Maybe Doug should pick up a Pacer in an effort to fly under the "radar"While it's old news that Doug Worthington blew a .095 en route to charges of DUI, speeding and shady plates the latest question is whether or not it matters that Worthington was rolling in a 2004 Escalade.
The Plain Dealer's Doug Lesmerises appeared to take a shot at Ken Gordon of the Dispatch for not reporting the type of vehicle Worthington was driving when he was stopped. In defense, Gordon stated he thought the make and model of the car was irrelevant and to report that Worthington was driving an Escalade would unfairly feed suspicions of further wrongdoing.
I'm not sure where I fall on this topic. On one hand, with constant worries of impropriety at virtually all major programs it's probably worth a mention. On the other hand, many in the general public immediately take such news as a guarantee of wrongdoing so it might be better left unsaid in the morning paper.
You know how it is, as soon as your non-Buckeye-fan acquaitances heard the news did they not immediately act like a 2004 Escalade cost as much as a 2008 Bentley when, in fact, an '04 Escalade only blue books at 20-24k? Not exactly Lotus territory.
So, what do you think? Should the make of the car be newsworthy or do you even care?
Comments
Instead of buying young DTs an old Escalade, the boosters could begin paying off the journalists in Cleveland to shut the hell up...
If I saw Doug Worthington in a Pacer, I would be even more shocked. Actually, I'd be more shocked that Worthington fit in one.
Besides, it was an 2004 Escalade. With gas prices these days, Escalades have become less expensive than Honda Accords. I'd drive it around campus too since he probably can't afford to drive it anywhere else.
I would questions Doug about the plates not matching the registration. He didn't get them properly transferred. Good! He paid for the car. That's all I ask these days. But then again, cars women and booze are normally reserved for impact players.
This isn't really a discussion in my opinion.
His job is to report all the facts, not to decide which ones we are grown up enough to handle.
Kevin - I don't necessarily disagree but what if he was driving a '95 Skylark - would that fact have been worth including? ie. is that fact meaningful enough?
no mention of pittcocks retirement?
BC - just a link in the Good Shizzy section...
yeah, i think it's relevant. obviously people are going to draw (likely unfair) conclusions about the car, but here's my reasoning: A) if it turns out he did somehow get that car through illicit means, the source of those means should be rooted out and taken care of, and B) his car wouldn't have ever been an issue if he hadn't been pulled over for drunk driving. that's on him; you don't want people to speculate about your car, don't give people a reason to.
It's definitely r well. If everything was aboveboard, why the sketchy tags?
The type of car isn't newsworthy at all. As mentioned, if it was a 2006 Toyota Camry that cost just as much - nobody would have thought anything of it.
Where do you draw the line, would Gordon need to describe the clothes Doug was wearing that a "college kid couldn't afford"... If he was rockin' the same rediculus 'Bama neckless Jarmarcus Russell was sportin' at the '08 Championship game?
The story was about a Doug and a DUI... thats it.
Ah, the greenhouse on wheels. They don't make cars like they used to anymore.
Is it illegal to drive an Escalade? Moreover, why would an Escalade, in itself, be cause for concern? I only ask this because I recently saw a 40-something blond woman driving one the other day. It's not like Escalades are limited to a specific demographic of college students who may or may not play football.
He was barely over the legal limit. Who cares. Can we start practice already.
PEW PEW
little do people know doug actually comes from a fairly well off family, just outside of buffalo, ny... why do we have to jump to these conclusions of boosters and wrongdoings? isn't it possible that doug's father (a former collegiate football player himself) could have helped him financial with the car?
I agree with Ken here, it doesn't matter what he was driving, what really matters is his DUI arrest one week before camp opens up.
If parents save money for a college education and that child gets a full ride scholarship, I would think the parents are willing to buy the student a nicer car.
Pitcock retired cause of his smoking hot GF
The bigger question is, Who is paying for his gas?
Poor guy. I mean, we all get drunk and drive and run a few people off the road. Maybe hit a dog. But we don't all play flootball! Kollege football! He should be excused for everything, short of treason, that is. And maybe even treason if not too many peoples is kilt.
