So it Begins. When Will it End?

by Truzenzuzex on Apr 7, 2007 10:20 AM EDT in Media Comment 11 comments

The Billy Gillispie DUI story, that is.

After reading about fifty stories about the Gillispie hire today, I have been both pleasantly surprised and somewhat mortified. No one, especially not someone who lives here, could be surprised that the Louisville Courier-Journal emphasizes Gillispie's DUI arrests (Note for the record: he was not convicted of DUI in either incident) more than it does his "rags to riches" basketball story.

Surprisingly, most of the national media (here, for example) have shown considerably more restraint, emphasizing Gillispie's humble roots and astonishing rise to one of the crown jewels of college basketball. But perhaps we just need to give them more time.

So let's get right to it. First stop, the Courier-Journal. The C-J has not one but two entire articles dedicated to covering Gillispie's two alcohol-related arrests. In addition, they have their obligatory editorial which typically scolds UK for one perceived slight or the other whenever they deign to cast their baleful eye toward Lexington. However, the editorial page shows surprising and even laudable equanimity dealing with the issue:

Unfortunately, Mr. Gillispie's tenure got off to an awkward start with the revelation that his résumé includes two DUI arrests.

Most everyone deserves a second chance, and some people merit a third. But UK has gone down the road before with a coach, Eddie Sutton, who had drinking problems. That did not end well. One trusts that UK athletics director Mitch Barnhart has looked into the issue carefully and has solid reason to think that Mr. Gillispie has put this sort of behavior behind him.

This treatment is surprisingly fair. Kentucky has a jaded history with corn from a jar, and is also the site of one of the worst fatal drunken-driving accidents in U.S. history. Gillispie is known as a bit of an eccentric when it comes to basketball, and history is replete with such combinations becoming explosive. Bottom line - some concern is definitely warranted, and the C-J editorial page gets the tone just right for once.

But who can explain the editorial decision to have two complete articles on the subject? That is simply over the top, even for the home-town paper of a bitter rival.

The Lexington Herald-Leader, however, treats the issue much more fairly. There is one complete article on the issue which covers the subject very thoroughly . Almost all the opinion columnists with the notable exception of Eric Crawford of the Courier-Journal at least mention the incidents, which I consider perfectly fair. None of them dwells on the issue. Surprisingly, the national sports media barely mentions Gillispie's alcohol related incidents with the notable exception of ESPN nee Courier-Journal columnist, Pat Forde:

Armchair athletic directors can point out that the Wildcats passed on at least one gettable candidate who has done more on the college level: Marquette's Tom Crean. They can wonder whether a serious run at Michigan State's Tom Izzo might have landed a man with a national championship ring, instead of a guy who has one career Sweet 16 appearance. They can debate whether a guy who has done good work with other people's players has stayed put long enough to prove he can build for the long haul.

They also can discuss the administrative inconsistency in hiring a man with two alcohol-related traffic stops at a school that once had a very strict alcohol policy for its athletes -- suspending former players Jules Camara and Desmond Allison for an entire season for DUI offenses.

What the heck do they teach young columnists here in Louisville? And I thought I was a relentless scold ...

Now obviously, we are going to be putting up with signs and message board comments from rival schools about Gillispie's and alcohol for the foreseeable future. I haven't been to the U of L message boards yet, but this post from a Duke blogger is undoubtedly a mild harbinger of what we can expect:

The odds of Kentucky hiring a coach with three years of experience weren't that great, but that's perhaps not as surprising as hiring one with a history of drunk driving: Gillispie has two DWIs on his record. Kentucky, you may recall, put a zero tolerance policy in place for athletes. One wonders if it is the same for coaches (and administrators). The players who got in trouble under the policy are also entitled to wonder. And the state chapter of MAAD is not likely to be happy.

And the arrests bring up the question of why? From all accounts, Gillispie is a driven man, and it seems fair to assume that drinking is a way to get away from self-imposed pressure a bit. How those things will intersect with the pressure Kentucky's job naturally brings is an open question.

Now this is what I would have expected from the C-J editorial page - being a shrew and getting the facts wrong. Perhaps this guy should apply for a job there.

Still, it is certainly fair to remark upon our new coach when it comes to incidents which impact his ability to act as an example for young men and women to emulate. The question for me is, when will we move on from this issue and get back to basketball in our local papers?

