SI Article on Spencer Hadley

Interesting read from Jeff Benedict, author of the System on Spencer Hadley and his fireside at the Prison before the Utah game.



http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20130925/spencer-hadley-byu/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

hawkwing wrote:
Interesting read from Jeff Benedict, author of the System on Spencer Hadley and his fireside at the Prison before the Utah game.



http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20130925/spencer-hadley-byu/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is a great article! Well worth the read and offers some nice insights to this young man

Oi, just don't read the message board. Talk about a ridiculous amount of hatred and negativity. Apparently the new Utah fan movement is that this is just all a BYU spin to make the Utes look bad. All of the extreme hate is why I'm actually glad the rivalry will take a break. No amount of history can justify that hate when we're talking about sports.

UliUli79 wrote:
Oi, just don't read the message board. Talk about a ridiculous amount of hatred and negativity. Apparently the new Utah fan movement is that this is just all a BYU spin to make the Utes look bad. All of the extreme hate is why I'm actually glad the rivalry will take a break. No amount of history can justify that hate when we're talking about sports.

Undoubtedly they will claim that the original emailer was not a Ute fan, they'll also cry foul on the portrayal of treatment of others at their stadium, they'll claim bias on the part of the writer, and probably even claim that the whole thing is manufactured to put BYU in a better light, that the writer should not have had access to the jail visit. I'm sure that they'll probably claim that the people in jail have more freedom than BYU students.



The ute board is consistent, it gets old.

The Baptism thing is BYU's fault for reading too much into it

The Spencer Hadley thing is BYU's fault for apparently having a student who parties, and then having someone pose as a Ute to take pictures of him..

The SI article is BYU's fault because it's simply a manufactured piece to cast them in a better light

The BYU independence thing is BYU's fault for not accepting their place in the world



In short BYU is literally wrong in everything it does, and in everything it ever did from the beginning of time up to this moment, and will be wrong in everything that it will do in the future. If you're looking at the Ute board for anything other than this, you'll be disappointed.

First off... Great article.



Second. Finally a non BYU fan writing the truths of how Utah fans act in their own stadium.



They laughed at Max Hall's comments of their fans throwing beer.



What will they say to Benedict's article explaining how they act? They used "profanity" and "spit" on BYU's players.



To bad this article go unnoticed.

I found the article pointless. SH is a good guy that made a mistake, he knew the rules he chose to break the rules- done move on. I don't see the need for the PR spin. I don't see the need to make it a BYU Utah thing, even if they do. SH was full aware what he was doing and the punishment for those choices. I personally don't care who turned him in what there motives were... he did it plain and simple! If there wasn't any proof then it would be a different story.

Right now we need to focus on MTSU.

Warning:



Do not read this article unless you want to be touched beyond your most likely expectation. The Ute criticism may give satisfaction to a degree. That is just a side bit. You will choke up before you ever get to that part.



The Bibster



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801Coug wrote:
I found the article pointless. SH is a good guy that made a mistake, he knew the rules he chose to break the rules- done move on. I don't see the need for the PR spin. I don't see the need to make it a BYU Utah thing, even if they do. SH was full aware what he was doing and the punishment for those choices. I personally don't care who turned him in what there motives were... he did it plain and simple! If there wasn't any proof then it would be a different story.

Right now we need to focus on MTSU.

Nice try to discourage people from reading it themselves. This story will go viral. U can't stop it. I do agree the sportswriter criticism of Utah fans is just a side story and detracts from what this story is really about - must have distracted U - U seem to have missed the entire point.



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Not sure how this could be considered a PR spin by any one. The article was written by a freelance Sports Illustrated sports writer. He is not a BYU spin doctor. He's just writing a sports story without any bias.



I guess we've gotten so used to how hostile the local anti-BYU media is that when a truly unbiased piece comes out it's assumed to be a spin story by BYU?

801Coug wrote:
I found the article pointless. SH is a good guy that made a mistake, he knew the rules he chose to break the rules- done move on. I don't see the need for the PR spin. I don't see the need to make it a BYU Utah thing, even if they do. SH was full aware what he was doing and the punishment for those choices. I personally don't care who turned him in what there motives were... he did it plain and simple! If there wasn't any proof then it would be a different story.

Right now we need to focus on MTSU.

Wow, really?! Dude, I'll agree on the BYU-Utah thing ... but the article shows the depth of character of SH ... a strong man, he stands up for what is right and responds correctly to the challenge and THEN HE USES IT TO HELP OTHERS!!!! I love it. Enjoy the article for the depth of character is displays.

hawkwing wrote:
Not sure how this could be considered a PR spin by any one. The article was written by a freelance Sports Illustrated sports writer. He is not a BYU spin doctor. He's just writing a sports story without any bias.



I guess we've gotten so used to how hostile the local anti-BYU media is that when a truly unbiased piece comes out it's assumed to be a spin story by BYU?

The SI writer is LDS and acknowledged that in the letyer. And this fits perfectly with the KVN story. Those who criticisr everything LDS Church especially will not be deterred from that.



Anyone that believes in redemption through the atonement of Jesus Christ - whether Mormon or not - can't help but be touched by the reaction of the prisoners to Spencer Hadley.



And when Bronco put Hadly at the microphone when a prisoner called out for him after the program was ended - to make impromptu remarks about a sensitive matter - having to trust that doing so was a good idea - if you believe in promptings of the Holy Spirit - you understand the miracle that Hadley even came - and the power with which he touched the inmates.



Haters will assume the prisoner calling out for Hadley was a plant and that the speech was written by the Honor Code Office.



Read it for yourself. You will know.



