Six years ago, before hoopgurlz was ESPNhoopgurlz, owner Glenn Nelson pissed me off when he censored me. I posted on the hoopgurlz message board something about a Seattle-area club team, and Glenn disagreed with me. I maintained my stance and his next step was to remove my posts. I private-messaged him asking him why, and he gave me some excuse about preserving the integrity of the board and how it was wrong to say what I said. Yet, I had said nothing defamatory or libelous; it was just my opinion, and that's the whole point of message boards. So I quit reading hoopgurlz because it was clear he didn't want anyone disagreeing with him, and I don't deal with people like that.
Sometime before last year, when I again began checking their boards occasionally, they got bought out by ESPN. But it looks like they're still up to the same old, same old.
About an hour ago, someone I know posted the fullcourt.com story about Griner not being at the All-American game on the hoopgurlz.com message board. Ten minutes later, the post disappeared. The poster started another thread asking why the Griner thread was taken down. So far, no response.
I'm sure Glenn Nelson is upset that his site wasn't the first to break the story. But taking down the information off his site as if the story hadn't been written is cowardly, to say the least. How can anyone call themselves a journalist when they don't abide by the most basic tenants of journalism: freedom of the press and freedom of speech. It also makes me wonder what else they edit, in or out. If they want the information on hoopgurlz that tightly-controlled, can they be trusted?
No.
I'm going to go back to boycotting that board.
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6 comments:
As the publisher of Full Court I can tell you that we regularly allow posts with which we disagree--and which disagree with us. We also allow posts with links to other media outlets, including links to stories carried on HoopGurlz (even in cases when we've broken the story on our own site first.
It seems to me, as Sue says, that one of the many purposes of message boards is to encourage the exchange of information and opinions about a game we all love (or, at least, the vast majority of those posting on our site do). While the owner of a publication, including an internet publication, has the right to edit what appears on his/her site, he/she also has the discretion to determine when it is appropriate to do so. From our perspective, we are inclined to allow as free an exchange of ideas as possible, and reserve our exercise of the right to block posts for those that are either plainly defamatory on their face (it's just not possible for us to police the factual accuracy of everything everyone posts) or so personally attacking and abusive that it tends to destroy the community of basketball fans we're seeking to encourage and inform.
But then again, despite the claim of certain competitors to be the "only" online publication covering women's college and high school basketball, Full Court has been around for a lot longer, covering the sport at all levels from high school through collegiate and professional on both a national and international basis.
Hi Lee,
Thanks for the comment. That sounds like the way a website should be run, allowing a free exchange of ideas. I'm also glad you're not insecure enough to remove things you don't agree with, and stories that aren't yours.
No matter how old I get, it never ceases to amaze me how grown people can still be as insecure as the children I teach.
Nice job on breaking the Griner story.
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.
WOW, are you serious?
That's messed up.
It also explains some things, as hoopgurlz has promoted the heck out of Griner.
This is starting to feel like those studies that are funded by major corporations.
Did you hear Nelson resigned from the Mickey Ds committee and wrote in his arrogant way why - I'm glad he did, his site promotes favoritism!!!!!
ESPN won't allow unsubstantiated rumors or links to them. Full Court's story only said there were rumors that Griner wouldn't attend. That's not the same as breaking a story. Furthermore, the Full Court "story" contained a lot of unsubstantiated accusations directed toward Griner's father, who I understand is getting ready to sue that site and another.
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