Higgins' Recruiting Allegations
by PeteHoliday on Feb 15, 2009 7:19 PM CST
44 comments
I saw Ron Higgins' column accusing Coach Saban of a recruiting violation today, but didn't have time to sift through the relevant news reports until this evening. When I did, I was a little shocked at how irresponsible the report was.
Capstone Report has already broken it down, but I thought it might be more interesting to see what the paper has to say for it, especially when Ian was able to talk to the HS Coach who basically said that everything was on the up-and-up.
I went to the Commercial Appeal's website and sent the following email to its editor, Chris Peck:
Mr. Peck,
In a column on Sunday (Feb 15) Ron Higgins made some pretty serious allegations about Alabama head football coach Nick Saban.
Column: <LINK>
I have never had a reason to doubt Mr. Higgins' integrity -- journalistic or otherwise -- but his most recent column smacks of rushing to get a story first rather than endeavoring to get it right.
Higgins' column reads as follows: "Judging from the quotes given by Malone to the CA's Jason Smith, there was a face-to-face meeting and a selling job by Saban." That passage contains a link to a February 6th news report by Jason Smith (also of the Commercial Appeal).
There is only one quote of Malone's in that article that could possibly be construed to mean what Mr. Higgins is implying: "And when he started talking to me, I started liking the stuff that he was saying."
Now, assuming for a moment that Malone's quote has the proper context and was intended by him to convey that he had a lengthy personal conversation with Saban, wouldn't a journalist of Higgins' caliber and reputation -- and a paper of the Appeal's stature -- want to get another source or two?
Higgins' appears to have called the SEC -- but nobody from the SEC was present for the alleged conversation. Maybe someone else might have relevant information?
Like, for example, someone affiliated with the University of Alabama? Or maybe even Malone's head coach? With respect to the latter, it appears as though a brief conversation would have led Higgins to do a little more research before running a sensationalist piece, that is, if it didn't moot the whole issue outright. <LINK>
Closing that portion of the story with "This wasn't a bump by the Sabanator. This was full-contact recruiting." makes Higgins look as though he's less interested in truthful reporting and more interested in making waves -- or worse -- trying to further some personal agenda of his and using the Commercial Appeal as his personal megaphone.
I hope that your organization will either provide a more thoroughly researched and sourced update to Higgins' column or just issue an outright retraction of the allegations of recruiting violations that Higgins felt qualified to make after hearing second-hand quotes from a 16 year old kid.
Regards,
Pete Holiday
I'm not expecting a response, although if I do receive one I'll update this post. If any of you would like to add your voices to the request for clarification, you can do so here. Do remember, though, that most people do not walk around with malice guiding their every move -- there could be a perfectly reasonable explanation for the vast difference between Higgins' report and Ian's, so you might slant more towards the curious side and less towards the jerkish, accusing side, but, hey, I'm not the boss of you.
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WTF?!?!?
I would really like to hear exactly what he has said about “Saban’s recruiting violation” I mean come on now, We all know that Saban has always been a big draw for recruits and doesn’t need to buy his players in any kind of way, To go off and say all this nonsense that could not only hurt the University but could also hurt Saban in the future, I bet anything that if Saban wouldn’t have brought in 2 straight elite classes then this would never be said, Seriously this guy needs to do more research and get all the facts before running his mouth.
by bama_man on Feb 15, 2009 7:31 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
i’d be more appalled at this report if i hadn’t watched Ace in the Hole two days ago.
by kleph on Feb 15, 2009 7:36 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Recruiting wars...
are starting to get extremely ugly. It’s kind of making me sick to see journalism fall to such a level.
by brandonh on Feb 15, 2009 9:15 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
Does anyone know
where Higgin’s loyalty lies? I mean where did he go to college? Who does he cover for the paper? etc.
To me the guy is just playing to a Vol. audience that is already starting to tire of Kiffin.
If he made some of this stuff up, which seems likely, I hope he pays a price.
by 5026 on Feb 15, 2009 9:41 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
I
try not go straight for the “discredited” angle like, where did the guy go to school or his brother-in-law coaches where? I’d rather take on what he wrote on its own merits first.
