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November 6, 2007

ESPN Resorts to Reporting What is NOT News, While Atlanta Monthly Rewrites Theirs

The news division at ESPN has really gone downhill. Take a look at the following piece, which appeared on the front page of ESPN.com over the weekend:

Reid will not be disciplined for sons' legal issues
ESPN.com news services
Updated: November 4, 2007, 2:12 PM ET

Andy Reid has never been subject to discipline from commissioner Roger Goodell because the charges against the Eagles coach's two adult sons do not constitute a violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy.

Reid's sons, 24-year-old Garrett and 22-year-old Britt, were sentenced to jail on Thursday -- Britt for eight to 23 months for pointing a gun at another driver, and Garrett for two to 23 months for a high-speed, heroin-fueled crash that injured the driver of the other car.

According to the personal conduct policy, if an NFL player had children in legal trouble under identical circumstances, the player also would not be in violation of the policy.

At Reid's sons' sentencing, Montgomery County Judge Steven O'Neill admonished the family, likening the environment of the household to "a drug emporium."

"There isn't any structure there that this court can depend upon," O'Neill said before handing down the jail sentences. "I'm saying this is a family in crisis."

O'Neill noted that searches of the Reid home found illegal and prescription drugs throughout the house. He said both boys had been overmedicated throughout much of their lives and that Britt got hooked on painkillers when he suffered a football injury in high school.

At his regular news conference Friday, Reid insisted he will not resign. Asked whether he intended to stay on the job, he delivered a stern, one-word answer: "Yes."

Reid took a five-week absence earlier this year. On Friday, he said more about his sons' legal problems than he had previously.

"I know this is a big story for everybody and I respect that," Reid said. "On the other hand, I can't go into questioning on it at this time.

"However, as parents we have huge concerns for our two boys. This has been a battle we have dealt with here for a few years and I'm sure we'll continue to address the situation. ... Our prayers are obviously with the boys, for their future, and to make sure things work out, where they can live a normal life down the road."

Are you kidding me... this is news (that Andy Reid did nothing wrong and that he is not subject to discipline for the actions of his two grown sons)? Well thank goodness for ESPN's crack reporting and decision to make Reid's situation front-page news. Next, they'll be telling us that Andy Reid's use of his assigned parking spot at Lincoln Financial Field violates no team or NFL policies, or that his decision to drive the speed limit is okay with the NFL.

This just in... ESPN is reporting that Ted Williams, Babe Ruth, and Joe DiMaggio are all still dead!

In another amazing move by a press-related organization, Atlanta Magazine, which is owned by Indianapolis-based Emmis Communications Corp., just published a retraction to a September 2003 profile of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.

In an unprecedented move, Atlanta Magazine reprinted an original article from four years ago but with new observations and commentary in red handwriting, portions stuck out and other changes. A section of one sentence, "rock star," is highlighted in yellow with an arrow tracing to an image of Ozzy Osborne surrounded on one side by three flying bats.

Click here for a PDF / visual of the article.

Posted by Mikal at November 6, 2007 7:58 AM | TrackBack