Peter Vescey unleashes on his critics and Mike Wise
It says something about our media culture when someone feels they got the story right when their initial report stated that Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton pulled pistols on each other, which even the Proffer of Facts in Crittenton's case doesn't support. But hey, I guess Vescey felt that because he was "less wrong" if judged by Crittenton's account, it was worth saying "Eff you" to all his critics.
I have no idea who Mike Wise's source on his story was (I don't think it was Arenas - maybe it was Stevenson), and I'm starting to doubt whether Wise's story is absolutely correct, but that doesn't make Vescey's story correct either. It shouldn't be a badge of honor in the journalism world to get the story less wrong than one of your fellow journalists.
UPDATE: Dan Steinberg nails it with this line:
So he got the date of the confrontation wrong, the fact that they drew weapons on each other wrong, the entire tenor of the episode wrong, while bringing up a complete red herring about gambling on league games. He, more than anyone else, was responsible for this entire incident being framed as a Wild West shootout rather than the ridiculous bit of immaturity that it was. And now he finds his great love for the truth has been sullied by Mike Wise. Swell.
over 2 years ago
Mike Prada
30 comments
0 recs |
Email
PrintComments
Who is more of a prick? Vescey or Kornheiser?
Damn, that one is tough.
Representing DC with Wizards & Stuff - Truth About It.net and Bullets Forever.
I really, really hate Peter Vescey
A few years ago, Peter Vescey reported that Zaza Pachulia god fed up with Josh Smith, cursed him out, then threw him up against the wall.
Unfortunately, his account was very, very wrong. Zaza did yell obscenities, but it was in a crowded locker room, (in the presence of Hawks beat writer Sekou Smith), and there was no physical confrontation.
http://nba.fanhouse.com/2007/04/11/vescey-needs-better-sources/
He was also on the BS Report once complaining about blogs and how he was no longer given royal access. He told a story of the Nets giving press credentials for the 25th row and how it was beneath him to have to sit so far away from the action. And how in the 1980’s he would go out to dinner with the players, but now the players all had no use for the media.
Basically, the man just seems like a terrible human being.
by John Park Williams on Jan 26, 2010 9:50 AM EST reply actions
I'm willing to forgive Vescey
if he keeps providing lines like this:
“The Wizards new motto: “Character, Commitment, Connection . . . and, if we’re lucky, Community Service.”"
Peter works for the right paper...
His sense of self-worth is staggering
When reporting a story, especially in today’s twitter-world, a journalists first goal should always be getting the story right (not first). With that being said I’ll give the guy (from out of town) breaking the story a lot more leeway then the (local) guy who had a week to write/gather/talk to Gilbert sources.
In regards to Vescey calling out Wise and ignoring his own mistakes… I dont have to have Ray Allen’s J to tell you Shawn Marion has an ugly shot.
VOID!!!
What if you were saying you had Ray Allen's J?
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
If I had Ray Allen's J...
(and in turn his paycheck) I would probably be typing this from the back seat of my maybach… or eating vaseline on uStream. Its 50/50.
VOID!!!
You missed my point
Vescey didn’t bash Wise as much as he said “Look at me, I’m right, idiot critics!” when, of course, he wasn’t actually right. His defense of him being right is that Mike Wise was wrong, which isn’t a defense when you’re also wrong.
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
Vescey is a two-bit hack of a "journalist"
What is worst? Completely blowing up this story and ruining some people’s lives (they did enough to be punished, but public perception matters in these stories. Vescey created a false perception)? Hypocritically calling out a better journalist and man? Or being too stupid to realize you got everything wrong? This guy doesn’t deserve a basic job let alone one where he influences the public’s perceptions. He not only gets it wrong consistently, he appears too dumb to even realise that.
Don’t let your hate of Areans cloud your thoughts on Vescey
Another rule of Journalism
Nobody wants to hear whining from the reporter or columnist. Don’t write about stuff that only yourself and other reporters care about. Wise, Vecsey, and everybody else got facts wrong about this case, and we may be doomed to another decade of suckitude in part because of sloppy reporting.
And what to Kornheiser and Vecsey both have in common?
They both covet and envy the spotlight and fame that the athletes they supposedly cover have, and want said fame more than just to report the truth or inform their readers.
Maybe all sportswriters have a little bit of this, I don’t know, but I’d like to think there are still sports journalists out there who do it because they love their job, not because they want to be stars.
Why would any NBA player or official ever talk to Vescey again
They should all black list him. He consistently puts out inaccurate info. He ruined a players career and a franchise for a headline.
Certainly Vescey is a horrible person and a hack writer. I've hated him for years.
But I’m not sure I see how he ruined careers and a franchise. A few posts have alluded to that, can you explain to me?
by MR on Jan 26, 2010 4:31 PM EST up reply actions
The reason that there was a mania about this incident
Was that Vecsey reported that Gil and Javaris had drawn guns on each other in the locker room. That was reported on New Year’s day (a really slow news day) and spread like wildfire all over TV and the web. As a result, an enormous amount of momentum built up for the “gil is evil and needs to be banned for life” movement. Even though this dissipated once more accurate reports of what happened actually surface, most people had already made up their minds that this was the worst act ever committed by NBA players.