"All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity." - Gordie Howe
by Bens4vcobra on Feb 16, 2009 8:14 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
the problem here is that now this hack has decided to make a stink it gathers its own momentum, particularly since this is such a down time for college football and sports in general.
of course there is going to be a to-do about it now because, as much as i agree with pete in everything he’s written here – simply writing about it has given it more traction. and therein lies the problem. (and yes, i’m adding to it as well by posting this comment)
i’’ll leave the defense of saban and the admonition of higgins to others better able to address those points and make a more general point about journalism. we often attack daily newspapers these days by attributing the given sin that has offended us to the overall decline of the medium. while i don’t usually believe that, this is a very good example of what is likely to kill it.
the only difference between higgins and some quasi-anonymous poster on a message board is his work appears under the masthead of a newspaper. his words hold a certain amount of cachet and credibility that is given by the fact a publication backs up what he writes by reputation and tradition. (part of this is due to the fact there is also a system of editing at newspapers have which most websited do not but follow me with this…)
it is crap writing like this, crap reporting, that erodes that edifice of credibility. the result is the institution is losing the one shred of credibility that makes it relevant in terms of news gathering. the field is becoming leveled with the newspaper columnist becoming as relevant as the online columnist (they certainly both took the same certification exam to be allowed to practice their trade) .
i’m actually for this because i think this new order allows the best work – be it at a shit paper, great blog or whatever – to be judged by its merits. the sad part is the way folks that should be working to improve the longevity of a great institution have decided to lay back and ride it’s not-so-slow slide into oblivion.
by kleph on Feb 16, 2009 9:01 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Yes, it's the echo chamber effect...
used effectively for years by right-wing pundits on the radio: Throw something out there, false, discredited or otherwise, it takes traction in other media circles, is dissected through “think tanks”, then disseminated on the respectable outlets as conventional wisdom. Same thing here.
I refuse to believe that Higgins’s efforts were anything other than a true shot across the bow in the UA-UT war of words/recruits. Like all good conflicts, media are integral pawns and proxy warriors in the disinformation campaigns between opposing sides.
...Addicted to Facebook. Why, oh, why did I ever start an account?!...
by Stuck in the Plains on Feb 16, 2009 9:09 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
That might all be true, but worse than contributing to the din surrounding an allegation like this is allowing it to go unexamined. Not challenging these things leads them to becoming “fact” for a large group of people.
by PeteHoliday on Feb 16, 2009 9:39 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
i fully agree, there is a serious need for accountability here and your letter and post were not just warranted, but necessary. i was also noting that, paradoxically, furthers the impact of the original digression.
by kleph on Feb 16, 2009 9:41 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
ugh...
True as all of the above are, the options aren’t palatable: Ignore the d-bag, and hope it goes away, or (as you state, paradoxically,) confront it, and have the original and spurious accusations resonate. I wish reporters and media-types had a professional standards body that licensed them and could strip said license for incompetence and unethical behavior. IT’s odd that lawyers, docs, nurses, teachers, hair-stylists, nail techs, etc all have to be held to accountability by a self-regulating profession, but something as integral to our republic as the media are not.
...Addicted to Facebook. Why, oh, why did I ever start an account?!...
by Stuck in the Plains on Feb 16, 2009 11:29 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Its that
stupid “freedom of speech” thingy…(not joking) I appreciate the founding fathers original thinking when it came to this matter but it’s gotten a little out of hand.
I, as an insurance agent, have to watch everything i say, cross all my T’s and dot every i to avoid an E&O claim. These people can say whatever and get away with it. Its stupid.
When you are an Alabama fan you are expected to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because I want to.
by bammer on Feb 16, 2009 11:46 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
seriously, see this movie. billy wilder summed all this up with scathing honesty more than a half-century ago. and you’ll finally understand what all the fuss was about concerning kirk douglas as an actor.
by kleph on Feb 16, 2009 12:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I wish reporters and media-types had a professional standards body that licensed them and could strip said license for incompetence and unethical behavior
I don’t see how it would make much of a difference. Politicians would just figure out ways to corrupt it, own it, tilt it in their favor.
