She wrote, he screamed...

In today's Daily Oklahoman, writer Jenni Carlson wrote again, standing by the facts in her original column on Oklahoma State quarterback Bobby Reid back on Sept. 22 that set Cowboys coach Mike Gundy into a post-game tizzy last Saturday that made its way quite quickly around the sports world thanks to immediate video.
Carlson even went on ABC's "Good Morning America" to defend her position Tuesday. The newspaper has her video response on its NewsOK.com website as well.
"I didn't expect this sort of outrage," she said on ABC.
How could she, or anyone?
The Association for Women in Sports Media even issued a response, saying it was "alarmed at the unprofessional manner in which Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy chose to take exception with a column written by AWSM member Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman. Gundy has the right to express his opinion, just as Carlson has the right to express hers. But his decision to air his objections in the form of a personal attack shows a lack of respect for all journalists."
Gundy's meltdown probably didn't do his QB any good -- now the kid must want to curl up in a corner and hide because everyone who has access to a TV knows about his mom feeding him chicken and all the other questionable stuff she included in that column.
She asked Gundy again in Monday's press conference for him to clarify his remarks that three-quarters of her story was inaccurate, but he wouldn't do it. So where is she supposed to go now?
Gundy's overreaction made for great TV. And it opened a better debate on what role the media has in covering college athletes vs. pro athletes.
Do we put pressure on college athletes in the media?
"More than we used to and more than we should," said Washington Post columnist Mike Wilbon when he came onto Mike Tirico's ESPN Radio show Tuesday.
Wilbon said he wasn't sure Carlson "gets it." He thought she crossed the line by criticizing his personal live and not his on-field performance. A younger columnist like Carlson is more inclined to be more bloger-mentality than journalistic quality reporter, both Wilbon and Tirico co-host Scott Van Pelt said.
"There's no accountablity with bloggers," said Wilbon. "Way too much rumor. That's not what we should be doing. Everyone now wants to be a star through opinion. I wonder what contributes to that?"
Wilbon, of course, with his appearances on ESPN's "PTI."
Chicago Sun-Times columnist Carol Slezak wonders if Gundy was more upset about the female writer than the contents of the story. A fair question.
Also check in on what Marc Isenberg has to say about this matter on his Money Players blog: "Gundy should stick up for his players, but that doesn't mean he should publicly berate someone in the media who writes something critical. Gundy might benefit from some media training. Lesson 1: Don't argue with anyone who works for a company that buys ink by the barrel (great advice offered by Walter O'Malley)."
Some say Gundy was more upset at his staff for leaking information to Carlson, and used Carlson as the target of his anger to get the message across to his guys. His tirade made no sense coming off a big victory that day against Texas Tech.
If so, that's a brutal approach. Because, as Jim Rome gave his take on his syndidated radio show today and probably will expand upon on his "JRIB" ESPN show later today, all Gundy had to do was take Carlson aside and get angry at her privately. Nothing justified his reaction Saturday and an apology is in order.
Regardless, let the lively debate continue. As long as it doesn't get personal.