ESPN's Shelley Smith Should Be Held Accountable For Her "Irresponsible," Untrustworthy Trojan Pimping
by Nestor on Jan 14, 2010 8:09 PM PST
in Media Watch
60 comments
While we are all reveling in how the Norm Chow story worked out, I think we need to revisit the role ESPN's Shelley Smith played in unnecessarily spiking up the tension around this drama through her irresponsible rumor mongering with a definitive pro Trojan spin. It was her who "broke" the story on Tuesday night by breathlessly reporting that "a deal was being finalized" that would send Chow back to Southern Cal.
Smith's rumor mongering set of immediate panic attacks at number of corners in greater UCLA online communities (not as much here) and breathless groveling and dreaming about Chow (apparently) in the Trojan empire. At that moment it injected immediate momentum in Trojan recruiting efforts (as evidenced in comments on players such as Xavier Grimble) while creating just a little stalemate in the momentum the Bruins had built up the point.
She is a key player in the traditional media landscape of Los Angeles as one of the key ESPN "correspondents" based in Los Angeles. In reality the way she has conducted herself in recent days (while covering Carroll, Kiffin and Chow stories), it almost appears she is serving as nothing more than an in house press secretary for the Trojan spin machine within the ESPN offices. I don't think we can just forget about what Smith did at this point.
Just in case people forgot here was the text posted on ESPN's site on Tuesday night (I am sure someone can easily pull up the clip of Smith saying exactly this on air when the story broke as well):
In another part of the blockbuster staff changes, a deal is being finalized for longtime offensive coordinator Norm Chow to return to the Trojans in the same capacity, sources close to the school told ESPN's Shelley Smith.
The text has since been edited but thankfully we fanposted it right away. The anger from the UCLA side has been bubbling and it's not limited in the online communities such as BN and BRO. Last night in his teleconference call Rick Neuheisel blasted Shelley Smith as irresponsible for floating rumors of Norm Chow being gone to Southern Cal. CRN specifically singled out Smith's atrocious rumor mongering:
"The first I heard of it was on the media, I think it was Shelley Smith. I was disappointed, but I think at some level there was some irresponsible reporting going on as well. When I got a chance to talk to Norm, he said that they had not talked."
Today Kevin Prince added to that growing criticism of Shelley's shameless Trojan pimping by pointing out the negative effect of her rumor mongering from Tuesday night. Prince in response to what he thought of the Chow "news" when it first broke, also singled out ESPN:
"I didn't really believe it. He's kind of always told us that he's going to be at UCLA for a while. Kinda been confident in the fact he'd be with us and see it through. I didn't really believe it at first but ESPN has a tendency to make things sound very official. They made it sound that way at least. You can't always trust everything you hear."
It looks pretty clear now that Smith just basically ran with the Trojan spin without bothering to do any kind of professional due diligence by checking in with the UCLA Athletic Department (who promptly provided us with the accurate account on Chow as soon as we requested it) or with Coach Chow's representatives. It probably would have taken her 10 minutes to send an email to UCLA's SID and get the information that story about deal being finalized was totally inaccurate. The effects of Smith's irresponsible reporting was very clear as it immediately injected a little uncertainty among some Bruin faithful, even though we were working very hard to keep everything in perspective and put together all the pieces as much as we could based on the information we have.
Instead of showing a shred of professional integrity Smith has been doing her thing pimping away Lane Kiffin at the expense of the passionate fans from Tennessee. She is now busy working the Trojan angle of making Tennessee fans look like bunch of out of control English soccer hooligans.She has no shame.
I think Morgan Center deserves a lot of credit for being on top of this story during last 48 hrs; they were superb as soon they realized they would have to deal with rumor mongering like the one blasted out by Smith. They got the information our responsibly and in a professional manner in the face of a concerted media campaign from the other side, which based on Smith's rumor mongering, wasn't terribly concerned with facts.
