Gator-Gate Roils Razorback Nation

With a Heisman Trophy candidate in tow and fans dreaming of a conference title run, it’s ironic that Arkansas can talk about little else than the woman who lost her job for wearing a baseball cap to work. 

The actions of former KAKS-FM reporter Renee Gork – who was dismissed Aug. 16, two days after University of Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino called her out for wearing a Florida Gator cap to a press conference – have split the community in a way not seen since Houston Nutt was, well, you know.

Gork fueled the firestorm by acting naively, no doubt about it. Imagine if a reporter went to interview Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke dressed in Target garb. Aside from being rude, it would put that person’s employer in an untenable position.

KAKS, which calls itself Hog Sports Radio, clearly felt boxed in with a person on staff that, besides being a University of Florida grad, was actively airing her sympathies on Facebook and Twitter. Again, not smart.

But Springdale-based KAKS (which tied for 13th place among area stations with a 2.5 share last fall) isn’t blameless. Station manager Dan Storrs helped the story go national when he said: “This radio station is Hog Sports Radio. We are very biased. We support the Razorbacks 100 percent.”

He’s right. It doesn’t make much sense to have a Gator fan reporting on behalf of Razorback fans. It also suggests his outfit needs to brush up on Journalism 101. Being objective is central to doing the job right, which is clearly not KAKS’s goal.

We think sporting a Hog hat at a press conference would be just as wrong as Gork was – although we doubt the folks at KAKS, or the coaching staff or any other media outlet ever reprimanded a reporter for doing that.

This story is thick with blame. Yes, Gork was wrong for acting a bit too much like a fan. Yes, Coach Petrino – who clearly hasn’t gotten over last year’s loss to Florida – should have addressed this matter with Gork in private. And yes, in retrospect, KAKS could have been more diplomatic in terminating Gork, and also better explained that it would show no mercy to reporters caught wearing anti-Hog team gear while on the Hill.

Perhaps the most disappointing slice of this drama is the reaction of fans who, according to Gork, have sent incredibly hateful messages (including death threats) her way.

Radio callers fret the national media is hurting Arkansas’ image and sending prized recruits in other directions. Maybe. But folks, blowing a minor incident completely out of proportion doesn’t help.

Gator-Gate has embarrassed the Razorback brand before the nation’s eyes. Hopefully someday the focus returns to the athletes, whose hard work and lofty aspirations deserve more attention than a bunch of grownups acting like children.