The Perfect Storm?
This, in essence, is the beauty of this blog site.You get to find out how the story started.
Over the past couple of days, the News13 Network (WBTW, The Morning News, and scnow.com) have covered the publication of an article on ESPN.com about former Wilson High School and Dallas Cowboys football star Clayton Holmes.
The story is found here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=pearlman/080110&sportCat=nfl
What makes this story stand out is not only reporter Jeff Pearlman's profile of Holmes, and his sad circumstance, but the words Pearlman uses to describe Florence.
This had generated, by Sunday afternoon, more than 550 comments on ESPN's site alone.
Those comments are found here:
http://myespn.go.com/s/conversations/show/story/3186406
As I read the posts, and the article, I am floored by the responses (and, honestly, by Pearlman's characterization of Florence, which certainly is not the hellhole he makes it out to be.)
It can now be reported that this all got started, in part, from an e-mail sent to me on Thursday by former WBTW Sports Director Ric Garni, who now makes his home in Indianapolis.
Ric spotted Pearlman's article--which occupied the 'top story' spot on ESPN.com for a brief time on Thursday--and sent me the link.
I skimmed over it real quick at first, but the harsh words about Florence stuck out immediately.
I waited until early Friday morning (after the craziness of Thursday's GOP Debate in Myrtle Beach died down around the station) to send the link then on to both the Morning News and WBTW newsroom e-mail lists.
Almost immediately, both newsrooms began to chime in about connections, recollections, and future story plans involving Clayton Holmes, who was inducted into Florence's athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Here is the Morning News version of one reaction piece:
http://www.scnow.com/midatlantic/scp/news.apx.-content-articles-FMN-2008-01-11-0018.html
I am amazed--but not totally surprised-- by the reaction folks have given not only to Pearlman, but to News13's Brian Formica and his reaction piece from Saturday.
The reactions speak volumes not only about civic pride, but concern over the roots of the problems laid out in Pearlman's article.
I encourage you, whether or not you live in the Pee Dee, to take a look at the article, and the reaction, and to chime in.
Do you think the criticism of Pearlman's article is justified?
Posted by
on 01/13 at 01:32 PM
Generating 550 hateful comments against Mr. Pearlman.. in such a short period of time doesnt exactly make us the “City of Brotherly Love” either…
Pearlman’s choice of words may have well been taken from Mr. Holmes. He is after all a reporter..reporting this story through the eyes of Clayton Holmes..not from everyone else’s eyes who have never even been to that part of town..much less spent the night there..
Do I think his criticism is justified? A better question is ..Do I think he has to justify it?..No not at all..
“Florence, a downtrodden section of a downtrodden city littered by double-wide trailers, wayward drug dealers and the shattered Budweiser bottles, used condoms, McDonald’s wrappers and crumpled newspapers that seem to pock each dirt road and cement walkway.“
What Mr. Pearlman described was “any town” U.S.A. and the man has a right to his opinion..if it was in fact his opinion of Florence..
Civic pride doesnt hide the run-down areas of any town..not even Florence..the same as Pearlman’s description doesnt make Florence a bad place to call home..
“ Welcome to Florence”
We dont want you to see what is down behind the Sav-Way, so come on over here and let me show you our Civic Center…
It’s a down right shame…but it’s true!