Pittsburgh Trib debacle

[WordMP]

So does sports editor Kevin Smith take the fall for wrong story on Steelers coaching situation or does the writer, Mike Prisuta? They completely whiffed, not only saying that Russ Grimm was offered the job but saying that he had accepted it. Foolish on both of their parts. I would think Smith is more at fault. Kudos to SI, ESPN and Fox Sports for nailing it down.

 

[Moderator1]

HAS it been nailed down?
I asked on the other thread if this was a heads-roll offense?

 

[Babs]

I have no opinion on whose head should roll, but just wanted to chip in that I've never been impressed by that sports section. Poor reporting, copy editing, confusing headlines, the whole bit.

 

[WordMP]

ESPN, SI and Fox Sports are all saying it is done, and the Post-Gazette also is confirming it. Trib still has Grimm story on front page of its Web site.

 

[DyePack]

I'm curious as to who the mystery source was.

Last time I'll give the T-R the benefit of the doubt. What a whopper.

 

[DyePack]

ESPN, SI and Fox Sports are all saying it is done, and the Post-Gazette also is confirming it. Trib still has Grimm story on front page of its Web site.

That's because the T-R is one of those ****tarded papers where the higher-ups think the paper just sort of puts itself out after 5 p.m. Friday.

That story will be on that site until at least midnight.

 

[outofplace]

Assuming Smith signed off on running the story, both he and Prisuta should take the hit for this one, though I wonder if the higher-ups pushed for them to have something whether they were really sure or not.

Most of it has to fall on Prisuta. Smith wasn't the one talking to the source. Prisuta was. He got fooled.

Also strikes me as interesting that there was nothing from the Trib's new Steelers' beat writer on this. They are still having to cover making such a late hire on a vitally important beat in that market. I doubt the guy has the connections to even be a player on this story.

 

[cougargirl]

I'm eager to see how and where exactly the dust settles on this one. Right now it's plenty of finger-pointing and who-dun-it. If, in fact, the new Steelers coach is Mike Tomlin and not Russ Grimm. If it's Tomlin, I wonder if Prisuta was ordered by the higher-ups to run with a tip write the story simply for posterity's sake - so the Trib could convince themselves that they were keeping up with the Joneses (see: PG vs. Trib on the Penguins beat).

 

[WordMP]

Trib took story off Web site and now it is nowhere to be found. No comment from the paper either.

 

[DyePack]

Trib took story off Web site and now it is nowhere to be found. No comment from the paper either.

Wow, those bastards just live to prove me wrong this weekend.

 

[HejiraHenry]

Well, looks like thay played all in ...

 

[WordMP]

AP has it as done deal now, too. Not a good day for the careers of Kevin Smith or Mike Prisuta

 

[Dude]

Kevin Gorman of the Trib is on a local Sunday night round-table sports show now. They asked him what happened with the Grimm story and he claimed the Steelers changed their minds and did a 180 in one day and offered the job to Tomlin.

So basically the Trib is throwing the Steelers under the bus on this.

 

[WordMP]

I don't think the Rooneys have a history of changing their minds.

 

[Write-brained]

It'll be interesting to see how the paper addresses it tomorrow.

By the way, here's a blog (gasp) that summarizes the events pretty well: http://thepojodojo.blogspot.com/2007/01/steeler-saga-continues-chris-mortenson.html

 

[Write-brained]

As far as who's head rolls, it really depends. The reporter is definitely in hot water, unless he can prove that the team really changed its mind. Editor's have a bit more cushion. They can always just blame it on the reporter, even though he was probably whipping the reporter for a story. Editors seem to get away with that more often than not.

 

[cougargirl]

Kevin Gorman of the Trib is on a local Sunday night round-table sports show now. They asked him what happened with the Grimm story and he claimed the Steelers changed their minds and did a 180 in one day and offered the job to Tomlin.

So basically the Trib is throwing the Steelers under the bus on this.

I'm not buying Gorman's company line.

For some more insight, check this one out:

http://www.voy.com/158430/

 

[Dude]

Kevin Gorman of the Trib is on a local Sunday night round-table sports show now. They asked him what happened with the Grimm story and he claimed the Steelers changed their minds and did a 180 in one day and offered the job to Tomlin.

So basically the Trib is throwing the Steelers under the bus on this.

I'm not buying Gorman's company line.

For some more insight, check this one out:

http://www.voy.com/158430/

Interestingly enough, after Gorman gave the explanation, the host asked him, "So that's what happened?"

Gorman, "That's what I was told."

Not word-for-word. But I'm paraphrasing.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

Bet my car against yours that nothing happens within that department.

 

[Dude]

I'd be surprised too if something happened. The publisher doesn't give a **** about sports.