Feschuk Just Be A Sports Columnists

[RapsGirl]

i think the headline for the story did enough damage. the use of the term "deadbeat dad" had more of an impact than anything else they could have said. it set the tone for the article...and Bosh's "reputation" stood no chance of surviving.

this story will ring true to many folks simply b/c they can identify with the single-mother angle. unless Bosh comes out & shows this entire claim to be false.....he's going to lose the respect of many.

my thing is.....most people it seems, have yet to realize that Bosh is traveling most of the time. how possible is it that he's going to see his daughter with any type of regularity (and still maintain his responsibilities to the team)? esp with the ex-g/f living in the US?

people get too emotionally involved in things like this due to their own experiences. hope the presiding judge had a daddy.

[Devon_s_biring]

Coming from the man who was suggesting to listen to "Yous a ho" by Ludacris or that other ho song by mr.vegas, in reference to Bosh's ex, given there's no facts available about who's at fault.

Are you kidding me?

Is that you Chris? . . . Joel?

[J-Roc]

But that's what the girl is accusing Bosh of being....a deadbeat dad. That's the story. And who's to say Feschuk didn't "investigate". He asked Bosh's side for a comment and they refused. What, they thought the story would just go away if they pretended nothing was happening??

[AB_21]

Seriously this guy is a sports columnist and he's writing about Bosh's personal life. Wow just imagine the other pro athlete's in Toronto would never want to have an interview with him mainly Bosh since it was Feschuk who brought it to the public. Your not an investigative reporter stick to your real job you pr!ck.

Bosh seems to want to be the NBA's King of All Media. Now that some dirty laundry has come out about him, he suddenly wants to be private. He doesn't get to have it both ways. That's not how the fame game works.

Winner!

[Fairview4Life]

But that's what the girl is accusing Bosh of being....a deadbeat dad. That's the story. And who's to say Feschuk didn't "investigate". He asked Bosh's side for a comment and they refused. What, they thought the story would just go away if they pretended nothing was happening??

They didn't refuse. They denied the charges and said they couldn't comment more than that because of the case. That isn't where journalism stops. At least it shouldn't be.

[J-Roc]

But that's what the girl is accusing Bosh of being....a deadbeat dad. That's the story. And who's to say Feschuk didn't "investigate". He asked Bosh's side for a comment and they refused. What, they thought the story would just go away if they pretended nothing was happening??

They didn't refuse. They denied the charges and said they couldn't comment more than that because of the case. That isn't where journalism stops. At least it shouldn't be.

Then how would you have proceeded with the investigation? Would you have called Bosh's friends for comment? Her friends? How would you know anything you heard was true? Would whoever did the paternity test want to comment??

All he can do is ask her side for the story and then ask Bosh's side. Bosh could have said what he said today...all those same simple quotes, about taking care of his responsibilities.

[Fairview4Life]

But that's what the girl is accusing Bosh of being....a deadbeat dad. That's the story. And who's to say Feschuk didn't "investigate". He asked Bosh's side for a comment and they refused. What, they thought the story would just go away if they pretended nothing was happening??

They didn't refuse. They denied the charges and said they couldn't comment more than that because of the case. That isn't where journalism stops. At least it shouldn't be.

Then how would you have proceeded with the investigation? Would you have called Bosh's friends for comment? Her friends? How would you know anything you heard was true? Would whoever did the paternity test want to comment??

All he can do is ask her side for the story and then ask Bosh's side. Bosh could have said what he said today...all those same simple quotes, about taking care of his responsibilities.

I probably wouldn't have written 1000 words making her case for her. There is actually more he could probably do too.

[40 Guzzle]

up until that story I had thought the beginning of the Raps demise was letting Vince catch that game winning reverse allez-oop in our own house

now it seems the demise was tied to the allegations of chris' ex

he came at the story with the angle that this off-court issue had a significant effect on how this team performed this season, i thought today's story was relevant to what has happened on the court this season

that said, feschuk is still an asshat

[Devon_s_biring]

My question is when did the locker-room catch wind of the allegations?

How many of the raptors played poorly because they felt the "leader" to be so "flawed" and just lost the passion for their work?

