In the A.M. Jump I did last week–btw, here’s today’s–I mentioned the following in the “Not In This Issue” section.
“Hendrick Jr. joins DEI,” a quick play on words referring to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s move to Hendrick Motorsports.
Well, while perusing the comments from that Jump–which I normally don’t do, since I’m not used to the comments being there–it was brought to my attention that Rick Hendrick’s son was killed in a plane crash. A few readers took my line as being in poor taste.
That was not the case. It was simply a matter of ignorance. I had no idea any such thing happened, and I profusely apologize to anyone that was offended, particularly the Hendrick family. I can assure you, however, that I wasn’t trying to make light of someone dying. Not my steez, nor will it ever be.
4 Comments
by Alma F. Washington
It was manly of you to apologize and not just blow it off.
by Ashley
Not referring to the comment left but I was wondering, as I have not been an avid reader of your blog for very long, are you a Nascar fan??…and I mean do you REALLY know enough about the sport to comment on it, in ANY capacity??….and I’ll say again, I’m, in no way, referring to the “Hendrick” comment.
by Kirk
Ashley, that has nothing to do with anything.
by Fred Batiste, A Weapon of Mass Destruction
Say bruh…I don’t want to make light of it, but those NASCAR fans are pretty darned intense. Heck if they throw stuff at Jeff Gordon after he surpassed the Ali of NASCAR — Dale Sr. — on the wins list and does a victory lap with a #3 flag in his hand….just think of the crap they’ll give you on the web.
But seriously, those unintentional oversights are the worst ones for me as a writer. Mainly because it’s one of those things you don’t really think about, especially in an area that you do not really have knowledge of.
Also, the same people that think the media is all-knowing will probably be the same folks that will rail you the moment you make a mistake — not fully realizing that reporters are people and can make mistakes also.
I do give you props for not ignoring it. You did — as any responsible writer would — come out and said “my bad” when it was pointed out.
However, if you were Vince McMahon..you would’ve exploited the error for the next 4 months.