Irresponsible, defined

One of our buddies, a big SoCal hater (UCLA, USC, Dodgers, etc.) sent an email to LA Times writer Bill Dwyre after Dwyre's piece in this morning's Times regarding last night's UCLA/Stanford game included no mention of the crazy foul call against the Cardinal. I'm pretty sure Stapes copy and pasted both his email and Dwyre's response, so the typos are legit.

From: Stapes
Sent: Fri 3/7/2008 7:19 AM
>To: bill.dwyre@latimes.com
>Subject: UCLA Game

> > > Bill,

> > So you write a column about the game last night but don't even mention that foul call at the end of the game that robbed Stanford? Isn't that doing a disservice to your readers to not explain how they were very lucky to win the game? Every national columnist is leading with a "terrible" call helps UCLA.

> > Your column is irresponsible and misleading and makes it appear as if you are in bed with UCLA.

> > -Stapes

> From: Bill.Dwyre@latimes.com
> Subject: RE: UCLA Game
> Date: Fri, 7 Mar 2008 11:46:09 -0800
> To:
> > The game ended at 10:17, Stapes. My deadline was 10:30. I saw the call, wondered about it, but do not have the replay TVs that the guy at home (you?) has. and I refuse to second-guess some referee, on a hunch, from 25 rows above the court. The "national" columnists did what you did. watched it on TV and then wrote for their web sites, which have no deadlines, just whenever they finish. The other Times writer at the gamne, diane pucin, had an entirely different story for a later editioin that included much information about the play, inclduing the stanford kid not whining and saying that Collison still had to make the free throws and when he did, he earned what he got.
> > I may be many things, but I am not irresponsible. I was as responsible as I could be in 13 minutes of writing time.
> > tnanks for your note.
> > bill dwyre
> > ________________________________
> >

In a follow-up email, Dwyre added:

I im nut irespinsible. But i dont proofread the emails i send ro people.

Kudos to Dwyre for responding. I don't know how many writers do that, but it's respectable. But dude, seriously dude, don't blame the deadline. That is irresponsibility. The deadline dictates what you write and how you write it? The idea that a major moment in the game doesn't get a mention because of a looming deadline is crazy infinite batshit light years beyond crazy. The paper, believe it or not, is not the goal. The story is the goal. What if the game had gone into double OT? What the fuck then? And your moral code, in which you refuse to second-guess an official, had you wondering about the call? Which you refuse to do?

And. AND! You start the whole abortion with some 'Team of Destiny' talk, which is usually only reserved for those wins that come via some crazy hand of God moment. What would that have been last night?