Still, IMHO at this point UCLA can't let this rest and just move on. IMHO UCLA should express their strong reservations to Smith's bosses at ESPN's corporate headquarters about her hatchet jobs from last 48 hours and also contemplate what other action they can take to make sure she is blackballed as a reporter covering any athletic program that finds itself on the other side of Southern Cal Trojans. It should be clear to everyone else by now that at least when it comes to Shelley Smith's coverage on ESPN, you can't trust anything coming out of her mouth.
GO BRUINS.
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The timing reveals it all
She was so quick with this “report” that there was simply no way she could have confirmed it with anyone but whoever fed her this BS information. That she evidently felt no need to contact Chow or any of his people for confirmation tells you all you need to know about this rumor mongering hackjob. Had she gotten a hold of anyone representing Chow, she would not have been able to make the statement that she made. As far as I’m concerned, she’s on the list of people who I would strongly consider restricting access to as a punitive measure.
There would be nothing punitive about such a move
As Shelley Smith has no interest in being anywhere other than Heritage Hall.
by insomniacslounge on Jan 14, 2010 9:52 PM PST up reply actions
Didn't see that angle
Of course you’re right; no reason for the Iraqi Information Minister Shilly Shelly to leave Inheritance Hall.
The thing is she thinks she knows what's going on
when she clearly doesn’t. If she had just gotten the “there has been no contact” quote from UCLA, then she could have gone on the air and said “I have one unconfirmed source saying Norm Chow is going to USC, but the UCLA athletic department denies any contact between USC and Chow has taken place.” Unless you can super duper confirm it, give the audience all of the information instead of picking and choosing what you think might be going on.
Formerly ryebreadraz
by Ryan Rosenblatt on Jan 14, 2010 8:32 PM PST reply actions
Trojan Pimp
In a perfect world, the first time the trojan pimp were to interview a Bruin player, God forbid that would happen. I would love to hear the following out of one of our Bruins, “So Shelly how does it feel to be a paid pimp for the $uc athletic department?” Just to show the ESPN audience what a lousy reporter she is.
You've got the roles reversed
Mike Garrett was the pimp. Shilly was in the role of the woman who does what the pimp says, for money.
sjh
Real journalists
Real journalists issue corrections or retractions when they get it wrong. Look at the L.A. Times, it regularly issues corrections of the most mundane goofs and it should.
It is possible Smith had sources who told her they had heard such a deal was at hand as distinguished from a consummation devoutly to be wished. (Profound apologies to Billy Shakespeare.) And she is in a competitive business. Getting breaking news wrong is regretfully part of the news business.
But there is no excuse for not correcting the incorrect story. And no excuse exists for not getting the UCLA response which as you point out was immediately available. None. Its on her and ESPN. And the ABC management who run ESPN need to take a hard look at their L.A. sports outlet.
Incidentally, hopefully your readers will click on the linked story. Much of it is poorly written. Unless she turns it around in short order, her days are numbered at ESPN.
by peggysue69 on Jan 14, 2010 8:54 PM PST via mobile reply actions
did anyone see this one as well?
http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncb/news/story?id=4826748
only relevant because it (again) has Shelley Smith as Mike Garrett’s press secretary.
SI carries the same very vanilla story
SI put the AP dispatch on their Website. http://sportillustrated.cnn.com/2010/basketball/ncaa/01/14/usc.mayo.ap/index.html?xid=si_ncaab
by peggysue69 on Jan 14, 2010 9:22 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
Hey ryan great podcast really enjoyed it. I live on the east coast and stayed up for some positive bruins talk! N in regards to wolfs fiancé I totally agree, I watched she left ZERO room for doubt cnc might as well have already of signed on the dotted line the way she put it. Unfortunatley espn has a monoply on the sports news and that’s not changing. They don’t care how they report because well if your a sports fan you can’t boycott them. FSN is far inferior and they are second best. So I doubt Shelly will get punished or change her ways.
yup
why would we expect anything better from BSPN? And why would we expect them to care about complaints?