I do know this - ~~Victoria Sun of the Cincinnati Inquirer (to whom Gillispie now famously referred to as "Ma'am" during his press conference yesterday)~~ Rick Bozich of the Courier-Journal ([editor's note, by Truzenzuzex] Thanks to commenter dgags for pointing out my error) had this to say:

Think about the most obsessed college basketball fan you know. The crazed guy who drives five hours to watch a scrimmage. The one whose computer homepage is a recruiting service. The woman who paints her face - and nails - in team colors.

Maybe it's you.

As obsessed as you might be, understand this: You're not as obsessed as the guy Kentucky just hired as its basketball coach. You're not as obsessed as Billy Gillispie.

If that doesn't warm the cockles of your heart, you need to open up an artery and check the color of your blood.

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Gillispie

I went to the "pep rally" for Bill Gillispie, and although he does not seem to be the most eloquent speaker, I have a peculiarly good feeling about him being at Kentucky.

by mrmondaynite on Apr 7, 2007 10:40 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I do as well ...

and with all due respect to our recently departed coach Smith, (whom I loved, but the way) Gillispie is an upgrade in the public speaking department.

No snark or offense intended, just my opinion.

by Truzenzuzex on Apr 7, 2007 10:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Quote

That last quote was actually Bozich, not V. Sun.

Doesn't change the importance of the thought. Perhaps the only ones who can handle the obsessions of the UK fanbase are those who have equal or greater amounts of obsessiveness.

And as long as the DUI count stays at 2 this will not be a story with any legs, even at the LCJ.

Very excited to see what the future will hold. The SEC East will be a very interesting place for the next few years (unless -- or perhaps even if -- Billy D jumps to the league).

by dgags on Apr 7, 2007 1:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks

Sorry about the mis-attribution. Corrected now.

by Truzenzuzex on Apr 7, 2007 2:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

CJ coverage of BG

I just spent a few minutes on the stories in the CJ. One story written by Dawson was printed on Friday and updated again on Saturday as a separate story. The editorial is enough to make a subscriber cancel. The postings on these stories are pathetic. As wonderful as the internet is....it also allows stupidity and evil to have a voice. What a price to pay. The fan base blamed for the reputation of Kentucky BB surely wears red and lives in Louisville. As we know on the net you can pretend to be anyone even a human being. I do not know Mr. Gillispie but I am embarrassed that his arrival at a place I have loved for over fifty years would contain even a small number of people who can spew such unnecessary venom. They pretend to be both fans and human beings. The Courier Journal has lowered the standards of journalism seemingly without any regard to the individual they wrote about. Shame on such actions and shame on the CJ.

by CAWebb on Apr 7, 2007 1:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

If it is any consolation ...

I have written many scathing letters of condemnation to them, many of which have been published.

But I finally gave up. There are just too many things I would rather do with my time.

But let's not blame the messenger here. Ignoring the Courier-Journal's journalistic excesses won't make it go away.

by Truzenzuzex on Apr 7, 2007 2:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

im sorry

what did the c-j do wrong here? There was one story about the DWIs, not two, and if you actually have a paper it's buried on the sixth page. That is, you read seven other stories before you get to it.

Are they supposed to ignore the offenses? If they do that then the news will spread to the fans much more slowly and everyone will cry out about, "Why weren't these charges anounced when he was hired?" It's much better to get it out in the open right away, and that doesnt mean we'll be hearing about it forever.

I was a little skiddish to read about it at first, but I already knew about it so I was glad that it was out there. His skeletons are out of the closet... what's wrong with that?

by boobs on Apr 7, 2007 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Apparently ...

there are actually two. One appeared yesterday and one today. It is possible that the one yesterday was an Internet-only article, since it almost certainly appeared after the deadline for publication.

What they did wrong was to belabor the point, but that is certainly only my subjective opinion. One article is surely treatment enough, and even if both weren't published on the same day, it goes without saying that the vast majority of people who visit the stories on the website will not notice the difference.

