Upon the announcement early last May that Vince Doria had been singled out by his sports editor colleagues with their highest honor, the Red Smith Award, a former writer for Doria, Leigh Montville, penned a poignant piece about his old boss in Sports Illustrated. Montville wrote in part of the man he worked for at The Boston Globe, and who now oversees ESPN's news operation: "He ... had an ear and appreciation for good writing and a wonderful sense of what was news and what wasn't."I trust that Montville, who I came to know as a cub reporter for the Globe's city desk in the early '80s, wrote about Doria's nose for news in the past tense only because he was recalling their times together. But in the wake of what transpired -- or didn't -- at ESPN the past few days, I wondered for at least a moment.
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For the E this week in ESPN -- a hand that feeds me, too -- came to stand for error. The biggest purveyor of sports news and entertainment in the world erred in not deciding to report until Wednesday night what had been news -- big news -- since it started leaking out of Nevada last weekend: A female employee at Harrah's Lake Tahoe casino last Friday filed a lawsuit against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Harrah's management, charging that Roethlisberger raped her in 2008 and casino executives covered it up.
That was news. Still is. There have been developments from it almost every day since then. The latest twist was that police would not open a criminal investigation into the accuser's story.
This site has reported the developments as has every other sports Web site worth its scoreboard, including the Associated Press, whose sports association, the Associated Press Sports Editors, honored Doria in person at its luncheon last month in Pittsburgh.
Like a number of reporters stupefied by the conspicuous absence of the Roethlisberger bombshell on the preeminent sports news site, I queried Doria about his decision. It was explained to me Wednesday evening by a spokesman for Doria, Mac Nwulu, with whom I've broken bread, that the network was concerned about impugning someone's character by reporting on a civil lawsuit that made such a heinous charge despite not being tied to a criminal complaint. He told me the network also considered the accused's otherwise spotless history and the fact that the accused hadn't yet spoken publicly about the allegation.
That was noble but it should not have added up to what was nothing less than censorship. A better answer would have been that ESPN was attempting to verify the veracity of charge but hadn't yet done so. But even then that would not be reason to ignore reporting on a legal filing, civil or otherwise. I recall my days on the cop beat combing through the night's final police reports looking for the names of the rich and famous, or public figures. That's Roethlisberger.
Nwulu explained that ESPN from time to time has treated Roethlisberger-like situations differently. He pointed out that the network did not originally report a civil suit several years ago against Michael Vick alleging that he'd spread a sexual disease and sought treatment under the alias Ron Mexico. On the other hand, the network did report an alleged groping incident against Mike Tyson because of Tyson's prior conviction as a sex offender.
[The] E this week in ESPN -- a hand that feeds me, too -- came to stand for error. That doesn't wash. Such decision making raises more questions and the network unnecessarily puts itself in a questionable light by doing so. Did ESPN hold off on Roethlisberger because he was scheduled to appear Friday for a shooting of Shaquille O'Neal's new reality TV series on ESPN's parent, ABC? Did it cut Big Ben a break because he hired one-time ESPN legal analyst David Cornwell, a friend of mine, to represent him? Did it ease up on the Super Bowl hero to keep in his good favor for some exclusive access during the season? Does this prove that the network cuts white athletes some slack while dragging black athletes who sustain similar charges through the mud?
There was a time when those of us in the news business were both judge and jury of what the public would come to know. We decided on our own what you needed to know. I wish those times still existed because I believe we possess the best tools, especially intellectually, to determine as much.
But the internet has changed much of that. We watch the gate rather than keep it and sometimes, like with Roethlisberger, we have to report when something goes through it. ESPN realized as much way too late.
"Based on the sensitive nature of the story and other factors we mentioned, we initially exercised caution and did not report it," ESPN said in statement. "Since then, we've been observing how the story has progressed, monitoring other news outlets, and doing our own reporting. We decided to report the story tonight [Wednesday]."
Nwulu told me later: "We made this decision because we feel it is the right thing to do. We know not everybody will agree with the decision, just like not everyone agreed with our decision not to report it in the first place."
ESPN shouldn't stop there. Starting Thursday morning it needs to toss out its case-by-case system for reporting such news, no matter how sensitive the news may seem. Just like some ESPN commentators suggested earlier this week of baseball's instant replay rules after the crazy ending to the Twins-A's game Monday night, ESPN's reporting standards need to be amended. I bet the old Vince Doria would see that.
