Oklahoma paper says 'Mr. Unreliable' headline missed mark
Here comes the backpedaling.
The cover of the sports section of Oklahoma City newspaper The Oklahoman took a shot at prohibitive favorite for MVP Kevin Durant on Thursday morning, leading to a follow-up explanation from publication and a statement from Durant himself.
So yeah, the front page of The Oklahoman's sports section is, uh, something: pic.twitter.com/cwqiLKk9xs
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) May 1, 2014
Sports editor Mike Sherman posted a statement of NewsOK.com, claiming the headline had "missed the mark."
The words were overstated and unduly harsh. The headline and presentation left the impression that we were commenting on Durant’s season, career or even character. We were not. We were referring only to the Memphis series.
The fact the headline and presentation left that impression with so many readers is proof that we failed.
For what it's worth, in typical fashion, Durant accepted the blame bestowed upon him.
Durant on The Oklahoman's headline: "That's what they're supposed to write. I didn't come through for the team."
— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) May 1, 2014
Russell Westbrook was slightly less ready to forgive and forget.
Westbrook on the headline: "That's BS in my eyes."
— Darnell Mayberry (@DarnellMayberry) May 1, 2014