North Andover Mass. paper says NFL lockout ending

It depends on how, if at all, it is qualified. "Could be ending" "Might be ending..." then he's fine.

If he's writing that it's over and he's wrong, he should be canned, and so should the editor that let him write it.

If he's right, then he will ride that scoop to his next job.

A few years ago, Greg Bedard, who was in his first or second year as the primary guy on the Dolphins beat for Palm Beach, wrote that Saban had agreed to a deal and would be leaving the Dolphins for Alabama. Everybody thought he was insane. Then a week in, he wrote what the contract would be for. And everybody thought he was even more insane. I remember talking to one of the other Dolphins beat writers at the time and he said, "He's going to ruin his career over this story."

Well, every aspect of the story was proved to be true, including the amount of money that the contract was for. It's hardly a coincidence that Greg is at the Boston Globe now, after a couple years in Milwaukee.

If you're going to write a story like this, you better be right.

 

He's been at the Eagle-Tribune since 1983. So true or not, neither of these will happen.

 

I hope he's right.

 

Also a few years ago, Bob Glauber wrote that "an arbitrator is expected to rule later today that Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens' suspension will be reduced to one or two games, and that he will immediately be reinstated." There was no possible way Bob Glauber could have known this unless he talked to the arbitrator himself or saw the written decision. He was wrong. He still works at Newsday.

 

Sometimes the story is right, but it changes. I think that was the case with Glauber. Sometimes writers are intentionally misled by sources. Sometimes sources are wrong.

If that's the case, then obviously they should not be fired.

My guess is he has a source who has told him that it's close to ending. A good writer and a good editor would have qualified it.

I hope this guy is right and ESPN hires him.

 

Burt's a great guy, as are most of the guys at the paper. Can't say that same about that jackass Hector Longo, though.

 

Man, PFT blasted him good. Not that anyone would really take notice, but they'd look pretty silly too if he's right.

 

PFT says the story has been changed. I haven't seen an older cached version or anything but assume that's true....what are the implications? At my paper if something on-line is changed it gets a footnote like correction "this story has been changed to relflect blah blah blah." I imagine most others have a similar policy?

And Burt is the sports editor. So you wonder who's checking his stuff? Vetting the story etc.

 

This is the same Eagle-Tribune that, in the early 90s, broke the stories over Alan Eagleson's embezzlement of NHL players' pension funds, right? Russ Conway was the reporter on the series (think he was the sports editor then). I'm almost positive that was the same paper. If so, maybe this story is not so far-fetched. I hope it's true, just to stick it to these so-called experts.

 

The story says they are close to a deal and that some players and coaches have already been contacted about coming back to work next week. I don't see how that needs qualification or a CYA. He's not saying the deal is done. I would think "close to an agreement" still includes the possibility of the deal falling apart.

Now, I guess it depends on what the story said before, if it was indeed changed.

 

The real trick now is finding those players and coaches who reportedly have been contacted and getting one or more of them to talk.

 

So you got a seat at Central Catholic when he didn't?