Example of bias...

[Kaos]

http://blog.al.com/press-register-sports/2010/01/heart_of_a_champion_castille_w.html


Didn't this garbage paper write condescedingly about Brother Chette and his work with the Auburn team? Did it not question the appropriateness?

What exactly is the point of this article?  Why was it written?  Will we next get to read about the hot dog vendor who supplied the hot dogs this magnificent team ate prior to the game?  Should we not get a story about the big-hearted waterboys who gave of their time so selflessly to keep the Tahd machine hydrated? 

Fuck me, I'm sick of this shit already.

[Kaos]

Example 2:

This excerpt from a recruiting breakdown by Birmingham News Prep Editor Jeff Sentell:

MYTH: There are minor and major offers. There are great football players that only go to a Kentucky or a Vanderbilt. Or to a Samford or Southern Miss.

The "big boys" go to Alabama, Florida or Texas....


http://blog.al.com/sentell/2010/01/sentell_the_facts_and_myths_of.html

He got a nasty email.

[GH2001]

Look at the source...


On a side not unrelated to the actual story at hand:

Back in the mid/late 80's (probably closer to the late 80's) , I actually had Castille as a D.A.R.E. officer at my school in middle/jr hs in Phenix City. This would have been somewhere around the age of 13 for me. Anyway, Castille was actually a Police Officer for the PCPD for a few years from I think around 88/89 until about 91 and he did the DARE stuff as part of his duty. I can't really remember why he worked as a cop in Phenix City (other than the fact that neighboring Columbus was his hometown) but it was always a big deal when he came to the school every week because he had just wrapped up his career in 87/88 with the Broncos and to be able to get that close to a real live NFL player was like Christmas for a kid. One of his kids (Tim) actually attended the same school although I think he was in Kindergarden. I still have the annual with pics of him doing the DARE stuff and Tim's picture is also in there. He was a pretty nice guy but I remember him being very quiet and distant. He didn't say much.

Anywho - just thought that was an interesting tidbit many may have not known about Mr. Castille.

[eagleair89]

I D.A.R.E. Mr. Castille to try and run over Chris Woods one more time.

 

WAR EAGLE

ps:  good story GH

[GH2001]

I D.A.R.E. Mr. Castille to try and run over Chris Woods one more time.

 

WAR EAGLE

ps:  good story GH

You have a few yrs on me EA as we have discussed on other boards, but I can still pull out a good yesteryear story from time to time. I have another good one about a certain Florida game at AU in the mid 80's and lots of FG's but that one is for another day

[jadennis]

It is an example of the slobber-fest with Alabama football, but it doesn't bother me that it was written.  After all, it's the off season and there is only so much recruiting info that can be written about.  This was just a an article about something else. 

Is it annoying to know it was written just because he's the Alabama chaplain, yeah, a bit, but overall, it's just a "behind the scenes" story about part of a football program.

[Kaos]

If you write to Jeffery, he will write back! 

jsentell@bhamnews.com

Gentlemen, this is a challenge.  Hit his inbox.  Let him know we don't appreciate his slight, intentional or not.  Join me!

Here is our exchange:

From: Kevin Strickland
Sent: Wed 1/27/2010 11:02 AM
To: Jeffrey S. Sentell
Subject: RE: Big boys?

Alabama is "rated" third in recruiting currently in Rivals.  Auburn is rated fourth, mere percentage points behind the "big boy."  There is very little difference in the two current classes.  As you were writing an article about prep recruiting and your readership is from this state I thought you might have noticed that.

Over the last 20 years, Auburn has a better record than the "big boy" and has been ranked higher in recruiting as many times as not.  Perhaps if you'd spent more than 23 months bathed in Crimson Glory, you might have noticed that as well. 

I don't care where you went to school, where you first took communion or where you first kissed Becky Sue Snotterpluck. That has no bearing on whether your article presented information with a certain slant.  It did. Period.

Whatever your intent or purpose, whatever your background, your comment WAS biased. Consciously or subconsciously, it was just another subtle dig at little old second rate Auburn and another kneeling bow toward the Crimson Myth in a long history of subtle digs and unwarranted bows from the paper you represent. 

You're not the first and you won't be the last to suck up to them.  I'm sure your inbox will fill with barely literate huzzahs from the cretinous mass that populates such schlock as the Paul Finebaum Radio Show.   Perhaps that is your desired outcome. 

Thanks for your reply,

KS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Strickland,
 
I did not grow up in the state of Alabama. I did not graduate from journalism school in Alabama. I have covered recruiting and high school sports in Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia during a 12-year career.
 
I've only spent that last 23 months working in here in Alabama. I can assure you I wear no Crimson Tide glasses. Yet there is the fact that Alabama's recruiting has been rated highly by every online recruiting service that cannot be avoided.
 
That is defined and measured success. The same goes for Florida's class this year.
 
