Bill Leslie Responds To SFN Criticism

ACC & Other UNC Scandal54

First, I grew up as a huge NCSU fan and I still pull for the Pack. Yes, I am a UNC grad and I do believe Gregg Doyle’s article was reckless. I would say the same thing if State were in this situation. We are thoroughly covering this story but I think a few more facts need to come out before you can say the kind of things that Gregg Doyle is saying. By “cutting some slack” I was referring to his “turd floating in the water comment.” I think that statement was unnecessary and overboard. I promise you I will not hold back in reporting the truth on this investigation no matter what the outcome. And yes, I will be pulling for State to win tonight against Cincinnati. I work hard to be fair. Just ask my State friends here at WRAL. Sometimes I make mistakes. I apologize if I have offended any of you.

Sincerely,

Bill Leslie

ACC & Other UNC Scandal

54 Responses to Bill Leslie Responds To SFN Criticism

  1. tjfoose1 09/16/2010 at 4:07 PM #

    GC,

    I never realized you had keen understanding of me. Next time I need to look deep into my soul, I’ll ask you. Thanks.

    And as far as my CH101 exams, I got the highest grade on the final exam of all my professor’s sections, so there! Nanee Nanee boo boo.

  2. packof81 09/16/2010 at 4:08 PM #

    I’m surprised he pays any attention to SFN.

  3. GoldenChain 09/16/2010 at 4:11 PM #

    tjf, is Bill your rommie or something?
    …and I’m really sorry they painted the tunnel.

  4. Alpha Wolf 09/16/2010 at 4:28 PM #

    Guys, i personally applaud Bill’s manning up and responding. That’s a lot more than a lot of lesser men would have done.

    We’re tailgating now and SFN is talked about as the one local source willing to tackle this issue head in. Amazing isn’t that regular guys like us can call the pro media to heel over their apparent negligence?

    Ec

  5. EternalHowl 09/16/2010 at 4:29 PM #

    I personally think that GD’s “punchbowl” comment was right on. Baddour has already admitted violations and we know that there has been academic misconduct and enough of something for a notorious assistant coach to “resign”. UNC is a mess and UNC supporters and alumni should go after those within their own school who are at fault instead of attacking people who have nothing to do with said mess.

    That having been said, don’t say something on a web site that you wouldn’t be man enough to say to Mr Leslie in person. Hiding behind a keyboard and attacking someone is a pretty high form of cowardice.

  6. NCSU88 09/16/2010 at 4:44 PM #

    Could it be that the local media are laying off UNC because they got burned in the Duke LAX episode? Innocent until proven guilty?

    How many investigative reporters are really out there now? Unless it is a sure thing, most outlets, SFN being an exception, are not willing to put resources and their reputation on the line. seems like the only investigative work done now by WRAL is the restaurant report card guy.

  7. Skoll 09/16/2010 at 4:50 PM #

    From Bill Leslie’s bio at WRAL after being found at PP: http://www.wral.com/rs/bio/1013363/

    News Philosophy:
    To be fearless in the pursuit of truth.

    caveat–> except when it comes to unc-ch because:

    Education:
    Bachelor of Arts in Communications, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

    Favorite Web Sites:
    BillLeslie.com and Inside Carolina <— Wow. Just wow.

  8. tjfoose1 09/16/2010 at 4:51 PM #

    GC,

    Did someone pee in your wheaties this morning?

    Im not a Bill Leslie fan, Im not a WRAL fan, in fact, I now rarely ever watch their news programs. Do I think their coverage is somewhat slanted? Yes, generally, especially their political coverage. I do know that their sports guy, Jeff Gravely, is an NC State man, FWIW.

    Bill is a news anchor. He reads the news. He succumbed to the evil that is Greg ‘The Troll’ Doyle. He apologized. What else do you want? Is he biased? I don’t know, but I’d venture to guess that he probably is, at least some what. So, what’s the news here?

    Leslie stepped in it. He owned up to it. He apologized.

  9. Alpha Wolf 09/16/2010 at 4:57 PM #

    ^ and that should be the end of it.

  10. Phang 09/16/2010 at 5:05 PM #

    The worst thing a journalist can do is become part of the story.

  11. MattN 09/16/2010 at 5:10 PM #

    Mr. Bill:

    I do not belive you guys are thoroughly covering this issue. If you were, why are national sources like Sports Illustrated and ESPN beating you to the punch almost EVERY TIME? there is no way they should scoop a local investigator on this.

    Can you plese provide us with your level-headed response to the NCSU investigation 20 years ago when every local hack wrote unfounded baseless accusation after baseless accusation about the basketball program (point shaving, academic violations, payments to players, etc)? Did you also ask for slack to be cut then?

