McMurphy Hints at Further Information Drop
Brett McMurphy hinted this morning that he has additional information to reveal. I imagine he plans on waiting for the outcome and decision of the BoT and President.
https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-football/urban-meyer-ohio-state-b…
August 21st, 2018 at 11:40 AM ^
It takes time to publish these stories. When he tips off the media that more is coming, I'm assuming he's in the process of writing the next story but it isn't finished yet.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:34 AM ^
I think Meyer asked for this when he flat out lied at the Big Ten media day.
Also journalists hold things back all the time for many different reasons.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:38 AM ^
This info leak is coming from Courtney. She has a personal vendetta against OSU for not doing anything to stop Zach's behavior. McMurphy is just the tool by which to inflict her revenge. The really damning stuff probably comes out if she isn't satisfied with OSU's response.
August 21st, 2018 at 12:08 PM ^
Again. Taking away from our fun!!
August 21st, 2018 at 11:02 AM ^
Could be nothing. If its anything like finding out that Smith never told Meyer about the 2013 DUI, it does nothing to change the final outcome.
But if its something like Meyer knew about the staffer Smith was screwing around with and never took any real action on it, or just fired/re-located the staffer and enforced no punishment on Smith, that could force the BoT's hand.
My opinion on the matter is still that Meyer is not getting fired unless evidence is presented to where the BoT and Drake are literally given no other choice. Right now, there is no such evidence for that.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:08 AM ^
The idea that Meyer didn't know about the DUI is BS. Local police know who Smith is, know who he works for, and likely called someone on OSUs staff before Smith even made it to the station. And then he's out of contact for 3 days in jail? While his wife and Meyer's wife are seemingly friends? What about fitting his drunk driving class into the 80 hour week of a CFB coach?
To believe that Meyer didn't know, you'd have to assume he was an incompetent boob and nothing in his coaching history suggests that.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:13 AM ^
Not to mention that Smith's driver's license was suspended 180 days. How do you hide that from your boss?
August 21st, 2018 at 11:26 AM ^
Take Lyft on recruiting trips.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:25 AM ^
Upvote for "incompetent boob."
August 21st, 2018 at 12:16 PM ^
While logically I agree with you, as of right now the evidence says Meyer never knew. Or let's put it this way: what OSU is currently telling us and what they're judging Meyer by currently is that he truly didn't know. Don't get me wrong, I agree: how the hell do you not know about something like this with one of your own staffers? When you make as much money as Meyer does, you're being paid to know things like this.
It's kind of like what Robert de Niro said about the employee he fired in Casino for failing to notice multiple consecutive winners on the same machine: either the guy was in on it, or if he wasn't, he was too stupid to see it. Either way, you can't have a guy like that working for you.
Maybe what McMurphy is alluding to confirms that he did know. I don't know, maybe what McMurphy has is just fluff and they're just fishing for clicks. But I think the 2013 DUI case is, as of right now, not being held against Meyer.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:03 AM ^
So what happens if McMurphy lobs another grenade after the decision is made on Meyer? I don't know but it will be fun to watch!
August 21st, 2018 at 11:06 AM ^
Fresh investigation and/or shameful resignations
August 21st, 2018 at 11:04 AM ^
Suspension is weak sauce considering the language in his contract. I'm trying to find the USA today article describing how college head coaches have more responsibility and how it will be easier for schools to terminate for cause.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:04 AM ^
It’s fun to watch from afar but this isn’t journalism, it’s TMZ. I’m sorry but “stories” like this is why more and more folks distrust the media. Can’t go back and I know it’s naive of me to think it will change but unless journalism gets back to actual reporting and thorough investigative work, on real issues, instead of simply chasing clicks, media will be nothing but Youtubers and Ambulance chasers.
