Clarion Ledger recruiting coverage

[shotgunDawg]

In no way am I trying to excuse Talty's lack of credible sources and fact checking from yesterday with this post. However, from big picture, larger perspective view, I am beginning to wonder if its actually possible for a neutral party to cover football recruiting in the SEC. Yancy and the deadpanner drive me nutts, but I must say that at least I know that they are biased and are playing to their crowd when they release information.

With Talty and the CL, I don't know where they are coming from, and due to that I am beginning to wonder if the CL has put itself in a very awkward situation because they are trying to cover recruiting as an unbiased source, which may be impossible.

As avid followers of recruiting, what type of articles would we like to see on recruiting?
Should players that have already committed, like Chris Jones, be off limits for stories and drama?
Should the CL refrain from publishing articles, as an unbiased source, that cause controversy and meltdowns

the point is that Talty sucks, but I am wondering if the CL has also put him in an impossible position? Again, I used to hate the fact that fans, Yancy, Rosebowl, PJ, and Johnson run these fans recruiting websites, but I am beginning to wonder if that the best way to do it. Is providing unbiased non pot stirring stories during recruiting season impossible if you are also trying to stay relevant by publishing intriguing stories?

Yancy and Johnson write the same stuff that Talty does, but people don't seem to care because we know where Yancy and Johnson stand. How can Talty exist without stirring the pot?

 

[coach66]

Interesting perspective, you might be onto something.

The part that bothers me about all of them is the relentless hounding. Jones has repeatedly said he wants to go to MSU and is not visiting but they simply won't accept that fact and they want to involve themselves to the point of changing his mind, not reporting in my mind. Maybe I am naive but once someone makes their intentions that clear then I think everyone should respect the guy and back off. Yes, I am naive.

 

[InaccuratePredictionsDawg]

You are demanding...

..a purity of coverage where none exists. Stating the obvious, but this recruiting thing is corrupt to the core. You've got every type of grifter, swindler & professional liar involved. You are going to receive nothing but a steady stream of ********, because the whole enterprise is run by bullshitters. Many years ago I myself was caught up in the recruting frenzy. Until I realized I was being scammed. Now I just wait until signing day & check to see who signed. Every Feb. my nerves & anger management issues thank me for the transition.

 

[shotgunDawg]

I agree that I don't like the hounding either, but if they didn't hound, they would run out of stories to write very quickly. I am not really sure where I stand on this, but rather just making an observation for discussion purposes. Again, nothing excuses the citing of non-credible sources and inaccurate info, but as to the basis of Talty's job description, I am beginning to wonder if being perceived as unbiased is an an impossible endeavor if he is to write intriguing interesting stories.

 

[shotgunDawg]

Great point. Therefore, if they are all bull-shitters, is it not better for them to be "known" fans that we know are bullshitters, or is it better for them to hide behind a vail of neutrality that is virtually impossible to hide behind and still get readership.
I mean, I guess Talty could write an article and Jake Thomas and his guitar playing, but, right now, who the hell would read it?

 

[coach66]

Talty's gig along with Rosie and Yancy's job would be on my list of shittiest

jobs, along with lawyer and Proctologist.

 

[mcdawg22]

Yes, it's easy. Just report facts. The journalism world has so little integrity now that the idea of reporting facts seems that foreign? If Talty goes to Jones and ask "If you had to name three schools, who would they be?" If Jones says three schools even though he's only going to State, I have no problem with Talty reporting those three schools as Jones' favorites, because it would be a fact. Kailo does a Mexican hat ceremony, fine, report it. But reporting rumors and innuendo is where you draw the line. In our circles it's become so common that rumors, it seem, are more credible with regards to recruiting. So it seems rumors should be a major part of recruiting news. It shouldn't, ESPN reports on recruiting all the time and for the most part leave it to just facts. The ledger could learn something about journalism from ESPN. And that statement alone shows you how far the printed press has fallen.

 

[shotgunDawg]

Not disagreeing with you, but would you read any article that just have facts in it? I probably wouldn't.

 

[mcdawg22]

Yes I would. And trust me I know I'm in the minority. But on the other hand what does Talty gain by reporting Jones is in Tuscaloosa before doing some easy fact checking. I know he probably has Jones' Coach's number, if not, I bet Rod Walker does.

 

[Tito Cheeseburger]

Yes I would. And trust me I know I'm in the minority. But on the other hand what does Talty gain by reporting Jones is in Tuscaloosa before doing some easy fact checking. I know he probably has Jones' Coach's number, if not, I bet Rod Walker does.

Did he report it or just retweet another guy who said he was at bama?

and just curious, do you subscribe to a newspaper or a weekly newsmagazine?

 

[mcdawg22]

Pensacola News Journal and that's just because I haven't had a chance to cancel lately. From what I understand it wasn't a retweet, the way it was worded he was reporting it. If Talty tweets that Lincoln is the worst movie he's ever seen that is a tweet. If he tweets about a recruit's activities that is a report, just the quickest way he can get it out. That is my OPINION, not fact. Shotgun, great thread. This one could get some interesting insight into the role of "journalism" in today's lightning media.

 

[NorCalDawg]

Great post, shotgunDawg. I read the article and I didn't think it was necessarily slanted against State. I do agree that recruiting reporters are in an impossible situation and I don't think recruiting coverage will change until factors that influence recruiting changes. I see your point that a media outlet like the CL is supposed to be better than the Yancy's and Rosebowls of the world, but that is the recruiting world and I don't see it changing anytime soon. I mean, just look at the recruiting world; it's as bad (maybe worse) than politics!

- Every team wants the best players in the country, so there are a lot of schools competing for a few players,
- Players make verbal commitments, but they are not "bound" to those commitments by anything except their word,
- National signing day is a fixed point in the future and all players are fair game until the LOI is signed,
- Players can be, and are, easily influenced by friends, family, coaches, boosters, money, perks, etc....,
- Rivalries are continuous and these rivals want to beat each other on and off the field,
- Rivalries are passionate and emotional and lead "grown men" to take irrational, illogical, and non-fact based actions,
- A "flip" from your rival is almost as big as beating them on game day,
- Recruiting "services" have to have content to keep their readers interested and coming back,
- College football is big business and there is a LOT of money in winning, especially winning big,
- The NCAA, the governing body, and it's mission is sometimes in direct conflict with itself: amateurism versus maximizing revenues for its members.

There are a lot of mixed messages in recruiting and this is just a partial list of factors that influence and control recruiting. These factors combine to make recruiting what it is today and it is self-perpetuating.

 

[gravedigger]

Until signing day, there are no commitments. Just promises. If we want the media to change, we have to create or pay attention to only those who cover it correctly. Gossip sells well. I'd love to read a thread on just how every one here thinks a "perfect" recruiting service would function.

 

[Cow College]

Recruiting journalism is impossible because most fans only want stories that they like written. If something good happens at ole miss and it negatively affects us everyone will cry about a conspiracy

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

To me it is simpler than that... It's hard enough to find good sports journalism about basic sports stories. Who in the world thinks you will get good, fair and balanced reporting about recruiting.