Mark Whicker, what were you thinking?

[Moderator1]

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/posts/1502842/

 

[VJ]

I can certainly see how the Register could justify firing Whicker over this. He has, in the short term at least, compromised his position as a columnist. His readers couldn't possibly have the same respect for his opinion on anything as they did before this column. Every time he attempts to assess someone else's judgment -- a manager's decision to bunt, an owner's decision whether to fire a coach -- his own error in judgment will come up. How could he weigh in on the Oregon-Boise St. punch, for instance, without readers thinking "Who is this guy to criticize anybody else's mistake?" Every time they see his mugshot they'll be reminded of that horrible, tasteless piece. It's up to the Register to figure out whether the damage he's done in readers' eyes is temporary or permanent, or in other words, whether he gets suspended or fired.

Exactly. Once you've lost your credibility as a columnist, it's damn near impossible to get it back. If the audience doesn't respect or care about what you have to say, then what value do you have to your newspaper? You're just some guy writing shirt nobody cares about.

 

[cranberry]

I'm pretty sure he knows he forked up.

that's just it, his "apology" and blog remarks he made indicate he doesn't know he forked up.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/column-apologize-readers-2557723-register-most

It's impossible to unring a bell or to bring back a column that has already been transmitted. In many ways the damage is done. I'm hopeful that I can be forgiven for this lapse of professionalism by those who were affected most profoundly.

I'll try to earn back the trust of those customers in my future endeavors.

Again, I regret this incident and apologize to all concerned.

Seems like an apology to me.

And, no, Whicker will not and should not be fired over this. When you put yourself out there for as long and as often as he has during his outstanding career, you're going to have a really, really bad day. This was his.

 

[finishthehat]

So strange....I wonder if it's somehow a result of the endless tabloidization of news these days on cable and the net.

One story starts to blend into another, and you don't step back and see there's a human involved, or that the particular one you're citing is way beyond the pale.

Just so freaking odd a decision by the writer, who I'm not familiar with at all and will take the word of people here that he's normally solid.

 

[Ace]

One of the best moments of my career was spiking a dismal column by the top sports columnist and I had to go through the managing editor to do it.

 

[broadway joe]

I'm pretty sure he knows he forked up.

that's just it, his "apology" and blog remarks he made indicate he doesn't know he forked up.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/column-apologize-readers-2557723-register-most

It's impossible to unring a bell or to bring back a column that has already been transmitted. In many ways the damage is done. I'm hopeful that I can be forgiven for this lapse of professionalism by those who were affected most profoundly.

I'll try to earn back the trust of those customers in my future endeavors.

Again, I regret this incident and apologize to all concerned.

Seems like an apology to me.

And, no, Whicker will not and should not be fired over this. When you put yourself out there for as long and as often as he has during his outstanding career, you're going to have a really, really bad day. This was his.

As far as the apology, I agree. I don't see why some people find it to be lacking or insincere.

But on his future, I don't think it's as simple as weighing 20 years of good columns against one awful one. You can lose your readers' respect with one mistake, if it's bad enough. It's like being faithful for 20 years and then getting caught cheating once -- your spouse is still going to have a hard time seeing you the same way from that point on.

I'm not necessarily saying Whicker should be fired. But I do think that option has to be considered.

 

[Gator]

So strange....I wonder if it's somehow a result of the endless tabloidization of news these days on cable and the net.

One story starts to blend into another, and you don't step back and see there's a human involved, or that the particular one you're citing is way beyond the pale.

Just so freaking odd a decision by the writer, who I'm not familiar with at all and will take the word of people here that he's normally solid.

So strange....I wonder if it's somehow a result of the endless tabloidization of news these days on cable and the net.

One story starts to blend into another, and you don't step back and see there's a human involved, or that the particular one you're citing is way beyond the pale.

Just so freaking odd a decision by the writer, who I'm not familiar with at all and will take the word of people here that he's normally solid.

I couldn't agree more with this right here. I said yesterday that I personally wouldn't have written this column, but also that I wasn't offended by it. I kind of blame today's media in general. This woman, and I do feel bad for what she went through, will make the rounds, do the talkshows, write a book, approve a movie script, etc. She'll become the answer to a trivia question, a piece of pop culture.

This is where I can see where Whicker gets the idea. Like that little girl that fell in the well in Texas 20 years ago (who is still being contacted for intervews), people cling themselves to news stories. Nobody knows that girl's full name, only that she's "Baby Jessica who fell in a well." Nobody is going to remember this woman's name, only that she was the girl who returned 18 years later after being kidnapped. It's just where we are in this heartless, TMZ-filled society.

 

[spaceman]

McClure.

 

[Drip]

http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/posts/1502842/

Thank you Moddy. As you know, he was a friend to me in so many ways. I honestly didn't know about this. I guess time flies too quickly sometimes. Again, thank you for the information.

 

[Drip]

I can certainly see how the Register could justify firing Whicker over this. He has, in the short term at least, compromised his position as a columnist. His readers couldn't possibly have the same respect for his opinion on anything as they did before this column. Every time he attempts to assess someone else's judgment -- a manager's decision to bunt, an owner's decision whether to fire a coach -- his own error in judgment will come up. How could he weigh in on the Oregon-Boise St. punch, for instance, without readers thinking "Who is this guy to criticize anybody else's mistake?" Every time they see his mugshot they'll be reminded of that horrible, tasteless piece. It's up to the Register to figure out whether the damage he's done in readers' eyes is temporary or permanent, or in other words, whether he gets suspended or fired.

Exactly. Once you've lost your credibility as a columnist, it's damn near impossible to get it back. If the audience doesn't respect or care about what you have to say, then what value do you have to your newspaper? You're just some guy writing shirt nobody cares about.

I truly think that Mark and the Register will rebound from this. He's too well respected and I don't think one awful column breaks his career or the impact he's had on SoCal sports.

 

[LongTimeListener]

It is very difficult to see his apology as sincere when he gives a follow-up interview to Poynter in which he says he is "saddened by the tone of the responses" and decries "what is out there in computer-land."

http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=101&aid=169823

Stop. Digging. Now.

I hate to think 22 years can come down to one thing. But ...

Rob Parker got fired for asking Rod Marinelli if his daughter should have married a smarter defensive coordinator. That was not as bad as this.

Jemele Hill got suspended for an awkward comparison of Celtics fans to Hitler. That was not in the same universe of bad as this.

The 49ers PR guy a few years back got canned for that training tape. There were similar testimonials about his previous work history. And that was not as bad as this.

It has to at least be on the discussion plate at today's Register, unfortunately.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

It wouldn't have been a bad idea for a column if it had been something positive, like a car accident victim who is expected to die, then ends up in a coma for 18 years and then, miraculously, wakes up one day with all their mental faculties.

But to celebrate the escape of a kidnapped young girl who was molested and treated like a slave? No way.