While perusing the replay of last night's chat, I noticed a request for my opinion on the "apology" from Ann Arbor dot com. So, by request, here it is:

When is an apology not an apology?

The short answer is, "when someone else makes it for you." And that is exactly what has happened at Horse Pucky dot com. Dave Birkett's remarks were not only inappropriate in the sense that he stereotyped Demar Dorsey as a criminal, but the original comment is very, very close to having racial overtones. I know it might sound absurd, but think about it: when was the last time you heard a white person referred to as someone who would bring a crowbar to your door? I'm sure Birkett didn't think about Dorsey's color when he made the original comment, but after 24 hours I can't shake the feeling that he wouldn't have said this about Corey Tropp.

Are the cases different? Of course they are. But I have never heard or seen Birkett refer to Tropp as someone who would bring a hockey stick to your door and use it to attack you from behind. Since he hasn't referred to anyone on the Misdemeanor State football team as someone who would come to your door in a ski mask, I should probably give Birkett the benefit of the doubt and say that his comments are "only" grossly inappropriate and not racially insensitive, but there is a very small nagging doubt in my mind about this.

If Birkett were to actually write an apology on his own and clarify his remarks, I would tend to be a lot more charitable toward him. Let Birkett himself tell us what was going through his head when he made the reference. Birkett's silence speaks more loudly than anything he has written so far.

Today, his UM football articles were decent. He reported on practice and didn't refer to NCAA violations, impending probation, or crowbars. That is a step in the right direction, but I would still like to see something come directly from Birkett.

If Dave Birkett the reporter was interviewing the Dave Birkett who made the inappropriate comment, would he let him off as easily as he is getting off right now? I think we all know the answer to that question.

So, what do I think about Dave Birkett's "apology?" Here's another short answer:

"What apology?"

Today, AnnArbor.com printed a seemingly innocuous letter to the editor which states that UM is at a crossroads where they must decide whether to "lower their standards." There is no direct reference to Demar Dorsey, but the inference is that UM is lowering their standards to compete with the "big boys" in college football. There is no direct reference to Dorsey in the "story," but when combined with their questionable headline concerning McCabe's article, it definitely reeks of an anti-UM bias.

For those who didn't see the McCabe link, A2.com linked to his column in their "grab-bag" of links on Thursday or Friday, with "concern over Dorsey grows" in the headline. One terrible column from a hack who has been there for twenty years and hasn't been given a promotion to real sportswriting in that time does not constitute "growing concern."

To me, this means that the media continues to find creative ways to beat on the dead horse non-story of the recruitment of Demar Dorsey. I find it reprehensible that even the hometown media outlet is still finding ways to trash the University of Michigan over his recruitment. It's like Dorsey has suddenly become Tim Tebow in reverse; he is now a scapegoat and he hasn't even enrolled yet. I hope Dorsey comes in and finds out that 99 percent of the community is happy to see him at UM and that the media only represents outsiders who have an anti-UM agenda.

There is good news there, though. Apparently, they have hired Andy Reid from the Michigan Daily, and he is going by his full name, Andrew Reid. I have been a fan of his coverage of UM for the Daily, and have long contended that he is the best sportswriter in the market right now. His first piece is a fluff piece about local winter sports, but I hope they allow him to do what he does best soon.

Maybe we will soon have a Michigan Man covering the University of Michigan.

Mr.Roh, Dad of Michigan stud LB Craig Roh spoke out about the Freep targeting Dorey and his family.

As the parent of a UM football player, this makes me livid. It is unimaginable that a "home town" newspaper would take a shot at a recruit like the Free Press did. The last trumped up scandal with the excess practice time was bad enough. It's one thing to take shots at the coach, its another thing to take a shot at an 18 year old high school senior. This is borderline child abuse and clear-cut racism. Do you think they would have done the article on a white kid from Scottsdale, Az?

To give you all another perspective....Craig grew up in a predominately white, high socio economic high school. He's had plenty of opportunities to see the other side of life, in club basketball and other venues.We sent him to a public high school rather than private to give him more real life experience. He could have gone to Stanford or any of the Ivy League schools and been surrounded by smart, "predominately white" football players. That was not his goal or ours as his parents. It was/is our goal that Craig experience a variety of people, cultures, etc. and be able to reach out and help others not as fortunate as him. We believed UM could be the place where he could get great football and experience a wider variety of life.

Dorsey sounds like a kid who has made mistakes, but is ready to move on. I, for one, look forward to my son having the opportunity to be part of his future success in any way that he can help!

Well, the news became "official" on WTKA this morning. As broken by TOB on the MM chat last night, the freep lied to Demer Dorsey about the intent of their story by telling him they were going to write a "redemption" story, but lied and chose instead to use his interview as part of yet another installment of their fusilade of Phillipics against the University of Michigan.

As they should be, the Dorsey family and Dorsey's HS coach are extremely upset by this utter lack of ethics on the part of the freep. According to TOB and TKA, The Wolverine tried to contact Dorsey to give him a chance to air his side of the story, and his HS coach said that his family is so upset with the Freep won't allow him to talk to any more reporters.

I truly hope that the Dorsey family reads the UM sports blogs and decides to give somebody, anybody, an interview. If they peruse the main blogs, they will definitely see that most of the UM blogoshpere is almost as angry with the freep as they are. Hopefully, they will sort through the blogs and decide to contact whichever one they decide will treat them fairly. We all know three or four blogs who could do a wonderful interview with Dorsey.

In a move that is woefully deficient in even Journalism 101 ethics or professionalism, the freep has chosen to lie to a HS student and use their media as a bully pulpit for their anti-RR, anti-UM agenda. Apparently, the freep cares nothing about the effects of their lies and malicious intent upon an 18 year-old trying to better himself or the family that is trying to support his goals.

The freep is a pile of toxic waste. It should be isolated, neutralized, quarantined, and buried so deep that Jimmy Hoffa will turn up before it is ever seen again. They lie, they cheat, they maliciously attack those to whom they are supposed to show objectivity, and they do it all for personal reasons. Inexplicably, their overwhelmed and intellectually overmatched editor continues to allow the freep to make a mockery of the journalstic standards they are sworn to uphold.

I can only hope that the freep either mercy-kills itself or visits Dr Kevorkian. It obviously won't be around in another year or two, anyway, but someone needs to step in and minimize the damage they are doing to the innocent citizens they abuse in the name of "reporting."

If there is anyone here who doesn't boycott the freep, please start. And please tell all of your friends who are UM fans to do the same. Even if you want to make your opinion heard, don't do it there. First of all, they don't care what you think. Secondly, each time you click on anything they write it makes them money, either directly or indirectly.

The final and most important reason for boycotting the freep: you will be smarter for not having read it.