Its as if having a sick manager that you respect and next thing you know, he gets pinched for fraud. Wouldn't your work be affected when you suspect/think of your manager to be a "sham" of a person.

I remember a few years back, a Markham girls soccer team coach got charged for child pornography and the team went horribly downhill from there.

Yes, rape is likely a lot worse than what Bosh is being charged of, but within the context of a character-degrading crime none-the-less.

Basically, is there a basis for this horrible season to be somewhat placed on Bosh's actions?

[Tha Cynic]

I'm 100% sure that all of us would love to have the negative aspects of our personal lives reported to the general public. That's why we act all macho behind our Realgm accounts and talk about how its okay for journalists to dig personal information about people just because its not our family involved.

[Gold Chain]

...and he gave Bosh an opportunity to give his side of the story. Bosh declined to do so, and this is what happens.

I think that's the part that people seem to be missing here. If the allegations against Bosh are false, he should have taken the opportunity to refute them.

I find that ridiculous and a little sickening, but I'm not a member of the media. The idea that you have to talk to someone in the media "or else" this is what happens is irresponsible journalism. In my opinion.

That said, I didn't really see a problem with the article, other than the long winded presentation of the plaintiffs case.

Journalists are people that are very inquisitive and also think that they are a part of the show. Unfortunatly, some reporters forget that they are small fish in a big pond and sometimes like to try and become the show. I am not green on this issue. Stand outside a sporting event and watch some of the media walk out of the arena with as much..ahem, "swagger" as the athletes.
Sporting journalism is on par with entertainment reporting, fluff 99.9% of the time.

Bosh does not have to go out of his way to satisy a 5/10 staff writer for the Toronto Star. I am sure Chris did not appreciate the article, but I do agree the Star has every right to print the story and to present the facts. Again though, Feschuk has seen his last interview with CB because I am sure Chris's crew is going to red-flag him and make sure he is "outed" from anything more than a practice scrum from now on.

[The Duke]

...and he gave Bosh an opportunity to give his side of the story. Bosh declined to do so, and this is what happens.

I think that's the part that people seem to be missing here. If the allegations against Bosh are false, he should have taken the opportunity to refute them.

I find that ridiculous and a little sickening, but I'm not a member of the media. The idea that you have to talk to someone in the media "or else" this is what happens is irresponsible journalism. In my opinion.

That said, I didn't really see a problem with the article, other than the long winded presentation of the plaintiffs case.

Yea I agree with FV here.
Bosh not commeting, is no way shape or form an admiting guilt.
If I was Bosh lawyer, I'd advise my client, not to talk to the media (especially before). He prolly confered with his lawyer about what he should say after (if anything). Thats smart and the best way to do it for Chris Bosh.

[BoBBo!]

In this instance, I have no issues with how Feschuk wrote the article. The timing of the article is suspicious, but the content is within the bounds of what he's entitled to write. His role is to sell newspapers, not to be friends with Chris Bosh or any members of the Toronto Raptors. He doesn't travel with the team and has minimal contact with the players (as opposed to Doug Smith), so it would only be appropriate that Dave write this article rather than Doug to maintain the "good cop/bad cop" relationship the Toronto Star has with the Raptors organization.

And with regards to anyone criticizing him for the distasteful headline, the editor creates the headlines so you're faulting the wrong guy for once...

[The_Hater]

Feschuck isn't afraid to tackle the unpopular stories and angles rather than being a cheerleader. And that makes many people uncomfortable.

The unfortunate part is most of the criticisms he has written in the past have ended up being bang on the money. Fans just didn't want to hear Babcock and Vince and Hoffa get sharply criticized while they were still here. And the same applies to Bosh now. Take this sitution out of the context of who Chris Bosh is and this entire story doesn't paint a pretty picture. And there's no real way to candy coat that.

[ruckus]

A day later, I have no problem with Feschuk doing his job. He's a columnist, not a journalist. He's there to present his opinions and to write stories that get people talking. My problem with Feschuk is that he went for the easy, response-inducing, angle. I know he's not there to make friends or to preserve the reputation of MLSE and Bosh but, he could have easily taken more tact with the story.

I mean, in the other thread, it took maybe a hour or so for Dagger to come up with a reasonable explanation (he didn't cut off his baby girl and that the court case is just a matter of coming to a reasonable settlement). How much work would it have been for Feschuk to research this angle? There must have been multiple sources associated with the team that he could have consulted. Instead, he took his first reaction and ran with it.

I guess fair and balanced doesn't sell newspapers though.

[J-Roc]

A day later, I have no problem with Feschuk doing his job. He's a columnist, not a journalist. He's there to present his opinions and to write stories that get people talking. My problem with Feschuk is that he went for the easy, response-inducing, angle. I know he's not there to make friends or to preserve the reputation of MLSE and Bosh but, he could have easily taken more tact with the story.

I mean, in the other thread, it took maybe a hour or so for Dagger to come up with a reasonable explanation (he didn't cut off his baby girl and that the court case is just a matter of coming to a reasonable settlement). How much work would it have been for Feschuk to research this angle? There must have been multiple sources associated with the team that he could have consulted. Instead, he took his first reaction and ran with it.

I guess fair and balanced doesn't sell newspapers though.

I am on board with dagger's theory. But it would be nearly impossible for Feschuk to research that angle. Anyone on Bosh's side might say, "he giving enough". Anyone on her side would say he's not. And someone who says they're just working out the money might just be speculating. The only "horse's mouths" are her and her lawyers and her lawsuit, and him and his lawyers.

[C Court]

Feschuck isn't afraid to tackle the unpopular stories and angles rather than being a cheerleader. And that makes many people uncomfortable.

The unfortunate part is most of the criticisms he has written in the past have ended up being bang on the money. Fans just didn't want to hear Babcock and Vince and Hoffa get sharply criticized while they were still here. And the same applies to Bosh now. Take this sitution out of the context of who Chris Bosh is and this entire story doesn't paint a pretty picture. And there's no real way to candy coat that.

Exactly correct.

Feschuk has reported a lot of uncomfortable truths from Raptorland that have burst the bubble of Raptor fans. Yet, time after time, he has been proved right.

Many posters here (even older ones) are very protective of their 'heroes' and don't like it when they discover that the person they put up on a pedestal may not be as special as they thought.

If Feschuk had written a story about Lebron or Kobe or a movie star or a politician - none of you guys would complain. Your problem is that Dave reported a story about Chris Bosh that tarnishes his image.

[C Court]

I mean, in the other thread, it took maybe a hour or so for Dagger to come up with a reasonable explanation (he didn't cut off his baby girl and that the court case is just a matter of coming to a reasonable settlement). How much work would it have been for Feschuk to research this angle? There must have been multiple sources associated with the team that he could have consulted. .

In fairness to Feschuk (according to Doug Smith). he asked the Bosh camp for comment and they refused. So after a few requests, he proceeded with 'one side of the story' because the other side chose not to respond when given the chance.

[J-Roc]

FWIW, I totally don't believe Doug Smith when he says he never knew anything about whatever story Feschuk was working on. It would only make sense for 1. Feschuk the negative guy to definitely write the story (not like Doug would "steal" it) and 2. for Feschuk to ask Doug if he'd ever heard anything about the story.

[MacDaddy]

My question is when did the locker-room catch wind of the allegations?

How many of the raptors played poorly because they felt the "leader" to be so "flawed" and just lost the passion for their work?

Its as if having a sick manager that you respect and next thing you know, he gets pinched for fraud. Wouldn't your work be affected when you suspect/think of your manager to be a "sham" of a person.

I remember a few years back, a Markham girls soccer team coach got charged for child pornography and the team went horribly downhill from there.

Yes, rape is likely a lot worse than what Bosh is being charged of, but within the context of a character-degrading crime none-the-less.

Basically, is there a basis for this horrible season to be somewhat placed on Bosh's actions?

No, there isn't, only a truly morally abject dirtbag with a flair for drama-queen hysterics would equate what's happening with Bosh and some sicko being busted for child porn. That would turn my stomach if someone was stupid enough to make that comparison. A person making that kind of correlation would really be an unredeemed douchebag.