“Mistakes were made” a grand adventure by Nathan Begley.
Nathan Begley | Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at 9:37PM Earlier today, I reported the wrong information about a hot topic in Blazer-land. Rather than defend myself, I’m going to give you the play-by-play and you can judge for yourself.
The Scene: I’m reporting live from the FIBA U18 Gold Medal Game. This week we’ve already had many celebrity guests in the house such as Doc Rivers, Manu Ginobili, Brent Barry, R.C. Buford, John Wall, David Robinson, and others.
So I’m setting there on press row, sitting next to a member of the media with whom I’d been discussing the Pritchard situation. The fellow member of the media taps me on the shoulder and says “Hey, there is Danny Ferry!” I look down at the end of the press row, and sure enough a bald man is sitting at the end of the press row conversing with one of the coaches from the Virgin Islands team. The guy looks like Ferry and he is wearing a VIP name tag. My first thought is “Hmm, I thought Ferry looked a bit more Dana-White-ish than that… Well, what do I know? I’ve never seen him in person.” After a bit, they guy goes and sits in the VIP section, not far from Doc Rivers. The other member of the media and I discuss the best way to approach “Ferry.” The other member of the media says that he knows Ferry’s brother, and the first time he interviewed Ferry, knowing his brother didn’t help him. He advises me that Ferry can be abrasive to the media if he doesn’t know you, but that I should just give it a shot because the worst he could do is tell me “No.” The member of the media also mentions that Ferry was there before with his daughters, but they weren’t with him now, so this is probably a good time to ask him.
I see Ken Berger’s tweet that Danny Ferry will reportedly turn down the Blazers offer. I think to myself, “How fortunate that I can just walk over and ask “Ferry” about it.” The halftime horn sounds, I walk right up to him and say
“Mr. Ferry?”
He looks up at me. YES! It is him! Man, he looks different up close than he does on TV…
“I’m Nathan Begley and I cover the Portland Trail Blazers for ESPN’s TrueHoop Network blog Portland Roundball Society, can I ask you a question?”
“Go ahead.”
“CBS’s Ken Berger is reporting that if offered the job as general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers, you will turn it down. Is this true?”
He looks at me, mildly amused, and says “I can truthfully say that I have not turned down the job, because it has not been offered to me.” I think to myself, “What a very GM-ish thing to say, technically correct while avoiding the question.”
I go back to my seat. I hop online and run with the quote. Just before halftime ends I get up and walk back over and I ask him “Can I talk to you after the game?” He looks avoidant. He says “Well, I’m part of the closing ceremonies.” I think to myself “Well, that makes sense. I wondered why Ferry would be in San Antonio, I knew he was a GM here, but it’s awfully soon after his interview. I guess he must be presenting medals.”
I say “Just three questions.”
He says “Maybe, if I have time.”
Yes! I’ve got him. I’m going to catch him after the ceremonies no matter what! I’ll run after him into the parking lot if I have to! I sit down and watch one hell of a game as the USA Team barely beats Team Brazil.
Team USA wins on a Quincy Miller three. USA! USA! I wait for the closing ceremonies noting that “Ferry” has gone to the interview area.
The teams come out. I’m packing up my gear with my questions jotted down on a stat sheet in one hand and my voice recorder in the other. Backpack is on and fastened, even as I sit in my chair. I momentarily regret wearing flip flops, sneakers would be much better footwear for chasing down a General Manager candidate.
“Ferry” emerges; I’m on him like a hawk on a sparrow, watching his every movement. He will not escape me. I will get this interview, I owe it to Blazer fans.
His name is announced. My. Heart. Sinks. “Oh, no.”
I pull out my laptop and fire off retractions as fast as possible. What have I done? I just went from “about to nail a big-time story” to “public buffoonery” in no time flat.
I get the correction out as best I can, that sucks, but I’m here to cover this Team USA victory and I’ll be damned if I screw up one story and miss another because of it. I shut my laptop, grab my recorder, and dash off to the interview room. I can feel the blood rushing to my face and neck, Quincy Miller notices. Miller doesn’t say anything, but he’s looking at me during the whole conference, and he’s smiling. Dear god… I’m probably breaking out in hives right now! I grit my teeth and ask questions about the game in a clear, loud voice. I interview Kyrie Irving and Austin Rivers. I chat off the record with Rivers about college and such. I congratulate Rivers’ mother and then I sit down to pull out the laptop. Time to assess the damage.
“Ferry” walks up to me.
“Excuse me, who did you think I was?”
“I thought you were Danny Ferry sir, now I have some explaining to do.”
“Oh, that’s okay, it happens all the time. Ferry and I used to live in the same neighborhood and it happed a lot more then.”
We chat for a moment and I’m assessing whether Ashton Kutcher is going to run through a door and scream that I’ve just been “Punk’d.” My mind is going a million miles an hour; I’m thinking “Why did he answer to “Ferry”? Did he not hear me? Why did he even answer my question? How did my fellow member of the media mistake this guy’s identity when he said that he knows Ferry’s brother!?!”
I drive home, feeling sick that I just made an idiot of myself. I’ve got to give my readers an explanation, they deserve it. They need to know that the standards I apply to other journalists I apply also to myself. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who told me what or who answered to what name, it’s my job to get the story straight before reporting it and it’s my job to correct any errors as soon as they are made known to me. I messed up. Mistakes were made, and I am the one that made them. The real Mr. Ferry will probably be very confused if he hears about this.
Mr. Ferry, (the real one, that is) if you would like to grant me an interview, I’ve got just a couple questions for you. I’d chase you down in the parking lot if I could, but as you are apparently thousands of miles away, please contact me at portlandroundballsociety@gmail.com and I will gladly call or e-mail you.
Yours sincerely (and humbly),
Nathan Begley.
Reader Comments (21)
That's a great story. Everyone makes mistakes.
You got a lesson and great story you'll remember and tell for years with no harm done. Don't sweat it. Kudos for having the integrity to own up right away.
More respect to you for owning up to this so quickly and completely.
Erm, am I missing it or did you not say who the Ferry-look-alike was?
I did not say who it was because it makes no difference and my mistake intruded upon his life enough as it was. Imagine being randomly interrogated by a determined journalist...
Long time reader, first time commenting... always enjoy your stuff, but really enjoyed this Nathan, laughed my ass off reading. I'm also curious...who is "Ferry"
Okay, I figured it was something like that. Fair enough. Thanks for the reply.
The story you got out of the situation is better than any non-answer the real Ferry would have provided. You handled it well. Also, my dad looks like Lionel Ritchie and would be happy to answer some questions for you as Lionel Ritchie at summer league if you're interested.
Nathan,
My opinion of you just went up a few levels. Everyone makes mistakes, but only those with good character have the testicular fortitude to admit them and own them.
LOL.....That was a GREAT read! I will be looking forward to more of your stuff!
GO BLAZERS!
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