Tennessee sports writer hears “rumors” about one of the candidates for the open UT AD gig and decides to disseminate them in an column.
Anytime I asked someone, “What’s wrong with Blackburn?” I got rave reviews on what a great hire he would be. But I also heard rumors.
“I heard he has a drinking problem,” someone who doesn’t know Blackburn told me.
“I think he has health issues,” someone else who didn’t know Blackburn told me.
Then, someone who does know Blackburn said, “I think he has diabetes.”
“Some people think he’s too nice a guy to make tough decisions,” said someone else.
Gosh, I wonder who would try to start a whisper campaign like that. It’s not like Phil Fulmer would stoop to that kind of thing to win a job, is it?
Get The Picture 
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that a reporter would write something like that (and/or the editor would print it). But that borders on libelous.
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It might help, Russ, to read the story. The writer rebuts the rumors thoroughly…or as thoroughly as is possible. Typical knee jerk reaction.
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Seriously Russ, listen to Scorp. I did the same thing once. Once……
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Somewhere, Lyndon Johnson smiles.
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Yep — only thing missing is spreading rumors that he has relations with pigs, and indeed LBJ would put his final stamp of approval on the whisper campaign.
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I always heard it was sheep, but it’s funny either way.
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+1 on the Lyndon reference HB…
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I wonder when he quit beating his wife.
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That is awful reporting — just awful. Indicative of our times, I guess.
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Since the printing press was invented in 1440 bullshit has been printed. Before that they wrote bullshit down. Before they could write, they told each other bullshit verbally. Now it’s on the tv and the internet. Bullshit is nothing new. Only the delivery systems have changed. The only time man was free of bullshit was before language.
I’m sorry but there ain’t nothing new under the sun and the common assertion that things were just so much better way back when ??? is tiring to me mainly because it’s also bullshit. Didn’t we just read on this blog about a week or so ago that LBJ put out a story that his opponent was a goatfucker in the 1940’s? That wasn’t new then and it ain’t new now.
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Again, folks, if you read the damn story, Adams offers the guy a clear opportunity to rebut the bullshit, which he clearly does.
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But Fulmer is a picture of health, and young too!
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Not to mention good looking.
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There was a time when reporters got fired for printing bullshit (e.g., as recently as 2003 when Jayson Blair resigned from the NYT)? Now you get promoted for producing this kind of crap.
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I guess it comes down to a decision of would you rather hire a guy who is rumored to have diabetes or would you rather hire a guy who successfully dodged a subpoena in Birmingham and has evaded charges of pedophilia, but is a long-time Vol and former player.
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Whoa! Where did the pedophilia charge come from. I’m totally out of the loop on that one.
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See how easy it is for a narrative to start?
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It is a well known fact that if Phil can just get all the other candidates in the hospital he a shoo in, just ask Johnny Majors.
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