School paper gets death threats after ousting football scandal
Posted: Jun 02, 2011 4:18 PMUpdated: Jun 09, 2011 4:18 PM
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Both the editor and the staff writer who wrote the piece exposing players selling memorabilia have gotten death threats over the story. (Source: WSYX/CNN)COLUMBUS, OH (WSYX/CNN) - Students writing for the Ohio State University newspaper have received death threats after uncovering a football scandal.
Zack Meisel, the Lantern's editor, may be looking over his shoulder more often because of e-mails like this one:
"Great job bringing down the football program. When I see you on campus, I'll beat you up."
He said he's received a lot of hate mail and threats after theLantern published an interview with Ray Small, a former Buckeyes wide receiver.
Small admitted to selling Buckeyes memorabilia for cash while playing for OSU and said that everyone on the team was doing it.
Four days after the article was published, Head Coach Jim Tressel resigned.
"It was almost as if people were looking at us, as the go to people, almost as if we played a role in it, which we didn't," staff writer James Oldham said.
"I get it, I was born and raised in Columbus so I know when scarlet and gray is running through your blood. I understand the passion people have," he said.
Oldham interviewed small for the article.
He was surprised to read one e-mail stating that he and Meisel were likely candidates to be found dead in the Olentangy River.
"It took me a little off guard to be honest. I was a little nervous and scare that day," Oldham said.
As for Meisel, he is not taking the threats too seriously.
"I am not, talk to my mom and my grandma, they are but I have not really thought twice about it," he said.
He said he has thought about how much he has learned about journalism in the last four days.
"They got to realize that a journalist needs to report what they find and we did that instead of sweeping it under the rug or covering anything up which makes us worse than what players did," he said.
Five Buckeyes players will serve a suspension for five games at the beginning of the upcoming season after the admitted to trading Ohio State memorabilia.
Assistant Coach Luke Fickell is now the university's interim head coach.
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