In defense of Greg...

[Held_AccountaBull]

Hey everyone. Probably not going to say much on this issue, but don't want you guys to think I'm avoiding the issue entirely. First, I've already killed off about 20 comments off the blog for being inappropriate or impersonating someone else, so don't think I haven't been busy with that.

Yes, a great deal of thought went into whether to write the story or not. I understand completely the wide range of reactions from this story, and just want you guys to know this wasn't something that was done without a lot of thought and discussion going back to November as to whether it merited being in the paper. There were a lot of details left out of the story in respect to the Moffitts' privacy, believe me. I respect that some of you don't think the story should have been published, and I think there are different levels of understanding as to what my role is in covering USF as a beat writer.

If any of you want to deal with me directly, you're welcome to e-mail me at auman@sptimes.com.

personally i think its sloppy journalism only because you wrote about accusations and not fact, but that goes on a lot in journalism and i dont know anything about journalism. this is why some people (coaches, players, actors, public figures) hate the media.

[Carolina_Bull]

Hey everyone. Probably not going to say much on this issue, but don't want you guys to think I'm avoiding the issue entirely. First, I've already killed off about 20 comments off the blog for being inappropriate or impersonating someone else, so don't think I haven't been busy with that.

Yes, a great deal of thought went into whether to write the story or not. I understand completely the wide range of reactions from this story, and just want you guys to know this wasn't something that was done without a lot of thought and discussion going back to November as to whether it merited being in the paper. There were a lot of details left out of the story in respect to the Moffitts' privacy, believe me. I respect that some of you don't think the story should have been published, and I think there are different levels of understanding as to what my role is in covering USF as a beat writer.

If any of you want to deal with me directly, you're welcome to e-mail me at auman@sptimes.com.

personally i think its sloppy journalism only because you wrote about accusations and not fact, but that goes on a lot in journalism and i dont know anything about journalism. this is why some people (coaches, players, actors, public figures) hate the media.

Come on dwowarp8, even you gotta laugh at that.

[Ruger7mmmag]

There's a difference between breaking the law and personal problems like this and you have NO FACTS to substantiate any of this story other than a scorned wife.  Come on man.  That's the WORST source in the universe.  There's a reason the saying, "Nothing worse than a woman scorned" exists and you just used it as the basis of an entire article.  

Criminal activity I can understand covering, but this?  And from the most unreliable source on the planet?  Are you kidding me?  

No way either paper should've ran with this at all.  Let the official court proceedings take place where folks are talking on the record.  Even she can back off the claims in this article and you don't think that could happen?  I've seen women claim pregnancies, *****, abuse etc where NONE of it happened in situations like this and you ran with it?  

How can you say with a straight face you kept stuff out for the sake of their privacy?  That would be like the jackass who burglarized my house on Christmas Eve, stole a crap load of stuff and then left a note to tell me he did me a favor bc he didn't trash the place entirely.  

I would expect this from the Oracle, but not from a large newspaper.

[mikebeau]

Greg,

You went from reporting on a story about the team, and turned it into a sensationalized story about an angry woman in what looks to be an ending marriage.  I see the story being reported elsewhere(tbo), where the focus is obviously the possible academic improprieties, not a personal story about their relationship.

[USF Colby]

Hey everyone. Probably not going to say much on this issue, but don't want you guys to think I'm avoiding the issue entirely. First, I've already killed off about 20 comments off the blog for being inappropriate or impersonating someone else, so don't think I haven't been busy with that.

Yes, a great deal of thought went into whether to write the story or not. I understand completely the wide range of reactions from this story, and just want you guys to know this wasn't something that was done without a lot of thought and discussion going back to November as to whether it merited being in the paper. There were a lot of details left out of the story in respect to the Moffitts' privacy, believe me. I respect that some of you don't think the story should have been published, and I think there are different levels of understanding as to what my role is in covering USF as a beat writer.

If any of you want to deal with me directly, you're welcome to e-mail me at auman@sptimes.com.

