04/19/24
December 30, 2011
Columnist: OU Hired 'Slapdick' John Blake 'Because He Was Black': Tulsa World sports columnist Dave Sittler was caught on an open mic having an off-the-record conversation with Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Bill Young after a Fiesta Bowl press conference. Talking about the hire of John Blake to coach Oklahoma, Sittler called Blake a "slapdick" and said, "[OU AD] Donnie Duncan flat-out told me he gave it to him because he was black because they were worried about what [OSU coach] Bob Simmons was going to do with recruiting."
Meh. Like you say above, rcade, the statement was made in order to (a) grease the interviewee, or (b) bait him into saying something stupid. I think the real story here is the grace with which Young handles the bait.
posted by tahoemoj at 03:21 PM on December 30, 2011
Race baiting is such a wonderful way to grease a source, I suppose. This is the kind of shit that pisses me off. No one thinks they are a racist if they don't wear a white sheet, but this is that exact kind of shit that a black person trying to get hired can't fight against b/c it never happens in front of him/her.
posted by bperk at 06:17 PM on December 30, 2011
To me, the big story is Sittler's claim that Duncan told him Blake was hired because he was black. If he's spreading that claim around without ever reporting it, it's unethical. If he's making it up, it's worse.
The Tulsa World has sent a ridiculous letter to the person who posted in the video, chastising him for spreading it: "We believe that you are trying to manufacture controversy by posting this on YouTube and Twitter and not contacting us privately about your concerns."
A newspaper is angry that someone is criticizing it in public? That's pretty rich.
posted by rcade at 08:02 AM on December 31, 2011
People would respect journalists even less than they already do if they could hear what we say privately to grease a source.