ESPN Suing The Ohio State University

[Apathy]

LeCharles Bentley going off on ESPN.

http://www.stationcaster.com/player_skinned.php?s=70&c=635&f=111811

He's probably right. The sad thing is if that tirade got more attention no one would listen because he's on a Cleveland station. Sad.

 

[macbdog]

This just sounds like ESPN doing actual journalistic investigating. Is it being used selectively? Of course, but if folks truely want sports journalism to be, well, journalism, then fighting for info like this is necessary for the industry.

And really, I kind of hope ESPN does get their hands on the emails and they implicate Smith/Gee. They just got done throwing the best thing to happen to OSU football in 3 decades under the bus; if it takes an ESPN witchhunt to bring them down, so be it. My primary hope right now for tOSU is that they clean house of the real problems who for some reason still have jobs after this nonsense.

 

[billmac91]

This just sounds like ESPN doing actual journalistic investigating. Is it being used selectively? Of course, but if folks truely want sports journalism to be, well, journalism, then fighting for info like this is necessary for the industry.

And really, I kind of hope ESPN does get their hands on the emails and they implicate Smith/Gee. They just got done throwing the best thing to happen to OSU football in 3 decades under the bus; if it takes an ESPN witchhunt to bring them down, so be it. My primary hope right now for tOSU is that they clean house of the real problems who for some reason still have jobs after this nonsense.

The issue from tOSU's end, is they gave the e-mails to the NCAA. To forward them to a news agency can open them up to a lawsuit from Terrelle Pryor. Terrelle Pryor signed a waiver allowing hisi personal information to be viewed by the NCAA, he didn't sign a waiver allowing his personal information be viewed by ESPN/YAHOO, the Dispatch, etc.

Maybe Ohio State is told to turn over the documents, but as of right now, they're doing the conservative thing. They've provided the info to the NCAA and no one else. ESPN just wants the documents for themselves to play watch-dog.

I just want to make sure people understand these e-mails have been viewed by the NCAA. These aren't lost documents no one has read before.

 

[AZ_]

If only Jim Delaney wouldn't have created the Big 10 Network....this probably never happens.

 

[Maximus]

The issue from tOSU's end, is they gave the e-mails to the NCAA. To forward them to a news agency can open them up to a lawsuit from Terrelle Pryor. Terrelle Pryor signed a waiver allowing hisi personal information to be viewed by the NCAA, he didn't sign a waiver allowing his personal information be viewed by ESPN/YAHOO, the Dispatch, etc.

Maybe Ohio State is told to turn over the documents, but as of right now, they're doing the conservative thing. They've provided the info to the NCAA and no one else. ESPN just wants the documents for themselves to play watch-dog.

It's a huge contradiction though, right? Sarniak wasn't authorized to be a recipient of an "educational record". If you are citing FERPA, your claim is that no outside third party can see these "educational records"....that would exclude espn AND Sarniak. If they aren't "educational records" then any citizen or entity is entitled to see them for transparency. I'm not a lawyer, but this is where OSU may have a problem.

I just want to make sure people understand these e-mails have been viewed by the NCAA. These aren't lost documents no one has read before.

NCAA isnt a legal entity, they simply have to trust that a university is giving them everything...they cant supeona hard drives. Whatever you send the NCAA is all they are getting, if you choose to scrub the emails, they will never know without a whistleblower. I wonder if now that it's in the courts if OSU could be forced to turn over more. Part of me wonders if ESPN has a whistleblower feeding them info.

Either way, it will be interesting to see how this goes. Every university will be watching this one closely. It's going to be a huge precedent for how wide of scope you can apply FERPA.

 

[Clevelandfan15]

It's a huge contradiction though, right? Sarniak wasn't authorized to be a recipient of an "educational record". If you are citing FERPA, your claim is that no outside third party can see these "educational records"....that would exclude espn AND Sarniak. If they aren't "educational records" then any citizen or entity is entitled to see them for transparency. I'm not a lawyer, but this is where OSU may have a problem.



NCAA isnt a legal entity, they simply have to trust that a university is giving them everything...they cant supeona hard drives. Whatever you send the NCAA is all they are getting, if you choose to scrub the emails, they will never know without a whistleblower. I wonder if now that it's in the courts if OSU could be forced to turn over more. Part of me wonders if ESPN has a whistleblower feeding them info.

Either way, it will be interesting to see how this goes. Every university will be watching this one closely. It's going to be a huge precedent for how wide of scope you can apply FERPA.

Has that been reported as fact? because he could have signed a release form for Sarniak to be authorized.

 

[Maximus]

Has that been reported as fact? because he could have signed a release form for Sarniak to be authorized.

