George Mccaskey S Handling Of The Ray Mcdonald Affair Offers A Lesson To The Press

• AP Photo/Matt Marton
• George McCaskey

People say things every day that make us cringe, but nothing lately has hit me in the pit of my stomach like George McCaskey’s explanation of why the Bears took a flyer on Ray McDonald. San Francisco had cut the defensive end because his “pattern of poor decision-making” could “no longer be tolerated.” McCaskey had his own doubts; but the Bears need a few decent football players, and when McDonald’s own mother and his college coach, not to mention McDonald himself, pleaded his case, McCaskey’s heart melted.

I cringe because I recognize one of the cardinal sins of journalism. The sin you hear about is plagiarism. And now and then a sharpie comes along who for a time gets away with making things up. But these sins are only occasionally committed. Most reporters aren’t even tempted.