    This is the largest scandal since the Dixie Classic and it is RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSE. Yet kid gloves are worn when it involves UNC, right?

  12. Phang 09/16/2010 at 5:12 PM #

    ^hear hear!

  13. VaWolf82 09/16/2010 at 5:25 PM #

    I would say the same thing if State were in this situation.

    I can’t believe that any adult with a pulse and an IQ higher than a tomato would belive this.

    – I saw what happened to State and Jimmy V.
    – I saw what happened to Duke lacrosse.
    – I see what is happening with the UNC story.

    One of these things is not like the other two.

  14. ChemE79a 09/16/2010 at 5:27 PM #

    Folks keep asking why are the national sources breaking all the stories. One answer could be that the only people talking are NCAA (non-local). Do you really think any of our local media have any contacts with the NCAA? No matter how interested they may be (and I do not disagree that for many of the local media the interest level is low), if no local sources are talking or even know anything to talk about our boys lack the contacts adn?or resources to get the story.

  15. Phang 09/16/2010 at 5:34 PM #

    ^ You might think that the local media would have one or two sources at the university.

  16. ChemE79a 09/16/2010 at 5:49 PM #

    They may have sources at the university, but does anyone who knows anything at the university have any reason to speak? Maybe some of the academics involved with tutoring, but they have to worry about privacy requirements. Almost anyone who was involved with agentgate will only look worse if they speak.

  17. GAWolf 09/16/2010 at 6:00 PM #

    In Bill Leslie’s defense he’s an anchor. He’s not a field reporter. He reads what’s on the teleprompter. Be pissed at the wral brass for not covering the story but don’t kill the messenger who has now fallen on the sword for the sins of many…. of which his are the least concerning (the statement to Doyle). It certainly is a tangible manifestation of the local media’s core bias, but he’s done all he can do.

  18. TAEdisonHokie 09/16/2010 at 6:15 PM #

    Sorry, Bill, but a turd by any other name is still a turd.

  19. highstick 09/16/2010 at 6:34 PM #

    Does Bill “know” Mr. Hankey???

  20. TOBtime 09/16/2010 at 6:52 PM #

    Bill,
    Your reply and apologies are accepted. Now help us to ease any fears of media pro-UNC-CH bias by being the first local news outlet to call for an independent investigation of UNC football. There exists a model and precedent for such. It was called the Poole Commission.

  21. ADVENTUROO 09/17/2010 at 12:35 AM #

    I admit to being an Ex-WRAL’er while going to NCSU. It made life easier for me and my bride and I enjoyed working at the TV station. Little did I realize that running Audio for Jesse Helms “Commentaries” or Editorials would have such an influence on my life. He was always open to comments and suggestions, BUT he realized that AJ had the final say so. Thus, when AJ passed the baton to Fred and Fred looked around (I had classes with Fred, Jr. and he was NOT station manager material), they ended up with Jim Goodman. Jim is married, if my sources and memories are correct, to a Fletcher female.

    So, I maintain an email relationship with some of the guys over there in the sports and news departments.

    I personally think that Bill Leslie is a pretty straight up guy. He needs to get out of the Volvo Syndrome….never could convince him that Ford was calling the shots.

    But, I like his “on-air” personality. I also have commented from time to time on some of the “environomental” issues going on. As the past director of environmental and a whole lot of things, I do have (I think) some insider’s perspective.

    Bill responds with good logic.

    He is a UNC Grad and took offense to Greg Doyle’s gutter language. I took offense to it.

    Remember, my Wolfpack cronies (I am writing this after enjoying our win over Cin and hoping for an GT anhililation and having a double Crown Roayal Special drink), Greg Doyle, if I am NOT mistaken…and I could well be, is the guy who chastized us for chasing off HWWNBSOHA and called us Lunies and WP Trash.

    SO, GIVE BILL A PASS.

    I used to do a LOT of statistics when I was in manufacturing. I also learned that you can use some of the “statistical” concepts when it come to opinion polls or reporters/commentators comments on a subject.

    SO….if you consider the source and knock out the flyers (that is the Statistical concept where you take the highest reading and the lowest reading and throw out those two. When you calculate the New Standard Deviation, it will usually be lower and you can more accurately plot the three Sigma distribution….there will be a Pop Quiz later).

    OK…so if you throw out Doyle’s comments, you have to throw out some others. I am wating for “Sportin Life” Daddy Saunders to write a column supporting the UNC mess.

    Then, before I form my opinion, I will throw out Doyle and Barry Saunders….then I will form my opinion.

    Cut Bill Leslie some slack. Yes, he is a UNC fan. Yes, he had a room mate named John Tesh

    Yes, I listened to him on WKIX…and it has FINALLY come back to it’s roots.

    Yes, my wife of 45 years likes Bill Leslie’s music and has all his CD’s in her car changer…so, I have to go with the flow.

