Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
Well that was quick. In case you went to bed early and missed it, there was a controversy yesterday between the Chicago Sun-Times and UK involving an article about recruit Anthony Davis Jr. Yesterday the Sun-Times put out an article about Davis Jr that included a reference to a “rumor” that he was given $200,000 by the University of Kentucky to go to the school. The response was quick on Twitter and was universal condemnation. All the major sportswriters said publishing the rumor was out of line and many lambasted the writer and editor for making the decision. So then, the Sun-Times changed the article to remove the mention of the money and UK, but left in the fact that “rumors” said that Davis was looking to get paid by colleges. The University of Kentucky then responded with a letter threatening a lawsuit (which can be seen a couple of posts down) if the contents were not removed.
So what happened. The Chicago Sun-Times has now completely rewritten the article.. They have taken out all references to money, UK, dollar amounts or any “rumors” of Davis Jr. being on the take. The threat by UK seems to have worked and the new article is simply a profile of Davis Jr, with no talk of any rumors or responses to being paid by anyone. The Chicago Sun-Times thus has completely backed down.
But notice, as of this writing, there is no mention that the story was edited or of the previous article. Another tool that newspapers use on the internet…write a story…change it…dont tell anyone what it said before. In print, that is a retraction. On the internet, it is a “lets act like we didnt do anything wrong.” Another trick stolen from the blog world by the newspaper world.
More on this embarassment from the Chicago Sun-Times later today….
[powered by WordPress.]
Bill Keightley Report : Never to be forgotten.
9 queries. 0.807 seconds
August 5th, 2010 at 7:08 am
Matt, this going to hurt our chances with Davis? Clearly the parents are upset.
August 5th, 2010 at 7:37 am
1. Let’s hope not. Surely the parents know that UK certainly didn’t play a part in this story, other than insisting on a retraction. I would think that this fact would (if anything) make them realize that UK has stepped up to protect the integrity of their son. At least i would, if it were my kid. I guess we’ll see.
August 5th, 2010 at 7:45 am
1) How would this hurt our chances? We wrote a letter demanding the paper retract it…… Perhaps you are coming at this from a different angle? Idk, more explanation would be better though at any rate.
August 5th, 2010 at 7:50 am
yeah this if anything helps us
August 5th, 2010 at 8:07 am
Wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Pitino had something to do with this rumor. Everyone knows his son is the one that leaked Bledsoe’s transcript. He found out with Teague that he can’t out recruit Cal.
August 5th, 2010 at 8:13 am
5) I was thinking the same thing. I was wondering if the fingerprints on these lies are coming out of Florida.
August 5th, 2010 at 8:23 am
The Davis family should pursue legal action against the paper, that would send a clear message along with the threat UK sent.
August 5th, 2010 at 8:26 am
7 – I agree. The family should not let the newspaper get away with defaming them. Surely some lawyer out there would take this case.
August 5th, 2010 at 8:30 am
1. Davis has already made up his mind, to whomever that may be…(apparently UK). The parents are upset, as they should be, at the newspaper. Why would they be upset at UK? We stood up to the Sun-Times and defended ourselves and their son.
We should get used to this, because it is going to happen on a regular basis. Yes it is distressing but everbody hates UK because we are fixing to dominate the college scene for a while and they know it. It’s good to be back on top!
August 5th, 2010 at 8:34 am
There is a lot of lying that seems to come out of Chicago.
August 5th, 2010 at 8:45 am
I lived in Chicago for a while and I can tell you that the Sun-Times routinely engages in sensationalism. They won’t print a retraction or apology. It ain’t their style.
August 5th, 2010 at 8:50 am
YEA!!!!! I bet after they got that legal warning, it probably took them something like 15 seconds to decide to change their story.
August 5th, 2010 at 8:54 am
I love how someone in the comments section of these stories always points out “where there is smoke”. What they fail to realize is that all of this so called “smoke” is someone trying to start something without any proof. Until someone like Forde or Ricky Jr. is seriously smacked upside the head legally for doing things like this, it will continue.
August 5th, 2010 at 9:02 am
Now we know why Mr. Davis has such a prominent unibrow. It’s so he can appear to be in permanent judgment of the journalistic practices of the Chicago Sun-Times.
