ESPN/Jon Pessah Article

[slower]

According to this link, it appears that Mr. Pessah is a Maryland grad:

http://www.journalism.umd.edu/newrel...mposium06.html

Draw your own conclusions.

[Lulu]

This is the first I've even heard of him. ESPN must have decided they wanted a Duke hating article and THEN decided who ought to write it. Very interesting.

Rather than encourage anyone to respond, though, as suggested on the front page article, I'd suggest to ignore it completely. Getting a response is a better result for ESPN, and if anything comes of it most likely it will be taking the worst collection of comments out of context and using it as fodder against Duke. I saw them discussing this article all week on the air and I'm not even going to read it. I had already determined that Duke hating must sell, but if it means I get to see more televised games, then fine.

[freedevil]

I agree with everything Lulu has said. Well put.

Additionally, if it is true that Pessah is a Terp, I'm certain any commentary he may provide is incredibly thoughtful, illuminating, and nuanced. Insert the "winking" smiley here.

[TillyGalore]

Sometimes no response is better than a response and more telling. Plus a response gives credence to his article. But all that is just my humble opinion.

[Viking Guy]

Additionally, if it is true that Pessah is a Terp, I'm certain any commentary he may provide is incredibly thoughtful, illuminating, and nuanced. Insert the "winking" smiley here.

I was fortunate enough to get to know Jon Pessah during the lacrosse media maelstrom. Your character assassination couldn't be more misplaced. Jon and I shared a number of incredible conversations over the course of several months, and I can tell you that he is one of the most thoughtful journalists I have ever met. I was most impressed with his resistance to the zeitgeist surrounding the early events of the lacrosse affair. At a time when everyone was ready to burn the lacrosse team at the stake, Jon refused to jump to conclusions, and preferred instead to focus on the broader picture. He turned out to be right. I respect him tremendously for that.

Yes, Jon had criticisms of Duke Athletics, but no more or less than he would have of any program in the country. In no way is he a Duke Hater. I think he actually kind of likes the place.

Like you, I am disappointed in both the tone and content of the article, perhaps even more so because I know the author. That being said, I also recognize that the author is not the person who has the final say in the content of a piece. ESPN the Mag has an agenda, and that agenda is to sell ESPN the Mag.

We should consider ourselves fortunate enough to have so much success as to warrant a cover article when we allegedly go into decline. Nobody is writing an article about the decline of, say, St. Johns.

[gvtucker]

I was fortunate enough to get to know Jon Pessah during the lacrosse media maelstrom. Your character assassination couldn't be more misplaced. Jon and I shared a number of incredible conversations over the course of several months, and I can tell you that he is one of the most thoughtful journalists I have ever met. I was most impressed with his resistance to the zeitgeist surrounding the early events of the lacrosse affair. At a time when everyone was ready to burn the lacrosse team at the stake, Jon refused to jump to conclusions, and preferred instead to focus on the broader picture. He turned out to be right. I respect him tremendously for that.

Yes, Jon had criticisms of Duke Athletics, but no more or less than he would have of any program in the country. In no way is he a Duke Hater. I think he actually kind of likes the place.

Like you, I am disappointed in both the tone and content of the article, perhaps even more so because I know the author. That being said, I also recognize that the author is not the person who has the final say in the content of a piece. ESPN the Mag has an agenda, and that agenda is to sell ESPN the Mag.

We should consider ourselves fortunate enough to have so much success as to warrant a cover article when we allegedly go into decline. Nobody is writing an article about the decline of, say, St. Johns.

What Viking Guy said.

IMO, this is a HUGE overreaction by DBR. Does the article reflect negatively about Duke? Yeah. Is it unfair? Yeah. Big whoop. There are going to be articles biased against Duke every now and then. There are ALSO going to be articles biased FOR Duke. You take the good with the bad. Going off on a rail because of one article is silly.

Guess what? Everyone else thinks that ESPN is biased FOR Duke. Are they right? Nah. Ever talk to a Tar Heel about ESPN? They think ESPN hates them, too. Ever talk to someone from the SEC? They think ESPN hates them and is biased in favor of the ACC. Either ESPN is biased against everyone, or perhaps it isn't biased at all, but rather people tend to see the negative stuff and overreact and don't realize that there's plenty of positive stuff, too.

I subscribe to ESPN the Mag because my kids like the magazine. One article isn't all of a sudden going to make me cancel my subscription.

[Duvall]

I subscribe to ESPN the Mag because my kids like the magazine. One article isn't all of a sudden going to make me cancel my subscription.

This is shocking. I didn't realize that *anyone* liked ESPN the Magazine.

[gvtucker]

This is shocking. I didn't realize that *anyone* liked ESPN the Magazine.

Yeah, shocking to me, too. But what can I say, at least they're reading.

[Channing]

I agree with a lot of the sentiments in this thread, and often times let "hating" go, while trying not to get hung up on it. But the blurb from the ESPN gift catalog is a bit absurd. There isnt even a facade of journalism there - just blatant, outright disrespect.

[ugadevil]

Guess what? Everyone else thinks that ESPN is biased FOR Duke. Are they right? Nah. Ever talk to a Tar Heel about ESPN? They think ESPN hates them, too. Ever talk to someone from the SEC? They think ESPN hates them and is biased in favor of the ACC. Either ESPN is biased against everyone, or perhaps it isn't biased at all, but rather people tend to see the negative stuff and overreact and don't realize that there's plenty of positive stuff, too.

I'd say that I agree entirely with this sentiment. At UGA, everyone says that College Gameday hates us because they won't come here for a big game (it might be true and the fanbase probably deserved it). At Auburn and Tennessee, they think Lee Corso hates them because he never picks their teams to win. For all the people at ESPN that criticize Duke basketball, there is probably just as big a number who have nothing but good things to say. Complain all you want about Mike Patrick and Dick Vitale, but the two men have nothing but the utmost respect and praise for Coach K and the Duke program. There are numerous others who share that same praise on the ESPN network.

As a graduating senior who would love to pursue a career in sports, I have no shame in admitting that I constantly look for openings with ESPN and will continue to do so, regardless of how much over-the-top coverage they give the Cowboys, Red Sox, and Yankees!

[feldspar]

One article isn't all of a sudden going to make me cancel my subscription.

Or turn my sound down.

*snarf*

[Duvall]

However, I think we can all agree that "by staying silent he lost some credibility, and maybe some of his soul" is some terrible, terrible writing.

[Chard]

--Jason "oh, and the notion that there is an anti-Duke conspiracy at ESPN is laughable to those of us in the journalism biz" Evans

Jason,

Re: that signature:

Can you elaborate on how being in the "journalism biz" especially helps one root out media bias? (It just comes across as a fairly pompous line; I'm interested to see if you can write the next sentence to it...)

How soon we forget. Anybody remember the story of media members celebration in a press room after the Duke loss to VCU last year? Nah, no bias there.

[diesel]

And I thought I was out of a year plus preoccupation with the nightmare of the lacrosse case and could return to my first love of Blue Devil basketball!

But here is Pessah of ESPN attacking Coach K on the lacrosse case because "by staying silent he lost some credibility”? Give me a break! ESPN broadcasted the lies that underlay the Lacrosse Hoax. In his 4/11/2006 piece in ESPN The Magazine, Eric Adelson reported an anonymous source who was “present at the hospital” as indicating that Mangum had bruising on her neck (supporting her story she was strangled), bruises on her face (supporting her story she was beaten) and pelvic injuries (supporting her rape and sodomy stories).

All of these stories have been shown to be lies yet Adelson has never acknowledged he was suckered and never revealed his so-called source. (I’m excluding the possibility that he just made it up!) Nor has ESPN ever issued an apology for their role in thus propagating the Lacrosse Hoax.

