Paul Toboni grew up in San Francisco reading the Chronicle every morning. He\u2019d wake up, pull out the Sporting Green, and read it with his brothers and sisters. Bruce Jenkins. Scott Ostler. Susan Slusser. Ann Killion. Those writers shaped how he understood sports, and he felt connected to them in a way that only a daily newspaper can create.<\/p>\n
So when the Nationals president of baseball operations opened a video call with media this week, he knew exactly what Washington sports fans were about to lose.<\/p>\n
\u201cI could not imagine a day of opening up the San Francisco Chronicle and the Sporting Green not being there,\u201d Toboni said. \u201cI feel for all the DC sports fans \u2014 kids, adults alike \u2014 that this coming week they\u2019re going to open up the Washington Post and there not be a sports section.\u201d<\/p>\n
Washington #Nationals<\/a> president of baseball ops Paul Toboni opened a video call with media bemoaning loss of the Post sports department and ball writers Andrew Golden, Spencer Nusbaum, Chelsea Janes and Barry Svrluga, while noting the San Francisco Chronicle\u2019s role in his youth. pic.twitter.com\/12Ldm1qpFT<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Gabe Lacques (@GabeLacques) February 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Toboni praised Nationals beat writers Andrew Golden and Spencer Nusbaum, along with Chelsea Janes and Barry Svrluga, calling out each of them by name. He\u2019s only been in Washington a short time, but long enough to understand what they brought to the job.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn\u2019t feel totally real,\u201d Toboni said. \u201cAnd I also feel for Andrew and Spencer and Chelsea and Barry and the incredible work they\u2019ve done. I\u2019ve only been here a short time, but I\u2019ve been really fortunate to get to know them and be a small part in understanding the professionalism with which they carry themselves and the incredible work they\u2019ve done. Whoever ends up picking up each and every one of them will be really lucky to have them within their doors.\u201d<\/p>\n The layoffs last week<\/a> eliminated roughly one-third of the Post\u2018s total staff<\/a>. Golden and Nusbaum lost their jobs. So did NFL reporters Tom Schad and Tashan Reed, Capitals beat writer Bailey Johnson, NBA writer Ben Golliver, columnist Candace Buckner, and a dozen others who covered Washington sports every day.<\/p>\n When the Wizards acquired Anthony Davis from the Mavericks in one of the biggest trades in franchise history, the same week, the Post\u2019s coverage consisted of a single AP wire story<\/a> that didn\u2019t appear on the website until more than seven hours after the trade broke.<\/p>\n That\u2019s what Washington sports coverage looks like now, and the reaction from around the city reflected how much the Post meant to the people it covered.<\/p>\n Commanders head coach Dan Quinn opened his press conference on Tuesday by acknowledging the end of the Post sports section and praising Schad, Reed, and Svrluga by name.<\/p>\n Dan Quinn opened his press conference by acknowledging the end of The Washington Post sports section and praising the work of @Tom_Schad<\/a>, @tashanreed<\/a> and @barrysvrluga<\/a>, among others.<\/p>\n \u2014 Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) February 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n