Answers, Part IV -- Wooden emphasis
Usually, I don't take a cluster of questions and just put them together, but considering the topic, I thought it was the right thing to do this time. Here are some questions I received about coach John Wooden, and UCLA coach Ben Howland speaking about coach Wooden:
What was your reaction when Howland disclosed the details of Wooden's accident?
I was stunned, because I knew the family didn’t want many of the details out.
Do you think he made a mistake disclosing those details?
That is not for me to decide.
Do you think he regrets disclosing the details?
I have no idea. I didn’t ask him, nor do I care to. If he wants to bring it up, that is fine with me.
How has the family reacted to Howland's disclosure?
The family was not happy, to say the least.
Did you give any thought to not publishing Howland's comments, given the very public wishes of the family for privacy?
I spoke to my editors about it, and they brainstormed before deciding to publish the information. I was on board with that.
What were the reasons you decided to publish Howland's comments?
Because it was newsworthy. The family was cooperating with several media outlets with the understanding some stuff would not be released, unless it came from a third party. And since Howland spoke about it in a public forum, as a newsgathering source, we decided to move forward with the story.
Given that some of Howland's comments were inaccurate, do you wish you had consulted with other sources before publishing?
The inaccuracy of some of Howland’s comments mean nothing, although I thought it did reflect poorly on him. The idea was his message, which was he was questioning the care Wooden was receiving.
What public service do you think you provided by publishing the details Howland disclosed?
John Wooden is a public figure and there is plenty of emotion involved. I think it made people think about what transpired with his medical care, and how he is recovering. I also found Howland’s concern to be interesting.
In Coach Wooden's fall, do you think the family erred in being more concerned about publicity than evaluating the fall expeditiously? Why did the ambulance take 45 minutes to arrive once called? Was there an alternate ER to take Coach Wooden without publicity concerns and/or with shorter transport time?
I wasn’t there, nor is it my place to make such a judgment. A trainer was there and the family was in contact with his doctor.
Brian,
What a minute - let me see if I'm getting this right: you knew that the family didn't want the details out, you knew that there was an agreement with news media not to divulge the details, yet, you divulge them when Howland talks about them? Sounds to me like you guys jumped at the chance to make a "story" as opposed to doing what the family wished.
Secondly, if you refer to your quotes from Howland earlier in the week, he REPEATEDLY said, in reference to the details, to talk to the trainer who was there, that he didn't know the details. My question is WHY didn't you do that - why did you run with what Howland had said without talking to the person who was in fact there especially given how Howland qualified his statements?
WHY?
Re: BRUINS1
Actually, BD reported that an effort was made to contact Tony Spino, but Marc Dellins did not clear it...
BRUINS1,
Dont hold your breath waiting for an answer.