Thanks guys for all the support.

Now that you are in KC I will have to make good on my round of drinks offer.  pm me.  I will invite fanning and poonhound.

[slobber]

Thanks guys for all the support.

What are you moving on to? Always loved reading your stuff!

[mocat]

One time I saw Cole at a Mexican-themed fiesta in a friend's apartment at 135th and Metcalf. It was one of the highlights of the fiesta for me.

[C_Manbeck]

Thanks guys for all the support.

Now that you are in KC I will have to make good on my round of drinks offer.  pm me.  I will invite fanning and poonhound.

Haha sounds great, I will PM you as soon as I get settled in up there and we'll get together.

[Dugout DickStone]

Thanks guys for all the support.

Now that you are in KC I will have to make good on my round of drinks offer.  pm me.  I will invite fanning and poonhound.

Haha sounds great, I will PM you as soon as I get settled in up there and we'll get together.

 

[Dugout DickStone]

PS.

Now is the time to spill absolutely every piece of dirt imaginable about our AD, coaches, other schools, Frank, Currie, Bob Strawn, Weird Robert, Willie, the Band, Wefald, Wally Judge and anyone else.

PM us and we will make certain it isn't linked to you.

[slobber]

I think this site just got a new guest writer/insider interviewer.

[wes mantooth]

Thanks guys for all the support.

Now that you are in KC I will have to make good on my round of drinks offer.  pm me.  I will invite fanning and poonhound.

 

[Dugout DickStone]

Thanks guys for all the support.

Now that you are in KC I will have to make good on my round of drinks offer.  pm me.  I will invite fanning and poonhound.

 

I thought you and poonhound do not get along at all.   

[wes mantooth]

Thanks guys for all the support.

Now that you are in KC I will have to make good on my round of drinks offer.  pm me.  I will invite fanning and poonhound.

 

I thought you and poonhound do not get along at all.   

oops, thought you said poonlagoon 

[j rake]

proves once again that the kansas state beat is a "stepping stone" rather than a destination job.

did the mercury "move heaven and earth" to keep you cole?

[ZmoneyKSU]

proves once again that the kansas state beat is a "stepping stone" rather than a destination job.

did the mercury "move heaven and earth" to keep you cole?

Stepping stone? Us?????? I'm shocked, utterly shocked.

[wes mantooth]

proves once again that the kansas state beat is a "stepping stone" rather than a destination job.

did the mercury "move heaven and earth" to keep you cole?

you can kindly gfy jrake

[steve dave]

Man, this one hurts.  Good luck with everything Cole.

[420seriouscat69]

Will be greatly missed, LSOC make this KC PAK happen.

[Stevesie60]

Currie didn't allow Leavitt to come here. Then he forced Frank out. Then he forced Cassidy out. And now he's forcing Cole "2 Cats" Manbeck out. When will it end?

[8manpick]

Currie didn't allow Leavitt to come here. Then he forced Frank out. Then he forced Cassidy out. And now he's forcing Cole "2 Cats" Manbeck out. When will it end?

 

[EMAWzified]

So is it true the Mercury still uses old word processors from the 1980s and that the elder Seaton has staff go on ebay to find so they can keep the dinosaurs running?