O'Leary's snub of Sentinel hurts everyone

http://espn.go.com/page2/s/sportoon/oleary/01...

WHATTA guy!

From April 2008 ESPN:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story...

Paid attention to the week in sports -- and other stuff, like gas prices climbing into bottled water territory -- that was? Put your powers of observation and recall to the test with our weekly quiz:

ANALOGIES

24. Miguel Tejada : stated age
(a) George O'Leary : resume qualifications
(b) Hillary Clinton : war zone experience
(c) Danny Almonte : stated age
(d) All of the above

Can't wait for the apologist to whine and claim "it was a long time ago" when:

"O'Leary's fake bio couldn't make it past the glare of the national media attention following his appointment, and he resigned just five days after he was hired. But he continued to evade, saying that his assertions had been "misstatements" made "many years ago" that had "resurfaced," when in fact he'd allowed his false credentials to be published throughout his career at Syracuse, with the San Diego Chargers, and then at Georgia Tech."

"Hurts Everyone"?

Doesn't bother me. Corporate media adopts agendas, and if a person in the news refuses to play into those agendas, more power to him.

Mike, your article makes a number of good points about a coach and his responsibilities to his team, school, fans and supporters.
I think you missed the boat thought in one very important area. You highly overrated the Orlando paper for its capabilities.

He will come to realize that boycotting the Orlando Sentinel, the only media outlet that covers his UCF team at every home and away game, is just not a smart move.

Nice try at rationalization, Bianchi. You still miss the point. You didn't just pen a 'tough article' about UCF and O'Leary, your paper has so far penned about 17; all of which go out of the way to insinuate that O'Leary was all but standing over a lifeless body screaming at him to tough it out. If this is what you call coverage of your local program, I'll skip it.
Nothing is wrong about asking for answers, but your vilification of the UCF program and staff reaks of pettiness and bitterness. Whether you like it or not, you've earned the predicament that you find yourself in. You failed to mention that many pundits and media members are speculating on 'what the Sentinel did to incur such a wrath'?
You know the answers.

Mike, the problem is as you clearly stated:

"It's certainly understandable that O'Leary is upset about the Sentinel's aggressive investigative coverage...."

Newspapers are supposed to REPORT the news, not INVESTIGATE and try to MAKE THE NEWS.

Then you go on to write about the various news organizations that crucify O'Leary for refusing to talk to the Sentinal. Of course they don't like it, they are also news organizations and their egos simply won't let them believe that someone could have the audacity to snub them.

In my opinion, your paper has implied that O'Leary lied, and that the young man's death may have been caused by something that university personnel did. What do you expect him to do, thank you???

I'm not a UCF fan, but I can certainly understand O'Leary's attitude.

If you'd stick to reporting the news, instead of accusing him and implying he did something wrong, you might find he'd be a bit more accommodating.

The Sentinel still doesn't get it: It's irrelevant. It won't even be here in five years. Smell the Starbucks. It's not about you anymore.

Fed Up wrote:

Mike, the problem is as you clearly stated:
"It's certainly understandable that O'Leary is upset about the Sentinel's aggressive investigative coverage...."
Newspapers are supposed to REPORT the news, not INVESTIGATE and try to MAKE THE NEWS.
Then you go on to write about the various news organizations that crucify O'Leary for refusing to talk to the Sentinal. Of course they don't like it, they are also news organizations and their egos simply won't let them believe that someone could have the audacity to snub them.
In my opinion, your paper has implied that O'Leary lied, and that the young man's death may have been caused by something that university personnel did. What do you expect him to do, thank you???
I'm not a UCF fan, but I can certainly understand O'Leary's attitude.
If you'd stick to reporting the news, instead of accusing him and implying he did something wrong, you might find he'd be a bit more accommodating.

Absoutely, maybe the sentinel should stop stretching to find news by inventing things thatcause controversy, I dont blame him one bit. Besides look at the quality of this paper!

I don't see how OLeary not talking to the Sentinel keeps the Sentinel from reporting about a game - the reporter can still go to the game and watch it - right? Or is this about the ego of the reporter that is miffed because he is not invited into the "big boy's" room at the University.

I don't see how the Sentinel helps UCF, or even plays a factor for a ball player who decides to come down and pay here. I think the Sentinel is far over-valuing itself in this editorial in it's impact in the sports world. O'Leary has every right to protect his school and team from a paper who has done nothing but be an accusatorial sensationalist news creator rather than a sports reporter.

Somehow I dont feel Im going to miss anything if the Sentinal does not cover UCF football.

Andy wrote:

I don't see how OLeary not talking to the Sentinel keeps the Sentinel from reporting about a game - the reporter can still go to the game and watch it - right? Or is this about the ego of the reporter that is miffed because he is not invited into the "big boy's" room at the University.
I don't see how the Sentinel helps UCF, or even plays a factor for a ball player who decides to come down and pay here. I think the Sentinel is far over-valuing itself in this editorial in it's impact in the sports world. O'Leary has every right to protect his school and team from a paper who has done nothing but be an accusatorial sensationalist news creator rather than a sports reporter.

Let's see....New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Orlando Sentinel? Nope, it just doesn't fit. Look at your subscripion rate from the last 3 years and realize that you are not in the same league. Or, did you already do this and decide that the 'Enquirer' approach will sell more papers? Hmmmmm

The Sentinel has never been supporter or friend to UCF. Memphis coach John Calipari publicly stated his suprise to see this from a hometown paper two seasons ago when his team was here to play UCF. And as I recall, it was a rather stronge comment.

How about O'Leary will do his job and recognize the media if the Orlando Sentinel's reporters do their job and reveal their anonymous sources?

Get over yourself. This paper is trash.

UCFs student body and fan base needs to stay off this site and cancel their subscriptions. Dr Hitt needs to up the anty and ban OS staff from any UCF events until they correct their accusations in print. Sometimes you just have to take a stand.

Sadly, I fear the controversy will only help the ailing paper sell more copies..

I'm part of "everyone" and George snubbing the Sentinel doesn't hurt me a bit. How would it hurt me? I never met George, or Mike Bianchi for that matter.

I am nowhere near a UCF fan but this paper is a joke. When an article mentions multiple confrontations with different coaches/people, then where is the problem? Seems obvious. I'll never buy a paper from here again.

Bianci's remarks about what newspapers are NOT supposed to do--not "investigate and make news"--is part of what is historically wrong with the Sentinel, which has been to take what is handed to them as PR and treat it as if if were truthful news. Bianchi also has the Sentinel ego, thinking that FSU's Bowden even recognized him when he said, "How you doin," something he says to everybody.

The Sentinel has given UCF short shrift from its earliest days--not just in sports, but in all areas. Now that the university has the largest undergrad. enrollment in the country, it can't be ignored, but the Sentinel still hasn't managed to get a handle on it.

Harry Stotle wrote:

Bianci's remarks about what newspapers are NOT supposed to do--not "investigate and make news"--is part of what is historically wrong with the Sentinel, which has been to take what is handed to them as PR and treat it as if if were truthful news. Bianchi also has the Sentinel ego, thinking that FSU's Bowden even recognized him when he said, "How you doin," something he says to everybody.
The Sentinel has given UCF short shrift from its earliest days--not just in sports, but in all areas. Now that the university has the largest undergrad. enrollment in the country, it can't be ignored, but the Sentinel still hasn't managed to get a handle on it.

Are you sure they have the largest undergrad enrollment in the country? Thought that honor went to the University of Phoenix. And we all know what academia thinks about UoP. UCF is a Tier 3 school and should be doing everything possible to improve.