That line in the column was a cursory mention of three schools. Those were examples of three schools rated high in the annual recruiting rankings over the last few years. I could have also used a Georgia, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame or Southern Cal in there. It was not an evaluation.
 
There is no agenda there whatsover. Did this same column not include less that flowerly language toward Alabama's top in-state recruit this year? That last point was meant to illustrate there are no "big offers" and "little offers" when it comes to a free college education for playing a game.
 
I'm sorry you feel that this opinion column was biased. That was not the intent. But I thank you for reading and taking the time to express your reaction.
 
Best regards.
 
 
Jeff Sentell
Prep Sports Editor
The Birmingham News
Work: 205.325.2427
Mobile: 205.532.4243
Fax: 205.325.2425


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Kevin Strickland
Sent: Wed 1/27/2010 11:02 AM
To: Jeffrey S. Sentell
Subject: Big boys?

The “big boys” go to Alabama, Florida or Texas you say? 

Right. 

Tennessee, Auburn, LSU, USC, Florida State, Georgia… none of those schools ever get the “big boy” recruits.   

http://blog.al.com/sentell/2010/01/sentell_the_facts_and_myths_of.html

Myth:   The media in the state of Alabama is unbiased and has no agenda.

Fact: The continued bias of this newspaper toward the Crimson Horde is sickening. 

[AUChizad]

That's the Kaos I miss.

[Kaos]

That's the Kaos I miss.

I've never gone anywhere.

[chinook]

That's the Kaos I miss.

I've never gone anywhere.

deja vu.

[GH2001]

If you write to Jeffery, he will write back! 

jsentell@bhamnews.com

Gentlemen, this is a challenge.  Hit his inbox.  Let him know we don't appreciate his slight, intentional or not.  Join me!

Here is our exchange:

From: Kevin Strickland
Sent: Wed 1/27/2010 11:02 AM
To: Jeffrey S. Sentell
Subject: RE: Big boys?

Alabama is "rated" third in recruiting currently in Rivals.  Auburn is rated fourth, mere percentage points behind the "big boy."  There is very little difference in the two current classes.  As you were writing an article about prep recruiting and your readership is from this state I thought you might have noticed that.

Over the last 20 years, Auburn has a better record than the "big boy" and has been ranked higher in recruiting as many times as not.  Perhaps if you'd spent more than 23 months bathed in Crimson Glory, you might have noticed that as well. 

I don't care where you went to school, where you first took communion or where you first kissed Becky Sue Snotterpluck. That has no bearing on whether your article presented information with a certain slant.  It did. Period.

Whatever your intent or purpose, whatever your background, your comment WAS biased. Consciously or subconsciously, it was just another subtle dig at little old second rate Auburn and another kneeling bow toward the Crimson Myth in a long history of subtle digs and unwarranted bows from the paper you represent. 

You're not the first and you won't be the last to suck up to them.  I'm sure your inbox will fill with barely literate huzzahs from the cretinous mass that populates such schlock as the Paul Finebaum Radio Show.   Perhaps that is your desired outcome. 

Thanks for your reply,

KS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mr. Strickland,
 
I did not grow up in the state of Alabama. I did not graduate from journalism school in Alabama. I have covered recruiting and high school sports in Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia during a 12-year career.
 
I've only spent that last 23 months working in here in Alabama. I can assure you I wear no Crimson Tide glasses. Yet there is the fact that Alabama's recruiting has been rated highly by every online recruiting service that cannot be avoided.
 
That is defined and measured success. The same goes for Florida's class this year.
 
That line in the column was a cursory mention of three schools. Those were examples of three schools rated high in the annual recruiting rankings over the last few years. I could have also used a Georgia, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame or Southern Cal in there. It was not an evaluation.
 
There is no agenda there whatsover. Did this same column not include less that flowerly language toward Alabama's top in-state recruit this year? That last point was meant to illustrate there are no "big offers" and "little offers" when it comes to a free college education for playing a game.
 
I'm sorry you feel that this opinion column was biased. That was not the intent. But I thank you for reading and taking the time to express your reaction.
 
Best regards.
 
 
Jeff Sentell
Prep Sports Editor
The Birmingham News
Work: 205.325.2427
Mobile: 205.532.4243
Fax: 205.325.2425


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Kevin Strickland
Sent: Wed 1/27/2010 11:02 AM
To: Jeffrey S. Sentell
Subject: Big boys?

The “big boys” go to Alabama, Florida or Texas you say? 

Right. 

Tennessee, Auburn, LSU, USC, Florida State, Georgia… none of those schools ever get the “big boy” recruits.   

http://blog.al.com/sentell/2010/01/sentell_the_facts_and_myths_of.html

Myth:   The media in the state of Alabama is unbiased and has no agenda.

Fact: The continued bias of this newspaper toward the Crimson Horde is sickening. 

Do it Kaos!!! You da man.