    Bill is a straight up guy. He took offense, which is natural for any UNC supporter.

    Bill, I think, realizes that MUCH of what is going on has an odor….whether it is the Feces in the Punch Bowl or not quite as toxic as the Ward Tranformer contamination of Crabtree Creek, I can not say.

    He meant no offense to our WP.

    SO….that is my opinion….and I stand by it.

    GO PACK.

    NOW, Bill and I differ on the following.

    I HOPE that GT provides the MAXIMUM damage to the deluded UNX’er suffering from Blue Kool Aid addiction on Saturday.

    Bob Lee of BobLeeSays that he has been asked by many WHAT SHOULD WE DO….he is advocating that the F-16’s doing the flyover complete their manuever with a carpet bombing strafing run on Franklin Street, which may FINALLY get the attention of the folks over there.

    SO, chill out….watch this unfold.

    It has many layers and tenacles….have you NOTED that BD has NOT cleared (or maybe DB or Ch Thorp) any of the motley crew of 13.

    That speaks volumes about the depth of the trangressions…

    Keep plunking them gitaur strings, Bill, and I hope that you eventually will have to play “Amazing Grace” because it is only fitting that someone recognize the death of the FB program and the disgrace.

    UNCheats is becoming the Code Word…it is being passed around by the anti-BD crowd as we speak…. They were upset at DB’s “raises”…more so than Nancy Pelosi’s NEW jet.

    They were also upset at the new digs at Kenan

    They were also upset by the new priorities within the Rams Club.

    SO, it will work out….for the worst…

  22. tjfoose1 09/17/2010 at 1:06 AM #

    “Be pissed at the wral brass for not covering the story but don’t kill the messenger who has now fallen on the sword for the sins of many…. of which his are the least concerning (the statement to Doyle). It certainly is a tangible manifestation of the local media’s core bias, but he’s done all he can do.”

    Well said. A better wordsmith than I on this subject. Your last sentence nails the point I was struggling to make.

    Thanks.

  23. Wufpacker 09/17/2010 at 1:52 AM #

    I also applaud Bill for responding. That IS a stand up thing to do. But I don’t fully buy it.

    If “turd in the punchbowl” was his issue, why didn’t he mention it? And why then the homer-like whining of “cut them some slack” and “They are trying to clean things up” and “It’s the first black eye in recent history”? If his issue was the WAY it was written, then say that.

    He might not have liked the way it was written; but HIS issue was that it was written at all. And then there’s this:

    “First, I grew up as a huge NCSU fan and I still pull for the Pack. Yes, I am a UNC grad and I do believe Gregg Doyle’s article was reckless. I would say the same thing if State were in this situation.”

    Let’s repeat that last sentence….

    “I would say the same thing if State were in this situation.”

    Yes, Bill, I believe you would. But you’d be saying it to your “State friends [there] at WRAL” in order to show them how hard you work to be fair. I highly doubt you’d waste your time actually penning a note to a national journalist to call them out on unfair treatment of NCSU.

    Let’s test that theory, shall we?

    Doyel has slammed NCSU on many occasions, often for things that never happened. He jumped on the bandwagon when it was reported that the whole crowd at the RBC center was chanting slurs about “what’s his name’s” family, or when the whole crowd allegedly yelled similar slurs about Chris Paul’s deceased grandfather. Did you write to Mr. Doyel then, Bill? Did you even know Mr. Doyel and the rest of the mainstream media made those lies up, Bill? Did YOUR station report those same lies, Bill? (I really don’t know…I don’t live in the area anymore).

    I’m guessing one of your UNC homer friends TOLD you about Doyel’s article and you went and saw it and got steamed. This wasn’t about journalism….it was about YOU getting pissed that your alma mater was being dragged through the mud, yet again. I can relate, believe me.

    But don’t hide behind journalistic integrity. Admit it pissed you off because its YOUR school. You’ll garner a LOT more respect, at least around here.

    All that being said, I do honestly respect your cajones for responding here in this forum

    By the way…if you can show me those letters you wrote to Doyel when it WAS State on his chopping block, I’ll be the first to apologize.

  24. 44fan 09/17/2010 at 5:27 AM #

    The only thing about his response is “I grew up a huge NCSU fan and yes I graduated from UNC” also “I will be pulling for them tonight against Cincy”……How many UNC graduates do you know, that would make this comment and mean it.

    W- we
    R- really
    A- are
    L- Liberal

  25. wufpup76 09/17/2010 at 6:05 AM #

    It says a lot that Mr. Leslie took the time to listen and respond after stepping in it.

    I enjoyed both articles on this topic, and words do no justice to the coverage that the team at SFN are providing on the Hole mess.

    Thanks for all your efforts.

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