♪ ♪ RAPPING ♪ >> WE'RE OUT HERE ON THE STREETS TRYING TO FIND OUT WHETHER PEOPLE THINK THIS YOUNG GUY, GEORGE DORUN, THE SPORTS WRITER, DESERVED TO WIN THE PULITZER.

>> OF COURSE.

HE DID A VERY CAREFUL JOB.

HE EXAMINED IT, HE INTERVIEWED LOTS OF PEOPLE.

HE DID A GREAT JOB.

>> I THINK IT'S DESPICABLE.

>> WHY DO YOU THINK THE GOVERNOR WAS MAD AT THE "PIONEER PRESS" FOR WRITING THE ARTICLE WHEN HE DID BECAUSE IT CAUSED THEM TO LOSE THEIR GAME.

>> I DON'T THINK IT CAUSED THEM TO LOSE THEIR GAME.

DO YOU?

>> I DON'T KNOW.

THE GUY, WHAT -- >> THE SPORTS WRITER WHO BROKE THE STORY WON THIS AWARD.

>> YOU SHINTD' HAVE WON IT.

>> NO.

>> NO.

YOU DON'T WIN AN AWARD FOR BREAKING UP A GOOD TEAM THAT HAD A CHANCE TO GO TO THE PLAYOFFS AND HE'S THE ONE THAT -- NO, I DON'T THINK HE SHOULD HAVE WON IT.

>> I GUESS I WOULD OFFER CONGRATULATIONS.

I THINK THAT IT WAS MAJOR PIECE OF WORK.

I THINK TO THE EXTENT THAT THE REPORT BASICALLY VALIDATED A LOT OF THE INITIAL CHARGES.

>> YES, JUST LIKE A GOOD STORY SHOULD, IT GETS PEOPLE TALKING.

ALMOST EVERYONE HAS A STRONG OPINION ON THIS ONE.

JUST OVER A YEAR AGO, THE PIONEER PRESS BROKE A BIG STORY, THAT ACADEMIC FRAUD APPEARED RAMPANT THROUGH THE GOPHER MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM.

TIME AND GOOD OLD-FASHIONED REPORTING FOUND ACADEMIC FRAUD AND MUCH MORE.

PLAYERS WERE SUSPENDED, COACH CLEM HASKINS RESIGNED.

MEANWHILE, THE "U" BEGAN A BIG INVESTIGATION AND HAS IMPOSED A SECOND ROUND OF SELF-IMPOSED SANCTIONS AND ON DAY TWO OF THE STORY, YOU'LL REMEMBER A DEPLETED GOPHER TEAM LOST THE FIRST ROUNDS NCAA TOURNEY TEAM, TO GONZAGA COACHED BY THE MAN WHO THEN REPLACED CLEM AT THE "U."

SOUNDS LIKE A TOM WOLF NOVEL BUT AS OFTEN HAPPENS, REAL LIFE IS STRANGER THAN FICTION.

JUST ASK GEORGE DORMAN, THE "PIONEER PRESS" SPORTS WRITER WHO WON THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR BEAT REPORTING.

CONGRATULATIONS.

PEOPLE SPEND THEIR ENTIRE CAREER CHASING THIS PRIZE.

YOU GOT IT IN THE FIRST COUPLE YEARS OF YOUR CAREER.

>> YEAH, IT'S FUNNY.

AS A SPORTS WRITER, YOU DON'T EXPECT TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE PULITZER PRIZE.

IT'S STUNNING.

>> HAVE COUPLE DOWN YET, HAD SLEEP?

>> NO, TOO MUCH CHAMPAGNE AND NOT ENOUGH SLEEP FOR THE LAST 30 HOURS.

>> LET'S TALK ABOUT THE STORY AND THE BIG SOURCE, JAN GANGLEHOFF.

SHE DIDN'T WALK INTO YOURS OFFICE AND DUMP THE COMPUTER DISKS ON YOUR DESK.

HOW DID YOU DEVELOP THAT?

>> JAN WAS GIVEN TO ME AS A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF THE UNIVERSITIES AND I TALKED TO HER AND THROUGH THREE MONTHS OF CONVERSATIONS, I COULD GRADUALLY GET TO SEE WHAT SHE KNEW AND -- >> THREE MONTHS.

>> THREE MONTHS OF PHONE CALLS TWICE A WEEK, VISITS, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST EVERY OTHER WEEK UP TO WISCONSIN WHERE SHE LIVED AND JUST GRADUALLY GETTING TO KNOW HOW CLOSE SHE WAS TO THE PLAYERS, TO THE PROGRAM, AND THEN GETTING HER OVER THE HUMP TO GETTING HER TO COMMIT THAT IT WAS WRONG WHAT SHE DID AND THEN TO ADMIT IT TO ME OPENLY SO THAT WE COULD PRINT IT.

