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The mindless minions who rely on the print edition of the Kansas City Star for news were treated to this headline yesterday:
"Penn State News Disgusts Pinkel"
Unfortunately, what those readers are unaware of is, the Star‘s story was little more than a mulligan for the Mizzou football coach Gary Pinkel. That after Pinkel blew it badly last week on St. Louis radio, where he was not only not disgusted by the Penn State nightmare, he effectively came down on the side of its fired and disgraced football coach Joe Paterno.
Where was this reported? On former Riverfront Times alt weekly main man Ray Hartman‘s blog, that’s where.
Hartman’s headline: "Gary Pinkel Cuts A Little Slack For Joe Paterno"
No tap-dancing there.
"One of the most illuminating aspects of the Penn State University child-abuse scandal was what it revealed about big-time college football’s inbred coaching fraternity," Hartman begins.
Now Pinkel’s money quote: “Would I have done more? I’d like to think I would,” Pinkel said. “But I don’t know. It’s so easy to sit back and start throwing jabs at people and evaluating everybody else. I usually don’t do that.”
Cue Hartman’s beatdown:
"Give Pinkel credit for honesty. And, I suppose, for accessibility, because he easily could have no-commented the story involving Paterno, his friend and fellow coach," Hartman writes. "But really, you’d like to think that you would have done more than virtually nothing if a credible person alleged that one of your long-time assistant coaches was having sex in your locker room with a 10-year-old boy. You’re not sure?
You couldn’t say with certainty that you would have done the right thing—the only moral thing—and see to it that authorities were involved, that the alleged perpetrator was confronted, and that the boy and his family received protection and care? If this were to happen tomorrow in Mizzou’s locker room, those of us alums who support the athletic department—and, by the way, the rest of the world—would like to think there would be no uncertainty about what to do."
Having been summarily spanked by Hartman, Pinkel wasn’t about to pull up short of Monday’s PR schmooze presser.
The $64 million question: How does Pinkel really feel about the Penn State matter?
The way he expressed himself late last week with nobody breathing down his neck? Or the way he responded days later after being righteously scolded by Hartman?
My hunch is the former. And the reason that matters is that Mizzou faithful would probably like to think if Pinkel found himself in a similar position to Paterno, he’d do things differently.
But after hearing Pinkel’s comments, maybe not.
"It’s not ‘throwing a jab’ at Paterno to suggest his own inaction was reprehensible on moral grounds, even if he somehow met the letter of the law," Hartman continues. "It’s not a jab to reject out of hand the assertion that he was told ‘something sexual’ happened but didn’t bother to get any details before passing the matter on to superiors. And that he never followed up after that.
"If we’ve got the story straight, Paterno just returned to his X’s and O’s and never further concerned himself with the 10-year-old boy who had been sodomized in his locker room or, for that matter, with his longtime colleague Jerry Sandusky—the alleged perpetrator—who continued on, with Paterno’s full knowledge, working with young boys in an agency supposedly caring for foster children."
What in the world was Paterno thinking that he would turn a blind eye to something this egregious?
"Pinkel didn’t speculate about any of that," Hartman continues. "But he did manage to mention—no less than three times in a short interview—that Paterno was a ‘good man.’ He described Paterno as ‘one of my heroes in coaching,’ and Pinkel pointed out that ‘he did nothing illegal."
"What a great opportunity to praise Joe Paterno.
"At least Pinkel didn’t complain that ‘JoePa’ was the real victim here."
Not after Hartman had finished with him, anyway.
this is the problem when gossip columnists try to report on
real news. You say, “My hunch is the former. And the reason that matters is that Mizzou faithful would probably like to think if Pinkel found himself in a similar position to Paterno, he’d do things differently.sports. But after hearing Pinkel’s comments, maybe not.”
Seriously, Hearne – this ought to be embarrassing for you. This is your “hunch” after reading a single quote from a single article while at the same time ignoring how Pinkel has lived his life and the way he has handled every potential and serious criminal issue he has faced in his program, either at Mizzou or prior to his tenure in Columbia.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with his statement in which he said, “
Easy, wildman. You can try and put me in your little box if you wish.
But I’m also the guy who ran and built up the Pitch from record store rag to alt weekly. Was a high level stock and commodities exec for a dozen-plus years. Am a businessman and a father and had 50 yard line season tickets club level to the Chiefs (and 50 yard line KU football) and top notch KU basketball season tix for several years until I got tired of the routine a few years back and gave them up..