At this point I would rather see Brett redirect his focus to the real victim in this story and increase awareness and attention to domestic violence victims.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:05 AM ^
I wanted to give URBS the benefit of the doubt here and think he may have done some wrong things trying to help a mentors Grandson. IT seems though that this place is out of control and now are covering up. There was the DUI that no one knew about- we knew about Barretts before he was arrested- the mysterious reassignment of the staffer he had sex with ( he being Smith) - His contract states he needs to tell the Title IX office not his boss ( didn't do that) - what else do they know - To quote Don C- never make a 1 day problem two day problem - they need to launch Urban and the AD and make them fall guys
August 21st, 2018 at 11:07 AM ^
As a journalist, shouldn't he just reveal everything at once? People are heavily questioning his intentions with the slow drip method and I'm having a hard time disagreeing. As a UofM fan, I love his death by a 1,000 cuts as it pertains to OSU but it concerns me this method will diminish the importance of what he's reporting in the eyes of many.
It just seems weird to have a journalist playing "gotcha" with this issue. Maybe I'm just getting old.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:11 AM ^
Preach.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:13 AM ^
Agree, but on the other hand it counteracts the "let time pass for this issue to die down and lose steam" strategy universities employ.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:16 AM ^
Well when you release everything at once reports get long and people don’t take in all information. Also it takes time to get information and corroborating sources on additional information. Also more information comes out after initial reports. He wasn’t just given everything at once.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:21 AM ^
the minute Urban lied to McMurphy was when he declared war on Urban.
August 21st, 2018 at 2:01 PM ^
It started with.... "Who would ever make up a story like that"? comment to set it off.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:23 AM ^
Ethically I think you’re right! However we do not know if he has clearance on certain things to publish them right at this second. For instance if he is waiting to hear from the other staffer to confirm some reports he has on a new story, he can’t come out and say anything until he has her information.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:24 AM ^
As a journalist, shouldn't he just reveal everything at once?
He has to make sure it's substantiated first. OSU fans have already tried to discredit him for editing his initial story after learning that the police department changed its report.
It takes some time to follow up on information like this. I don't think he's had it all the whole time. Rather, he probably had a bunch of leads that suggested various things but he needed to investigate them himself over this time before publishing his stories.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:34 AM ^
You never have all the details, so if you simply let them respond to everything you have, you can't show a lack of honesty. However if you only reveal some or enough for them to initially respond, the honesty balls in their court, and they might end up giving more information than the public would otherwise obtain.
Therefore it's a public service to only release, at first, what is required to respond.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:39 AM ^
Isn't is part of journalism to reveal the corruptness of leaders and institutions? To show that it is all a facade? That their public persona is a falsehood?
Sometimes achieving that means you do not release every bit of information that you have uncovered the moment you uncover it.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:13 AM ^
I will believe it when I see it.
Frankly, I'm disappointed in people getting all excited about this.
We know exactly what is going to happen with respect to Urban Meyer.
We know this.
Don't we. Yes, we do.
But we live in a culture where it's...."Gather around everybody!!! OMG! Something SO AMAZING to disclose!....it's gonna blow everyone AWAY!!!....tomorrow a 5:00 p.m.!!!!"
5:00 pm rolls around and what's revealed is "I got nuthin...", but here are some discount tickets to Chuck E. fucking Cheese.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:20 AM ^
Happened at Maryland last week. Everyone thought they were going to go on a Firing bonanza at their press conference. Only guy announced that had left the program was the strength coach(and he left on his own).
August 21st, 2018 at 4:45 PM ^
Durkin is getting super fired. So are the AD and President most likely
August 21st, 2018 at 11:17 AM ^
amazing
August 21st, 2018 at 11:24 AM ^
I don’t understand this strategy. If He has more information, why not disclose it all at once so the BOT can make an informed decision about Meyer’s future?
August 21st, 2018 at 11:27 AM ^
My assumption is that he's investigating these new leads and/or putting the story together right now.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:38 AM ^
That's not his job, that's the board's job. He also likely has information that in itself isn't a story, but if the university releases something and McMurphy's info contradicts it, then you've got a big story. Especially if your info isn't heavily backed up with evidence you risk having the entire story devalued based on one wrong fact.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:40 AM ^
Sorry, isn't what the BOT is paying an outside law firm $500,000 to do (with full access of course).
August 21st, 2018 at 11:47 AM ^
The BOT hired a world class firm to conduct their own investigation. They should be able to unearth the same type of info as a reporter and in many cases even have better access to people and data. If they are doing a good job (and they should be if the goal is to protect the university, not the football program) then they should do just fine unearthing the same type of stuff.
