It’s no shock to anyone who reads this blog that I’m not a big fan of some in sports media. I have a particular aversion to those who just make things up and try to pass them off as “factpinions” knowingly wrong information presented by columnists hiding behind the facade of it “just being opinion”.
Sam Smith is the all time worse offender, but there was a recent new addition to the list Mike Celizic of MSNBC.com
Celizic wrotea column saying I turned down a deal for Shaq. Anyone who listened to any of the 100 interviews I did on the topic this summer knew that we tried, but there never was a deal discussed Ever. I asked if they would consider trading Shaq to us, the Lakers said they didn’t have an interest. End of story.
I wrote an email to Celizic and we had a back and forth where he said it was purely opinion on his part . It certainly didn’t read like opinion and there were plenty of people emailing me who thought it was a factual report rather than opinion, so I wasn’t the only one who thought it could be misleading.
So, I wrote an email to Celizics editor, and wonder of wonder he responded. Not only did he respond, but he told Celizic to run verbatim the email thread that occured between us in his blog and that they would publicize the correction as much as the original article.
A big thumbs up to Danny an editor at MSNBC.com for recognizing what happenedand using internet media the way it should be used.
Thanks Danny. I’m so impressed, I’m linking to MSNBC.com and what’s his names blog and article rather than reposting it all here!