Follow me on Twitter: @ProfBlackistone
Comments (Page 1 of 3)
I'm a 33 yr old white male, and I see alot wrong with the way this was handled. I'm afraid that had it been McNabb, who has a good character, had the same charges brought against him, it would have been on the network the day the report came out. ESPN made a bad decision by letting this story slide as long as it did.
josho:
You've got to be kidding. Blackistone compares Big Ben to Michael Vick and Mike Tyson.
He's out of his mind!
I call bu11sh1t to your theory. The networks never mention ALL of Charles Barkleys racist comments about how he hates white people(he said it) but is never mentioned with his name and all the other racially tinged stuff he has said or bigoted comments towards other segments of soceity.I say if Charles Barkley were White,that is all we woud ever hear. Am i right? YES they give black athletes breaks a lot. Fuzzy Zoeller anyone? I don't even know what the guy looks like but til this day when I hear his name mentioned they almost always say his racist comments about Tiger. Double Standards much? I could combs through and find hundreds of Racial comments said by Football and BAseball Managers. Dusty Baker? You never hear of his comments Which he has made money stereotyping people. IF Dusty were a white Manager he might of been fired. So tell me about this Double Standard theory you have??? Bgi difference between KOBE and BEN stories. The lady just now made a civil case a year ater after there can be no evidence. She has not made a similar Criminal Charge I wonder why? I would but know just a civil one asking for $400,000. Anye explanation that even a distraught person would not after they collected themselves a year lady woudn't make criminal charges? BULLSH 1T YOU know and I know the story stinks. She says she didnt report it to anyone but then says that they covered it up? hmmmm ???? HEY it hink if he did it rot in jail but the story has way way too many holes in it an convenient absence of any type of evidence 1 year later. What a break for her now NO-ONE can dispute her story with forensic evidence huh?what? That is the plan moron. I think you are racist towards me because i look different then you or you are just a bigot because I am from a different part of the country then you. STOP THE HATE BIGOT =D
Josho, your age, who cares. your gender , who cares. your race , who cares.
this is not about race ( Mc Nabb ) this is about a skank trying to blackmale Ben.
get over your self, it is not about you nor Mc Nabb.
are you serious? McNabb good character, did you read the news last week or what?
OHHHH i didn't everealize the guy that wrote it was KEVIN BLACKSTONE he is an admitted RACIST just from many of the stereotypical stuff he has said in MOST of his ARTICLES. THIS GUY IS A RACE BAITER and peope like him should not have kids as they will just continue the cycle of HATE he has for others.KEVIN you really should stop the hate dude,look in the mirror and say hey that guy might look different then me but I can't just HATE him because of the color of his skin. AT least try and get to know people before you hate them. AT least try and pretend you think of others as equals to you and not just as SECOND CLASS citizens which is your typical act. Damn if I would have seen your name i wouldn't have read it because after giving you 50 times to see if you would ever be fair on anythingyou have just cemented yourself as an angry bitter old guy that keeps his hate on his sleeve or in his pen or typewriter or keyboard as it is nowadays.
Oh yeah I remember when Kevin Wanted to string up or behead the Duke Players. Double Standards there much? Black Voices and every Article Written by Kevin and his buddies was about HOW those white devils and uch should be killed lcked away forever and how deinitely they were guilty and mainly it boiled down for them to the guys color and the coor of his accuser. I don't remember KEVIN Appoligizing to these guys that he helped ruin their lives? DID hesay my bad I shouldn't have judged them or even admit he did it because of his bigotries? NOPE NOPE AND NOPE and THE MEDIA barely touched on the subject... NOW ASK if they would have been so angry and wanting them lynched so much if the roles were reverse lets say like the beating of the guy in the JENNA SIX ,,,nope that guy deserved it but if the attackers roles were reverse we would have seen a march on jenna..OHH WAIT WE DID and it wasn't outragesd at the racist attacks ,,,,,they just terrorized the townspeople and showed really how bigoted the NAACP and the marchers truley were, IT was as bad as the riots in LA where they pulled the guy out of the 19 wheeler and people in the black community actually cheered (NOT ALL MIND you but too many to be just a few bad apples so it justshowed how much hatred was out there. SO SO SAD KEVIN I DON'T HATE you why do you have to hate so much...Ill even give you a hug if you will accept Some kind of therapy in your life and go to schools and teach tolerance for others and not to always attack with hes racist or looking for racism in everything because that just makes you the racist one. YES I am ranting been up all night its 530am and I know you sometimes read your stuff because you have actually emailed people out of here and attacked them personally when they called you out.So go ahead write another HATEFUL name calling email. I if I was as evil as you should have forwarded that Email to your bosses with all the bigotry and racial slurs and threats that you made. I am not evil like you and would never do that to anyone or WRITE and ARTICLE EVERYDAY ATTACKING others. IT takes a special kind of prick to spend your life attacking and hurting others like you do,all for the almighty $$$$ I might be venting now but Could never spew such hate everyday . Your kids and wife must really love being around you.
