Re: the Jim Gray controversy

[Dib9@aol.com]

I am amazed by this controversy.  Apparently, sports reporters are not 
supposed to act like journalists.  

Jim Gray kept pushing Rose because Rose lied and became combative when Gray 
asked his first questions.  If Rose had said something like "This isn't the 
time or place to get into that" I bet Gray would have moved on.  At the very 
least, I would have agreed that Gray should have moved on.  Considering the 
b.s. responses that Rose gave, I don't know what Gray could have done other 
than just end the interview.  When you know the subject that you are 
interviewing is not telling the truth, a journalist has an obligation to ask 
tough follow up questions.

I'm a boxing fan and Gray does the in ring interviews on Showtime's boxing 
coverage.  In that role, he has to interview Don King after the shows and he 
is the only reporter that I have seen handle King's rap and push him to 
answer questions.  I assume that ability is why NBC hired him and I was not 
surprised that he pushed Rose.

As for a players boycott, that is certainly their right but they should 
consider how much money they would be making without the media's free 
advertising of them and their sport.

-- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine