Is the Times writer pulling a John Kerry?

[The Sheriff]

Since the other topic was wandering off, I looked back at the archived article from the Trib about the possible Notre Dame-USF series/game.

The quote in the Tribune story from Kevin O’Malley, (an advisor for media rights for Notre Dame and one of the most powerful figures in collegiate sports for anyone who knows Notre Dame), when asked specifically about USF-Notre Dame:

"I think you and I will go to a USF-Notre Dame game," O’Malley said. "I just don't know when it will be. I think Notre Dame will end up playing USF, and there's a good chance they'll play a home-and-home series.â€Â

THOSE ARE DIRECT QUOTES about USF-Notre Dame.

The Times is now saying this: "In terms of the Big East games, our interest is in getting into the New York and New England corridor," said Notre Dame senior associate athletic director John Heisler, who coordinates the Fighting Irish's football schedule.  "Our intention there was not to split them up evenly among the eight Big East teams."

THERE IS NO MENTION OF ANY SCHOOLS – USF OR OTHERWISE. IT DOES NOT SAY THEY ARE NOT PLAYING US.

What kills me about the St. Pete Times writers is that when the Tribune gets a story, they try to disprove it. Instead of being Tribune and McMurphy haters (how many years has he worked the USF beat - since I've been in school), maybe they can actually acknowledge he beat them to a story and try to follow up on the story with further information.

The flip flopping by the St. Pete Times is frustrating IMO for USF fans everywhere, especially when I'm calling my friends and telling them we're playing the Irish down the road and are going to whip there collective asses. We should be able to read both newspapers online and feel like the information is credible with respect to the USF beat. It seems like there is a hidden agenda when it comes to accurate reporting at times with the Times. Their first agenda is to call the Tribune wrong, and then try to piece together the facts later regardless if the Tribune was right.

At least Auman has had the balls to say he missed the boat on a story before. I don't think we'll be seeing this to often with their writers though. The writer here looks like a jackass now. How can you dispute a direct quote from a big wig at Notre Dame?

[TikiBull]

Personally, I'm more inclined to belive the word of the "senior associate athletic director" over an " advisor for media rights".  I thought that sounded kind of flimsy when I first read it, and this makes me think so even more.

[E.T.]

How can quotes become the fault of a writer ?

A person was quoted for a story ... then another story has another quote.

How is that the fault of a writer ?

[TikiBull]

Is an advisor for media rights in any way "authorized" to make statements regarding who ND will or will not be playing?  And - should a reporter take that and run with it as fact?  Not trying to be a smart a_s, just looking at it objectively...  

[E.T.]

I see it as reporting facts ... the readers/fans can decide what they want.

Don't remember anyone saying anything when the story was new.

[TikiBull]

I think the reader should have been equally skeptical over the line about "advisor for media rights for Notre Dame and one of the most powerful figures in collegiate sports for anyone who knows Notre Dame".  Most powerful figures in collegiate sports?!?!  Puh-leeze!

[Greg Auman]

Ah, Sheriff.

Don't really want to get into this, but I'll just say that Kevin O'Malley -- while absolutely a key player as a consultant on TV contract negotiations both for Notre Dame and the Big East -- is not involved in the decisions as to which schools Notre Dame will be playing.

What I did was talk to the person who handles football scheduling for Notre Dame, as I have on a regular basis since we first wrote about the Irish making a commitment to play Big East schools back in May 2005. And without him specifically saying "It's not going to happen," he gave every indication that USF is not part of the initial 18 games against Big East schools. If it were big news, I would have written it a week and a half ago when I talked to him. Instead, I saved it for our first weekly notes column of the fall, just because I think USF fans had high hopes and expectations of playing this game with Notre Dame when they really shouldn't have. I'm not refuting anything; I'm simply putting in an update on something both papers have written about in the past year. And again, a final decision hasn't been made. But if Notre Dame does play USF in a home-and-home, it will represent a major change from what their plans are right now.

Sheriff keeps talking about "Times writers" -- who else are you talking about besides me? And what exactly is the flipflopping? I'd rather you just go back to nonsense about where I went to school and how it's impacting my coverage ...

[Joe]

I still don't understand why people on this board call out these reporters. You think any other school has their beat writers talking to their fans? No!

Appreciate what these guys do for the program. Just because the ND deal didn't work out doesn't mean he was trying to flip flop between the games.

[TikiBull]

I'm not calling anyone out - maybe the Tribune reporter for running a story based on information that is at best weak.  Most powerful figures in collegiate sports?  Riiiigght...and I'm the King of France...maybe they can run that story tomorrow.

[E.T.]

...

Appreciate what these guys do for the program. ...

2nd !

And another thing that I think many take for granted, the ease of getting questions answered by our SID.

I have emailed him many times and ALWAYS have received an aswer.

And this goes with the communication we get from Eric S.