Since Pessah is ill-equipped and in the wrong company to write about the lacrosse case, might I suggest something that might be more suitable to his background as a Maryland graduate and basketball writer? Why doesn’t he use his inside knowledge to examine the reasons for and implications of the zero graduation rate for D1 basketball players entering his alma mater in the 1997-2000 period?

[JG Nothing]

But here is Pessah of ESPN attacking Coach K on the lacrosse case because "by staying silent he lost some credibility”? Give me a break!

From Pessah's article: “I’ve never been a fan of nondecisions,” says Tom Butters, the former Duke athletic director, who hired Krzyzewski, then a little-known coach at Army, in 1980. “If you can’t support these boys, who can you support? There are times when you have to put your [rear end] on the line...“Did I anticipate Mike would step forward?” {Butters] says. “Yes, because he has stepped forward so many times on so many issues, and because of the gravity of the situation. I am in no way critical of the way he responded, but I was surprised. He is so powerful, and he is not one to be shy about his views. I would have thought he would anguish in his silence.”

Since Pessah is ill-equipped and in the wrong company to write about the lacrosse case...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2491696
http://insider.espn.go.com/ncaa/insi...3fid%3d2563683

[TillyGalore]

You need to read the whole thing to understand it's a joke. If you only read the part about Jamie Spatola's book you'll think it is a slam at Duke.

Read the whole thing, it is pretty funny.

[mr. synellinden]

You need to read the whole thing to understand it's a joke. If you only read the part about Jamie Spatola's book you'll think it is a slam at Duke.

Read the whole thing, it is pretty funny.

Really? Which other gift ideas are a vindictive slam at anyone? Are the cuff links a joke? What about the itunes gift card? What about the fathead posters? I didn't find the Pro Football Chronicle idea to be so funny. Maybe I really don't understand humor. Is this supposed to be satire?

[Viking Guy]

Really? Which other gift ideas are a vindictive slam at anyone? Are the cuff links a joke? What about the itunes gift card? What about the fathead posters? I didn't find the Pro Football Chronicle idea to be so funny. Maybe I really don't understand humor. Is this supposed to be satire?

The blurb for the Throwback Pats jersey jabs the current Pats for being unlikable overlords.

The blurb for the fathead suggests that having a Cincinnati Bengal in your house is legit cause for calling 911.

The blurb for the pacifier attacks the Pats once again, calling their fans crybabies.

[JasonEvans]

We should consider ourselves fortunate enough to have so much success as to warrant a cover article when we allegedly go into decline. Nobody is writing an article about the decline of, say, St. Johns.

Or UConn or Maryland.

I've said it before elsewhere and will say it again here-- the only school that got major attention for a down year the way we did last season was when Carolina staggered through the 8-20 mess under Doh a few years back. I would also like to point out that Carolina has had seasons like we did last year and NOT gotten any attention for it.

I see all of the articles and the such as proof that Duke is the standard by which college basketball is measured.

And I think angry emails and letters to John Pessah is a waste of time. I can tell you from experience that he is going to be 100% convinced he is right up until the moment when the FACTS (not fan opinions) prove him wrong. When Duke makes the Final 8 or Final Four this season or especially next year, when K lands a stud big-man recruit (wait, he already did that with Singler), when everyone else is writing about how K still is THE leading figure in college basketball -- that is when John Pessah will look back on his column and nervoulsy laugh about how horribly wrong he was.

--Jason "oh, and the notion that there is an anti-Duke conspiracy at ESPN is laughable to those of us in the journalism biz" Evans

[mr. synellinden]

--Jason "oh, and the notion that there is an anti-Duke conspiracy at ESPN is laughable to those of us in the journalism biz" Evans

OK - perhaps conspiracy is going too far, but how do you feel about the ESPN gift guide item on the front page. That to me seems something you'd expect to see on Inside Carolina, not ESPN. Although, I am starting to view ESPN's "talent" as far less than a good example of journalism.