Whitlock done all around ESPN

[loveyabye]

He writes about it here:

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/15607195.htm

 

[Chi City 81]

Re: Whitlock done all through ESPN

Good for you, J-Dub. Glad you kept your integrity.

 

[Ralph Waldo Henderson]

I've had my issues with Jason but I never doubted his integrity, and this re-inforces that. If you're being employed to voice your opinions, but your employeer (even on an independent contractor basis) won't let you have certain opinions, then there's no use. Good for Jason. Another reason to dislike ESPN, another reason to feel confident that real journalism still exists.

 

[Songbird]

Good read.

 

[Tom_Brinkman01]

Whitlock was unwatchable subbing in on PTI and the Rome show, but I have a newfound respect for him after reading the blog interview. Good stuff.

 

[sportschick]

I don't necessarily like Whitlock the poster, but Whitlock the columnist has my respect for this.

 

[Mystery_Meat]

Nice stuff. But I gotta admit to liking this:

And I have zero tolerance for when people try to censor my ability to state fair opinions.

Amen. The rides break down too much, the fried oreos aren't worth seven bucks and the 4-H Hall is a SERIOUS letdown.

 

[DyePack]

He'll be back at ESPN before Bush is out of office.

 

[DyePack]

Nice stuff. But I gotta admit to liking this:

And I have zero tolerance for when people try to censor my ability to state fair opinions.

Amen. The rides break down too much, the fried oreos aren't worth seven bucks and the 4-H Hall is a SERIOUS letdown.

Whitlock's state fair is a great state fair. But the rest of us would rather see The Moon Is Blue.

 

[ballscribe]

Let's be clear, though. He was the dumpee in terms of the other TV commitments, not the dumper. His earlier posts suggested that he thought the page 2 column and the other appearances were separate and distinct, if I remember correctly.

However, knowing what he knows about how think-skinned the worldwide leader is, he had to know that the opinions expressed in that interview would get back to them, and likely lead to what has happened. He didn't back down from those opinions, and accepted the consequences.

Sounds like rather grownup behavior to me.

 

[Mystery_Meat]

Nice stuff. But I gotta admit to liking this:

And I have zero tolerance for when people try to censor my ability to state fair opinions.

Amen. The rides break down too much, the fried oreos aren't worth seven bucks and the 4-H Hall is a SERIOUS letdown.

Whitlock's state fair is a great state fair. But the rest of us would rather see The Moon Is Blue.

And that's why you don't give out anti-anxiety placebos to just anybody.

 

[Point of Order]

Dear Whitlock,
Much respect. I applaud you.

 

[Angola!]

The comments section under the blog is downright hilarious. Especially the person that can't figure out the usage of the word "it's".

 

[JCT89]

Major kudos to Whitlock on this one. Most people would not have had the balls to make the comments he made in that blog interview and to write this article. I have newfound respect for Mr. Whitlock.

 

[HoopsMcCann]

very strong, jason, very strong

 

[mpcincal]

<<I told the blog that Lupica and Joe Valerio, the producer of "The Sports Reporters," had become disenchanted with me because I would not join in the crusade to portray Barry Bonds as the baseball anti-Christ. I'm not a Bonds fan and don't think all that much of his recent accomplishments. But a life spent competing in sports and writing about sports has made me uninterested in pretending that Bonds is the real villain in the steroids mess. And I have zero tolerance for when people try to censor my ability to state fair opinions.>>

This passage is something that really puzzles me. I mean, if you're running a panelists-type show with much discussion abou the hot topics of the day, wouldn't you welcome a dissenting opinion from one of the panelists, which would ensure heated, maybe even volatile, debate. It sounds to me like the producers just wanted Whitlock to fall in lockstep with their opinion, and I don't think that would make for better TV.

Oh, and I echo the thought: Great column.

 

[Double J]

I don't necessarily like Whitlock the poster, but Whitlock the columnist has my respect for this.

Ditto. A great read.

 

[imjustagirl2]

Whitlock and I have had a spat or two on here, but THAT is how it's done.

Great work.

 

[Jones]

Gotta say, this makes ESPN look very bad.

Also, if you are a reporter and The Big Lead asks you for an interview, just know that you have a twenty-five percent chance of being fired, based on current statistics.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Impressive. But I can't quit you, Whitlock! I'll follow you to AOL.