>> WERE YOU SCARED, BECAUSE HERE'S AN EX-EMPLOYEE WHO WOULD HAVE AN AX TO GRIND, AND A LOT OF SOURCES COME THAT WAY.

>> YEAH.

YOU KNOW, JAN'S NEVER DISGRUNTLED, EVERYONE SAYS DISGRUNTLED EX-EMPLOYEE.

SHE NEVER WAS, SHE WAS JUST GRAPPLING WITH THE DILEMMA OF HAVING DONE SOME THINGS WRONG AND WHETHER OR NOT SHE COULD COME FORWARD AND CORRECT THEM.

>> TALK ABOUT YOU AND YOUR EDITOR.

WHEN DID YOU AND YOUR EDITOR DECIDE, YEAH, WE REALLY DO HAVE A STORY HERE AS OPPOSED TO I'M WORKING ON SOMETHING THAT MIGHT PAN OUT.

>> IT WAS MARCH 1st, RIGHT AROUND THERE, WHEN JAN GAVE US THE DISKS.

WE KNEW WE HAD IT THEN BECAUSE THAT WAS PROOF, THAT WAS THE SMOKING GUN, SO TO SPEAK, AND -- >> WERE YOU WORKING ON OTHER STORIES UP UNTIL MARCH 1?

>> YEAH, I WAS HERE AND THERE, DOING DIFFERENT THINGS, DOING SOME VIKING STUFF, SOME TIMBERWOLF STUFF, SOME GOPHER STUFF.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES THIS IS MY SPARE TIME A LOT OF TIMES DOING THIS AND WHEN WE HAD THAT, THAT'S WHEN WE KNEW WE HAD A SORRY.

>> SO YOU GET IT MARCH 1.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE?

I MEAN, LESS THAN 10 DAYS TO PUT IT TOGETHER.

>> YEAH, WE HAD TO FIND PLAYERS.

WE WENT TO FIND TWO, THREE PLAYERS WHO COULD CONFIRM FOR US JAN'S ACCOUNT.

THAT TOOK A COUPLE OF DAYS AND WRITING IT TOOK A DAY OR TWO AND WE CALLED FOR THE UNIVERSITY RESPONSE AND THEN PRINTED IT.

>> THE TIMING, OF COURSE, HAS BEEN CRITICIZED QUITE A BIT.

THE STORY BROKE THE DAY BEFORE THE PLAYOFFS BEGAN AND THE CRITICISM PROBABLY EPITOMIZED BY THIS GUY HERE.

>> IT JUST SHOWED ME ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF "PIONEER PRESS" SENSATIONAL JOURNALISM, OF THEIR TIMING.

I THINK IT'S DESPICABLE AND THEY FELT THE NEED TO RELEASE THIS STORY THE DAY BEFORE THE NCAA TOURNAMENT?

IT COULDN'T HAVE WAITED UNTIL AFTER?

IT'S JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF SENSATIONAL JOURNALISM.

>> OKAY.

YOU'VE BEEN ASKED BEFORE.

WHY NOT HOLD THE STORY FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS?

>> HOW LONG DO YOU HOLD IT?

WHAT IF THEY MAKE THE FINAL 4?

IF THEY HAD MADE THE FINAL 4 AND WE WROTE IT THEN, THEY WOULDN'T BE PAYING BACK $350,000, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING ADDITIONAL MONEY TO THE FOUR -- BECAUSE OF THE FOUR I PLAYERS WHO WOULD HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THOSE GAMES AND HAVE CHEATED.

>> WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN YOU SAW THE FOUR PLAYERS SITTING ON THE BENCH WHO DIDN'T PLAY IN THE PLAYOFF.

>> IT WAS UNFORTUNATE, I LIKE BASKETBALL AND I DON'T WANT TO SEE THE HOME TEAM LOADS AND I FELT SORRY FOR THE FOUR PLAYERS BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'M WORKING ON A STORY, MY NOSE IS DOWN AND I'M JUST TRYING TO KEEP GETTING STORIES AND KEEP MY SOURCE WAS ME AND GETTING AWAY FROM THE OTHER PAPER.

>> YOU TALKED ABOUT, YOU DON'T LIKE TO WATCH THE HOME TEAM.

A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THAT SPORTS REPORTING IS AN OXYMORON, BASICALLY JUST GUYS, GALS, SOMETIMES THAT LOVE A TEAM AND THEY'RE NOT REPORTING AT ALL.

>> I DON'T SUBSCRIBE TO THAT.

