Oklahoma State coach Gundy blasts Oklahoman columnist

[HeinekenMan]

You know, considering how easily Gene Wojo found the QB's mother, I'm wondering why Carlson didn't attempt to do the same thing. I'd imagine the mother's "availability" (God, I hate that word) is more than once a week.

I also continue to be stupefied by the Oklahoman's handling of this. Carlson said she wants to move on, but I just checked the website, and she hasn't written a column since the Tuesday bumbled folo-column. I mean, have her write a column about anything else.

One other thing, while I'm thinking of it. Jemele Hill has been blasted on this board, sometimes justifiably, sometimes not, but she comes on occasionally to defend/explain herself. Does anyone else wonder why Carlson hasn't done the same thing? She's got to know there are 35 pages of posts about her.

I think it's pretty obvious that Carlson is a big wimp. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that she's taken a few days off. She's probably being fed grapes in Maui right now, or maybe even chicken.

 

[Ira_Schoffel]

Don't know Matt James from Jesse James (probably my East Coast bias), but this guy freakin' nails it. Sweet spot of the bat, and it goes 500 feet. Well done.

http://www.fresnobee.com/columnists/james/story/149593.html

 

[HeinekenMan]

Jemele's column is insightful. But I'm not sure I get her point. Is she saying it's okay for professionals to act like school children because some drunken fans are doing so?

 

[wannabeu]

Don't know Matt James from Jesse James (probably my East Coast bias), but this guy freakin' nails it. Sweet spot of the bat, and it goes 500 feet. Well done.

http://www.fresnobee.com/columnists/james/story/149593.html

You're right, that was good. Anyone want to send that to Carlson?

 

[Ike Broflovski]

You know, considering how easily Gene Wojo found the QB's mother, I'm wondering why Carlson didn't attempt to do the same thing.

'Hello Mrs Reid, this is (anyone) from ESPN.....'

Separate question: Is this story just absurdly overblown, or is the fervor completely justified?

First, 21, I'd think Momma Reid would take a phone call from the Oklahoman. She surely knows by now that's the big newspaper that covers OSU.

As for the separate question: You really asked two separate questions. The answer to the first question, obviously, is yes. But I can understand the fervor. This story has several interesting elements, many of which have been covered here -- the volatility and timing of his rant, the fact that she's a woman, tactics used by coaches and reporters, parent-athlete relationships (i.e., chicken-feeding), whether a college athlete should be subject to the same kind of criticism a pro faces, etc. Jemele's column was good -- how many people who are now ripping into Carlson ripped into Reid a few weeks ago?

Again, Carlson's column was inadequately reported. But she also blew it in another way. She could have taken all the "tiled-up" rumors and innuendo about Reid, and asked the coach, the QB and the mother about them, and might have gotten a pretty good column in which she could have portrayed, with a certain amount of sensitivity, what a benched major-college quarterback is going through. She would have covered the same ground, but with a completely different perspective. She probably would have gotten much better stuff, too. Sadly, it doesn't look like she has the skills to do that.

 

[Ike Broflovski]

Ira: Thanks for passing along the Matt James link. You're right -- he swatted it out.

 

[wannabeu]

You know, considering how easily Gene Wojo found the QB's mother, I'm wondering why Carlson didn't attempt to do the same thing.

'Hello Mrs Reid, this is (anyone) from ESPN.....'

Separate question: Is this story just absurdly overblown, or is the fervor completely justified?

First, 21, I'd think Momma Reid would take a phone call from the Oklahoman. She surely knows by now that's the big newspaper that covers OSU.

As for the separate question: You really asked two separate questions. The answer to the first question, obviously, is yes. But I can understand the fervor. This story has several interesting elements, many of which have been covered here -- the volatility and timing of his rant, the fact that she's a woman, tactics used by coaches and reporters, parent-athlete relationships (i.e., chicken-feeding), whether a college athlete should be subject to the same kind of criticism a pro faces, etc. Jemele's column was good -- how many people who are now ripping into Carlson ripped into Reid a few weeks ago?

Again, Carlson's column was inadequately reported. But she also blew it in another way. She could have taken all the "tiled-up" rumors and innuendo about Reid, and asked the coach, the QB and the mother about them, and might have gotten a pretty good column in which she could have portrayed, with a certain amount of sensitivity, what a benched major-college quarterback is going through. She would have covered the same ground, but with a completely different perspective. She probably would have gotten much better stuff, too. Sadly, it doesn't look like she has the skills to do that.

I also think the sports editors at The Oklahoman should be blasted as well. Having known their sports editor for numerous years at various papers, (Mike Sherman) loves the controversy. I think that's a big reason why they let this kind of column come out. He likes getting things stirred up, although I don't think he expected it this much. Their editors blew it my letting that kind of tabloid column get onto the front page. They could have stopped it and had her write a clearer and better prepared column.