As for Ray Hartman, there is no more distinguished alternative journalist that I know of. At the time of his graduation from MU’s highly respected J School, he was the only student even elected editor of the student newspaper for two years.
Try reading more what is being said and reported and less reading into and between the lines and you’ll seem smarter. I don’t have a dog in the MU-KU rivalry – sounds like you do. I went to Arizona.
So no hunches being played out here.
Hartman listened to the interview, reported on it and Pinkel said what he said. And other than getting a pass from the majority of the media who missed it, his words are his words. No hunches necessary. Except for your reinterpretation of those words. Very charitable of you.
Nothing better than soap boxers like Hartman who expect perfection, eloquence and intellect from a god damned football coach. At least it gave him something to foam up over and gave Hearne a teet to suck on.
A far more generous assessment
This Case
And that of the Catholic Church are getting the most attention and I’m certainly not condoning what those involved in those coverups did or didn’t do, but I’m pretty sure that this type of enabling/looking the other way/whatever you want to call it, has been prevalent in a large majority of child abuse cases whether it’d be a wife/mother in denial, a school principal worried about repercussions, etc. To simply take the moral high ground and believe that EVERYONE involved in these cases, from all walks, cultures and backgrounds is just morally corrupt, is both naive and perhaps hypocritical. Outsiders can only answer how they would have acted in the hypothetical and that means absolutely nothing.
learning from the master
Hearne
Your bragging is getting better (50-yardline seats, commodities exec–I wonder how you got that job), but you have a long way to go before you reach Glazerian heights: no starlets bedded? No prison stories? no beefcake photos? Step up your game.
Pinkel
Was busted for a DWI last night….http://www.komu.com/news/gary-pinkel-arrested-for-dwi/
hearne,
you are aware that more than one story at a time occurs in the world, eh?
It seems, on KCC, that you have a one track mind… you find ONE story and then post 10-20 stories on the same story, while NOT adding anything to it….. like when that drunk died in Westport… you posted a seemingly never ending sprawl of stories on it….now you pick this story…and what is this now?….. the 16th straight story on it?
There are a lot ofthings going in the world, expand your horizons….. OWS, state taking over the KCMO schools, Missouri politicans kids getting off time after time after time…. there is a lot out here…. why dwell on one story at a time.
no need to get all defensive and lash out……. just consider what I said….. variety is the spice of life.
Yowsa, Master Bostock. Just one thing…
You want beefcake photos? You better lay off the Craig columns for a coupla weeks until the fever subsides
That’s true. And that’s why we have a number of writers here. However, we’re not a full fledged news organization (obviously), so we pick our battles, so to speak.
The coverage of the Brian Euston story was protracted because much of the real story and the real issues were being ignored by the rest of the media who were basically dancing in step in a news conga line. KCC addressed the issue of Euston being overserved, for example. Of him being wildly drunk and in no position to be where he was when he was. Of his family’s heavy handed treatment of Westport and media manipulation to force Westport to leave a ramshackle memorial up.
That was all news of a different variety than merely rehashing the basic story and counting down to the trial.
If you haven’t noticed, every major cable news organization has been transfixed by this Penn State story for nearly two weeks. My position on it is to look for the local / KC angles to it. So I’ve written about it twice I think. Jason Whitlock’s appearance on MSNBC and Pinkel’s toe stubbing in St. Louis that got whitewashed by the time it reached KC. That two, not 16.
Craig Glazer has written two; one when it first broke and one calling out the hypocrisy of the media circus a week later. So while your math is obviously a little weak, your point is well taken.
I can only say that while we will continue to strive for variety, there are only so many of us. And we all have areas of interest and / or expertise. None of us have covered the KCMO schools because, well, we just haven’t. We write about things that interest us that we feel and hope will interest you.
Why doesn’t Jenee in the FYI section report and write about news and things going on in KC? She clearly could. And based on my columns readership there, there’s clearly an appetite for it. Why doesn’t Mary Sanchez get down and dirty on actual news columns with some reporting and an edge – except on ultra rare occasions?
Get the picture? All that said, we’ll keep trying harder. How’s that?
I’ll
drink to that
Thats fine
i just dont enjoy seeing you squander your superb writing talents hearne… simply offering tips to make it all better.
Paterno
I’ve been under the impression for the last 20 years or so he hasn’t been in charge but no one had the stones to let him go.
