Blogging can be fatal

[VetBroMan]

This is what the Bowling Writers Association of America think about the dismissal of Harry Page for alledged plagiarism in San Antonio. I thought the readers of this forum should know.

2008 BWAA Hall of Fame Candidates
Presented for distinguished contributions to print, broadcast, telecast or photographic bowling coverage among BWAA members. Electees become BWAA Hall of Fame members.
HARRY PAGE: Worked for the San Antonio Express-News as a sports writer from 1970 to Nov. 7, 2007. Member of the San Antonio Bowling Council Hall of Fame. BWAA member for 30 years and a former director. He has earned more than 40 awards, plaques and certificates for his 29 years of bowling coverage and his bowling blog for two years.
(If the BWAA members thought he was a so-called plagiarist, I don't think that he would be a nominee for its Hall of Fame. Admittedly, it seems the writer did get a bad deal from his former employer. I guess he wouldn't retire on his own. Wouldn't it be something if he was elected? It might be justice.)
JERI EDWARDS: For almost 20 years she has written instruction bowling columns for bowling publications and magazines. Jeri is a writer for the My Bowling Coach website. She also has excelled at every level of coaching, especially as head coach of Junior Team USA and Team USA. She won one professional bowling title.
HENRY FANKHAUSER: Began a daily column for the Washington D.C. Daily News in 1954. Retired now, he still writes for various papers including the Nations Capitol association publication. He wrote for the Prince George and Montgomery Journal newspapers in Maryland. Did color for D.C. first tv show and created Bowlers Night at Laurel Raceway and RFK Stadium.
BOB JOHNSON: After serving as international editor for Bowlers Journal International, Bob this year was promoted to editor of BJI. Authors Bowler Journal International's BJ Plus. Has written for magazines and bowling publications for more than 25 years while winning many major writing awards. Continues his popular BJI column, voicing opinions and suggestions to better the industry.
CONNIE MARCHIONE: First covered bowling tournaments in the late 1940s for the Cavalier, a monthly publication for the deaf. He helped start the Motor City Deaf Bulletin and also the Pacific Coast Deaf Bowling Newsletter. Co-founded the Deaf Bowler Magazine and wrote a regular column. Has won numerous awards for articles on deaf bowlers since he started writing in 1973.
DAN McDONOUGH: For 40 years Dan has been an important part of the world of bowling as a writer, editor, publisher, photographer and historian at every level. He currently owns and operates the Sports Reporter in the New York area. He has been elected to three bowling halls of fame and has won awards for his writing and photo endeavors.
LYDIA RYPCINSKI: A bowling writer/photographer/promoter for 30 years in the United States and 21 countries. She also has been international editor for Bowlers Journal, media director for PWBA and media coordinator of World Cup. Currently lead writer for coverage of the Chicago Sun-Times annual charity event Beat the Champions.
LYLE ZIKES: Former BWAA president and PBA press director. Frequent contributor to Bowlers Journal International. Bowling writer for the Daily Herald in Illinois. USA Bowling Coaches Council member. Chaired BWAA future Task Force committee. Current BWAA board member.

Tough luck, Lyle Zikes was picked for the Hall of Fame. Better luck next time for the accused -- maybe after the records (or charges) are corrected! :'(

 

[MoociePooh]

D. Powell writes on regrettheerror.com, posted Feb. 14, 2007:

It hurts me to think that when people want to know about bowling in San Antonio that there will be no place to find it. What hurts the most is that the Express News doesn't consider bowling worthy of being in there paper . After the release of Harry Page I stopped reading and purchasing the Express-News. I hope that one day they will see the error in there ways and bring bowling back to the Express-News. Since bowling is a big sport in the city of San Antonio.

Eliminate the messenger -- kill the message!

