FOXSPORTS.com's Jason Whitlock examined ESPN's coverage of the allegations of child sexual abuse against Syracuse men's basketball assistant coach Bernie Fine and wrote he is "disgusted by the irresponsible ‘reporting’ used by Mark Schwarz, Arty Berko and ESPN to unfairly smear Bernie Fine and boost ESPN ratings.” Whitlock wrote, “What I do know, based on Schwarz’s juvenile ‘reporting,’ is the Worldwide Leader didn’t have nearly enough evidence to air such a reputation-damaging story.” Schwarz “acquired just enough information -- two vague, mumbling on-camera interviews from Fine’s accusers -- to protect ESPN from a lawsuit.” Whitlock: “Was his story sound journalism? Was his story remotely fair? No, and hell no. … What I know is you don’t destroy a person’s reputation with two highly flimsy accusations.” In the brief snippet of interviews ESPN has aired of accusers Bobby Davis and Mike Lang, "why didn’t Schwarz ask any probative questions?” It is “morally criminal what Schwarz and ESPN did to Bernie Fine.” Even if “more credible accusers against Fine surface, it does not justify what Schwarz did to Fine.” The mainstream media “can’t simply throw out crippling, salacious rumors and then let the proof of those rumors filter in.” After being “embarrassingly slow to react to the legitimate Penn State story, ESPN decided to ‘own’ the Syracuse story by adopting what it believes is Deadspin’s standard for destroying a person’s reputation.” The truth is “Deadspin actually has a higher standard than the Worldwide Leader.” Deadspin Editor A.J. Daulerio said he would not have run the Fine story. Daulerio: "For no other reason than the fact that it seemed very presumptive and piggybacked off the Sandusky case, which irretrievably alters the public perception of the story. Davis’s story could wait another month or two” (FOXSPORTS.com, 11/21).
BOEHEIM AGREES WITH COLUMN: Syracuse is in N.Y. this week for the NIT Season Tip-Off, and coach Jim Boeheim briefly addressed the Fine allegations with reporters Tuesday. When Boeheim was asked if the media has "jumped the gun" on the Fine story, he initially said, "That's not for me to say." He added moments later, "Read Jason Whitlock" (AP, 11/22).