I have to agree with Corey...I don't think it matters what car it is. I know, for one, if my son got a full ride scholarship, I would probably jump for joy at the prospect of buying a $25K car instead.
Chris - here is my problem: according to the post the reporter said "to report that Worthington was driving an Escalade would unfairly feed suspicions of further wrongdoing." The fact that reporting a simple fact in the case would lead to suspicion means it is absolutely 100% relevant.
If he was a good journalist and wanted to eliminate suspicion, he would do his frickin job and find out where the car came from. If it turns out his parents are rich and bought him an expensive car as a reward for getting a scholarship, report that. It allows us all to know all the facts and eliminates any suspicion. Purposely leaving out things that some people might find interesting is the exact opposite of what a journalist is suppose to do.
Does anyone have any better reasons why pitcock retire??? He was gonna get significant playing time this year and even if he made just the league minimum for the next ten years he would be making way more than any job he is gonna get as a recent college graduate. Did he just get sick of football? Im really confused about it. Also we will see how long the smoking hot girlfriend sticks around now that the paychecks are gone.
Chris - here is the thing: according to the post the reporter said "to report that Worthington was driving an Escalade would unfairly feed suspicions of further wrongdoing." The fact that reporting a simple fact in the case would lead to suspicion means it it absolutly 100% relevent.
If he was a good journalist and wanted to eliminate suspicion, he would do his frickin job and find out where the car came from. If it turns out his parents are rich and bought him an expensive car as a reward for getting a scholarship, that allows us all to know all the facts and eliminates any suspicion. Purposly leaving out things that some people might find interesting is the exact oposite of what a journalist is suppose to do.
Why would it be a reporters job to determine if a particular car is inline with the overall income of a family? And who governs that decision process when determining what vehicle is and isn't acceptable on this slippery slope?
His role isn't to decide which "vehicle is and isn't acceptable", his job it to report all the facts so that WE can decide what is acceptable.
He admits himself that stating the make of the car would raise questions, in which case it is his duty to report it. If he thinks that stating the make of the car would "unfairly feed suspicions of further wrongdoing", then do a little extra work and help us as the reader understand the whole situation so as to dismiss (or confirm) any suspicions.
I think that's a mistake we all make -- assuming that major college football players come from families that can't afford nice cars. Would anyone be shocked if Laurinaitis or Heyward were driving Escalades? Their families could obviously afford them.
I can remember going to college without a car. Now kids have Cherokees, BMWs and the like as undergrads.
an Esacalade for a college kid.... I am driving a 2001 Malibu and I have a good job and a family..... yikes
Kevin - You said earlier for the "reporter to do his frickin job...and if his parents are rich and bought him an expensive car as a reward for getting a scholarship, that allows us all to know all the facts and eliminates any suspicion."
To me, you are suggesting the reporter audit the parents by apparently asking for W2s, bank statements, 401k balances and Roth statements? How else is the reporter to know if the parents are "rich" (definition?).
By the way, why do you (we, the reader) have the right to know their private financial situation so 'we' can decide what's acceptable?
Keith, come one man, that's an extreme and not at all what I'm saying. Maybe 'rich' was a poor choice of words, but there are perfectly legal and public record ways of finding out a person's general financial situations without getting Roth statements. Or just ask the kid where he got the car. Leaving out information because people might have additional questions is irresponsible and lazy.
Unless he works for the city, state, government, etc - I'd be interest in learning how one finds public records of general financial situations (actual figures, not occupational titles)? Especially considering you need the entire picture before making a determination if one is well off or not.
The previous questions remain however, especially the right to know so the public can decide what's acceptable.
Doug is from a nice suburb of Buffalo. His father is a college graduate (Colorado).
I wonder if the insinuation that this (used) Escalade must somehow be ill gotten is simply because Doug is black and the under lying assumption of black college football players is that they all come from the ghetto.
Kevin,
Would you prefer that we change the car type from 'Escalade' to 'Ferrari'? "It's the reporter's job to find out where the car came from." I bet someone bought it for him or someone sold it to him.
Then we can all just freak out!
Forget the Escalade! How in the world does he pay for gas for that thing?!?!?
Lighten up. There's no fire here, ESPN hasn't even reported it and you know how they love to pile on the Buckeyes.