IT’s odd that lawyers, docs, nurses, teachers, hair-stylists, nail techs, etc all have to be held to accountability by a self-regulating profession, but something as integral to our republic as the media are not.
I don’t see the licensing of certain professions as keeping to a “standard.” But rather providing a recourse if one of these people royally scews up. The government can then permanently remove an individual from that profession. Without a licensing system, there would be no way they could do that.
But I agree with your premise. I think a “media czar” would have unintended consequences though. It would have dumbing down effect because it wouldn’t hold people responsible for the information that they consume, and utlimately take as truth. In other words, instead of doing our research and formulating our own theories, we would be looking to this so-called higher authority to declare one side “right” and thus, the other side “wrong.” That would be my fear. But then again, I talk out of my ass alot, so sorry about this post.
"All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity." - Gordie Howe
by Bens4vcobra on Feb 16, 2009 1:35 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
and it would create a governmental body overseeing the press – something explicitly prohibited by the constitution.
by kleph on Feb 16, 2009 1:36 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
True
but couldn’t government find ways around that? They could do it legislatively, like the Fairness Doctrine. These are just “requirements” that “benefit” the common good.
"All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity." - Gordie Howe
by Bens4vcobra on Feb 16, 2009 1:41 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
for all the ills of the fourth estate, i’m not willing to turn it over to the powers that be quite yet. i think a better suggestion would be if the media created and implemented its own credentialling criteria. but i’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen any time soon.
by kleph on Feb 16, 2009 1:53 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
nor should it....
….blogs are more than enough to keep the msm in check these days.
by Todd on Feb 16, 2009 1:56 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Says the man
That uses his “power” for evil not good….
When you are an Alabama fan you are expected to hate Auburn, I hate Tennessee because I want to.
by bammer on Feb 16, 2009 2:07 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I see what you did there...
….and that’s a banning.
by Todd on Feb 16, 2009 2:12 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
BOOM Roasted!
sorry I couldn’t resist.
What Would Don Draper Do?
by BamaReturns07 on Feb 16, 2009 2:16 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I
certainly wasn’t advocating such legislation, I was merely pointing out that the silly thing called the constitution isn’t something thats going to keep government from figuring out ways around it in order to usurp authority over something.
"All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity." - Gordie Howe
by Bens4vcobra on Feb 16, 2009 2:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, I wasn't talking about the Gov't...
I was talking about the profession. For Pete’s sake, even public opinion pollsters have an ethics panel which governs their behavior, grief counselors, etc.
The profession itself needs to license itself and set more than aspirational benchmarks: they need standards with teeth. Until then, I refuse to accept their professionalism as that.
...Addicted to Facebook. Why, oh, why did I ever start an account?!...
by Stuck in the Plains on Feb 17, 2009 3:00 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Then
you run into a situation where the very people who are the problem end up deciding what the “standards” are, or who “gets in” the club, and who doesn’t (they already do this I realize). I think we need to view media as any other consumable thing in the market place. We should reward the people who do a good job at providing their service to the public by consuming it, and punish those who don’t by not consuming it.
"All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity." - Gordie Howe
by Bens4vcobra on Feb 17, 2009 9:48 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
That turns out not to be as bad as you think. The problem is not that all journalists are terrible people, it’s that they’repeople and sometimes they do things that are stupid, irresponsible, or just wrong.
Sometimes they do things that even they would agree someone should do. When you put people together and they know their decisions are important and are going to be widely known, they tend to do the right thing, by and large.
After all, if you can trust lawyers to self -regulate, you can trust journos.
by PeteHoliday on Feb 17, 2009 9:54 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
right. its the editors that are evil heartless bastards screwing it up for everyone.
by kleph on Feb 17, 2009 10:06 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
LOL
I thought it was the corporate machine owing all media that was the problem? And we need gov’t to step in so it can “give it back to the people?” Sorry I just can’t resist, please ignore me.
"All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity." - Gordie Howe
by Bens4vcobra on Feb 17, 2009 11:16 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I
agree with you on self-regulation, but don’t you guys have bar associations that can step in and revoke a license if a lawyer behaves unethically?
