By Jeff Moss
DetroitSportsRag@GMail.com
December 4, 2015
AUBURN HILLS — I usually don’t insert datelines in my articles, but, since I just happen to be sitting mere feet from the Oakland University dormitories and the subject of this story is the Golden Grizzlies, I decided to make an exception.
Dateline Detroit reported on Friday that longtime Detroit News writer Terry Foster would soon be starting a new gig as Oakland University’s online basketball writer.
Yep, our favorite five-tool imbecile is back at it. Or as we like to call him …. the African-American Ralph Kramden. A man who has NEVER turned down a scheme anopportunity to make a few extra bucks.
But this new venture as the Tim Twentyman of Golden Grizzlies basketball might be the most humiliating side venture in a career chock-full of them. Plus it comes on the heels of Foster being forced into retirement by the News.
As the DSR has been reporting for a year now, the News was finally at a tipping point with the continued ridiculous employment of Foster — with his six-figure salary for doing next to nothing — while he also worked at 97.1-FM on his weekday radio program.
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The fact that Foster was earning a SALARY while he basically filled in as needed by writing illegible copy became extremely grating to others in the News sports department to the point where it allegedly developed into a morale issue**.
Because of the strong newspaper guild, Foster could not be fired. But the paper had a HUGE opening when Vincent Goodwill left the Pistons beat to shill in Chicago last December. The paper’s overlords informed Foster that he had to cover the Pistons, knowing full well that there was no chance he could do that gig AND continue to bloviate with Mike Valenti.
(** — It seems that Foster’s only ally in his battle with the paper was Bob Wojnowski and you can connect the dots on why Wojo would take a PERSONAL interest in this matter.)
Anyway, Foster tried to put off his inevitable decision to choose CBS Radio over the News for as long as possible, but finally accepted a buyout this month.
But you have to ask yourself, why in the hell would a man who worked for 27 years at the News accept an online shilling writing position for a lowly NCAA team in the HORIZON LEAGUE?
It’s the equivalent of playing three decades for the Tigers and, when you finally get kicked to the curb, you end up embarrassing yourself with the St. Cloud Saints of the Independent League.
Or maybe, just maybe, Foster is in desperate need to replace the income the News provided. (We all know that it’s been a rough year for Foster in the restaurant business.)
You might remember Foster trumpeting his new Eastside dining establishment last year ……
Well, coincidentally enough, the DAY the announcement was made that Foster would be accepting this gig at Oakland U., a reader supplied me with these photos of Mariachi’s Cantina’s front door …..
Yep, a delinquent tax bill of $6,579.81 accompanied by the Township of Chesterfield chain-locking the door to prevent anyone from gaining entrance.
Now, we have known that Mariachi’s Cantina (later known as Cactus Jack’s) has been out of business for months, but it was still hilarious to have these images sent to me within minutes of finding out about Foster’s new job covering Greg Kampe’s basketball team.
This is now his THIRD Macomb County business that Foster has witnessed go down in flames (after the demise of both Candy Express at Lakeside Mall and Foster’s Smokehouse in Fraser).
Which leads me to an inevitable question. Does Foster make so little at 97.1 that he has to constantly look for these get-rich-quick schemes? For fuck’s sake, he once tried to weasel his way into the DSR as my partner with a harebrained scheme to make this a Metro Times-esque weekly newspaper.
The man is co-host of the most popular sports talk radio program in the history of the genre in Detroit and yet he continues to latch onto any opportunity to put a few extra bucks in his pocket.
You’d think if you were part of the highest rated PM drive show in Detroit you wouldn’t have to juggle all of these other side projects, but I am guessing CBS Radio views Foster as expendable and Valenti as the key component of the program. Which is probably why Valenti doesn’t have to show up for the show on Black Friday while Foster does.
And let me break down the absolute desperation of Foster when he went into these other ventures. His partner on both Foster’s Closedhouse and Mankind’s Mexican Horror Show was a gentleman named Ryan Thierry.
You might remember Thierry from a DSR article detailing his alleged choke-slamming of an audio/video contractor at Foster’s.
Well, that wasn’t Thierry’s only brush with the police. Based on the DSR’s research, we found five arrests for operating a vehicle while impaired!!!!!
FIVE!!!!!!
- 9/18/1993 – Operated While Impaired By Liquor (Mount Clemens/41st District Court)
- 1/28/1998 – Operated While Impaired By Liquor (Harper Woods)
- 6/14/2001 – Operated Under the Influence of Liquor (Mount Clemens/41st District Court)
- 1/19/2003 – Combined Oper Under Inf Liq/Unlawful Bodily Alc Content (.10) (Eastpointe)
- 11/7/2006 – Operating While Intoxicated (Romeo)
So Foster decided to go into the BAR business with a habitual drunk driver. Huh? Didn’t want to partner up with Lary Sorensen? Was the ex-pitcher and former WDFN employee not a big fan of either brisket or margaritas?
Can you imagine going into the liquor service business with a man who has THAT rap sheet? A reader of the DSR informed me that Thierry coached his son’s hockey team and Thierry couldn’t even get into Canada because of the laundry list of DUIs.
What’s Foster’s next business endeavor going to be, selling crock pots with members of ISIS?
Holy piss.
Would anyone be surprised if the next thing this guy attempts to do is use his Twitter and Instagram feeds as an advertising tool …….
I will provide Michigan State tweets tonight brought to you by Bob’s Cupcake Shoppe. Man that place is sweet
— Terry Foster (@TerryFoster971) December 6, 2015
Too late!!!!!