The Hot Student

This tidbit comes from BSM (Boston Sports Media), which is the best website out there for covering the Boston sports journalism scene that I’ve encountered. Anyhow, I’ll let David Scott take over.

Scott’s Shots has learned that former Boston Herald sports columnist, Michael Gee, is, according to Boston University director of media relations, Colin Riley, “no longer teaching this term” at BU, a result of Gee’s somewhat suggestive observations regarding a female student.

Those words – made on a public message board – apparently cost Gee his second job in two months. (He took part in the recent Herald buyout offer.)

On July 5, Gee, according to his own post at www.sportsjournalists.com, had begun a stint as fill-in instructor for a summer communications/journalism course at BU.

Here is what Gee wrote at sj.com on that day: “Today was my first day teaching course 308/722 at the Boston University Dept. of Jounralis (sic). There are six students, most of whom are probably smarter than me, but they DON'T READ THE PAPER!!! Not the Globe, Times, Herald or Wall Street Journal. I can shame them into reading, I guess, but why are they taking the course if they don't like to read

But I digress. Now here's the nub of my issue. Of my six students, one (the smartest, wouldn't you know it?) is incredibly hot. If you've ever been to Israel, she's got the sloe eyes and bitchin' bod of the true Sabra. It was all I could do to remember the other five students. I sense danger, Will Robinson.”

[….]

(For those wondering, sportsjournalists.com, in a nutshell, is a place where sports desk editors, as well as sportswriters and others, vent over how crummy this paper or that columnist is. It’s also a networking spot to get info on the latest openings and movement at papers across the country. Like most message boards, it serves a purpose and then serves the fellowship of the miserable even more. Point is – it’s well-read within the biz. Many posters use aliases, but Gee, who has been registered at the site since Sept. 4, 2004, uses his own, full name. Earlier this summer, Gee had even posted his resume in hopes of attracting work (See: Shots, June 17, 2005.)

[….]

What on earth was Gee thinking, when he made these inappropriate comments? Further, what editor would hire a guy who publicly admits to drooling over his student? Even more perplexing was Gee’s response after at least one SJ poster gave this friendly advice: “Congrats on the gig and the proximity to a hottie, but be careful. Not with her, but with this site. She or your bosses could Google your name and the university at any point and find this thread.”

Even that lucid warning didn’t seem to have an effect on Gee’s libido or his proud postings: “Dear Folks: I suppose I should be flattered that many of you think this gorgeous woman who's half my age would consider having sex with me. Which, if I have any news instincts, she won't. My problem is losing my focus when I meet her to-die-for eyes.”

First of all, in case you are wondering, “sloe eyes” are “slanted dark eyes.” I didn’t know before this, either. To be fair, it does sound sexy.

Secondly, how dumb does this guy have to be to post about his attraction towards a student of his on a website frequented by those in the sports journalism community? This is obviously something that isn’t going to sit well with BU’s administration, especially when he admits “losing focus” when he looks at her and “sensing danger” about his teaching situation.

As long as you have people in power, they are going to be attracted to people in subordinate positions. However, it’s one thing to keep those feelings to yourself or share them with some close colleagues over a few beers. It’s an entirely different thing to post them on the internet in a place where they are bound to be seen by people in the same industry as yours. So, kids, if you are attracted to subordinates later in life, do not post in on the internet on a public domain.

Now, all of this raises the interesting question of how long is it going to be until ramifications over internet posting become commonplace in political campaigns? It seems likely to me that the internet will be to early 21^st century politics like marijuana and similar “scandals” were to 80’s and 90’s politics. I suspect we’ll see several wannabe-members of Congress have their campaigns detrimentally affected by someone dragging up something they posted on the internet years ago. It’ll be like Jeff Gannon, except this time it will be that a Republican posted a blog entry that abortion is ethically okay.

I wish I was important enough to worry about what I posted here.