Well apparently you did a good job in writing that article because you have been able to garner quite a few reactions from people. However, I don't see why anybody cares about this. In my opinion by writing this article you are no better than the people who write all of that celebrity gossip ******** that is in the tabaloids in grocery stores. You are supposedly a "sports writer", this article has nothing to do with sports aside from the fact that Ben Moffitt is a middle linebacker for USF's football team and even from the USF stand point it has nothing to do with USF other than the fact he is a student.

His wife's accusations are a mere ploy to destroy his reputation and unless she has evidence I refuse to take them seriously and when i'm a sports writer in your shoes I will turn down stories like this because it isn't news. If you want to hear the personal lives of other people you go watch all those stupid gossip shows and Talk Soup and ****, you don't read the sports section of a major newspaper and anyone who considers themselves a sports writer should not lower themselves by writing a story such as this.

[mikebeau]

Hey everyone. Probably not going to say much on this issue, but don't want you guys to think I'm avoiding the issue entirely. First, I've already killed off about 20 comments off the blog for being inappropriate or impersonating someone else, so don't think I haven't been busy with that.

Yes, a great deal of thought went into whether to write the story or not. I understand completely the wide range of reactions from this story, and just want you guys to know this wasn't something that was done without a lot of thought and discussion going back to November as to whether it merited being in the paper. There were a lot of details left out of the story in respect to the Moffitts' privacy, believe me. I respect that some of you don't think the story should have been published, and I think there are different levels of understanding as to what my role is in covering USF as a beat writer.

If any of you want to deal with me directly, you're welcome to e-mail me at auman@sptimes.com.

Well apparently you did a good job in writing that article because you have been able to garner quite a few reactions from people. However, I don't see why anybody cares about this. In my opinion by writing this article you are no better than the people who write all of that celebrity gossip ******** that is in the tabaloids in grocery stores. You are supposedly a "sports writer", this article has nothing to do with sports aside from the fact that Ben Moffitt is a middle linebacker for USF's football team and even from the USF stand point it has nothing to do with USF other than the fact he is a student.

His wife's accusations are a mere ploy to destroy his reputation and unless she has evidence I refuse to take them seriously and when i'm a sports writer in your shoes I will turn down stories like this because it isn't news. If you want to hear the personal lives of other people you go watch all those stupid gossip shows and Talk Soup and ****, you don't read the sports section of a major newspaper and anyone who considers themselves a sports writer should not lower themselves by writing a story such as this.

hmmmm, so garnering reaction is a sign of a good job?

[IncrediBULL]

Hey everyone. Probably not going to say much on this issue, but don't want you guys to think I'm avoiding the issue entirely. First, I've already killed off about 20 comments off the blog for being inappropriate or impersonating someone else, so don't think I haven't been busy with that.

Yes, a great deal of thought went into whether to write the story or not. I understand completely the wide range of reactions from this story, and just want you guys to know this wasn't something that was done without a lot of thought and discussion going back to November as to whether it merited being in the paper. There were a lot of details left out of the story in respect to the Moffitts' privacy, believe me. I respect that some of you don't think the story should have been published, and I think there are different levels of understanding as to what my role is in covering USF as a beat writer.

If any of you want to deal with me directly, you're welcome to e-mail me at auman@sptimes.com.

Well apparently you did a good job in writing that article because you have been able to garner quite a few reactions from people. However, I don't see why anybody cares about this. In my opinion by writing this article you are no better than the people who write all of that celebrity gossip ******** that is in the tabaloids in grocery stores. You are supposedly a "sports writer", this article has nothing to do with sports aside from the fact that Ben Moffitt is a middle linebacker for USF's football team and even from the USF stand point it has nothing to do with USF other than the fact he is a student.