I mean, look at him. Can you imagine him giving that look after throwing down a vicious dunk on Cliff Rozier (or Beau Zack Smith or whoever the hell it is that still plays at Louisville)? It says “I just schooled your ass. And I strongly disapprove of the reporting practices of the Chicago Sun-Times.”
August 5th, 2010 at 9:22 am
15 “Tard” fan says it all…..
August 5th, 2010 at 9:43 am
15. He is crazy. That stuff is totally made up. UK, Ohio St., Syracuse, and darkhorse Depaul was his list.
August 5th, 2010 at 9:54 am
From twitter:
BryantheIntern UK better hope the Chicago Sun-Times doesn’t ACTUALLY investigate them because of this “lawsuit”. Nervous about what they would find.
Come on BTI, Do you believe UK is guilty or something? I love all my UK brothers/sisters, but come on, you can’t go around accusing your own team!
August 5th, 2010 at 10:05 am
#19, #20 – No worries. Whatever the paper in Chicago whether the Tribune, Suntimes, or the Daily Herald. All are almost bankrupt and dont have the money to fund an investigation. Look at the Cubs for an ex.
August 5th, 2010 at 10:10 am
I’m not worried about their “investigations” if they try that route. I’m not BTI. It just rubbed me the wrong way to see a UK fan and writer for this site push that opinion since this whole story broke yesterday. I usually think that half the critisism BTI gets here is silly, but not this time.
August 5th, 2010 at 10:11 am
15) That doesn’t make sense anyway. UofL just hired the NIKE guy. The only reason they hired him is to recruit. If Davis was all about NIKE UofL would be on his list
August 5th, 2010 at 10:13 am
If I were Davis Sr. not only would I want a retraction, I would DEMAND it. This would be blatant lie that could follow his son well into his adult years. Not only a retraction but an sincere apology for running a story that had no merit what-so-ever.
The one question that I ask is, was this actually in the newspaper, or written on the net? If written on the net, this is tracable, once it’s out there, it stays out there. It shouldn’t have to take a hack with a HS equivalent to find this out. #15 according to ANY and all Looooooserville fan, they have the inside tract on any player worth his weight in salt to have them ready to sign with little bro. If Quick Rick actually thinks that this trial hasn’t hit his credibility with the moms and dads of the HS basketball world, he should’ve stayed longer than 15 seconds and paid the millions she was asking for.
August 5th, 2010 at 10:19 am
(Lambfor3) even if UofL was on his list, I’m guessing it took about 15 seconds to change his mind…
August 5th, 2010 at 10:29 am
Why would the Sun-Times punk a kid so viciously? That kind of slander (or is it libel?) is actionable, in the absence of some evidence in support of the claim…
August 5th, 2010 at 10:58 am
Likewise, KSR should remove all specific references to the rumor, because in most jurisdictions, republication of defamation is also defamation.
August 5th, 2010 at 10:58 am
Sue the bastards.
August 5th, 2010 at 11:22 am
29. I think republication and reporting are two different things. Apples and oranges.
August 5th, 2010 at 12:01 pm
I agree with you completely Matt, the newspapers and television news are reckless and if they do a print retractions they hide them well. The New York Times finally admitted that there was no evidence of tea party racism when the Health Care bill was signed.
“there is no evidence that epithets reportedly directed in March at Representative John Lewis, Democrat of Georgia, outside the Capitol, came from Tea Party members.”
New York Times
Now all the other media that went on and on about it should step up and not pretend it didn’t happen like the Sun-Times is doing with Kentucky.
August 5th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
I don’t think re-writing the thing is enough. There needs to be some form of formal apology written. The damage is still done and not that an apology will fix that but the family at least deserves that much.
August 5th, 2010 at 12:06 pm
No one has mentioned a DePaul angle. Perhaps the original article’s rumor was an attempt to discredit UK to the benefit of the Chicago university, DePaul?
August 5th, 2010 at 12:21 pm
34. No offense to those that went to DePaul, it’s a good school, but Davis going would completely blow my mind. Not saying that they haven’t had some successes in the past but the last two years have been rough and the yeas before that weren’t stellar. Davis coming wouldn’t turn the program completely around unless they have some Aces up their sleeve. I imagine the visit there is probably a courtesy visit or something. DePaul has probably been recruiting the kid and it’s not like the University is a huge trek for him or anything.