Would B. Minor be copping a feel if he had anything but love for Rich Rod?... nahhh"The University is satisfied that the initial media reports are greatly exaggerated if not flatly incorrect."
-University of Michigan
-University of Michigan
I wrote a short novel earlier expressing everything from my hatred for Michael Rosenberg and Mark Snyder to a happy belated birthday to Rich Rod and realized no one else would care....so here is my spiel, albeit brief. I am happy it is finally over, yet sad to see there is no accountability in journalism anymore. The Detroit Free Press will never incur the penalty they should for its hit-job, but forcing the University to spend countless $$$ and try and undo some of the external damage is something that I hope comes around one day. Biting the hand that feeds, and in your own back yard, well, I'd advise against that strategy.
The NCAA has to slap us on the wrist, but that's not what this is about. The initial report was not focused on stretching too much or that the water boys are bad at filing papers, because that's just not interesting, that's not what attracts readers. Even Madhoff would be shocked by the lack of integrity displayed as the paper alleged the serious mistreatment of student athletes as well as the department's complete disregard of multiple NCAA rules. It used unnamed sources, manipulated context, and knowingly exaggerated the truth. The paper brought the program under a microscope amidst its roughest stretch in 130 years and with the touch of a child molester fabricated a story, getting their shots in before readers completely tune them out.
The FREEP, ironically enough, is the one who in reality disregarded NCAA rules when they failed to look in the manual and discern what constitutes countable hours! For those who like analogies, the Free Press did the equivalent of tipping off the police about dead bodies in a house, and when the police show up they find the residents are only stealing cable. Even after they are found to have caused a bigger disturbance than what was actually found, the FREEP still pats itself on the book because they can say, "see! I told you something illegal was going down in there." Bushleague, and neither here nor there, but now I am riled up again.
Take a look at what Jonathon Chait has to say as he is much better than I with words. Quote of the day in my book, "Which office do I go to get my reputation back?"
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