His wife's accusations are a mere ploy to destroy his reputation and unless she has evidence I refuse to take them seriously and when i'm a sports writer in your shoes I will turn down stories like this because it isn't news. If you want to hear the personal lives of other people you go watch all those stupid gossip shows and Talk Soup and ****, you don't read the sports section of a major newspaper and anyone who considers themselves a sports writer should not lower themselves by writing a story such as this.

hmmmm, so garnering reaction is a sign of a good job?

I don't know you tell me.  Do people on this board get excited when they start a message thread, and it continues for days with pages of replies and hundreds of reads. I would emphatically say yes.  So if someone can write a story, in a news paper no less, that is read by lots of people and garners some types of emotions (good or bad) then they did probably do their job.  If no one reads it, or gets anythingn out of it, then it is wasted print.  Again, Journalism 101.  Why do you think editorials exist, to allow people to chime in on issues which are "newsworthy" that they have a strong opiniion on.  Again, back tothe many journalism classes I took, if you write a report, and it is factual (there is no way to deny this one as of yet, as it is one persons opinion, hers), and it gets a lot of notice - you were successful. 

[USF Colby]

Hey everyone. Probably not going to say much on this issue, but don't want you guys to think I'm avoiding the issue entirely. First, I've already killed off about 20 comments off the blog for being inappropriate or impersonating someone else, so don't think I haven't been busy with that.

Yes, a great deal of thought went into whether to write the story or not. I understand completely the wide range of reactions from this story, and just want you guys to know this wasn't something that was done without a lot of thought and discussion going back to November as to whether it merited being in the paper. There were a lot of details left out of the story in respect to the Moffitts' privacy, believe me. I respect that some of you don't think the story should have been published, and I think there are different levels of understanding as to what my role is in covering USF as a beat writer.

If any of you want to deal with me directly, you're welcome to e-mail me at auman@sptimes.com.

Well apparently you did a good job in writing that article because you have been able to garner quite a few reactions from people. However, I don't see why anybody cares about this. In my opinion by writing this article you are no better than the people who write all of that celebrity gossip ******** that is in the tabaloids in grocery stores. You are supposedly a "sports writer", this article has nothing to do with sports aside from the fact that Ben Moffitt is a middle linebacker for USF's football team and even from the USF stand point it has nothing to do with USF other than the fact he is a student.

His wife's accusations are a mere ploy to destroy his reputation and unless she has evidence I refuse to take them seriously and when i'm a sports writer in your shoes I will turn down stories like this because it isn't news. If you want to hear the personal lives of other people you go watch all those stupid gossip shows and Talk Soup and ****, you don't read the sports section of a major newspaper and anyone who considers themselves a sports writer should not lower themselves by writing a story such as this.

hmmmm, so garnering reaction is a sign of a good job?

Well apparently these days all these newspapers care about is getting people to read their articles, and by products from their advertisers so they get more sponsors so in that aspect Greg did a good job.

Do I think it is good journalism? No. In my personal opinion journalism has taken a huge step back and instead of exposing REAL problems and HELPING society like they did in the past now it's about bringing people down and airing celebrities and popular public figures dirty laundry in the name of generating ad revenue and heaven forbid these newspapers slam their advertisers.

When I am a journalist I will refuse to write articles like this, I think Greg destroyed his repuation as a true sports journalist by writing this article. Unless his job was threatened, he was fairly sure he couldn't get another job and needed to provide for his family so he wrote this article so he could put food on the table or anything along those lines, I can't support him writing this article. But I put the extreme scenario out there because I know people on this board who will say things like "Well what if Greg needs to put food on the table".

[cptkid570]

Greg has done a fantastic job of covering the Bulls.  As a journalist, he couldn't just let this slide.  And, as he said, there were a lot of facts that were left out of the article... meaning -- he was actually delicate in everything he wrote and it could've been worse.

[USF Colby]

Greg has done a fantastic job of covering the Bulls.  As a journalist, he couldn't just let this slide.  And, as he said, there were a lot of facts that were left out of the article... meaning -- he was actually delicate in everything he wrote and it could've been worse.

Nothing wrong with that.