'Borrowing' material

So, this is his explanation? How could he believe an agent, especially when the quote is Sean Combs talking about the 58th pick in the draft? For an NBA writer, I'm sure the draft is insanely busy. But not verifying the quote and not attributing its source is bad journalism.

 

I'm not impressed. That's not much of an excuse, and it's hardly an apology at all.

 

Disagree, MW. Solid explanation.

Yes, he obviously should have double-checked the agent's information, but at least it tells readers he's not trolling blogs for info and plucking it.

Anyone see Sally Jenkins reference a blog in the third paragraph to a recent column? This was cool:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/27/AR2007062702924.html

"Fortunately, somebody else found the phrases to capture this kid, on the blog FreeDarko, where the game is oft described in terms foulmouthed yet poetic, and praise isn't handed out lightly: "So sweeping, angelic, and sweetly electric a player we have almost never seen; if LeBron [James] makes the game up as he goes along, Durant effortlessly inhabits everything we know it to be." Wish I'd written that."

This is the tradeoff: you can do one really well-written blog post a day, or you can toss up 7-8 somewhat quickly-written posts. I long for the day to write just one a day. Free Darko's one of the best around.