THAT'S SORT OF THE SID HARTMAN SCHOOL OF SPORTS JOURNALISM AND I THINK THERE IS A NEW BREED OF JOURNALIST NOW WHO LOOKS AT GAMES AND LOOKS AT PRACTICES AND LOOKS AT COACHES AND THEN ALSO LOOKS AT WHAT THE PLAYERS ARE DRIVING, LOOKS AT WHERE THEY'RE LIVING, LOOKS AT THE TOTAL PACKAGE.

A POLITICAL REPORTER, YOU'RE A POLITICAL REPORTER LOOKS AT EVERY ASPECT OF A POLL TISSUE AND AND I FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT SPORTS FIGURES.

>> WHO RETURNED THE CALLS, WHO DIDN'T?

>> THE FIRST DAY, THE FIRST DAY THE UNIVERSITY COMPLETELY IGNORED US AND THE SECOND DAY WE HAD TO GET YOU DO HAVE TO CALL DEINHART AND McKINLEY BOSTON TO ALMOST FORCE THEM TO RESPOND TO US.

>> A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE UPSET AT THE FALL OF A HEROICS THEY TALKED ABOUT CLEM HASKINS IN THAT REGARD.

PEOPLE ALSO TALKED ABOUT MARK DIINHART IN THAT REGARD WHO BUILT UP THE PROGRAM.

HOW MUCH DOES IT HURT, EVEN THOUGH YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DID, YOU KNOW WHAT THIS DID HE WRONG, HOW HARD IS THAT TO SEE PEOPLE FALL A.FALL APART LIKE IS THAT?

>> I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF SYMPATHY FOR CLEM, THE UNIVERSITY KNEW HE WAS CHEATING.

MARK DIENHART, A LOT OF PEOPLE CAST HIM IN THE ROLE OF A VICTIM, BUT MARK YUDOFF CAST HIM IN THAT ROLE.

THAT'S HIS SHIP AND HE'S GOING TO RUN IT THE WAY HE WANTS TO.

>> IT'S PRETTY HEADY STUFF, SCARY, WE ALL DO STORIES, GET PATS ON THE BACK OR THANKS FOR BRINGING THINGS TO LIGHT.

YOU CHANGED HISTORY IN A WAY, YOU CHANGED UNIVERSITY POLICY, YOU CHANGED CAREERS.

WHAT'S THAT LIKE?

>> YOU DON'T THINK ABOUT IT WHEN YOU'RE DOING IT, CERTAINLY, AGAIN, YOU HAVE YOUR HEAD DOWN, TRYING TO GET THE FACTS BECAUSE THE EDITOR NEEDS THESE FACTS FOR TO YOU THINK ABOUT RUNNING THE STORY AND YOU KIND OF SIT BACK MONTHS LATER AND SAY, WOW, THIS IS -- IS THIS WHAT HAPPENED?

AND, YOU KNOW, I CAN SIT HERE AND SAY IT'S MY FAULT THIS HAPPENED OR THAT HAPPENED, I LIKE TO THING THAT PEOPLE THAT CHEATED, IT'S THEIR FAULT THIS HAPPENED.

>> WHEN YOU'RE DOING OTHER STORIES, DO PEOPLE SAY, WHOA, WHOA, YOU'RE THE GUY THAT DID THE GOPHER THING, DOES THAT HURT YOU?

>> MAKES THINGS AWKWARD BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO TALK YOUR WAY THROUGH IT.

I WAS DOING A STORY ON HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL, AND I CALLED, AND YOU'RE THE GUY THAT DID THE GOPHER STORY.

I SAID I'M JUST DOING A STORY ABOUT YOUR KIDS.

SO A LITTLE MORE TALKING.

>> DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING OF A SHRETDOWN DOING A STORY ABOUT A HIGH SCHOOL COACH WHO'S CHANGING LIVES AND I CAN SAY THAT BECAUSE I DID THAT STORY NOT TOO LONG AGO MYSELF, BUT IS IT HARD TO GET UP FOR SOME STORIES AFTER THIS ONE?

>> YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T THINK I'M GOING TO TRY TO DUPLICATE THIS PROBABLY EVER, AND ACTUALLY, I LIKE DOING THOSE STORIES AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN MY GOAL TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE WANT TO READ MY STORIES.

OH, GEORGE WROTE TODAY, I WANT TO READ THAT.

I LIKE TO THINK NO MATTER WHAT THE TOPIC IS, IF I CAN DO IT RIGHT, I CAN BRING ANYBODY INTO THE TOPIC.

>> HALF A MINUTE TO GO, UNDER OATH HERE, HOW MANY JOB OFFERS HAVE YOU?

-- HAVE YOU HAD.

>> TODAY, YESTERDAY, I GOT A LOT OF PHONE CALLS IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS WHEN THEY FOUND OUT I WAS A FINALIST, YEAH.

>> WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.