ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter has somehow gotten himself embroiled in a very messy situation involving Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook and his ex-girlfriend.
Cook and Sgt. 1st Class Gracelyn Trimble are in the midst of an ugly legal battle.
Each side is accusing the other of domestic abuse.
The photographs and text messages that have emerged as a result are deeply troubling.
Somehow, however, Schefter has become one of the villains in this entire ordeal.
On Tuesday, he reported on the unfolding litigation this way:
An incident occurred over one year ago, when a female US Military Sergeant used a stolen garage door opener to enter Cook’s home and attack a guest of Cook’s and Cook, per Hiller. “Military Sergeant maced Cook directly in his eyes immediately upon illegally entering”, Hiller said
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 10, 2021
That did not sit well with some folks:
So Hiller went to the person he knew would do absolutely zero digging if presented a scoop: Adam Schefter. pic.twitter.com/TBOUUVGtnF
— robertklemko (@RobertKlemko) November 10, 2021
Because either Dalvin Cook is telling the truth, OR Cook and Hiller wanted this story muddied and they wanted all the usual suspects to line up and run with their version of events. And the usual suspects obliged: pic.twitter.com/SYakEkFccL
— robertklemko (@RobertKlemko) November 10, 2021
How is ESPN OK with this? Because Schefter is not paid to be a journalist. He’s not beholden to journalistic standards, though half the outlets covering the NFL take his word as gospel. Professionally, he’s meeting their expectations. Morally, though, he’s setting a very low bar.
— robertklemko (@RobertKlemko) November 10, 2021
The outrage wasn’t limited to Twitter, though. Trimble’s attorney, Daniel Cragg, offered a scathing statement to USA Today.
“ESPN’s journalistic malpractice yesterday sends a painfully clear message to billions of girls and women around the world that they should be afraid to come forward because media companies like ESPN are more interested in protecting the powerful celebrities that make them money, rather than engaging in honest reporting and competent journalism,” Cragg said.
Now that’s a Halloween costume. https://t.co/WVK6W11K9M
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 1, 2021
Many are now wondering whether the Worldwide Leader in Sports will step in and suspend Schefter for his reporting on this case.
All that being said, it’s worth remembering that people have called for Schefter’s head in the not-so-distant past. It didn’t work then, and it’s unlikely to work now.
ESPN has refused to fire personnel for much more public controversies, so it’s hard to see them coming down hard on Schefter for this.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