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hawkwing wrote:
Not sure how this could be considered a PR spin by any one. The article was written by a freelance Sports Illustrated sports writer. He is not a BYU spin doctor. He's just writing a sports story without any bias.



I guess we've gotten so used to how hostile the local anti-BYU media is that when a truly unbiased piece comes out it's assumed to be a spin story by BYU?

I do actually question Jeff Benedict's motives for this article a little bit. I don't think that he is trying to spin a PR story for BYU, but I also don't think that he is totally unbiased. I do think he wrote an article that appeals to a demographic that is purchasing a lot of copies of his recently released book. This article will help him sell more books in Utah. Also it may peak other peoples interest in his book by hearing more stories about BYU with plugs for his book embedded in the article.



I don't have a problem with him doing it. I think it was a good article. He just isn't as much of an independent SI author as it may seem. As a capitalist I have no problem with this.

First why all the U's... Is it automatic that anyone with an different opinion is painted red? My post wasn't not disrespectful or mean, simply my opinion. Not sure how I tried to discourage anyone from reading it.

Look SH made a bad choice - plain and simple. Would they have written the article without his mistake... I not sure that they would have.

The bottom line to me is that he did it, and to make matters worse he got caught - and now he has to face the consequences. He made the mistake and now has all of this attention showcasing all the other great stuff about him, just seems silly to me. We have all made mistakes. I know he is sorry and probably really embarrassed but he knew what was at stake. I really don't care about the details, its none of my business. but all of this extra curricular stuff because of his poor choices is not needed, in my opinion.

PR spin wasn't the right term.

Wickchad84087 wrote:

Not sure how this could be considered a PR spin by any one. The article was written by a freelance Sports Illustrated sports writer. He is not a BYU spin doctor. He's just writing a sports story without any bias.



I guess we've gotten so used to how hostile the local anti-BYU media is that when a truly unbiased piece comes out it's assumed to be a spin story by BYU?

I do actually question Jeff Benedict's motives for this article a little bit. I don't think that he is trying to spin a PR story for BYU, but I also don't think that he is totally unbiased. I do think he wrote an article that appeals to a demographic that is purchasing a lot of copies of his recently released book. This article will help him sell more books in Utah. Also it may peak other peoples interest in his book by hearing more stories about BYU with plugs for his book embedded in the article.



I don't have a problem with him doing it. I think it was a good article. He just isn't as much of an independent SI author as it may seem. As a capitalist I have no problem with this.

Every author writes to be read. So as far as biases go, that's common to all writers and can I think safely be eliminated. The question is did he manipulate the story in order to get BYU fans to buy more copies of his book? I don't think so, I don't see that in the article. I do see similarities to other stuff he has written, including stuff in the book, so if you liked the article you will likely find yourself wanting to read his book. And like you, I see nothing wrong with that.



He wrote an article that was likely truthful and accurate as far as he was able to determine and verify. That's the very opposite of a spin piece.

801Coug wrote:
First why all the U's... Is it automatic that anyone with an different opinion is painted red? My post wasn't not disrespectful or mean, simply my opinion. Not sure how I tried to discourage anyone from reading it.

Look SH made a bad choice - plain and simple. Would they have written the article without his mistake... I not sure that they would have.

The bottom line to me is that he did it, and to make matters worse he got caught - and now he has to face the consequences. He made the mistake and now has all of this attention showcasing all the other great stuff about him, just seems silly to me. We have all made mistakes. I know he is sorry and probably really embarrassed but he knew what was at stake. I really don't care about the details, its none of my business. but all of this extra curricular stuff because of his poor choices is not needed, in my opinion.

PR spin wasn't the right term.

If you have followed my posts, you would know that I got my MBA at U, have consistently posted that Hadley has no one to blame but himself.



The Ute fan, U Compliance Office, The Trib, The BYU Honor Code Office, etc., are not the problem.



Notwithstanding all of that, this is a powerful and factual accounting of how prisoners at the state penitentiary reacted to a young man that admitted he made a mistake, blamed absolutely no one else, accepted his punishment like a man, and showed his gratitude for the atonement of Jesus Christ.



As a side note - this also gives the first explanation I have seen as to why the NCAA is not involved. Hadley was partying with a family friend who is not a BYU Booster. Even that explanation makes this article worth a read.



And for those that feel the need to know the gory details - that was there too. But haters will be disappointed - dang no NCAA violation - dang no pregnant girlfriend, etc.



Someone above commented that 5 weeks seemed harsh for just alcohol - seemingly wanting there to be more dirt. And, yet, KVN got a Year for alcohol.



It was the vemue and the fact that he admitted that it happened more than once that got 5 months. And the most recent trip - the bye week before the Utah game.



The U thing was just an educated guess by a former U grad student.



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5 months? or 5 games?



Anyways I like it enough to send to my daughter who got a DUI early this year and she is now sometimes attending church. I hope it helps her.

scott715 wrote:
5 months? or 5 games?



Anyways I like it enough to send to my daughter who got a DUI early this year and she is now sometimes attending church. I hope it helps her.

My bad. 5 weeks. Fixed it. I have 5 children. One of mine seems perfect. The other 4 have had opportunities to enjoy redemption. There is always hope. I hope this article touches your daughter as deeply as it touched me.



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It is now front page of SI. go to si and hadley's mug will be in your face.

that's got to really chap some hides up north.



Tribune writer is now saying that LDS authors shouldn't be able to write about BYU because of the conflict of interest. I imagine he felt pretty stupid when it was pointed out that the BYU beat writer for the Tribune is also LDS.

I still find it interesting that no one can find the author of the original email or photographer.