The comments on this story are about as racist as they can get. Instead of commenting about Ben Rothlisberger and the allegations against him, most of the respondents began attacking black athletes and sportswriters and saying how wonderful Rothlisberger is. When a black athlete is accused, he's guilty off-the-bat and is representative of the entire black race. When a prominent white athlete is accused of something everybody talks about how wonderful he is -- or ignores the situation altogether, as though it couldn't possibly have happened... since Rothlisberger isn't black.
As Former President George Bush might say, "Mission Accomplished".
lou the shoe,,, you just got the BOOT ! ! !
you cry , wa wa wa , about the comments being raciest,,,, then you go on and on with your own raciest dribble..
lou JUST SHUT UP
Kevin should be fired from Espn. Dont forget the woman who mentioned "lynched and "Tiger Woods" in the same sentence. Jimmy the Greek saying only the stongest survived. God I am sick and tired of these black journalists being so racist. Makes me wish the south won the civil war.
Spoken like a true RACIST bill.
I think the point KB is making is about ESPN's failure to even acknowledge the Roethlisberger story and it is a story. He did throw in the race issue but only to make a point about quick trigger pulling. Regardless of whether or not the woman was raped, the case is civil or criminal, a social, political or sports story-there is a story here. By simply not acknowledging it made me lose a lot of respect for ESPN. This is a sports news organization that has wall to wall coverage on things like the national spelling bee, hot dog eating contests, college mascots, cheerleading competitions but does not want to make a statement, any statement on the star quarterback of the country's number 1 sporting event other than we don't want to say anything because basically we're afraid to. Yep, that's what we want from the worldwide leader in sports coverage. I wonder why they put the muzzle on some of their reporter's, way to go Blackistone.
Kevin is a race baiter, no doubt. However, I agree ESPN should have reported on this.
The case is weird. I think there is a good chance she had sex with him then got mad about some treatment or other.
Agreed it's NEWS a civil lawsuit IS news ESPN blew .... ESPN needs to correct this error. End od story this has nothing to do with comparisond this is simply NEWS which the public deserves to hear.
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"Does this prove that the network cuts white athletes some slack while dragging black athletes who sustain similar charges through the mud?"
--Why is everything a black and white issue with you, Blackistone. When my white friends don't get a job because of affirmative action, they don't write an article about racial bias and prejudice. I don't look at skin color-it doesn't matter to me. It has no bearing on anything I do. Anytime I hear prejudice in the news or whatever, it comes from blacks. Not to mention things like BET. I can't imagine the fuss that would happen if someone proposed a WET. If you are tired of racial prejudice, try treating yourself as an equal. Kevin, your statements do nothing but make the case stronger that blacks are more prejudice than other races.
The biggest thing standing in the way of equality among blacks and whites are people like you, Kevin, always making race an issue.
The reason why everybody leaves the topic at hand and moves on to race is because Kevin uses race as a way to fire us up and prove his point. So race is, in fact, a poignant part of the article.
blackistone you are way off.
as much as I hate ESPN they didn't do anything wrong.
Back in my early days as a reporter, my editor refused to print legal filings on any matter. His rationale (and I think it was a good one) that any idiot or any ambulance chaser can file a civil suit against someone, make completely unfounded accusations without even an iota of proof, and cause irreparable damage to a person's reputation...all this without any responsibility whatsoever. His belief was "wait till the matter comes to trial" or "wait till some of these statements are made in court and under oath. But I guess that's too much to ask today with our National Inquirer-minded media. Congratulations, ESPN for having the decency to play down a story that is obviously a fraud and which is damaging a very good guy!!!
I AGREE COMPLETELY! We don't have journalist anymore just muck rakers and slanted whores who parrot their masters lines both left and right! No more just do some research and report the facts for us to decide - no they tell us what it means according to their slant! I especially agree that there should be no reporting of all these civil suits filed by gold diggers and nuts. A persons reputation and sometimes their careers are ruined by false claims and many do it for the publicity and scum bag lawyers know often they get a settlement just to shut it up and reduce the legal fees to the defendant1
There is a big difference between this story and the examples cited by Blackistone, in as much as the alleged attack occurred almost a year ago and the alleged victim never filed a police report. Those facts alone make the claims appear suspect.