Some People Are a Source of Laker Misinformation

They pay me to chat once a week with the radio hosts of the Fox Morning Sports Extravaganza , but not nearly enough to actually listen to the show.

I can’t imagine anyone listening to the nationally broadcast prattle on XTRA Sports, which probably explains why the Extravaganza’s senior producer, Sam Betesh, e-mails the media across the country every day telling them what they missed.

That means Betesh not only listens to the show, but has to go back and listen again to isolate the Extravaganza’s highlight. Tell me anyone in this country has a tougher job than this guy.

Betesh e-mailed Thursday to boast: “Today Krystal [Fernandez] reported that credible sources within the Laker organization told her that Kobe Bryant may have played a part in Rudy T’s decision to leave the Lakers.”

Let’s stop right there. I guess you have to give credit to Fernandez for giving the country information from “credible” sources, as opposed to just sources, although you would think if she’s going to tell everyone what sources had to say, she would do so only if they were credible.

I had no idea that Fernandez, who is in Jacksonville for the Super Bowl with everyone else at the Extravaganza, had a credible source within the Laker organization, let alone credible sources. I asked John Black, the Lakers’ PR whiz, how many times he had issued a media credential to Fernandez to talk to the Lakers, and he said “Never.”

Fernandez’s credible sources, though, told her that Bryant may have played a part in Rudy T’s departure, and if she was talking to sources, it’s funny how they all agreed that he “may” have played a part, which also leaves open the possibility, I guess, he may not have played a part.

The Extravaganza e-mail continued: “Her source told her that Kobe had begun questioning Rudy’s ability to coach behind closed doors especially after a recent loss to the lowly New Jersey Nets.”

Let’s stop right there. Suddenly her credible sources had become just a source in a matter of a sentence, telling us that Kobe had begun questioning Rudy’s ability to coach. That wouldn’t make him different than most of us, of course, but he was doing it behind closed doors. If that were true, wouldn’t the best place to question Rudy’s coaching ability be behind closed doors?

The Extravaganza e-mail continued: “This potential development did not make Van Earl [Wright] happy.” (You notice Betesh italicized “potential,” apparently not quite sure that Fernandez would have credible sources or a source.)

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WRIGHT USED to be the anchor on the “Southern California Sports Report,” so he’s used to people not paying attention to his work. I happen to think he’s very talented, so talented that he’s been able to hide it while doing the morning radio gig the last few months.

“If he ran off Rudy T,” Wright said, and the “if” was italicized, too, and now everyone was questioning Fernandez.... “just like he ran off Shaq, just like he ran off Phil Jackson, according to Shaq and Phil -- to hell with Kobe Bryant.”

I guess it’s good, like everyone else, the FCC doesn’t listen to the show.

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THE OTHER host, Andrew Siciliano, who is on the show only to give Wright the chance to catch his breath, said nothing worth repeating (as he usually does), and then Wright unloaded.

“Everything that is awful and self-centered about American sports today is represented in this,” he said. What happens if it turns out that Bryant may not have played a role in Rudy’s departure?

Wright no longer cared. He had spent a lot of time on the “Southern California Sports Report” with Jack Haley listening to silly things being said, and so apparently he wanted his chance too.

“I am sick and tired of these immature, childish, supposedly grown men who get paid millions and millions of dollars.... and they are catered to, like Dr. Jerry Buss has apparently catered to Kobe Bryant -- just like he did with Magic Johnson, although Magic was totally different. He showed a little maturity, he was about the team. Kobe has no concept of team -- whatsoever.”

All that because Fernandez talked to credible sources or a source, and around the whole country -- if anyone was actually listening -- folks left thinking that Bryant might have had something to do with Rudy’s departure, feeding the perception that Bryant’s ego is out of control.

That’s no different, of course, than the Orange County Register columnist who asked the Rudy T question: “Stomach virus? Maybe, it was something he 8.” Clever, but just another irresponsible guess.

A Long Beach Press-Telegram columnist wrote Thursday, “ ... there are those who insist Bryant played a hand in [Rudy T’s departure].” He also wrote, “others claim Bryant is blameless,” and so I guess Bryant may or may not have led to Rudy T’s departure, and I think we know now who Fernandez’s source might be.

When the news broke that Rudy T was going to resign, it would be almost 24 hours before the media learned why, but it didn’t stop reporters and radio folks from guessing, and many began by blaming Bryant -- stating it almost as fact.

In some cases it’s what the public expected to hear -- even wanted to hear -- which demonstrates how far Bryant has fallen off the championship stage. This time, though, the blame seems to be misplaced, unless a really credible, highly placed source with inside connections named Buss or Kupchak steps forward and says it was really Bryant who did Rudy in. Scratch that: I don’t believe anything Kupchak says.

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TODAY’S LAST word comes in a call from Stanley Phillips:

“Do you think Mrs. McCourt has been talking to Steven Sample?”

I’d be the last to know.

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T.J. Simers can be reached at t.j.simers@latimes.com. To read previous columns by Simers, go to latimes.com/simers.