Heard back from Jackie MacMullan re., "Tattoogate"

[Tunescribe]

I got a rather lengthy e-mail today from Globe columnist Jackie MacMullan in response to my challenging her over her Jan. 7 column in which she erroneously described Asante Samuel's tattoo as saying, "Get Paid." As this was a private e-mail exchange I won't repeat it all, but essentially:

She was very defensive and indicated that she felt she was misled by Samuel. This would suggest that she never saw the tattoo and that she interviewed him over the telephone. She also took pains to point out that Samuel never complained that he was misquoted or misrepresented by her article. I will share this interesting tidbit from her e-mail: "He knew exactly what he was doing when he said all those things, and he got the desired result he wanted, except for one little thing -- he didn't count on his teammates being ticked at him for proving to be a distraction on the day of a playoff game, which is exactly what happened. Perhaps that's why he's changed his tune about the meaning of his tattoo."

Very, very interesting indeed, especially since she precipitated the alleged distraction by leading with Samuel's contract agitating in the Globe's football news and notes column, appearing the morning of playoff game No. 1 against the Jets. Following is my response to her response:

Jackie,

I appreciate your response and I'm sorry if you felt insulted by what I wrote. But as a fellow journalist I've become increasingly sensitive to the public's growing negativity toward the media, and cases like the one cited certainly don't help matters.

Frankly, I'm surprised by your defensiveness. You reported that Samuel's tattoo says "Get Paid," and it does not. Believing your report, this further colored my opinion of the man as I know it did for many other Patriots fans. Since then others, including Mike Reiss, have carried that misinformation forward in subsequent reports.

Apparently you interviewed Samuel over the phone and didn't see the tattoo, but if he indeed told you it said "Get Paid" and not "Get Rich To This" (which, as he later has indicated, is open to intepretation) that certainly is curious.

This isn't as much about Samuel's manipulation of contract negotiations or intentions regarding his employment with New England as it is about inaccurate reporting unfairly coloring public perception of an individual. I don't believe it's required for the individual in question to complain about being misquoted or misrepresented for this to be an issue of concern to all involved, including your readers and yourself.

 

[shmessy]

I got essentially the same answer from her today.

Evidently, she thinks it's OK to write Asante has a tattoo that says "Get Paid".

Whatever happened to journalism?

 

[psychoPat]

I am at least pleasantly surprised that Ms MacMullan thought to reply.

 

[Tunescribe]

I am at least pleasantly surprised that Ms MacMullan thought to reply.

They often do if you piss them off or simply request a response. Borges made an art form out of insulting his complaining readers via return e-mail.

 

[borg]

Bottom line, it was a dirt bag move by Samuel. Misrepresenting yourself by purposely deceiving others at their expense for personal gain is beneath low.

 

[Deus Irae]

Bottom line, it was a dirt bag move by Samuel. Misrepresenting yourself by purposely deceiving others at their expense for personal gain is beneath low.

Why are you assuming that she's telling the truth with no deliberate, or mistaken, errors/falsehoods in her responses?

 

[Phokus]

If Asante TOLD her that's what the tattoo said, i don't see Jackie as being at fault

 

[Brady to Brown]

I have noticed that none of Asante's teammates are in much of a hurry to pat him on the back after a big play. Look at the film, I don't think they like him.

 

[Fencer]

If Asante TOLD her that's what the tattoo said, i don't see Jackie as being at fault

Same here, with the possible exception of the timing of the story.

 

[naclone]

Jackie,

I appreciate your response and I'm sorry if you felt insulted by what I wrote. But as a fellow journalist I've become increasingly sensitive to the public's growing negativity toward the media, and cases like the one cited certainly don't help matters.

Frankly, I'm surprised by your defensiveness. You reported that Samuel's tattoo says "Get Paid," and it does not. Believing your report, this further colored my opinion of the man as I know it did for many other Patriots fans. Since then others, including Mike Reiss, have carried that misinformation forward in subsequent reports.

Apparently you interviewed Samuel over the phone and didn't see the tattoo, but if he indeed told you it said "Get Paid" and not "Get Rich To This" (which, as he later has indicated, is open to intepretation) that certainly is curious.

This isn't as much about Samuel's manipulation of contract negotiations or intentions regarding his employment with New England as it is about inaccurate reporting unfairly coloring public perception of an individual. I don't believe it's required for the individual in question to complain about being misquoted or misrepresented for this to be an issue of concern to all involved, including your readers and yourself.

fantastic response.

It reminds me of a buddy who insists that because Belichick didn't appeal Goodell's decision or make a bigger deal out of the penalty it means he must be guilty of cheating.

When did acting or not acting a certain way become enough to prove something? Saddam Hussein sure acted like a guy who was hiding WMD, but you know what, at the end of the day, that just ain't enough.