There may have been an underlying cause for this individual's dismissal. Apparently, this newspaper wanted to eliminate bowling for its pages period. Since this writer has been let go in November, there has only been one item concerning bowling -- and it referred to a bowler who nearly had his second career 900 series. There hasn't been any bowling results of any type on the San Antonio Express-News scoreboard pages or any mention of any bowling achievements in any of its briefs. Yes, space in tight, but what's wrong with agate results at least? A lot of bowling fans would like to know what's going on. Some people just don't see the televised PBA events on ESPN.
What is sad about the paper's position is that it doesn't even mention or is promoting defending U.S. Amateur Junior champion Adam Martinez of San Antonio, who is competing in the United States Bowling Congress' Clash of Champions.
And, being a Texas newspaper, the achievements of Lone Star state bowlers Mike Scroggins, Chris Barnes and Wes Malott, and former Texan Norm Duke of Florida have been sadly overlooked. Barnes and Scroggins have both won two PBA events, Malott won another event, and Duke won both the U.S. Open and the PBA World Championship. No mention of those achievements appeared in the San Antonio paper.
Thank God for pbatour.com and bowl.com. If it were not for those two websites, South Texas bowling fans wouldn't ever know what going on in the bowling world. Fans that don't have a computer are out of luck.
Even Texan Carolyn Dorin-Ballard's win in one of the PBA's women's challenge wasn't mentioned. Incidentally, Shannon Pluhowsky, Diandra Asbaty and Joy Esterson won the other PBA women's events.
The United States Bowling Congress plans to move its headquarters from Milwaukee, Wis., to ARLINGTON, TEXAS. You think the San Antonio paper thought that was big news? No. It didn't even mention, or had any agate results, on the city women's tournament last November. Dreadful.
Parker Bohn III just beat Duke in a $150,000 winner-take-all event but it wasn't mentioned in the paper. Bohn also won another PBA tournament this season, as did rookie sensation Rhino Page, Michael Haugen Jr. (Tournament of Champions, that was overlooked), Mike Wolfe, Tommy Jones and doubles combo Michael Fagan-Danny Wiseman. You would think that Walter Ray Williams Jr. winning a PBA title for a record 15th consecutive season and his 43rd title would warrant at least a blurb -- not in San Antonio.
The Texas State Bowling Association tournament is going to be held in San Antonio this spring, and not a word of its coming to the home of the NBA's Spurs has been published. What a newspaper.
No writer, no bowling -- case closed in San Antonio. Awful.

 

[KuwaitLady]

Do those people at that San Antonio Express-News really know what plagiarism is? Just read the following story where it had to recant on similar charges against some University of Texas at San Antonio students. The hunt for this witch failed.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/education/stories/MYSA040808.utsahonorcode.kens.459e31be.html

 

[VetBroMan]

Looking at this website:

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/bowling/

It appears this newspaper got its facts wrong. See for yourself. What do you think?

 

[MoociePooh]

Page had worked in the Express-News Sports Department since April 19, 1970.

37 years, actually

very sad but they're right ... no wiggle room on this crap

When the shirt is unedited, it is forking potentially lethal.

Personally, it sounds like a sorry excuse for a company to drop a 40-year salary to bring in some new guy right out of school to make 1/6 of what this man was making.

That's what I was thinking.

http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/bowling/

Satisfied now (after looking at the above website)? This
individual was apparently axed for erroneous reasons -- the attributions are there. So why was he canned? Any way to the skeptics, there was a "snake in the grass" for this writer. His subject matter (bowling) may not be of the greatest interest. Beware of the hand that feeds you! However, the way he was shown the door may happen to any one of you without warning.Beware, termination is very popular now. Especially in this day and time when media outlets are trimming staff for financial reasons. Hey, any reason is better than none -- right? Wrong.

 

[VetBroMan]

Some comments for this site's Forum: At least this guy (Burr) was given the option to resign.

Observation noted by cougargirl : Music writer leaves San Antonio, possible ethics violation (June 12, 2008, 12:35:27 PM )
Ramiro Burr is a pretty big name as far as music writing goes, esp. in the tejano community. Now he's out at the E-N after allegations that he's used a ghost writer ... for seven years.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA061108.ramiroburr.EN.2179da4d.html

Answer from Some Guy : He and the bowling blogger will be happy together.

Answer from Editude : This just days after the Express-News updated its newsroom ethics policy. The shop has had some challenges in that regard over the years.

Answer from GuessWho : That paper has some major issues, judging from some of the horror stories going around.

Answers from Bump_Wills :
* Former sports editor Mitch Krugel's plagiarism problem. http://apse.dallasnews.com/oct2000/3-5sheppard.html
* The Harry Page debacle. http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/richter/archives/2007/11/page_veteran_sp.html
* The story that quoted dead people. http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/religion/stories/MYSA012808.01A.marriage.299a699.html
* Jim Dent's crash and burn. http://www.dallasobserver.com/2003-12-11/news/last-call/full
* And it was Jayson Blair's lifting of details from an Express-News story that ignited that brouhaha (clearly, not the Express-News' fault). http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2004/12/nytimes200412
The Harry Page incident still upsets me to this day ... totally unjustified.

Answers from hondo : If I'm going to get fired for plagiarism, it sure as heck isn't going to be plagarizing for a bowling blog.

 

[imjustagirl]

What in god's name was THAT monstrosity?

 

[sportschick]

I am soooooooooooooo confused.

 

[Ace]

I think we're being watched -- or plagiarized.

 

[Gomer]

Thanks for stopping by Harry.

 

[VetBroMan]

I think we're being watched -- or plagiarized.

Funny . . . it's just not so humorous to the veterans and their families at this newspaper. I thought the readers of this topic should be informed of what's going on in Texas -- at the same place (repeatedly). If I did the "reprints of Forum" in error, then I apologize. No, you and the others aren't being watched -- just made aware of what's going on in the print media industry. Thank you.

 

[mustangj17]

Vetbroman,

There are little buttons on your computer called tab, spacebar, and backspace. They help add clarity to message board posts.