According to documents obtained by Meet at Midfield, former Ohio State offensive tackle Kirk Barton has been banned from the program for his “improper and unauthorized access to Ohio State’s internal football video system” and “compromising the spirit of journalistic integrity by exposing team formations, schemes and personnel changes” on his website, Buckeye Scoop.
These details came to light as part of a now-concluded legal battle in which reporter Marc Givler – who has since launched a separate website, Buckeye Huddle – alleged that Barton and Ken Stickney (also known online as “Nevadabuck”) stole sponsorship profits and cheated in a site-affiliated fantasy football league for financial gain.
An email sent by school spokesperson Jerry Emig to an independent arbitrator noted that Barton, who was a first-team All-American for the Buckeyes in 2007, and Stickney were in “direct violation of Ohio State’s closed football practice policy” and were “uniquely problematic because of the improper and dishonest matter in which they gained access to these closed practices.”
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It’s unclear how Barton and Stickney obtained the practice video, which Emig said led to stories on their website that were “inaccurate” and “in direct conflict to Ohio State’s media policies and protocols.” It is alleged that they used a former player to access the internal video archive.
The athletic department subsequently revoked credentials for the entire Buckeye Scoop staff, including Barton, who was initially credentialed as a reporter for ABC 6/FOX 28 in Columbus. Emig told the independent arbitrator that they would not receive media credentials for “the foreseeable future” as a result of their actions.
In addition to having his credentials revoked by Ohio State, Barton – who was also a graduate assistant for the Buckeyes under former head coaches Jim Tressel, Luke Fickell and Urban Meyer from 2010-12 – was reportedly escorted out of practice back in March by director of player development C.J. Barnett because he no longer has the privilege of attending practices as a former player.
Barton and Stickney continue to write for Buckeye Scoop, which was recently accused of stealing videos from a competing website and passing it off as their own, while Givler and several former employees have since moved on to Buckeye Huddle.
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