Before I finish up my college football preview, I think it’s worth noting that Richard Jewell died today.
For those of you who don’t remember, Jewell was the security guard at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics whose life was turned upside down by the media.
He was initially portrayed as a hero for discovering a suspicious bag and removing people from the area just before a bomb went off. Soon after, the media turned their attentions to harrassing Jewell and linking him to the bombing, despite the fact police never identified him as a suspect. It was too late for Richard Jewell, though, as the public already saw him as a potential terrorist. He was later cleared, but not before his entire life was turned upside down.
Jewell will forever stand as a symbol of what happens when the media forgets their responsibilities to the public, reporting, and the truth, and instead try to make headlines.
Jewell was already 44, but apparantly had been sick for some time.
The rest of my college football preview will be coming later today…
