I'll skip this "conference.''

Let me get this straight: Indiana University's National Sports Journalism Center and the Associated Press Sports Editors are sponsoring a seminar on investigating college athletics here in Indianapolis. Yet, they don't have room on the panel for my Indianapolis Star colleague Mark Alesia, who has done some of the very best reporting on the NCAA in recent years.

What the hell? I'll be skipping this one with pleasure.

They did, however, have room to fly in some people from USA Today for the event. . .Maybe they can stop by the Star while they're in town and Mark can give them some pointers.

 

I sure feel for you Mark Alesia.

 

To be fair, Mark Alesia IS a good one, and would seem to have been a good resource for this conference. Hey, maybe the timing didn't work out for him.

I ran a couple of these for APSE/IRE back in the day. Glad to see they're still trying, although you have to wonder how many newspapers have the resources to do much full-blown investigative reporting these days.

 

An academic institution wrapped up in itself? Never.

 

Conferences? Gee how do newspapers which are allegedly out of money send people to conferences on the newspaper's dime? Oh, I forgot. 10 a.m. meeting people go to such conferences. The expense report doesn't really matter when meetings are involved. Fucking joke.

 

For the record, I am a friend and colleague of Mark and a longtime admirer of his work. Some of you may recall he did a groundbreaking study four years ago on the financial status of college athletic departments that won several awards. Those of you who know him also know his work speaks for itself. He won't toot his own horn and doesn't have to.

My point was that I just have to question the motive of a conference that alleges to be on reporting about the NCAA, but refuses to include one of the foremost experts on the subject, even if his office is just a few blocks away. It doesn't add a lot of credibility to Indiana's journalism school and the other people involved, in my humble opinion.

 

Please show evidence that the conference refuses to allow this person to participate.

 

I have since learned that Mark was invited and originally accepted, but withdrew when he learned that IU was working with another, larger paper to update the database he did back in 2006. It was being done without his knowledge, so he backed off.

If that's the case, I sure as hell don't blame him. . .

 

So have you got it straight yet?

 

Odd thread. Database? Huh?

Anyway, I am not a friend of Mark Alesia and have never met him, but due to my own misgivings about the NCAA I have read his work before and admired it greatly, and would like to hear his war stories. Looks like longtimecomin had good intentions, just poor execution.

 

So you're saying he started out good, but went too far?