A less rhetorical but more random question to people who know about such things: given that ESPN are set up at LA Live, does Trojan alum Jerry Buss have any sway?
by britishbruin on Jan 14, 2010 9:07 PM PST up reply actions
I find it funny
that after all of Smith’s “reporting” on Chow lately, the article on Chow staying with UCLA on the BSPN/LA site was written by…the AP.
Inference to be drawn--
ESPN management doesn’t have confidence in her reportage. Great catch that it was an AP story.
by peggysue69 on Jan 14, 2010 9:10 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
I have one more bone to pick in the circus that has been the past two days. When cnc “was going to $uc” that got serious attention on the wwl but him blowing off a big name team and a doubled pay raise to stay with the good guys got virtually no press on any of the shows from otl pti ath or sc? When a day before they all talked about it. Maybe I’m just whining and if iam I hope someone calls me out but I feel like the journalism the past two days has been garbage, especially from the eel
1995,1998, and beyond.
Even during the best times, we have never received any love from the mouse network. Neverending bs is completely unacceptable as a Bruin. Fat chance we get retraction.
Wasn't my idea
as I saw it in a previous thread from another poster, but I think it’s time to change our ‘official’ name for that network to BSPN.
Don't forget about Texas Tech reporting
I became disillusioned w/ ESPN’s reporting with whole Mike Leach / Texas Tech situation when that story first broke. And then watching the Bowl game TT played in – those commentators CONSTANTLY talked about the Leach situation. Plus, IMO ESPN game Craig James an unfair platform to whine.
absolutely right
ESPN has been shameless in both circumstances.
No integrity at all on the Texas Tech story or ours.
All personal agendas, not public responsibility.
sjh
I couldn't agree more
I was just getting home from work ,and kind of in shock about the Kiffin situation. I barely walk through the door, when I get a text from my friend “they got Chow 2”.So I instantly turn on ESPN, and there it is on the ticker “deal being finalizes to bring in Norm Chow”. I don’t think I slept more than 5 minutes that night, and I’m pissed about it. I also think Scott Wolf’s reporting was Irresponsible. I know he’s a Trojan honk, but he does work for the Daily News,and his reporting was way off on this matter.
Shelley Smith has been in SC's pocket for over a decade now
She is the author of Keyshawn Johnson’s biography, “Give Me the Damn Ball.” I think that should tell you all that you need to know about her credibility and integrity. She’s little more than puppet for the SC athletic dept. Her reports about SC should carry as much weight as Lou Holtz pontifications upon Notre Dame.
by insomniacslounge on Jan 14, 2010 9:41 PM PST reply actions
ESPN hides shame
http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncf/news/story?id=4827406
Wow.. so they use Kevin Prince’s quotes to make it seem like he was really concerned about Chow leaving even though he was doubtful. And, they conveniently leave out ESPN’s false reporting….
Ramona Shelburne's follow-up is a little bit better
http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncf/columns/story?id=4827453
Her writing style leaves a lot to be desired, but at least she listened to Chow’s conference call and seemed to provide the relevant quotes.
by insomniacslounge on Jan 14, 2010 10:10 PM PST up reply actions
I doubt it will happen...
…as I don’t even know what network the basketball game is on on Saturday but if by any chance this no-talent, hack-job trojan shill is at the game she needs to be LOUDLY booed!
UCLA - Champions Made Here
Pimps and whores
How better to describe the inhabitants of Heritage Hall. Smith has been a tool of Southern Cal for at least a year but then what else can she do. she really has the face for radio but that would give radio a bad name. While she is not alone in trying to push this she was the seed that started it. Firing her would be too easy. I would assign her to Knoxville as a sideline reporter. I am sure the fans in Rocky Top would welcome her.Her credibility is shot and maybe she should just apply to get money from SC-of course it would be delivered in an envelope
Daily Breeze Spin
Kiffin was basically was doing his due diligence: http://www.dailybreeze.com/sports/ci_14197122
Oh UCLA you sweet bitch, you've BRUINed me for anything else.