As I said (if you read what I wrote) it is certainly fair game for discussion and comment, and I even praised the C-J for their editorial, which I thought was very balanced. And I do agree with you that the incidents should not be ignored. I just think that one article is more than enough for one paper in a two day span.

by Truzenzuzex on Apr 7, 2007 3:38 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

re

there aren't two. The "first" is a web update, which is the first draft that is put on the web as soon as the reporter is done. The "second" is the published version of the story. The only difference is that one has been copy edited more extensively.

so if you're upset about the way the c-j keeps the online updates up after the published version has been put on the web, even though the original web update is not linked anywhere on the web site, then fine. i can understand that. but they're not belaboring anything. also note that on the c-j's sports page, the dwi story is the last story to have a link -- after nine other stories and five photo galleries. I would say, if anything, it's getting underplayed.

as for the editorial, strangely i disagree with you again. i thought the editorial was pretty unfair and pretty elitist. comments like:
Kentucky is still in its 48th-in-almost- everything, thank-goodness-for-Mississippi-and-West Virginia status. But the Wildcats have a new hoops coach. All is right with the world.

paint UK fans as myopic idiots who don't realize there's anything going on in the world other UK basketball. and this is just wrong:

If he has, Coach Gillispie can focus on the task before him -- which is not primarily to recruit The Next Great Thing or to win a national championship.

It is to uphold the class, honor and integrity that Tubby Smith brought to a high-visibility sports program that has had more than its share of low points.

I'm sorry, call me slimy, but Gillispie was not brought in simply to stand around and be classy. He should handle the position with class, but he was brought in primarily to get us more wins. Ya know, win championships.

And in regard to the DWIs, I think they missed there also:

Unfortunately, Mr. Gillispie's tenure got off to an awkward start with the revelation that his résumé includes two DUI arrests.

What was awkward about it? Anyone who had done the slightest bit of research knew about the charges. It was a significant issue when he was at UTEP, and it was known when he was at College Station. There was no "revelation," except for those who just didn't know any better, like the writer of the editorial.

I don't think the DWIs are going to be an issue. I'm glad this is out there now, and unless billy clyde gets in trouble again (which i seriously doubt he'll do) it will never be an issue.

by boobs on Apr 7, 2007 6:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Bleh

so if you're upset about the way the c-j keeps the online updates up after the published version has been put on the web, even though the original web update is not linked anywhere on the web site, then fine. i can understand that. but they're not belaboring anything. also note that on the c-j's sports page, the dwi story is the last story to have a link -- after nine other stories and five photo galleries. I would say, if anything, it's getting underplayed.

Funny how no other local news sites seem to have this problem. I just did a google search 2 minutes ago with "gillispie dui" as the search term, and it was the number one result. Plop over to news and it is still the #5 result, with today's story being #2. Sorry. No sale.

And in regard to the DWIs, I think they missed there also:

Unfortunately, Mr. Gillispie's tenure got off to an awkward start with the revelation that his résumé includes two DUI arrests.

Two observations. First, with regard to condescension, there is no such thing as a Courier-Journal editorial that isn't condescending, especially toward UK.

Second, I think the C-J got it spot on. The discussion of the DUI, especially at the press conference, was most assuredly awkward. He handled it fine, as most anyone would with an embarrassing revelation, but awkward it was.

The DUI's are definitely going to be an issue. They will not die, and we will be reminded of them for the next couple of years, especially by the local media. But Gillispie is surely made of stern enough stuff to handle it. If not, we have severely miscalculated in our hiring.

by Truzenzuzex on Apr 7, 2007 7:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

re

i dont really want to keep going back and forth on this, so i wont drag this one any longer.

I don't know what the c-j has to do with google searches. i really dont know where you're going with that. Go to their web site, there is one dui story, as there should be, and it's buried at the end. it isnt being shoved down anyone's throat. i realize you want to believe that the c-j is harping on this issue, but they're just not.

I guess it's a matter of opinion. I didn't find it awkward at all. It was something that needed to be said, and I'm sure billy clyde prepared for it. If you think that an introductory press conference has to be all bubbles blown up the coaches butt or else it's awkward, then I think that's an unrealistic expectation. It was still a news conference, it still needed to be said and reported on and I thought both parties handled it well.

And it's also a matter of opinion, but I don't think the DUIs will continue to be an issue. I especially don't think it will be an issue for "the next couple of years." I think that stance is pretty bold cynicism, but maybe I'm not being skeptical enough. who knows, but that's my opinion.

sorry, im really not trying to be argumentative here, i just think the ire toward the c-j on this one is misguided. youre entitled to your opinion, though, so i'll let you respond to this and i'll leave the issue alone.

by boobs on Apr 7, 2007 7:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs