Monday, March 05, 2007

Yesterday, the web site Cold, Hard Football Facts accused Globe sportswriter Ron Borges of lifting mass quantities of Tacoma News Tribune sportswriter Mike Sando's Feb. 25 piece on Seattle Seahawks' wide receiver Darrell Jackson (a possible Patriots target) in his March 4 "Football Notes." Some examples provided by CHFF publisher Kerry Byrne (who, to be fair, is a card-carrying Ron Borges Hater):

On Feb. 25, Mike Sando [emph. added here and elsewhere] wrote (14th & 15th paragraphs):
Jackson was leading the NFL in touchdowns last season when a turf-toe injury forced him to miss the final three games. The injury prevented Jackson from achieving his third 1,000-yard season in four years and the fourth overall.
 
Jackson still led the Seahawks with 63 catches for 956 yards and 10 touchdowns.
 
On March 4, Ron Borges wrote (2nd paragraph):
Jackson was leading the NFL in touchdowns last season when a turf-toe injury forced him to miss the final three games. The injury prevented him from reaching his third 1,000-yard season in four years, but Jackson still led Seattle with 63 catches for 956 yards and 10 touchdowns.
 
On Feb. 25, Sando wrote (16th & 17th paragraphs):
But trouble arose in March 2004 when former Seahawks president Bob Whitsitt allegedly shorted Jackson on a contract offer. Jackson said he signed the deal anyway at the urging of his father, who has since died. Whitsitt has dismissed the charge as preposterous, while Ruskell has resisted honoring a promise that a predecessor denies making.
 
The dispute has escalated ever since, with the Seahawks and Jackson’s agents exchanging a series of blunt letters, sources said.
 
On March 4, Borges wrote (3rd paragraph):
Trouble arose with Seahawks management two years ago after former team president Bob Whitsitt allegedly shorted Jackson on a contract offer. Jackson said he signed the deal anyway at the urging of his father. Whitsitt has dismissed the charge as preposterous, while present club president Tim Ruskell has refused to honor a promise that another person denies making. The dispute has escalated, with the Seahawks and Jackson's agents exchanging blunt letters.
 
On Feb. 25, Sando wrote (18th paragraph):
When Ruskell became Seahawks president in February 2005, one of his first moves was to issue a letter to players outlining his expectations. He urged full participation in the team’s offseason program, including minicamps, but Jackson let it be known he would honor his contract but nothing more. Jackson subsequently skipped the voluntary portions of minicamps.
 
On March 4, Borges wrote (4th paragraph):
When Ruskell became Seahawks president in February 2005, one of his first moves was to issue a letter to players outlining his expectations. He urged full participation in the team's offseason program, including minicamps, but Jackson let it be known he would honor his contract, but nothing more. Jackson subsequently skipped the voluntary portions of minicamps.

While you're pondering this parallelism, here's another wrinkle: as Byrne notes, the following explanation--which seems to give Borges wide latitude to appropriate other people's work--appears at the bottom of his column: "material from personal interviews, wire services, other beat writers, and league and team sources was used in this report."

I'm awaiting comment from Globe editor Marty Baron and Borges himself, and will post it as soon as I get it.

3/5/2007 11:08:00 AM by Adam Reilly | Comments [4] |  
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