Terrible journalism

Some of the worse journalism I've ever seen is coming from ESPN regarding the Leach affair. Of course, the son of one of their commentators is involved but this should make them lean over backwards to be fair. Not so. They take the most extreme interpretation and run with it. Now, however, new facts are emerging. A trainer testified that the kid was not required to stand in the dark equipment room -- in fact, he could sleep if he wanted to. He was checked on every 15 minutes. This is beginning to look like a university witch hunt after the coach. If Leach's facts are right, he is going to win a bundle. More power to him.

"I instructed Adam to stay in the garage and out of the sun, so the light would not worsen his condition," Pincock said in the statement. "While in the garage, Adam was walking around, eating ice, sitting on the ground, and, at one point, sleeping; at no point was there any enforcement to make Adam stand up."

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And Leach is beginning to tell his side of the story.

It has been widely reported that Leach locked Adam James in a closet or a shed after James sustained a concussion at a practice last month. Leach said he only ordered James to be taken “out of the light” and did not know specifically where he had been taken.

“I was busy coaching practice,” Leach said.

He added: “There have been several things that have been brought to my attention on the ticker that’s just false,” Leach said, referring to ESPN’s bottom line ticker. “He was never locked anywhere. At no point was he locked anywhere. At no point was there an electrical closet.”

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This reminds me of someone being accused of child molestation. One is guilty until proven innocent and by the time it's all over, if the person is innocent, so what?, their careers and personal lives are already ruined.

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who would rather convict an innocent person than let a guilty person go; and those who would rather let a guilty person go than convict an innocent person. I belong to the latter. Innocent first, not the other way around, which is what happens so often in practice.