Could be. I hope he did. But, I have a feeling it would've been mentioned by now, it would make a huge diffence.

 

[Lee]

Could be. I hope he did. But, I have a feeling it would've been mentioned by now, it would make a huge diffence.

I kind of get what ESPN is doing, but even to me this seems a bit far. OSU messed up, we get it. Now let the NCAA do its investigation without the court of public opinion gets carried away (i know too late) then they can get all the records they want after the NCAA reports their penalty.

Maybe i just hate the media anymore, but to me it seems ESPN is stepping over a line here.

 

[Maximus]

I kind of get what ESPN is doing, but even to me this seems a bit far. OSU messed up, we get it. Now let the NCAA do its investigation without the court of public opinion gets carried away (i know too late) then they can get all the records they want after the NCAA reports their penalty.

Maybe i just hate the media anymore, but to me it seems ESPN is stepping over a line here.

Oh, I agree completely. I did say "this is pretty fucking lame on ESPN's part" in my first post. I just think the case is going to be interesting. I don't think they should have filed it, but it's going to be a big deal as a precedent setter.

 

[Lee]

Oh, I agree completely. I did say "this is pretty fucking lame on ESPN's part" in my first post. I just think the case is going to be interesting. I don't think they should have filed it, but it's going to be a big deal as a precedent setter.

Agreed. Sadly i think the law is on ESPN's side on this one. Shouldnt be, but freedom of press.

I will say this, if we think our press is bad, America has nothing on England's press. They are insane.

 

[Maximus]

...and they have bad teeth. :gap:

 

[TJ Detweiler]

I'm confused? Why are they suing us?

Because we are Ohio? ESPN hates Ohio.

 

[billmac91]

It's a huge contradiction though, right? Sarniak wasn't authorized to be a recipient of an "educational record". If you are citing FERPA, your claim is that no outside third party can see these "educational records"....that would exclude espn AND Sarniak. If they aren't "educational records" then any citizen or entity is entitled to see them for transparency. I'm not a lawyer, but this is where OSU may have a problem.



NCAA isnt a legal entity, they simply have to trust that a university is giving them everything...they cant supeona hard drives. Whatever you send the NCAA is all they are getting, if you choose to scrub the emails, they will never know without a whistleblower. I wonder if now that it's in the courts if OSU could be forced to turn over more. Part of me wonders if ESPN has a whistleblower feeding them info.

Either way, it will be interesting to see how this goes. Every university will be watching this one closely. It's going to be a huge precedent for how wide of scope you can apply FERPA.

I don't think it is a huge contradiction at all....Sarniak has served as a "guardian" over Pryor since High School. I'm not saying Tressel forwarded "College documents" at all. He had an e-mail exchange with someone close to Pryor over Ohio States e-mail server. That sequence of events makes ESPN, Yahoo, and the Dispatch feel like they're allowed to have access to those e-mails.

I'm not a lawyer so I don't know...

What I do know is.....Jim Tressel is a paid empolyee and Pryor was a registered student. The e-mails were about Pryor. It is easy to see where Ohio State is coming from in terms of protecting the privacy of a student.

Hey....maybe in a month the courts tell Ohio State to turn everything over...Fair enough, But right now you DO NOT open the university up to another potential lawsuit. Pryor can't sue Ohio State for disclosing the documents to the NCAA however, because he signed a form that allows the NCAA to essentially have access to everything including his bank records.

But have some relief tonight Buyckeye Fan...ESPN is too busy suspending Vruce Feldman for his role in "Swing Your Sword" by Mike Leach. If you aren't a part of the agenda GTFO.

 

[David.]

fines cant be too bad on this one... negligible right?

 

[Maximus]

I don't think it is a huge contradiction at all....Sarniak has served as a "guardian" over Pryor since High School.

That's not true. Willie Burns, TP's godfather, is his only legal guardian besides his mother, Toni.

I'm not saying Tressel forwarded "College documents" at all.

You may not be and ESPN would agree with you, but OSU is claiming they are "educational documents" by citing FERPA.

He had an e-mail exchange with someone close to Pryor over Ohio States e-mail server. That sequence of events makes ESPN, Yahoo, and the Dispatch feel like they're allowed to have access to those e-mails.

If they aren't "educational documents", then they may be entitled to them.

What I do know is.....Jim Tressel is a paid empolyee and Pryor was a registered student. The e-mails were about Pryor. It is easy to see where Ohio State is coming from in terms of protecting the privacy of a student.

Shouldn't they have protected his privacy from another outside 3rd party...Sarniak?

Again, I don't know, should be interesting.