Coaches wife confronts columnist in press box

Hey, look, if Canzano had a personal blog, posted it on a Myspace page or something like that, that's one thing. His first-person account being the only version on The Oregonian's Web site, that's entirely different. That's The Oregonian saying, essentially, that the usual rules of balance and fairness and impartiality do not apply because it's Canzano -- all you need is the perspective of one of the participants in this incident.

 

Kid with two DUIs ... batshit crazy wife ... Bet Belotti spends 20 hours a day at the office.

 

She's not his wife anymore.

 

Fair point. Maybe we need to educate them on the difference, then. Perhaps the Oregonian should run some sort of disclaimer stating that the blog is Canzano's personal viewpoint, etc. I don't think the answer is to hold blogs to the same rules as newspaper stories. They have to be a little looser, more free-wheeling, edgier. Otherwise, what's the point?

 

I at first didn't have a problem with the blog item. This thread has changed my opinion somewhat.

You don't know how many times I've heard reporter say, "I've got this semi-scoop, but I can't really confirm it as much as I'd like."

Then you hear and editor say, "Just blog it. It's only the Internet."

Man, that irritates me to no end. Why are we sacrificing journalistic principles -- ie, you must confirm a story before running it -- for the sake of the Internet? It's like we're selling our soul.

 

I agree with all of that, but I don't think the answer is to sacrifice our most sacred principles, either.

There must be a happy medium somewhere. Right?

 

I don't think respectability is something you can put on, take off and put on again like a necktie. You put on the clown suit and you are a clown. People who saw you in the clown suit remember the clown suit even when they see you in Armani.

Let me put it this way. Suppose an MLB player you covered got caught in a gambling scandal playing winter ball in Venezuela. Would you accept an explanation of this isn't MLB, it's just something that's baseball but not real baseball and the regular laws don't apply?

We can't say that blogs on a newspaper's Web site mean we can suspend basic rules of journalism and then expect readers to respect the "real product." Same people. Same clown suit.

 

Anybody see this thread title and think "Mrs. Gundy?"

 

HEY, SHE'S 40 (at least)! SHE CAN TAKE IT!

 

I'm squarely in Mr. Ridgeway's camp on this. I guess I just wonder why you go public with this at all, even if it's the second time she's confronted you. Why not go to the coach and tell him that the next time his (ex-?) wife makes a public scene, you're going to have to write something about it?

 

... and then she does it again, and you write about it. Don't see much difference; it would just happen later.

 

Isn't that essentially blackmailing him? I'm no fan of that.