August 21st, 2018 at 12:32 PM ^
My guess is that McMurphy is finding out a lot of this information in real time, so putting it together takes time.
Perhaps more importantly, he has to know that what he's reporting is credible and backed up by facts. OSU spent half a million dollars to do its own investigation, and you can bet if McMurphy mis-reports one fact, whether intentionally or accidentally, OSU's team will call him out on it and destroy all of his credibility in this investigation he's conducting.
I have no idea if he's actually sitting on more information or if whatever else he may find will be enough to take Meyer down. No idea. But the reasons above are enough to make me want to slow down and make sure I've got my facts right.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:32 AM ^
Is it possible...that Meyer didn't fire Smith for the office affair because Smith knows something that could blow up Meyer's facade of moral sanctimony. For example, if Meyer had done the same thing in the offices at Florida and Smith knew that, Smith could expose Meyer's hypocrisy if he dared fire him for doing the same thing???
Just asking for a friend.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:36 AM ^
It's not that hard guys.
Outrage and shock sells.
McMurphy knows what OSU is going to do here.
If his foreshadowed additional information drop is in any significant measure:
A. Juicy
and/or
B. Damning
then he has every incentive to first wait until AFTER the OSU committee has made their bed and formally announced completion of their "oh so thorough and unbiased investigation" and to also wait until AFTER OSU has doled out any punishments (e.g. "reinstated after time served").
I mean, if you can make highly paid public, government and institutional figures look like morally bankrupt idiots - and to do so in public, with documents, evidence and formal statements, then this is journalism gold. And if you can smack your former employer in the face while doing so, that's a nice cherry on top.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:55 AM ^
Eloquently said
August 21st, 2018 at 11:43 AM ^
Maybe he'll expose what Kevin Wilson did to get fired and that Urban hired him regardless?
August 21st, 2018 at 11:58 AM ^
The Kevin Wilson hire was quick. That's what always interested me about it. There really couldn't have been too much vetting.
Indiana dismissed Wilson on 1-December-2016.
Meyer hired Wilson on 10-January-2017.
And I don't think Meyer would have made a change at the OC position if it weren't for the 0-31 disaster in the Fiesta Bowl on 31-December-2016.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:46 AM ^
Ive noticed the trolls from 11W have been mostly recently...interesting, nervous much?
August 21st, 2018 at 12:29 PM ^
Originally, 11W's position was neutral but after questions were raised about whether McMurphy's reporting was based on accurate police accounts of events in the matter, the publication then sought to bury McMurphy with its own investigative work by Jeff Snoop.
He tried to use Zach Smith family connections to challenge the validity of Courtney Smith's allegations and then tried to falsely claim that former Ohio State OC Tom Herman had been a McMurphy source for his stories. So, the blog has become a cheerleader for anything that kills the messenger and blunts the storyline to boost Meyer's reinstatement.
This story has been an interesting rollercoaster ride and evidence of homerism at its propaganda finest.
August 21st, 2018 at 11:48 AM ^
I'm confused by the tweet. Nowhere in the quote did he mention he may have more information to leak. If he actually hinted that on the show, why wouldn't they have used the actual quote that seems to hint he has more?
August 21st, 2018 at 12:01 PM ^
I just made the mistake of going to Eleven Warriors and now I'm so confused. There's a Zach Smith, Courtney Smith, Ryan Smith, Shannon Smith, and Gene Smith all involved in this story.
August 21st, 2018 at 2:28 PM ^
Pretty sure they are all related.
August 21st, 2018 at 4:28 PM ^
But not Will Smith.
August 21st, 2018 at 12:01 PM ^
McMurphy's timing is probably just blatant clickbait but in this instance I'll allow it. Carry on Brett.
At this point it's obvious what the deal is with Meyer's programs; it's animal house and zero accountability from urban until you get him in trouble or make him look bad, so I'm all for a reporter dragging it out for maximum impact.
August 21st, 2018 at 12:02 PM ^
On a related note, Clay Travis's twitter feed has become entertaining as he takes down the OSU homers one by one.
August 21st, 2018 at 12:12 PM ^
I personally enjoyed Freddie Prinze Jr dunking on OSU fans on Twitter yesterday. His best performance since "She's All That."