Oklahoma State Cowboys scandal: Breaking down how the school can escape punishment

This isn’t trying to put down any journalist involved with the article; George Dohrmann is a Pulitzer Prize winner and wrote the story himself, but said that Thayer Evans did a lot of reporting on it. Obviously, SI has enough evidence to publish this series that took about a year to complete, and it’s hard to imagine that the big-time sports magazine publisher would push out a column full of hate by someone that has had an interesting history as a reporter and a conflict of interest with a rival school.

Some articles may give off more hate than intended. Full disclosure: I’ve received flack from plenty of Hawkeye fans almost three years ago when I did a story on why Kirk Ferentz shouldn’t be the head coach anymore and still receive it when I did a piece on why the Iowa State Cyclones should be favored in Saturday’s game just a few days ago. If I was involved in a report like this on the Hawkeyes, those fans would point to that history and let me have it like Evans is.

Nov 17, 2012; Stillwater OK, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys defensive tackle Davidell Collins (98) celebrates with fans after the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Richard Rowe-USA TODAY Sports

Folks, I’ve done a lot more writing in my life, like propose why the Oregon Ducks won’t make the national championship and then covered their team at FanSided’s Autzen Zoo down the road. There was no hate involved, and I have no hate toward the Iowa Hawkeyes — just a lot of disappointment in opposing fans that have a lot of hate inside themselves.

Looking back at some of Evans’ work, it’s hard to justify that there wasn’t a sense of hatred toward the Cowboys. More importantly, his journalistic integrity is strongly in question. Back in 2008 while covering college football for the New York Times, he took football prospect Jamarkus McFarland’s English paper, assuredly from a “greedy” mother, in a wild story that eventually ended with McFarland committing to Oklahoma. Here in late 2013, it’s still being thrown into question when interviewing former Oklahoma State quarterback Aso Pogi and using very shady methods on reporting.

Evans’ journalistic conventions are far more putrid than his slander against a school. But not all journalists want to take things out of context and create something to garner massive views. Maybe these former players are taking back what they said to help save the program, but perhaps Evans is twisting the truth to create an awful nightmare for Oklahoma State.

The ride until Saturday will be exciting, or nerve-racking for Cowboys fans. So far things might be better than expected for the Big 12 school, and perhaps they will be able to get out of everything with little to no damage. As an Iowa State alum/fan/reporter and Big 12 supporter, I’ll be rooting for a good outcome.