Someone at the New York Post does not seem to understand journalism. Yesterday, the staff writers at the New York Post deliberately misquoted Jerry Manuel when he said the following:
That’s a good question. I don’t know if it drains a team as much as it affects that individual. I think it does have an effect on the individual more so than the team…It’s painful, but it’s also growth.
I’m going to say this, and I hope you all don’t take it wrong, I know you’re going to run out of here with something crazy on this: It’s very, very fertile ground for growth at Shea Stadium. It’s fertile ground for a team’s growth and development. Sometimes, fertile ground has fertilizer. But, fertilizer is a good thing. It’s a good thing. You get the greatest results, you get the most beautiful plants, when you put it in that type of fertile soil. That’s what we have the opportunity to do. Don’t take that wrong, because I know what you’re going to do with it.”
The beat writer from the New York Post, Bart Hubbach, then follows on Monday morning with this great headline: “Manuel Likens Angry Mets Fans to Fertilizer, New Manager Puts Foot in Mouth Again.” As the story continues, somehow Jerry Manuel angered Mets fans with these comments. However, on Mets Blog, 98%, that is NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT of voters or 3,753 Mets fans said they were not offended. Apparently 88 voters were having a bad day or a rough Monday morning.
So naturally, after the New York Post clearly misquoted Jerry Manuel, the Post sends Luke Dennehy and Ed Robinson out to Shea to find three knuckle heads who were actually offended. Here’s my suggestion to Jeff Spiletic, Jamed Scalada, and Rich D’Agostino, chill out and next time READ the quote. These people from their statements clearly didn’t read the excerpt, but just wanted to see their names in the paper. Meanwhile, the New York Post now seems to be on a campaign to attack another New York manager, specifically a New York Mets manager.
I know there is a lot of competition in the Newspaper business these days, which is a good thing. However, falling to the lowest denominator is no way to win a battle for viewers. Instead of sending a couple of beat writers out to find three guys who happen to be offended (they may also be offended by loud music, bad jokes, or vanilla ice cream as well). Perhaps the New York Post could have apologized for the misquote, however that would involve integrity, which I don’t think the New York Post has these days.
Pete Lappin (3)