Really, Lame?
So why did you call CNC then? DCK (Douche Canoe Kiffin, but also very close to another word that fits him) is a real piece of work. GO BRUINS!!!
"The entire world that bleeds blue and gold ... they have been dying for this." - Coach Rick Neuheisel
Heh
Kiffin called Chow half-assed as an obligation to his new boss. This would make sense given that we know CNC did NOT return his call. Hence, UCLA was never really in any danger of losing him unless the money on the table was enough for CNC for a couple of years to basically hate his job, and perhaps his life.
Oh UCLA you sweet bitch, you've BRUINed me for anything else.
From Minister of Propaganda Scott "Josef Goebbels" Wolf
“The reason USC didn’t hire Norm Chow on Thursday was simple: New coach Lane Kiffin didn’t want Chow.”
Or to put it another way, what Josef said in his article is “My masters at just$c* and I think that everyone who reads this article is a moron who will believe anything that’s in print.”
Of course Josef is giving the actual true story. That’s why Barkley was saying that it would be a dream come true for Chow to be at just$c.*
I’m used to this sort of bad reporting, but sometime it’s just flat out insulting. This has reached an all time low. Not only would I tell SChilly Smith to buy a ticket, I would tell Josef Goebbels that if he’s going to tel flat out lies, he needs to do better. This is really sophomoric.
Nestor, is it possible that the BN can institute a new rule? I doubt that you will stop quoting or linking to Wolf, but is there a way to put the quotes in bulls%#t font? People can skip over stuff in BS font without missing anything.
The misreporting of the news could have affected the outcome in many ways...
One scenario could have been that the early misreporting of the news undermined Garrett’s strategy of going after Chow.
The more likely scenario is that the spreading of false rumors were planned in order to stop the bleeding of recruits from $c to UCLA.
by solidgoldsound on Jan 14, 2010 11:58 PM PST reply actions
Chris Foster's take
re: Shelley Smith (via twitter)
she holds a mic, not a notebook and pen….if ever you wanted to note the difference, here it was
by insomniacslounge on Jan 15, 2010 12:08 AM PST reply actions
3Share ESPN's Shelly Smith Should Be Held Accountable For Her "Irresponsible," Untrustworthy Trojan Pimping
have you seen her face? I would say she has been paying the consequences for years.
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
Per her entry on Scott Wolf's Blog Last Night
“I’ve already been reprimanded by my superiors for taking a rumor and reporting it as fact. I apologized to Norm Chow and UCLA earlier today. I will check my information for accuracy before I act in the future.”
Check out KSBruins's prior post in this thread
The ESPN report on Coach Chow staying is a wire service piece. Her sloppiness has apparently caused her bosses to look elsewhere on this story. If her superiors have reprimanded her as she states, good for ESPN.
by peggysue69 on Jan 15, 2010 12:54 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
I'm not really buying it
She may be “ESPN’s” Shelly Smith, but we all know her real superiors are the ones who give her her marching orders, and they all have addresses in Inheritance Hall.
Interesting?
I’m not sure that apology is the real thing. I’ve been taking a look at the ESPN site and I couldn’t find her comment. I would have to assume she would have made mention of her lack of journalistic credibility on her home site before contacting another company’s blog.
I'm a bit skeptical that's actually her
It strikes me as unusual that if she were going to apologize, she would use the comments section of a newspaper blog as her platform for doing so.
by insomniacslounge on Jan 15, 2010 1:05 AM PST up reply actions
+1
No way that’s her. She owes UCLA an apology, too. Why didn’t she make a similar post on Gold’s site?
Strange.
On a blog/comment section? Really?
If she had integrity
I would challenge her to send us an email and apologize to the community here and/or fanpost. Not counting on it.
