One of ESPN’s lead NBA correspondents has filed a libel suit against a New York Post columnist over what the suit characterizes as “a maliciously false article," reports Forbes.com.
Chris Sheridan filed the lawsuit Wednesday against columnist Peter Vecsey and NYP Holdings. The suit alleges that Vecsey’s Dec. 14, 2010, column impugns Sheridan’s "veracity and competence as a journalist," according to the report.
Sheridan’s suit contends that Vescey has harbored "historic malice towards Mr. Sheridan” and “fabricated an entirely false and sustained tirade against Mr. Sheridan." On April 7, the New York Post and Vecsey were reportedly asked to issue a retraction, which they did not do.
The bone of contention between Sheridan and Vecsey centered around the Denver Nuggets trading Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks. After Sheridan reported the possibility that Anthony would be traded to the Knicks, Vecsey questioned the authenticity of Sheridan’s anonymous sources in his Post column, calling Sheridan’s reports "fairy tales." Anthony was later traded to the Knicks, giving credibility to Sheridan’s report.
What an incredible waste of time. It is extremely difficult to win libel cases in the US, as it requires that malice be shown and proven.
But more to the point, reporters should stick to reporting the news rather than becoming the news. This suit reflects poorly on Sheridan’s professionalism. He should spend less time worrying about what his colleagues/competitors think and more about his credibility among ESPN viewers.