I don’t think JoePa has aged well.
I just don’t think the whole thing registered with him.
He’s been losing brain cells since the 80s.
I think he was a figurehead and nothing more.
I think the assistants did all the work and he slept in his office all day.
At one time, the RFT was a great paper.
fk mu!!!
BWWWAAAAAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA MU’S GARY PINKEL ARRESTED??!!!!!
HAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH…. FK MU!!!!! FK ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT COME WITH MU!!!
FK HARLEY FROM MU…… FK MU LEAVING THE BIG 12…..FK IT ALL!!!!!!!!
NOW THE SEC WILL SEE THE PROBLEMS MU ALWAYS HAS….FROM PAIGE ARENA……… TO COTTON BALLS BEING PLANTED ON CAMPUS BY RACISTS………. TO PLAYERS IN JAIL CALLING THE COACHES WIFE FROM JAIL…… TO THE DRUNKEN IDIOT FOOTBALL HEAD COACH GETTING AREESTED FOR A DWI….. WHAT A FKNG IDIOT!!!!!
MU IS AN IDIOT SCHOOOL……. MU IS NOTHING BUT CONSTANT PROBLEMS!!!! NOW THE SEC’S PROBLEMS!!!
GET THE FK OUT!!!!!
oh, and give us our 20 million dollars, then we will allow you to leave..
AND ESPECIALLY FK THAT BIG MOUTH HARLEY!!!!
FK YOU HARLEY!!!! YOU ARE LOSER FROM A LOSER SCHOOL!!!
mu basketball coach to be banned from ncaa
Oh and may I point out it is just a matter of time before this new mu basketball coach is sanctioned and sidelined for what he did at his last school… mu could not have picked a better time to get the fuck out of the BIg 12…. who needs this jrScool… fucking losers… fkn every mu idiot… nothing but problems….. too many constant ssues… I hope the SEC enjoys the embaraasment thet WILL casue them….
Johnny…
Everytime you post here, you look like an idiot. Keep it up, I need a laugh.
Johnny, NO ONE CARES about KU. Get over it. You weren’t invited so sit down and shut up.
Keep up your tirade about how great KU basketball is. No one outside of Lawrence (or KC) cares.
It looked great two nights ago, didn’t it?
Now Self is recruiting kids that can’t qualify academically?
Desperation!
Enjoy playing TCU.
Who?
Mizzou was invited, you weren’t.
See you at Arrowhead for your yearly beat down?
BWAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
I say 54-7. What say you?
Say hello to Baylor and Iowa Sate for me, OK?
mu’s fraddy boy too?
Awesome ..we can add freddy boy here to the list of mu idiots.
All you sanctimonious assholes all wanting to crucify bad people…. THEN
they only give pinkle a one game suspension?….. oh yeah..that will send a message….
fkn mu retards…like fred and harley….. so pathetic.
so happy to see them take their mu problems elsewhere
johnny
I believe Pinkel is out both games, one without pay that he will donate to charity.
Kinda like your “criminal” ex AD. What did he recieve otherthan a big buy out?
Thanks for the send off Johnny, it’ll be nice to play a real football team now.
Enjoy what’s left of the “Big 12” in two years when you guys are playing BYU in the Mtn. West.
BWAAHAAAHAAAHAAAH. Sucks to be you.
Jealousy is so unbecoming.
derp
herp de derp
No way Johnny is a KU fan.
That’s cool. Appreciate it.
Don’t know on Joe, but I suspect he was better informed than he’s copped to.
Yep, pre-Village Voice RFT was a monster. What we at the Pitch aspired to
Uh, thanks for abreviating
Hearne’s almost too pathetic to waste the keystrokes …
“But I’m also the guy who ran and built up the Pitch from record store rag to alt weekly.”
Oh … I wondered how that happened. Nice work. Weird how the Pitch got better after you left and joined the Star, same time as the Star got worse …
“Was a high level stock and commodities exec for a dozen-plus years.”
Gee, why’d you quit? Lose too much of your own money, or your clients’?
“Am a businessman and a father and had 50 yard line season tickets club level to the Chiefs (and 50 yard line KU football) and top notch KU basketball season tix for several years until I got tired of the routine a few years back and gave them up..”
Nice the way you lump being a father and a season-ticket holder (to horrible teams, by the way) in the same sentence. I pray for your daughters. With a dad like you, I imagine they’re screwed (probably literally, by you).