SI.com Writer Caught With His Hand in a Sports Blog
Uncategorized July 9th. 2007, 7:14pm
Poor Ian Thomsen. He’s an NBA writer for Sports Illustrated. Clearly he’s a fan of blogs - because he borrowed some material from one recently, and for reasons that remain unknown, he didn’t mention where he got it. And the first rule about stealing is to be careful what you’re taking - Ian found out the hard way.
In order, here are his transgressions:
* Swiped a Puff Daddy quote from a Fanhouse writer and gave her no credit
* Apparently, he didn’t read the blog post too well, because it clearly stated that it was a for-fun fictitious piece, and the quote was MADE UP
* Then he had to apologize for the swiping of content, yet his apology provided readers no clue where or whom he took it from
You know how baseball has the cycle? In terms of journalism errors … yeah.
[We totally wanted to use this Rickey Henderson SI cover as the photo, but the system is all out of whack and you can't view it.]
20 Responses to “SI.com Writer Caught With His Hand in a Sports Blog”
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July 9th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Ah plagiarism, the most fun of all the journalistic offences.
July 9th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
Oh great, here will go with another blogger vs media fight. Yawn.
Both sides are bitchy and both sides need to get over it. There is demand for both, neither will ever go away.
There is nothing more annoying then hearing bloggers and media members complain about each other.
No one care.
July 9th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
“the most fun of all the journalistic offences.”
Except for spelling errors.
July 9th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
Larry - Perhaps you should click on some of the links. This isn’t a ‘fight’ so much as it is ‘plagarism.’
July 9th, 2007 at 7:56 pm
Unsilent Majority: Not if you’re British.
July 9th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
You’re right Larry. There are very unique demands for both types of media and neither one is going anywhere any time soon.
I think we would all benefit from not only the traditional media coming down off its high horse, but also from bloggers getting a grip and everyone giving up on this childish “them vs us” mentality!
No matter what you think about any form of media, that doesn’t give you the right to plagiarize anyone’s work, regardless of the source!
-Jeff
July 9th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
I think Red’s from Jersey. But she could be British.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
Personally, I like grammatical errors better than spelling errors, especially when the person making them is trying to call someone else an idiot!
“Your” welcome,
SportsGal
July 9th, 2007 at 8:20 pm
The guy stole and got caught. Ask Ron Borges what usually happens in that scenario. The fact that this idiot chose to steal a fake story from one of the lamer sports blogs is funny but irrelevant.
And lazy as hell, too. SI’s hoops writers are all crap anyway.
On the subject of lazy SI writers, how about Verducci? How do you manage to cover baseball for 20 years and have not a single bit of inside info? Should I link to his “Verlander is good” piece following the no-hitter?
July 9th, 2007 at 8:27 pm
No, no I’m not British. I’m merely an incompetent speller thank you very much.
July 9th, 2007 at 8:36 pm
Think SI will plagerize anything about them plagerizing?
July 9th, 2007 at 8:37 pm
*Plagiarize
wow, do I miss firefox at work…
July 9th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Scott, one of the better features of Firefox.
July 9th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
TBL, how about reaching out to Thomsen for comment?
July 9th, 2007 at 9:46 pm
If he wanted to comment I think he would’ve done so by now.
July 9th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
Arguments about spelling and plagiarism aside, the incident brings up an interesting issue, that being the increasing power of the amateur journalist. Sure, the P Diddy quote was a fake, but Thomsen obviously didn’t take it as such. He assumed that the blogger had an in that he didn’t. Lifting the quote was wrong, of course, but it illustrates the bigger point that mainstream media may be in trouble.
July 9th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
May? Where you been, buddy?
July 9th, 2007 at 10:08 pm
Fine…IS in trouble.
I’m an aspiring journalist that wouldn’t mind making it in the mainstream media, so I guess I’m hesitant to start the funeral procession just yet.
July 10th, 2007 at 12:45 am
“everyone giving up on this childish ‘them vs us’ mentality!”
The problem with this argument is that there are two different cultures at war, here. In the blog world, linking out is a GOOD thing. In the MSM world, linking out is a BAD thing.
It most certainly IS an “us” versus “them” thing… because “us” does the linkin’ and “them” don’t… to get in on the grammar abuse bandwagon.
Bloggers say “take what you want, but link all you take.” MSM folks tend to just “take take take.”
Unless, of course, you take from them… and then their lawyers get a phone call.
Tell me which position is more tenable.
July 26th, 2007 at 11:47 am
Ian is my father. I can assure you that this is the first time he has copied something without permission. But ALL sports writers are under a lot of pressure with the Michael Vick Dogfighting Indictment, Tim Donahgy gambling on games that he has reffed, and Barry Bonds breaking the homerun record possibly using steriods. I want to see all 13 of you go out and wirte five stories this week on any of those subjects. And then, only then, will you see how hard it is to be a sportswriter.
-Ian’s Son