When this Mike Gundy story broke I didn’t think it was that big of deal. I wrote my article titled “Mike Gundy Will Bring Hell, Yes Hell, to the Media” out of boredom, and yes you can view Gundy’s complete rant there. Now I see that this seems to be bigger deal than I originally thought. In fact I believe I should be called upon to mediate this situation. Of course no one from the Big 12 has my number, but they can e-mail me. Some in the liberal media are now reversing the tables on Gundy and taking their own pot shots at him.

“Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy didn’t have time to talk about his team’s 49-45 victory over Texas Tech on Saturday in Stillwater. Instead, he chose to use his postgame interview session with the media to go ballistic on Jenni Carlson, a columnist for the Daily Oklahoman.

Carlson wrote a piece critical of junior quarterback Bobby Reid, who had been replaced by sophomore Zac Robinson prior to the game, suggesting among other things the coaches had sacked Reid, the most talented quarterback on the team, because of his attitude. Carlson claimed Reid had not always handled his nerves well and was “nicked in some games and sat it out instead of gutting it out.”

She also painted a disturbing picture of Reid as a coddled player, standing near the team charter buses, using his cell phone while being fed chicken by his mother out of a boxed meal.”

I’m still laughing at the being fed by him mother part. That’s embarrassing but it only goes downhill from there.

“Carlson obviously tweaked a nerve that sent Gundy over the edge after Reid’s mother came to his office to complain.

He characterized Reid as “a good kid” who goes to class and is respectful of the media and was the victim of yellow journalism.”

Great, now the mother can’t call the newspaper herself but instead turns Gundy into her own little bitch. Reid wasn’t a victim for yellow journalism, Carlson gave her opinion there is a difference.

“Three-fourths of this is inaccurate,” Gundy claimed, holding up a copy of the column. “It’s fiction. And this article embarrasses me to be involved with athletics.”

Then he started raising his voice, pointed his finger in Carlson’s direction and appeared to be moving toward her in a threatening manner. Video of the entire meltdown is already available all over the Internet.”

I kinda thought she was in the room but I wasn’t sure so I didn’t say thing in the previous post. I wouldn’t classify his movement as threatening either, unless you’re a newspaper reporter living in New York. Of course the video is all over the internet. That’s what us bloggers are here for. Sure you get paid money, we get paid with the satisfaction of our readers. Money would be better though.

“Great, coach. Scream a little louder in what certainly looked like an effort to intimidate Carlson because she dared to fairly criticize a 21-year-old scholarship player. Under a little stress, are we? Not everyone in Stillwater is buying into this uncalled-for diatribe after the Cowboys’ ugly loss to Troy the previous week, where Gundy looked so disinterested on ESPN. As for accusations that Carlson claimed Reid was scared, we don’t remember reading that in her column.“

I wouldn’t call what she wrote exactly fair. She implied some things such as Reid threatening to transfer without having any proof to back them up, Gundy called her out on that, and rightfully so, and stated for her to get her facts straight. She also criticized and questioned the seriousness of Reid’s past injuries which is a rather low blow. She didn’t quite call him scared but she did indicate that he doesn’t handle pressure.

“Gundy, who claims he doesn’t read Carlson’s newspaper “because it’s garbage” and went on to say “the editor who let it come out is garbage,” left without taking questions, and was applauded by what must have been cronies as he stormed out of the room. The Oklahoman stands by its columnist and its story. We wonder if Gundy would have made those outrageous comments if a male columnist had written that. For most rational coaches, these things are best handled in one-on-ones behind closed doors instead of on a bully pulpit.”

I believe Gundy would have handled it the same way if a male would have written it, and for you to question that is, in my opinion, irresponsible. I do question how it was handled regarding his demeanor but as for Gundy handling it publicly, I have no problems with that. While you and some others call it a bully pulpit, it was a response to a story that publicly ran in Carlsons’ bully newspaper. See what I’m getting at?

Gundy did handle this in an immature way that I agree with, but I also agree with his statements about how an college athletes should be written about. What Gundy was trying to say is, it’s fine to write about the bad play but not to attack them personally. Carlson did attack Reid on a personal level, there’s no question about that. Childish attacks on the personal level don’t belong in the “real” media, they belong here at this website. I would never question an athletes injury though, that’s beyond anything I could or would do. Gundy is right to say when a college athlete does something wrong attack them for that but leave the personal jabs and questions about them being injured out of it.

So I profess on this day 9/25/07.

TtT