 

[shotglass]

One other thing, while I'm thinking of it. Jemele Hill has been blasted on this board, sometimes justifiably, sometimes not, but she comes on occasionally to defend/explain herself. Does anyone else wonder why Carlson hasn't done the same thing? She's got to know there are 35 pages of posts about her.

Ike, I don't think appearances on SportsJournalists.com are part of the "required" circuit. Maybe you're making this message board a little more powerful than it really it is.

 

[IU90]

Speaking of Jemele Hill ... now she has weighed in.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/070927&sportCat=ncf

I'm not getting her overriding point. Is she suggesting its OK for a journalist to put out crap like this because there are some football fans out there who are even meaner? Or that journalists who write and discuss sports as their vocation should be held to a comparable standard as the drunken yahoo letting off some sports-related steam as a Saturday avocation? This piece does not seem fully developed to me.

 

[Lester Bangs]

Agreed that more heat needs to go to the desk here. How in the hell did that thing not only get in, but get THAT kind of play. They played it like the scoop of the century.

 

[wannabeu]

Agreed that more heat needs to go to the desk here. How in the hell did that thing not only get in, but get THAT kind of play. They played it like the scoop of the century.

It was a bad play overall by the entire Oklahoman sports staff. Bad writing and reporting by Carlson and bad lack of editing by the sports editors/desk. I'm glad I don't have them as my editors because I know mine have saved me a few times. I don't think they would have let me pass that column off and look like a fool. But I think sometimes that happens when a writer who is one of the best at The Oklahoman (which isn't saying much) writes something, sometimes people take it for granted that it's good and they don't read and edit it as closely.

 

[Lester Bangs]

Agreed that more heat needs to go to the desk here. How in the hell did that thing not only get in, but get THAT kind of play. They played it like the scoop of the century.

It was a bad play overall by the entire Oklahoman sports staff. Bad writing and reporting by Carlson and bad lack of editing by the sports editors/desk. I'm glad I don't have them as my editors because I know mine have saved me a few times. I don't think they would have let me pass that column off and look like a fool. But <b>I think sometimes that happens when a writer who is one of the best at The Oklahoman (which isn't saying much) writes something, sometimes people take it for granted that it's good and they don't read and edit it as closely.</b>

Wow, if anyone at The Oklahoman is reading this and not offended by then something is wrong. If that's really the culture ... this airplane crash could have happened to just about anybody.

 

[waynew]

Been off the board, working all day. Saw a comment a few pages back saying only the "lunatic fringe" would get worked up about a column like carlson's and call or email their displeasure.

I think it's quite the opposite. The "lunatic fringe" eats that stuff up and has no problem with it. That column would have been weak if it were a bulletin board post by a fan.

The middle of the road fan, in my opinion, thinks a column like that -- and the trend that sports journalism is taking -- is b.s.

There's your disconnect.

And the head-in-the-sand shot tells it perfectly.

How are things going to have a shot at turning around? Not by being MORE like the Internet and bulletin boards, etc ...

 

[ADifferentOkie]

So, now, Gundy is lying. And the mom is lying. And the readers are idiots for not realizing that the esteemed Jenni Carlson -- Ms. Tiled Up On The Sly -- is the sole holder of the truth.

You know, there may be more truth to this than you realize.
Who gains the most out of lying here -- Gundy and Reid's mom, or Carlson?
Who do you think tells the truth more often -- college coaches or journalists

Totally unrelated, but also want to add that people keep saying Carlson should have had a quote from the QB coach. That's Gundy.

 

[Moderator1]

You know, considering how easily Gene Wojo found the QB's mother, I'm wondering why Carlson didn't attempt to do the same thing.

'Hello Mrs Reid, this is (anyone) from ESPN.....'

Separate question: Is this story just absurdly overblown, or is the fervor completely justified?

21, absurdly understates it.
It's Thursday already. Enough (not from us or this thread, I mean in general).
There was no crime committed. Coach didn't like column, coach lost his ****. BFD.

 

[waynew]

where's that head-in-the-sand photo? insert here.

 

[shotglass]

I beg your pardon?

 

[IGotQuestions]

waynew, regarding your comment about direction of sports writing is headed, I disagree. Reporting and writing today is far better than it was 30, 20 even 10 years ago, excluding Carlson's column.

 

[waynew]

I think it's better ... and worse. At it's highest level, it's better. But there's a lot more junk -- a LOT more -- out there. The carlson column was junk.

 

[Gator]

can anyone give me the link to jenni carlson's followup column?