AJC > Sports > Blog > Archives > 2007 > December > 30 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USMcFadden report was unfair
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
New Orleans-Just one man’s opinion on a Sunday morning:
1. The McFadden report was unfair: It is my profession and I love it, but sometimes I wonder if some of the media that covers college football has lost its mind. The latest example is a report from an Arkansas television station that Darren McFadden had received a car from an agent, Mike Conley, Sr., and that his eligibility might be in question for Tuesday’s Cotton Bowl.
The report was out there for an entire news cycle before the TV station finally backed off the story and apologized when some facts came to light. One of those facts is that Mike Conley, Sr., is not a registered NFL agent. He does represent NBA players, including his son, Mike Conley, Jr.
Here’s the problem. In the 24 hours that story was out there and continuously scrolled across the bottom of the screen at ESPN, a lot of people changed their minds about Darren McFadden, who is a good kid. Now they think he’s just another greedy athlete who couldn’t wait for 30 days to cash in and didn’t care how it would hurt his teammates. And many of those people won’t even read the retraction or the apology.
This is not like reporting that Coach A and going to School B and getting it wrong. It’s bad and it shouldn’t happen, but the damage is minimal.
This is a kid’s life and reputation. Unless you’ve got the paperwork in your hand that ties the agent and the athlete together, or an eyewitness to the transaction who is willing to go on the record, you just don’t go with that story.
2. It’s been quite a year for Sly: When Mississippi State was dominated 45-0 in its first game with LSU, it was hard for Bulldog fans to be optimistic about the future. But not long after that I talked to coach Sylvester Croom and he said: “Believe it or not, Tony, I saw some things in that game that encouraged me.” After beating Central Florida in the Liberty Bowl, Mississippi State finished 8-5 with wins over Auburn, Kentucky, Alabama and Ole Miss. No coach in the country did a better job than Sly Croom this season.
3. Let’s hear it for the Zooker: In October of 2004, Ron Zook hit rock bottom in his coaching career when he was dismissed as the head coach at Florida. Zook took a lot of shots from a lot of people who said that he wasn’t cut out to be a head coach. On Saturday Ron Zook, who is taking Illinois to the Rose Bowl , was named the Liberty Mutual National coach of the year. Not bad, Zooker. Not bad at all.
4. I want what Joe Pa is having: First of all, I just want to get to 81. And if I get there, I want to have just half the energy of Penn State’s Joe Paterno. Yeah, he’s cranky and he gives us guys in the media a hard time. But Paterno is still a heckuva a football coach. After beating Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl he has climbed to within one win of Florida State’s Bobby Bowden (373), who will face Kentucky on Monday without 36 of his players. Paterno’s program suddenly looks to be in pretty good shape while Bowden’s is struggling. Because of it, this will be one of the most interesting story lines of 2008.
5. Let’s wait and see on Neuheisel: UCLA is taking something of a risk in hiring Rick Neuheisel, the former Bruin quarterback. Rather than go into the old news blow by blow, let’s just say that as a young coach Rick had a reputation for being very aggressive and stretching the binders on the rule book as far as they would go. But I also hear some humility and maturity has set in. UCLA needs some energy to compete in that town with Pete Carroll and Southern Cal. But Neuheisel and his bosses have to know that a lot of people, including the NCAA enforcement staff, are watching him. When it comes to following the rules, he has no margin for error. And at the first sign of trouble, he will not get the benefit of the doubt.
Comments
By MisterD
December 30, 2007 9:26 AM | Link to this
I hadn’t heard the retraction on McFadden. So he’s cleared to play against Missouri?
By Barkin'Dog
December 30, 2007 9:38 AM | Link to this
Great opinions, Tony… all were spot on. Coaches Croom, Paterno and Zook are all worthy of praise this year. But I think Neuheisel is a fine fit at UCLA. I remember watching him play there and coach at Washington. He has great fire and and talent and will do wonderfully with the Bruins. I’m glad to see someone like him challenge Coach Carroll in Southern California. But, as you said, he had better watch his backside, because the spotlight will be on him.
This was one of the most exciting and unusual seasons I’ve ever experienced, and I can’t wait for the BIG Bowls to play out to see if the unusual continues. In fact, the way college football is going, 2008 should be even better… especially with the Dogs aiming for the title game. Enjoy your New Year, and GO DOGS!!
By athensdawg
December 30, 2007 10:12 AM | Link to this
Its a good thing that Smiling Mike Adams dosen’t work at Penn State!!
By HOG-HEAD
December 30, 2007 10:18 AM | Link to this
Who runs KARK in Little Rock ? Making Damaging accusations about the best running back in Arkansas history!! The station manager must be from Missouri.
