ESPN's latest perversion of journalistic ethics

It's not a conspiracy guys.
News organizations don't have to do a story on every new book that comes out.
The book is basically an overview of the same story we've read for two years now - that two marketing guys gave Bush and his family a lot of cash and benefits and were jilted in a business deal.
See ESPN link from two years ago:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2426429
I'm sure the book is very well-reported and has new minutiae to support that story.
But what's new to this story beside some additional supporting detail? You probably could spend forever digging out more supporting detail to this same story.
How many times can ESPN or any other news outlet report that there are allegations that these marketing guys are out $300,000 because of Bush?
Last year Lloyd Lake sued Bush for the $300,000. It was widely reported then too.
Plus the book publisher paid Lloyd Lake to spill more of these supporting details, which is something to consider.

 

I'd believe that if ESPN did any original reporting on this thing in the first place. They got their asses handed to them by Yahoo from day one. Almost everything they ran was an AP rewrite of a Yahoo story. Although they did plaster it all over the place when Reggie Bush made his little "when the smoke clears you'll see we did nothing wrong" statement on PTI. Ha. How's that working for them?

Maybe that has more to do with the lack of coverage than them employing Cornwell.

The more I think about it, the more I realize why it makes sense. ESPN pimped Reggie harder than anyone out there. So maybe as an organization they have egg on their face when they trumpet the kid's obvious lying denial. But hiring Bush's attorney to do in-house legal analysis still looks like a steaming dump of shit ethically.

 

I wouldn't knock ESPN any more than I would the "contributors" on the cable news nets "analyzing" their friends or political competitors.

And I also want to know...is "The Rocket" still going to be at ESPN Weekend at Disneyworld?

 

I remember Trey Wingo of ESPN doing a pretty darn good job asking Bush pointed questions about this when the story was out two years ago. Wingo did not let Bush off the hook.
Again, this start-up agency "invested" $300,000 in Bush. Bush's family got cash and free rent.
We get it. That story has been out for two years. See link above. Last year Lake sued for the money. It was reported again that the agency "invested" $300,000 and wants it back.
Now a book is out saying the agency "invested" $300,000 in Bush and his family.
We get it. ESPN and everybody else knows the story by now.
The book did a nice overview of this story and paid for some additional supporting details from Lake.
Doesn't make it news for ESPN or anybody else.

 

Billy Monday offers an incredibly valid reason for the "worldwide leader in sports" to ignore this story.

 

The book has transcripts of Reggie Bush and his stepfather talking about taking the money! That's NOT news? Are you fucking kidding me? It's THEIR WORDS. Straight from recordings.

It sure is funny how ESPN buried it and didn't think it was big news, but EVERY other major did: Yahoo, SI.com, the LA Times, The NYT, Sportsline, Fox Sports, etc., etc.

Come on. Is this really an argument? ESPN employs Bush's attorney in this whole mess! I mean, damn. Take the blinders off.

 

The story about the tapes has been out there before too.
The book paid for the tapes and printed transcripts.
Yes, it's a great supporting detail to this story that's already out there -- about the $300,000 and Bush and his family.
But it's still just supporting detail to an old story.
If the transcripts had Matt Leinart taking money while at USC, that would be a new development and breaking news.
ESPN would not have ignored that.
But having transcripts of Lake asking for his money back from Bush isn't new news. We know he says Bush owes him money and there is evidence he does.
That's why he sued him.
World War II was a big story. To this day, new details emerge about it and books are still written about those details. Doesn't mean CNN or the New York Times has to treat each book as a breaking story.

 

Last I checked, there is still an NCAA investigation underway. That alone makes this book extremely relevant news. ESPN brushing it off is a joke and an embarrassment. One can only assume there is something bigger behind it.

 

Scribbled, I think everyone understands your point.
We're just not surprised.
ESPN has been known to turn a blind eye toward journalism ethics.
As you put it in your subject line -- this is just the latest example.
Send an email to their ombudsman and see what she says.

 

Should someone point out Yeager's ethical lapses in the past?

 

This kind of stuff doesn't measure up to your broad posting history on this board, which is enviable.

 

define ethics.
espn has a responsibility to USC, college football and the leagues it partners with. it is ethical in its business relationships.