04/19/24
December 20, 2011
Philly Sportswriter Bill Conlin Accused of Child Sex Abuse: Philadelphia Daily News sportswriter Bill Conlin, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, retired Tuesday after being accused of sexually molesting four children -- including his niece -- in the '70s when they were ages 7 to 12. Several parents of the children were told at the time, and some confronted Conlin, but no one called police, according to a story in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Conlin's niece Kelley Blanchet, one of the alleged victims, said, "People have kept his secret. It's not just the victims, it's the victims' families. There were so many people who knew about this and did nothing." The four provided videotaped testimony to police last year but the crimes were beyond the statute of limitations. Conlin wrote a column about the Sandusky allegations last month, suggesting that it's easy to say you'd do the right thing if you witnessed sex abuse. "Everybody says he will do the right thing, get involved, put his own ass on the line before or after the fact," he wrote. "But the moment itself has a cruel way of suspending our fearless intentions."
I don't understand how so many people could know about Conlin, if the allegations are true, and not call police. The article quotes several parents who were told at the time.
posted by rcade at 01:37 PM on December 21, 2011
posted by yerfatma at 10:18 AM on December 22, 2011
The way Bissinger wrote his piece, I thought he was making excuses for Conlin. But once he read the Inquirer piece, he believed it completely: "As a reporter for nearly 40 years, I know an airtight story when I see one." I agree. The story has too many accusers, and too many people who were told by the accusers contemporaneous to the abuse, to believe it's a smear attempt.
The Deadspin piece contains more from Conlin than anyone else, since he was actively plotting with A.J. Daulerio how to respond. Daulerio, to his discredit, was coaching him at one point when he emailed, "Let's run her email questions from you and a preemptive denial and the fact that you plan to sue for defamation when story drops." But by running quotes from Conlin's email over his attorney's objections, he burns his source and friend.
It does not appear that Conlin ever denies the allegations in his exchanges with Daulerio. And he mentions his daughter babysat for Steve Carlton and Tim McCarver's children and mentions some kind of familial relationship with Harry Kalas' kids, which has to be worrisome to those families.
I'm glad Conlin lived long enough to have to face these allegations. I wonder if there's any chance he'll be removed from the Hall.
posted by rcade at 10:59 AM on December 22, 2011
I'm glad Conlin lived long enough to have to face these allegations. I wonder if there's any chance he'll be removed from the Hall.
None. They didn't do anything when word got out about the private life of this guy.
posted by grum@work at 11:07 AM on December 22, 2011
Two more accusers have come forward, one named.
posted by rcade at 11:10 AM on December 22, 2011
What would compel a person with his past to write an article like that? It's kind of astonishing to me.