"All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity." - Gordie Howe
by Bens4vcobra on Feb 17, 2009 11:26 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Yep,
And its made wholly of lawyers.
...Addicted to Facebook. Why, oh, why did I ever start an account?!...
by Stuck in the Plains on Feb 17, 2009 11:38 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
ziiiing.
Actually, the worst are docs. Getting docs to sanction their own is worse than getting cops to narc on each other!
...Addicted to Facebook. Why, oh, why did I ever start an account?!...
by Stuck in the Plains on Feb 17, 2009 11:38 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
still, despite my distaste with the brouhaha...
…you gotta love the take on the matter over at Rocky Top Talk:
I’ll see you your fog machines and pretend press conferences and raise you a chance scholarship and commitment. Yeah, so did Nick Saban violate the “bump” rule when he obtained a commitment from Memphis wide receiver Keiwone Malone? It’s Saban. It’s Alabama. We’re Tennessee. So . . . OF COURSE HE DID!
by kleph on Feb 16, 2009 9:53 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
LOL
at least they’re honest.
"All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity." - Gordie Howe
by Bens4vcobra on Feb 16, 2009 9:59 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
ok, this is getting stupid now...
ESPN’s Chris Low is now the latest to join the wailing and gnashing of teeth over this while acting as if he’s above the fray.
by kleph on Feb 16, 2009 1:21 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
I
wonder if any of this would be an issue at all had the kid not gone ahead and commited this early. I’m probably answering my own question. Seems to me that the ‘gnashing of teeth’ really stems from the fact that the result of favorable to Alabama, Saban.
"All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity." - Gordie Howe
by Bens4vcobra on Feb 16, 2009 1:25 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
result WAS favorable...
"All hockey players are bilingual. They know English and profanity." - Gordie Howe
by Bens4vcobra on Feb 16, 2009 1:26 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I like Lowe
I think he is pretty fair and balanced. Relatively speaking.
But I agree that this whole thing is a non-issue. Saban isn’t dumb.
What Would Don Draper Do?
by BamaReturns07 on Feb 16, 2009 2:07 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
i’m not bashing lowe any more than holiday – just the fact they have become obligated to take part in this fiasco due to the amount of attention it’s getting. in fact ESPN would be seen as complicit if they didn’t write anything about it at this point.
by kleph on Feb 16, 2009 3:20 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I understand completely what you were saying
and I agree completely. I was just throwing my opinion out there about Lowe, cause I think he is a bit better than most.
What Would Don Draper Do?
by BamaReturns07 on Feb 16, 2009 5:28 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
It's called libel per se
and actionable to the point of the law presuming that you are damaged and you don’t even have to prove damages. A demand for retraction should be made by the U and Saban. The newspaper attys would be all up in that guy’s face.
marycontrary
by adeleswims on Feb 16, 2009 7:25 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
2 points, 1 caveat
Caveat: defamation law was not something I studied extensively, I could be misunderstanding here.
Point 1: I don’t think that violating the bump rule is quite so obviously “libelous per se”. It might seem like a big deal to avid football fans, but is a court really going to consider “Saban violated the bump rule” to be in the same class of libel as “Sullivan bombed Dr. King’s house”? I wasn’t able to find a single example of an appellate court holding such a trivial thing to be a per se violation.
Point 2: Even if it is libelous per se, my understanding is that proving libel against public figures will always require proof of actual malice (as opposed to legal malice) even in cases where the statements would otherwise have been libelous per se. I cannot imagine a state employee with as much media coverage as Saban gets not being held to be a public figure.
by PeteHoliday on Feb 16, 2009 8:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
RE: Point #2
You are correct about malice b/c I can’t imagine Saban not being a public figure. But adele’s point is still a valid one, because reckless disregard for the truth can also constitute malice without necessarily having to go to the malign heart, vindictiveness we normally associate with malice. Saban’s counsel would bring this up, and the Commercial Appeal’s lawyas would have an unholy hissy at Higgins.
...Addicted to Facebook. Why, oh, why did I ever start an account?!...
by Stuck in the Plains on Feb 17, 2009 12:09 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
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