Survey says.......

In response to my post Sunday evening about Hoopgurlz, a reader responded:

I totally agree with you guys - I stated going elsewhere also as they cannot stand it if you point out something they didn't see - i also noticed that they promote the same kids over and over again and some of the parents of these kids sit around trashing others so that hoopgurlz won't write about them.I actualy overheard a conversation with 1 of their top promoted players family members dissing on another kid to Hanson. Thanks to people like you who allow opinions and say it like it is.

In the meantime yesterday, someone posted about hoopgurlz on the socalhoops.com website. The person asked if anyone had a bad experience on hoopgurlz, and cited this blog. He or she said they were kicked off hoopgurlz last year when they disagreed with Glenn. The first respondent to that said:

"if u do that then u silence your own board. Thus its not really a discussion forum but just another place to post commentary from their writers."

The original poster said: "You are so right. And if you'll notice, there are very few posters on hoopgurlz.com"

Then another respondent made this post: "Guys are tresspassers in girls hoops. If you're an adult male who covers the beat, you've got to have a pretty thick skin and an understanding of the various social, sexual, racial politics. Most guys can handle it but unfortunately, many with high profile gigs can't. Do you remember that wussy piece Glenn did a while back for Hoopgurlz where he said that girls basketball had lost its innocence because a couple of tough old ladies were mean to him at a tourney. That was the stuff of comedy. People like Nelson and Kallam have very thin skins and it shows in their writing and opinions. Almost as if they feel they're not good enough to write for the guys, so they have to write about the girls. Not all guys who cover the beat are like this, but some do write and edit with an almost Napoleon complex which doesn't serve their subject well.

It is what it is."

In the meantime, I had already begun my re-boycott of hoopgurlz, but a friend convinced me to go back and check the site. Glenn posted a sticky at the top of the main basketball page yesterday, and said: "I apologize to Scribe for pulling the link posted to another story. That story, plus a blog post elsewhere, included inaccuracies and, more critically, unsubstantiated innuendo that are irresponsible and possibly libelous, and we cannot facilitate anything like that. Moreover, I strongly believe this is not a story that needs to be "sourced," since the principles are there to be asked yes or no."

(Link: http://forums.hoopgurlz.com/showthread.php?t=3928)

Again, I question Glenn Nelson's knowledge of journalism. If you quote or reference a person, article or any source, all "libel" issues would be solely upon the owner of the site and/or the person who made the libelous statement(s). Hoopgurlz would never be in danger of being found libel because an article was linked on their site. Nor does allowing a site to be linked mean hoopgurlz supports the content therein.

Nelson is full of it. Back to my hoopgurlz boycott.

In the meantime, here's a statement from the only one who matters in this story:

http://www.thehrr.com/HRR_blog_womens_hoops/2009/03/statement-from-griner.html#links