The journalist I would say I admire the most is Chip Towers.
This article goes into detail about the ethics clause in Kirby Smart’s contract, something that was never signed in Mark Richt’s last deal with UGA.
As Towers put it, it is a “It is essentially a disciplinary clause and it is found in the compensation section of Smart’s new contract. It gives the Georgia Athletic Association the right to withhold pay from the head coach in the case of a material violation of ‘one or more of the duties, obligations or expectations … that do not rise to a level warranting termination.'”
This may have had something to do with the controversy surrounding Jack Baurele a few years ago.
This was written after Michel broke his forearm ATVing.
Towers reported that Michel told his brother, Allen Pinder, that he felt he had let the team down and that was the worst part of the injury.
Towers makes it clear that Michel didn’t feel bad because he wasn’t going to be able to play for eight weeks, but because he let his teammates, coaches, and fans down.
I admire Chip because I know what kind of person he is outside of media. He is family oriented and isn’t looking to write “gotcha” stories about players. He wants to show the other sides of them as well. I think that value is highlighted in the story about Sony.
Chip is also a person who sticks to his values and gets done what needs to be done. He could have taken the story on ethics in many different directions but he kept it professional.