Great idea
What’s the downside to asking her to explain what she did wrong and apologize?
She’ll ignore us.
But, that says more about her than us.
sjh
Or provide proof
of the alleged “reprimand” by her “superiors.”
by peggysue69 on Jan 15, 2010 9:21 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
This just in off the ESPN ticker:
ESPN has reprimanded all its reporters who report rumor as fact.
And in another story, here are more details on how Adam James was waterboarded, and how he was saved from sure death only by the valiant efforts of his courageous father, our own Craig James, soon to be Senator from not only Texas, but Senator of several bordering states as well. As good looking as he is well-informed and just downright brilliant, Craig …."
I can’t go on any more.
by Fox 71 on Jan 15, 2010 4:33 AM PST up reply actions 1 recs
classic . . .
. . .but I was waiting for at least one clever reference at “helicopters” in there someplace.
The Mad Bruin
Sorry, but I don't buy it.
BSPN is an ENORMOUS organization. Somehow I don’t think it’s likely that the email address of ssmith@espn.com that’s listed underneath the supposed apology is legit. Seems pretty fake to me.
If DG or Dellins or CRN or NC or NC’s agent states publicly that Smith apologized, then I’ll buy it. Until then, NO.
M
"In this program your passion bucket must be full to play SC." -- CRN, to Dan Patrick, 1/2008
So Well Said, Nestor
I couldn’t have put it any better myself.
The bad thing, I fear, is that nothing much will really change. WWL loves ‘SC and vice versa and she’ll still be around blowing her hot air all over the place.
Los Angeles Rams and the UCLA Bruins!!!!!
by Minnesota Bruinfan on Jan 15, 2010 4:34 AM PST reply actions
Alas, no one in the media is ever held accountable for very long.
Craig James will be back. SChilly Smith will never go. Scott Wolf will continue to be welcome in UCLA’s locker rooms. No reporter is ever held accountable. When has any reporter ever been fired for just flat out making things up? (I’ll concede there was a guy who worked for the New York Times who totally fabricated his entire life, but other than that.) We have been looking at guys grinning on camera and grinning in print as they publish distortions about UCLA, and what have we done about it? Nothing. And that’s the way it will continue to be.
Until I’m named SID at UCLA.
SID
GBF (Geezer Brother Fox), although I would whole heartedly support you for any position at UCLA, this is one battle in which I thought Marc Dellins fought well.
He got out there and made sure that the truth was being told. It appears that he embraced the online community by getting it the stuff it needed to help fight the rumors.
That said, you and I have always agreed that there should be “no soup” for people like slimers, doh!, wolf, and shilly.
Would you accept the position the Soup Nazi, the keeper of the gate — the person who gets to refuse credentials to the hacks who have no right to call themselves press representatives?
sjh
SChilly Smith needs $C more than they need her
I think part of the problem here is that newsmakers (such as major college sports programs) now need the media a lot less than the media need the newsmakers.
Back in the day, newsmakers would have to be more honest with representatives of the MSM, as they would face repercussions for lying: less favorable treatment/coverage, less willingness to put out the stories being presented by the newsmakers. The oligopoly of the MSM gave them some implicit bargaining power vis a vis access to people like $C.
In the new media, 24-hour-news-cycle age, the MSM has to be hyper-competitive and look for any edge on stories given by ‘sources’, and can never hurt someone like $C by not giving them coverage. If $C wants to get a message out, blogs and other online sources can do that perfectly well; they don’t need the MSM as much as they used to. At the same time, people in the MSM trip over themselves to break stories without checking them, giving all the power over to ’anonymous sources close to the $C athletic department.
However, in agreement with what Ryan says above, what is really unacceptable is failing to report the balance that is “one source close to $C says… people at UCLA say…”
also
People may wish to add a section on the
“Norm Chow” controversy to SChilly Smith’s wikipedia page, in the interests of objective reporting…
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