 

[Tunescribe]

If Asante TOLD her that's what the tattoo said, i don't see Jackie as being at fault

This is the big mystery. It just doesn't make sense to me that she would lead her column with reference to the tattoo unless (A). she actually saw it or, (B). Samuel really told her he has a tattoo on his arm that says, "Get Paid," which is a lot different from "Get Rich To This." Another possibility is that a colleague told her Samuel has a tattoo on his arm and paraphrased what they thought it referred to. I simply have a hard time believing that Samuel intentionally misled her and she just ran with it. I'd want verification before putting that in print, it's just a tad preposterous considering Samuel's contract impasse with management.

 

[borg]

Why are you assuming that she's telling the truth with no deliberate, or mistaken, errors/falsehoods in her responses?

Here is the article in question. The man had an agenda.

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/01/07/payment_due/

 

[Tunescribe]

Here is the article in question. The man had an agenda.

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/01/07/payment_due/

Yes, he had an agenda. He did NOT have a tattoo that said "Get Paid." Two different things. Believing he had such a crass message engraved on his arm that supposedly reflected his primary motivation in life made me think differently of him.

 

[Deus Irae]

Here is the article in question. The man had an agenda.

http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/01/07/payment_due/

This answers absolutely none of my question. You assumed she was correct/truthful before, when she wasn't. Why assume she's correct/truthful now? This is ridiculous. The screwed the pooch on a story and should go public with a fact-based explanation.

 

[borg]

This answers absolutely none of my question. You assumed she was correct/truthful before, when she wasn't. Why assume she's correct/truthful now? This is ridiculous. The screwed the pooch on a story and should go public with a fact-based explanation.

I get you point...Media bad, Patriots players good

 

[Tunescribe]

I get you point...Media bad, Patriots players good

That's not the issue, the issue is the media getting it right regardless -- that's their responsibility. And if that somehow doesn't happen, their responsibility extends to setting the record straight.

 

[Deus Irae]

I get you point...Media bad, Patriots players good

I didn't say that in any way, shape, manner or form. Are you McMullan's relative or something? Bottom line:

A reporter "reported" a falsehood, and has not yet shown how that mistake was made. It may have happened because the player, or someone else, lied to her. It may have happened because of a miscommunication. It may have happened because she misunderstood her own notes. It may have happened because she deliberately printed the wrong thing.

Now, I doubt it was the last possibility I mentioned, but we don't know that for sure. Furthermore, there's no evidence of how it happened, but we do know that this is a matter of someone trying to cover her ass for a pretty stupid gaff.

 

[fgssand]

Poor poor Jackie M......she was duped she claims - or was she?? Perhaps she just didn't take the time to confirm and verify her story, pretty basic stuff I would think.

Seems to me justice may have been served here for years of all the poison ink flowing from her pen.

Did she have to to print that story on that day.

Did she think she was going to endear herself to Patriot fans??

Did she think this was a Pulitzer move to save old news and print it on the eve of a playoff run??

What exactly was the point? Why didn't you write the story the day you conducted the interview?

Sorry Jackie, I used to respect you as a journalist but you sure did lose me that day.

You were misled by Asante, so you say, well I say, if so, you got what you deserved.

You and your cutesy little buddies like Felger, Shaugnessey, Cafardo, Borges, etc are all alike - you try to prey on the misfortune of the players from the teams that we the fans choose to follow and then you all make fun of us. I have heard you and your brethren talk about and poke fun at guys like me that choose to use sports as a clean and fun escape.

Well good for you, I don't read you or your paper very much anymore, you bit the hand that fed you once too often.

 

[shmessy]

Wait a second!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jackie MacMullan is quoted by Tunescribe as having written this in her e-mail to him:

".........and he got the desired result he wanted, except for one little thing -- he didn't count on his teammates being ticked at him for proving to be a distraction on the day of a playoff game, which is exactly what happened."

Question: Wasn't her interview with him over TWO WEEKS prior to the GLOBE publishing that story on the day of the game????????????????

Why is she throwing him under the bus for the timing of the appearance of that story, when it was the GLOBE that timed it???????

 

[Tunescribe]

Wait a second!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jackie MacMullan is quoted by Tunescribe as having written this in her e-mail to him:

".........and he got the desired result he wanted, except for one little thing -- he didn't count on his teammates being ticked at him for proving to be a distraction on the day of a playoff game, which is exactly what happened."

Question: Wasn't her interview with him over TWO WEEKS prior to the GLOBE publishing that story on the day of the game????????????????

Why is she throwing him under the bus for the timing of the appearance of that story, when it was the GLOBE that timed it???????

I made that point in my original post, that she precipitated the very thing she's blaming Samuel for. But, I had no idea the interview occurred two weeks before it was printed. Is there reference to that in her story? I'll re-read it but if not, where did you hear that?