Oklahoma State coach Gundy blasts Oklahoman columnist

Listen, I agree, completely, that Gundy acted like an asshat. Completely agree. I'm just saying that we need to look inward as to WHY, which some here are unwilling to do.

 

Well, you're not going to like this answer ... but a big reason WHY is that he's a macho college football coach, and she was a female reporter.

I do wish Lisa Olson were here to weigh in on this dynamic.

 

Why did Gundy act like an asshat? "Because he is one" is the answer.

As for looking inward for the answer, and "some here" being unwilling to do so, we in the media do more than enough navel-gazing. The traffic this message board gets is proof of that.

 

Agreed. And in the last five pages, I think several people have raised those points.

I just don't like seeing any of it used as justification for Gundy's eruption.

 

Elliotte, think we all have. Lots of us have said she could use better sourcing, better phrasing. But there still are people here (HeinekenMan, for starters) who think we never can criticize some poor 21-year-old who is receiving free room, board, books and tuition as a result of contract he signed with the university to provide his services on the football field.

 

Then they really must hate Texas Tech coach Mike Leach. While Gundy's rant got all the attention, Leach had some good stuff after the OSU game as well...

“We had an offense that was extremely powerful, extremely productive, that probably sits and reads their press clippings and in arrogant fashion sat around the sideline with their arms folded for most of the second half,” Leach said.
“And then defensively, the entire first half we got hit in the mouth and acted like somebody took our lunch money. All we wanted to do was have pouty expressions on our face until somebody dabbed our little tears off and made us (expletive) feel better. And then we’d go out there and try harder once our mommies told us we were OK. Well, neither one of those things was acceptable.”

I guess his players should sue him for libel for those comments.

 

Too funny.

 

Well, Shottie ...
I don't know Jenni. I do understand the impulse to want to defend your credibility, especially when it's been questioned so publicly. I've only watched her TV interview on the OK web site, but that's what she appears to be doing. I doubt her intention is to become famous, or end up with a gig on Around the Horn. Again, I don't know her, and there are plenty of men AND women in this biz who would milk the publicity for all it's worth, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. Time will prove me right or wrong.
As for whether Gundy launched into her because she's a woman, I thought Carol Slezak had some pretty salient points here:

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/slezak/572771,CST-SPT-carol25.article

And because this is a journalism board, I'd be curious to hear from Jenni's editors. Are phrases "rumors and rumblings..." and "tile up back stories told on the sly..." typical for the paper? Was there in-house discussion about the sourcing before it ran?
We can all learn from this episode.

(Edit: Sorry for misspelling Carol's name!)

 

She didn't just need "better" sourcing and phrasing. This wasn't merely a case of weak sourcing, instead it was NO real sourcing other than speculative references to "rumors, rumblings, back stories on the sly, etc". It sounded like she lifted her column from a message board rant.

 

Fine, IU, you win.

 

Carol Sleaze? Was that a typo or intentional?