As I stated below, I am not editorializing in my posting of Tim Donaghy/Personal Foul media coverage. Whatever media I find and can link to, I post, despite the fact that I disagree with a rather large percentage of the linked content. I haven’t posted links to appearances over the past few days, however, simply because they are essentially all the same, and each is heavily reliant upon whatever materials have been supplied to the press (I am guessing, just like with other books, by the publisher). Thus, the first wave of interviews (posted here throughout December) can be referenced as a representative sample of what the former referee is saying about the scandal. Now that it is clear what will be asked and said during these media appearances (“interviews” is too strong a word), I will only link to pieces that are newsworthy, such as the sabermetric analysis of Donaghy’s claims posted a few days ago. In the event a host strays from the template and/or Donaghy veers off-message, and there is thus something noteworthy to consider, I’ll certainly post it here.
Regarding the Donaghy book tour, I have been amazed at the manner in which the subject matter is being treated. After all, it isn’t as though these various radio and tv hosts (along with a smattering of journalists) are interviewing a movie star about a film release, and thus can afford to simply follow along with the suggested interview questions and bullet-point highlights supplied beforehand. Rather, this is a complex, controversial, potentially consequential story involving real people and real entities, for which there is an historical record to reference. That this distinction regarding the material is not being made throughout most of the media is disappointing, problematic, or worse.