Because of Vecsey’s innacurate (and in my opinion libellous) report and the public outcry it engendered, the league came down on Gil with the wrath of god when he expressed no remorse. Had the initial report been accurate it seems unlikely that the public outcry would have been sufficient that the league felt it was forces to act and Gil may still be playing. More importantly, if Vecsey hadn’t gotten it wrong, then people probably wouldn’t have demonized Gil and would think of him as a misguided idiot instead of an evil monster.
by Manimal Smith on Jan 26, 2010 5:25 PM EST up reply actions
O and of course
Had all of that not happened then the Wiz wouldn’t be saddled with the contract of a player that they refuse to play and that few franchises want to acquire because of the potential PR issues. Instead, they would have a good player with a bad contract who might be rounding back into quasi-dominant form that a stupid team might actually WANT to trade for.
by Manimal Smith on Jan 26, 2010 5:32 PM EST up reply actions
Thanks
Is it libel? I’ve been wondering about that myself.
The comments and actions Gil was actually suspended for seemed to stem from his reaction to Vescey’s article.
I hope someone can sue him.
by forthepeople on Jan 26, 2010 5:53 PM EST up reply actions
I see where you're coming from
but I don’t really think that Vescey’s tone and inaccuracy caused the situation. Stern did what he did, Gil did what he did…There was enough coverage and debriefing of players, I don’t think you can blame Vescey for that.
Not that I’m defending him in any way. The guy is a cockroach.
by MR on Jan 26, 2010 6:44 PM EST up reply actions
I really disagree
If the story hadn’t been misreported from the getgo, then people would have taken a measured approach in reacting and, consequently, the entire situation would have played out differently (including Gil’s reaction and Stern’s reaction to Gil’s reaction).
by Manimal Smith on Jan 26, 2010 6:51 PM EST up reply actions
Here's an alternate history of events
Vescey doesn’t “scoop” anyone.. and instead of “OK Corral” and “players drawing guns” on each other:
the story leaks out slowly –
Gil has NO reason to twit about being John Wayne
The facts come out during the police investigation (and the League investigation)
there is no reason for Gil to make fun of the entire situation (since the Vescey story never happened)
The finger pointing incident never happens.
Gil is not suspended until he pleads guilty to ONE misdemeanor (like Crittenton)
Stern suspends Gil and Critt for 20 games
Wiz are able to trade Gil at the Trade deadline for a combination of expiring contracts, young players and a pick.
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
…and we trade him for Wade. In the offseason Bosh, Lebron, Amare, and the ghost of Wilt Chamberlain all sign with the Wizards for the vets minimum and next June as we finish off the Timberwolves in OT of game 7 of the NBA finals a flock of pigs fly over the stadium. And Peter Vescey sobs in his windowless room. Friendless. Alone. Cold.
That was the biggest piece of dreck
I’ve ever read. Vescey is the definition of a smarmy douche.
In some ways this article parallels how Gil responded to his mistakes. Instead of owning up to things and expressing remorse, Gil claimed he did nothing wrong and then “finger gun gate” occurred. Meanwhile, Vecsey pens a column full of scandalized factual inaccuracies, insists he was right all along even though he knows otherwise and then pisses all over other journalists who, at worst, made a small fraction of the same mistakes he himself made.
This is the one time I will ever wish David Stern had plenary authority over the press so that he could banish Vecsey to a deeper and darker hole than the one into which he has cast Gil.
The funny thing is out 6-8 NBA players I met most have been douches I won’t mention any names. Most of all consisted of hey aren’t you _________ and the player saying “yes” lol. When I met Arenas at the mall he spoke to me for a good 15 minutes, no jewelry, no groupies, no b-guards. Seemed like a genuiwine good guy. It’s terrible that politicians and musicians can ressurect the holocoast but an NBA player with NO record puts weapons in a LOCKED locker but some dumbass writer perpetutes it as a gang war with black mafia affiliates and puts one of the worst/unlucky franchises in an even worse situation. The dumbass should think twice next time before he writes a piece like that about the legality behind it. He’s not a real writer anyway the guy got a bs in bullshit and his masters in beeing a prick.
by Unxpekted on Jan 26, 2010 5:46 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Out of curiosity
At which mall did you run into Arenas?
by Manimal Smith on Jan 26, 2010 5:47 PM EST up reply actions
By "resurrect," you mean "denounce," right?
You know you'll get devoured by Cheaney, Wallace, and Juwan Howard.
It's like the holo-deck on Star Trek
except it only has beach scenes….
Bullets Forever - where "Dagger ! " happens......
2 Things
1. By writing this article Peter Vescey exposed his insecurities and lowlife characteristics for the world to see and
2. Though Mike Wise has actually been getting better over the course of the last year, someone, albeit a self serving cockroach like Vescey, finally called him out for being a reporter with neither solid inside connections nor the work ethic to do hard research or analysis. I know a lot of people on this site think he is a great reporter, but in my opinion he is nothing more than an amateur blogger with a job at the Washington Post. And that’s not to take a swipe at bloggers who I have a lot of respect for – like the editors of this site and many of it’s contributors – it’s a swipe at Wise and the Post for hiring him.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- Behind the Box Score, where the Lakers absolutely melted down the stretch
- Shaving a picture of Matt Bonner in his head could net a young Spurs fan an in-school suspension
- Greg Oden wants to play for the Miami Heat
- LeBron James and Kobe Bryant on Forbes World’s Most Powerful Celebrities list
- Evan Turner loves getting his butt kicked
