Mark Whicker, what were you thinking?

I haven't read all 12 pages of this thread, so forgive me if it's been mentioned....

But this reminds me of when Rick Reilly wrote a column about a dying boy, and all the sporting events, he-- Reilly-- would attend if he were dying. Which he wasn't. As if the boy would have the access or the stamina to stand on Amen Corner and shout 'Amen' (or whatever).

Toward the end of the column, Reilly mentions embalming.

Good one, Rick.

 

I remember that column. It hasn't been mentioned.
How long ago was that? It;s been some time, huh?

 

I don't remember Reilly's column being as insensitive as this one.

 

Sorry to say for Whicker, but this isn't going away in "computer-land", as he calls it. It'll be a running joke, like Lupica's tantrums, Albom's fantasy Final Fours, or Mariotti just being a douchenozzle.

When you write an Orange County sports column, including a bit about Mater Dei-Servite football (wtf?) penned to a girl held captive and raped 19 years in Northern California, the impression doesn't fade away quickly.

 

This column will be Whicker's comma problem for eternity. Any discussion of him that lasts more than 5 sentences will include some variation of:

Whicker, who was heavily criticized for writing a column about Dugard that seemingly made light of her ordeal by talking about the sporting events she missed during her captivity, ......

 

Unfortunately, I agree with that.

 

Yeah. This sure as hell doesn't blow over in a week.
Not in crazy computer land and sure as hell not with his readers. They won't forget this. Shit, how could anyone forget this?

 

Readers forget the good stuff but remember the bad stuff forever.

 

After he started doing Around the Horn, Woody Paige told a friend of mine that "Now at least I won't be known as the guy who ruined the (2002) Olympics."

 

You only cover us when we write about children who were kidnapped, raped and forced to bear their kidnapper's children.

 

That was a crappy column, too. But at least it was intentionally crappy.

I would have loved to spike it, though.

 

At least that one made me laugh, even if I was cringing as I read it.