By War Eagle
December 30, 2007 10:44 AM | Link to this
Hey eric,, check and see if Auburn is still playing in the Chick fil a Bowl?
By War Eagle
December 30, 2007 11:11 AM | Link to this
I was 11-1 with my picks this year on Dawgs, losing only to Auburn and predicting loses to SC and Tenn.Sugar Bowl: UGA 47 Hawaii 35, Chick Fil A: Auburn 24 Clemson 17. HAPPY NEW YEAR
By MSUDawg
December 30, 2007 11:24 AM | Link to this
Tony,
True MSU fans saw promise in that 45-0 blowout by LSU. Henig’s 6 INTs killed State. The defense, despite the way the scoreboard looked, played well.
By Lee
December 30, 2007 11:45 AM | Link to this
Hey, it’s not just the media and sportswriters covering football that get it wrong. How many times have you read about a company or individual on the front page only later to find out the story was blown out of proportion. When they print a retract, it is buried deep withing the paper even though the initial story was front page headlines.
Most people do not realize how bad the news media is until you have first hand knowledge of a story and then read about it in the paper.
Good rule of thumb, believe about 1/2 of what you see and about 1/10 of what you read.
By bird -dog not
December 30, 2007 11:59 AM | Link to this
tony excellent report!i agree you media boy’s,(as of late)have really gone overboard!instead of being in the business of reporting the news,your job is to make the news at ALL COST!!!I for one say ENOUGH ALREADY!to qoute sargent friday of the dragnet tv show of old “THE FACT’S MAN JUST THE FACT’S!!!no more no less!!!
By Hog McPen
December 30, 2007 12:38 PM | Link to this
Tony, the Arkansas Razorbacks and Coach Bobby Petrino are being excessively bashed by BSPN and some others in the media on the “leaving the Falcons early” issue. Fair game!
Darren McFadden, two-time Razorback Heisman runnerup, has broken no NCAA rules in the national “Escalade-sports agent” controversy and resultant media brain-fart. Thank you for recognizing this massive injustice. Thank you for standing up for justice and honest reporting of the news in America.
Stay tuned for the lawsuits.
By reality check
December 30, 2007 1:00 PM | Link to this
Okay, Tony, so the media wasn’t fair to McFadden. I agree, and just to be polite I’ll agree with your observation that some of the media that covers college football sometimes appears to have lost its mind.
The media, and this includes you Tony, is also not being fair to Rick Neuheisel. Of course the NCAA is gunning for him. He sued the NCAA over their allegations of his transgressions and won 4.5 million dollars as a result, proving the NCAA was full of sanctimonious crap. Members of the media invariably fail to mention that fact.
By Hog McPen
December 30, 2007 1:10 PM | Link to this
Tony, the Arkansas Razorbacks and Bobby Petrino received massive media bashing, BSPN and others, in the “coach leaving early from the Falcons” epic morality drama. Fair game!
Darren McFadden, two year Arkansas Heisman runnerup, has broken no NCAA rules in the “Escalade-Sports Agent” story that has been three days running in elements of the national media and BSPN.
Your professional courage to tell the truth of Darren’s massive injustice and to tell the American media to shape up is greatly respected and appreciated. Thank you.
Stay tuned for the lawsuits.
By Hog McPen
December 30, 2007 1:11 PM | Link to this
Tony, the Arkansas Razorbacks and Bobby Petrino received massive media bashing, BSPN and others, in the “coach leaving early from the Falcons” epic morality drama. Fair game!
Darren McFadden, two year Arkansas Heisman runnerup, has broken no NCAA rules in the “Escalade-Sports Agent” story that has been three days running in elements of the national media and BSPN.
Your professional courage to tell the truth of Darren’s massive injustice and to tell the American media to shape up is greatly respected and appreciated. Thank you.
Stay tuned for the lawsuits.
By Martin Faulkner
December 30, 2007 1:57 PM | Link to this
Concerning the McFadden Issue - We live in a mirowave society and the media is doing it’s best to keep the temperature up. You can blame ESPN for being the 900 lb. gorilla that set the table for all of this “Get it out now” jounalism and worry about the facts later.We need to go back to some of the “Retro ways” and it should start with the media today.
By Hawgtied
December 30, 2007 2:10 PM | Link to this
Tony, thanks for your “facts” about the Darren McFadden HOG WASH that KARK Channel 4 in Little Rock aired. Parental guide blockers on all of my televisions have been activated to block KARK and their consistant HOG WASH from entering my household. Razorback fans know the integrety of this fine youn man as will NFL fans in the future. He is a real Keeper!!
By TommyP
December 30, 2007 6:47 PM | Link to this
You know what’s unfair, Tony Barnhart????????
