Did Spanier simply contact NYT to throw Paterno under the bus?

There's a tweet on Huffington Post's live Penn State blog that says Spanier called the NYT yesterday and was the source for the paper's news that Paterno will be gone. In reading yesterday's NYT story, Spanier was mostly given a pass, and the "source" also said Paterno knew a lot more about this situation than he let on.

If this true about Spanier calling the NYT, it raises some interesting questions.

Does it take away from the "get" by the NYT? Not really in-depth reporting, just answering a call from a president trying to cover his own ass.

Was it irresponsible of the NYT to run with this information, considering it was likely just an attempt by Spanier to get attention off of him? I mean, it wasn't exactly earth-shattering news than an 84 yr old coach won't be back anyway, especially considering the circumstances.

And was it irresponsible for the pennlive blog to essentially rat out another media outlet's anonymous source?

 

The President of a university, however embattled, is to be considered a pretty reliable source regarding the employment status of the football coach.

 

No. I'm sure the reporters cultivated him as a source in the past. This is why you cultivate sources. So when the time comes, they'll tip you off and all you have to do is be there to answer the phone.

 

"Beware of men carrying axes on their first post."

--ancient Internet proverb

 

I wonder what's tubey's job at Huffington Post is.

 

Spanier comes off as a real stand-up guy...geesh. Hope he gets all that's coming his way.

 

Sometimes scoops fall into your lap.

 

Oh, Good Lord. Do some research. One of the members of the PSU board of trustees, David Jones, is a former managing editor of the New York Times.

 

Huh. That seems like the kind of thing the nyt usually mentions in a full disclosure kind of way.

 

No way. Not if he's not working for them currently.