Sports Editor + Booster = Problems
Uncategorized November 30th. 2007, 11:44am
The Tuscaloosa News should have a tagline that reads: We’re in bed with the Alabama boosters! How else to explain sports editor and columnist Cecil Hurt getting a former Alabama booster to co-sign for a loan to pay medical expenses? How’s Hurt supposed to be impartial about the Tide when he’s that chummy with one of their own? This is where we’d say, ‘what a disservice to his readers.’ The sad part is that readers could probably care less about this type of thing – because they want to read glowing coverage of the home team anyway. That’s the culture, and if you’d like to blame Fox News, go right ahead. Don’t agree? Check out a team message board. ‘Don’t tell me what I don’t want to hear.’ (There was a disturbing New Yorker piece that talked about readers wanting biased news from their TV stations and newspapers. This might be it, but we’re not 100 percent sure.)
Sports Editor should have revealed loan (Go Vols)
Keller helped Cecil Hurt with loan in 2000 (Tide Sports)
Ray Keller Wins Case Against NCAA (The Tide Druid)
15 Responses to “Sports Editor + Booster = Problems”
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November 30th, 2007 at 11:46 AM
Since when did they change their mantra to “Roll Over for the Tide, Roll Over?”
November 30th, 2007 at 11:52 AM
First the Hillary mention, now this; is this TBL gearing up for election season? Gonna be fun.
November 30th, 2007 at 11:53 AM
I’m not going to question the ethics of this.
Small town college newpaper writer and the booster probably run in the same social circles. I’m sure the same thing happens in Lawrence.
Besides, I’m sure just how Lawrence residents get their serious sports coverage from the KC Star and the Rah Rah articles from the LJ World, Bama fans probably do the same with the Tuscaloosa and Birmingham papers.
Is it, right? Who cares? The readers know what to take seriously.
November 30th, 2007 at 11:58 AM
Television audiences dictating newsworthiness, to me, is more disturbing than television audiences demanding biased news. Because that type of news just preaches to the choir, and there are alternatives if you don’t subscribe to that point of view.
What annoys me is that I am more likely to be informed of Lindsey Lohan’s arrest record than I am about the war in Iraq.
And to move it to sports, it annoys me to no end that ESPN spends more time talking about the Yankees “possibly thinking about maybe making a deal” for Johan Santana than they do talking about a trade THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED between the Twins and Rays.
November 30th, 2007 at 12:17 PM
I’m normally a fan Scotty but not this time
November 30th, 2007 at 12:23 PM
this just proves the point i’ve been saying for years. people are stupid. evil will always triumph because of this. or something.
November 30th, 2007 at 12:31 PM
Gearing up for Rudy vs. Clinton? I think it’ll be fun.
November 30th, 2007 at 12:38 PM
Since it’s apparently Grammar Friday…
The sad part is that readers could probably care less about this type of thing – because they want to read glowing coverage of the home team anyway.
It’s couldn’t care less!!!! This one irks me to no end. If you could care less…well…you could care less than you do now. Eff me.
November 30th, 2007 at 1:12 PM
And to move it to sports, it annoys me to no end that ESPN spends more time talking about the Yankees “possibly thinking about maybe making a deal†for Johan Santana than they do talking about a trade THAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED between the Twins and Rays.
and whose fault is that? if you don’t know you are going to be fed tripe by bspn, i don’t know what to say.
that’s like picking up people magazine and expecting to read information on why the fed might cut interest rates again later this month.
November 30th, 2007 at 1:16 PM
here’s the crux of the issue: it’s not so much that the sports editor write rah-rah stuff. that’s too simple of a conclusion. it’s what that editor may have directed his reporters to write about, or potentially what stories were killed, that is disturbing.
was this paper running endless negative articles/columns about mike shula last year as a result of this booster whispering in the ear of the editor?
that’s more disturbing that rah-rah coverage. look how much mike shula’s firing cost the tazpayers of alabama not to mention how that may have wrecked shula’s career and f’ed up his family.
November 30th, 2007 at 1:57 PM
I’m sorry, Jimmy, I thought that programs and networks with names like “SportsCenter” and “ESPNews” would provide NEWS, not the latest rumor in the New York Post.
November 30th, 2007 at 2:13 PM
As the resident Auburn grad commenter, I would like to go on record, once again, as saying, God, I hate the University of Alabama…and Cecil Hurt. Did you guys pick up the recent news on Neal McCready? He was fired from his radio gig in Mobile for not being “pro-Alabama” enough. The Tide boosters are in a virtual orgy with the state’s media.
November 30th, 2007 at 2:44 PM
I’m sorry, Jimmy, I thought that programs and networks with names like “SportsCenter†and “ESPNews†would provide NEWS, not the latest rumor in the New York Post.
you know the old saying, “you can polish a turd but it’s still a turd.”
and the sooner one realized this (about bspn and its “news” operation), the better off you will be and turn to much loftier sources for your sports news.
November 30th, 2007 at 3:38 PM
God, Jimmy, how we all look forward to the day when there is some competition again in the television sports information world. Or if Fox would get off its ass and scrap this regional model.
December 1st, 2007 at 10:52 PM
That would be exactly ZERO. 100% of that money came from booster/donations. You are a dumbass to think that tax money would be used to pay that.