Mark Whicker, what were you thinking?

His "I'm sorry you were offended, but I did nothing wrong" apology doesn't cut it. There is nothing in what he has written or said since then that indicates he realizes it was stupid or a mistake or that he is going to be more careful.

 

I can see where he is coming from is all. It's really unfortunate. And the desk definitely should have had his back. I doubt it would have happened any day but a slow holiday.

 

Well, granted, he needs to stop talking. At least until he gains some perspective about what the woman went through.

And, to be honest, I'm not sure if I've read that she did not know what was going on in sports or even if she would have cared had she not been kidnapped.

The column sucked on many levels. No one had his back.

But, again his crime is only considering the time span and not the consequences of her kidnapping.

 

The crime is serving as his own Baghdad Bob in defending the column and refusing to give a real apology that shows some understanding of why the column was in such poor taste (even if done with the best of intentions).

 

"I could have read that column without first reading the comments on this thread and probably not given it a second thought. Yes, I suppose the subject matter is sensitive, but I never got the sense that he was making fun of her or making light of her situation. I bet if she read it, she would appreciate it."

What drugs are you on and can you spare any?

 

All the guy had to say was I'm sorry.
It was an inexplicable lack of judgement for me to use a child's rape and kidnapping as a vehicle to discuss the last 18 years in sports. I know that now. I'm not sure why I didn't when I was typing that column, but trust me, I know that now.
Judging from the outrage in the comments section and the emails I've received, I realize that I touched a serious, serious nerve. There is no excuse. Looking back, two days later, it was completely insensitive. It was offensive. It was the low point of a career I have otherwise been quite proud of. It will not happen again. I'm sorry. I hope I can build up your trust again.

THE END

And then for the love of God, stop saying stupid shit in interviews.
If he had done this, if it really seemed like he understood how idiotic/tasteless his column really was, then maybe he could save some face. But the more he talks, the more apparent it becomes that he's fucking clueless. Or arrogant. Or both. But right now isn't the fucking time for defiance. It's for a sincere apology and a sincere understanding of just how grotesque/offensive that column was.

 

"I suppose?"

What an unrepentant douche.

 

I'll go read it again but, actually, I think it was exactly the opposite of what you describe; Whicker was using sports to illustrate just how long the woman was held captive. Therein lies the difference. His tasteless and clumsy attempt was just that. It wasn't malicious. Rather, I think, it was an (obviously poor) attempt to be empathetic.

 

Please stop saying the desk should have had his back. Having worked on the sports desk of more than one major metro paper, let me make it clear to everyone that no copy editor would have the authority to spike a column (or any other story, for that matter).

If you believe a column has major issues (beyond simple fact problems or style or wording) and you believe it needs to be totally rewrtten or killed, you take your concerns to the night editor or copy desk chief and it goes up the ladder from there. In fact, unless it's a live column from an event, it's usually read and line-edited by a DSE or ASE, who approves it before it ever gets to the desk.

The desk very well could have raised concerns about the premise and the execution of said column. It would be up to someone much higher in the food chain to make that call.

 

But it'll be the copy desk guys who get to eat the shit sandwich that's about to come down.

 

If the column was going to be spiked or rewritten it would begin with the desk on a holiday. I am assuming no ranking editor saw it before the copy desk. They are the first line of defense.

So if someone flagged it and was shot down, OK. The desk did its job.

Otherwise, the desk did not do its job.

 

I've read nine pages of comments about this guy, this column and this story, and now I'm just sick of it. It's almost as if I've forgotten how I feel about the issue. In the meantime, I've formed a new opinion: Some of you have written that Whicker "mailed it in" on this particular day. What about the "columnists" who are using his situation for their own space? That's pretty weak, in my opinion.

Getting an e-mail back from the writer and publishing it to improve the hits on your blog, or your page? Whether or not you agree with him or not, selling out one of your peers for your own benefit is f-ed up.