*UCLA is taking something of a risk in hiring Rick Neuheisel, the former Bruin quarterback. Rather than go into the old news blow by blow, let’s just say that as a young coach Rick had a reputation for being very aggressive and stretching the binders on the rule book as far as they would go. *
Rick Neuheisel was PROVEN to have done nothing wrong. His own compliance director told him it was OK to participate in neighborhood “BIG DANCE” pools. He won millions of dollars in that lawsuit proving the NCAA screwed up.
However, without any FACTS that you are calling your media cohorts/peers on, you just did the same friggin’ thing.
How about hypocrisy from media members??????????
By enrique
December 30, 2007 7:59 PM | Link to this
Neuheisel wasn’t exactly proven to have done nothing wrong, was he? I thought he won his suit because the NCAA screwed up in how they handled his case.
By TommyP
December 30, 2007 10:09 PM | Link to this
The guy initially got slammed for betting in a neighborhood pool (NCAA brackets). He was told by a UW compliance director that it was OK for him to do it.
Then the NCAA nailed him. And then paid millions for their wrongdoing.
That’s the only thing that has been proven with Neuheisel yet Barnhart chastises other media members for not relying on facts.
By Bill
December 30, 2007 10:41 PM | Link to this
Here is what I liked.When the MSU running back scored the TD to put the Bulldogs ahead with 1:24 to play he did something amazing.Instead of preening in the end zone,he made a mad dash for the sidline and the bench.Getting thre he could celebrate all he wanted without risk of a flag being thrown.
That kind of play speaks of a disciplined team.Hats off to Coach Croom.Bama made a huge mistake not hiring a man of this quality.
By Mike Malaise
December 31, 2007 1:00 AM | Link to this
The whole system here is unfair. The best players in college football come from disadvantaged backgrounds. They often have large families or single income families. So how do you expect a player who has come from poverty or a less than extravagant background to not be tempted when someone puts money in front of their face? The people who make the rules don’t get it because they have plenty of money themselves. But it is the football players who pay for the science wings , etc. But they are treated like indentured servants—often, they are not even allowed to take paying jobs during their college career.
The fact is, an Escalade is over the top. But any premium player in Div I can tell that they are being used to sell merchandise—even the ones who don’t have NFL careers ahead of them (think of the Oklahoma QBs during the 80s, champions all, but not one of them had a shot in the NFL with the wishbone).
So, it’s not McFadden who is to blame. It is the system that fails to recognize the financial contribution that these players make to the University and refuses to pay them an allowance. i’m not talking about millions of dollars or contracts that encourage a bidding war over players. I’m talking about a set amount of money that is even across the NCAA that universities or the NCAA can pay these players. Because without the college football players and basketball players, there is no NCAA. Women’s basketball will not sell merchandise.
By Eric1
December 31, 2007 8:42 AM | Link to this
Somebody has to play in the Peach…er…Chicken bowl. This year I guess it’s us. War Eagle anyway!!! At least it’s not the weedeater.
By OK, let's see ...
December 31, 2007 9:23 AM | Link to this
Are you saying McFadden received a car from a pro sports agent, just not a registered NFL agent?
Oh, well, by all means, everything is kosher then.
Maybe an NBA or MLB agent, with friends who are NFL agents, will give cars to Knowshon Moreno or Matthew Stafford. That would be OK in your world, right Tony?
Geez, what a rube.
By Swine Song
December 31, 2007 10:33 AM | Link to this
Mike Conley, a registered basketball sports agent, had nothing to do with Darren McFadden and the Escalade auto. Conley was mentioned in the KARK-TV, Little Rock Channel 4, story that was subsequently retracted with massive apologies by KARK-TV. McFadden’s step-father obtained the vehicle a couple of days before Christmas. Darren drove it to Dallas for Cotton Bowl practices after Christmas.
Sorry, sir, but you are wrong in your criticism of Tony Barnhart’s points in his article and he is right. Thank you for your article, Mr. Barnhart! Good journalism has not disappeared, after all.
Stay tuned! Massive libel lawsuit underway in Little Rock, Arkansas…
By jeffdmedic
January 4, 2008 11:08 PM | Link to this
There is only one profession that is protected by the constitution of the United States and it is journalism.
Doctors, Lawyers, and Nurses all have self governing agencies for accredidation, why not journalist?
I am not talking about government control. I am talking about the industry protecting itself from unethical reporters. Recently there has been several scandals involving prestigious news organizations such as The New York Times and CBS. The problem is becoming too prevelant for Journalist not to address.
You have to remember that these are the same people who are attacking MLB for not maintaining the intergrity of a game while they do nothing to regulate their own profession. One of the most important professions in the world.