Advertisement

Friday, December 21, 2007

Hoax calls traced to Chicago

By Jonathan Kealing

Advertisement

An employee from a Chicago-based executive search firm is the registered owner of a cell phone used Wednesday night to make hoax calls to the Lawrence Journal-World.

The phone was used to report inaccurately that KU football coach Mark Mangino was a candidate for the West Virginia football coach job.

That employee, Jacky Hackett, is listed as a technology manager for recruitment firm Spencer Stuart. Spencer Stuart recruits executives to companies and was responsible for identifying candidates for the Green Bay Packers' CEO position.

Through a Spencer Stuart spokesman, Hackett said she had no idea how a number associated with her name could have been used in those calls. A Spencer Stuart representative said that none of the numbers used in the calls belonged to the company and that it knew nothing of the calls.

The hoax phone calls were placed to Ryan Wood, the Journal-World's KU football reporter. In the calls, Wood was made to believe that Mangino was in serious negotiations to leave KU for West Virginia. That turned out to be false.

In addition to talking to a man who identified himself as Mangino's agent, Neil Cornrich, Wood spoke to someone who identified himself using the name of a reporter for a West Virginia newspaper. That person said he was working on a story that Mangino's agent had spoken with the West Virginia athletic director and asked for help confirming that. The person posing as a reporter called the Journal-World newsroom and said he could be reached at the cell phone number registered to Hackett.

A total of three phone numbers were involved in the calls to Wood. One was used by the person posing as the reporter; the other two were used by the man posing as Mangino's agent. All are unlisted cell phones. But through a database search, Hackett's name was tied to one of the phone numbers.

About 20 minutes after posting a statement alleged to be from Cornrich, Wood realized the person he had spoken to was not credible, and the inaccurate information was removed from the Journal-World Web site.

More like this

Comments

b_asinbeer (anonymous) says...

Here we go again...LJWorld covering their rear once more. Get the facts correct the FIRST time!

December 21, 2007 at 4:51 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Nutflush21 (anonymous) says...

Come on b_asinbeer, give Ryan Wood and LJ-World a break. This guy obviously went to great lengths to fool Wood. Wood is a credible journalist and would not post information on this site that is knowingly from a bogus source.

So the guy got one over on Wood, it happens to the best of us.

December 21, 2007 at 6 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

ohjayhawk (anonymous) says...

Working in WV, I can say that one of my co-workers told me yesterday this rumor made it on their fan sites as well. I don't think that was a result of the LJWorld info, though. I wonder if the same person who called the LJWorld had anything to do with that? Sounds like someone is really trying to pull off a huge hoax here.

December 21, 2007 at 6:56 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

PeteJayhawk (anonymous) says...

I wonder where ol' Jacky Hackett went to college...

December 21, 2007 at 7:22 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

klineisanazi (anonymous) says...

According to the Topeka Cap-Journal, they got the same calls, but didn't report anything because after making phone calls to sources in Lawrence, they could not confirm it. Isn't that what journalists do? Something appearing on a fan board is one thing, but when a newspaper posts something on a site, they should do the legwork first. They dropped the ball on this one.

December 21, 2007 at 7:46 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

klong (anonymous) says...

I'm sure they will learn from it and be more careful in the future.

December 21, 2007 at 8:04 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jayhawkinatl (anonymous) says...

Hey, PeteJayhawk...are you thinking what I'm thinking???

December 21, 2007 at 8:46 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

plasticJHawk (anonymous) says...

If you look at these photos, and assumeing this is the same Jacky Hackett from Chicago. Then, she's actually a Colorado fan
http://www.flickr.com/people/jaxhouse/

December 21, 2007 at 9:17 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

LAJayhawk5 (anonymous) says...

Probably her tool CU boyfriend that made the calls. "I have no idea how my phone was used?" Really, Jacky?

Jacky and her crew of pranksters can ....

SUCK IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

December 21, 2007 at 9:22 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

speedy (anonymous) says...

why would a reporter just post something w/o checking with the coach first?
kansas has had several coaches leave to go to other programs. pepper went to lala land. why on gods green earth would anyone leave kansas to go to w. virginia???

December 21, 2007 at 9:36 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jpstrayer (anonymous) says...

Ryan Woods was made to believe??? How does someone make you believe something. Maybe he was lead to believe, but the actual believing was a choice on his part...obviously one that wasn't confirmed before "printing". I thought journalist were to confirm their stories...would be a lot easier to do that than have to retract. And in this case there was no retraction...the story just disappeared.

December 21, 2007 at 9:42 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

hinrichfan27 (anonymous) says...

If the LJworld waited for the KU athletics department to confirm everything they reported they'd be a year behind the competition. We, as readers, should be glad they're reporting the information given to them and laying it out for us. Relying on an institution to get your story will not get you anywhere.

The Ljworld got burned but it could have happened anywhere. An agent is a pretty reputable source, and this guy obviously went to great lengths to convince Wood he was Mangino's agent.

December 21, 2007 at 10:19 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...

Chicago?

"Use of unnecessary violence in the apprehension of these [pranksters] has been approved!"

cue scenes of the police boats, police on horseback and the national guard!

hutt, hutt, hutt ...

December 21, 2007 at 10:40 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

elkwc36 (anonymous) says...

I think the Wichita Eagle got called also. Only the LJW posted it without properly checking sources first. I think in the rush to be first sometimes we do things we later regret. That is what experience teaches us. Patience isn't a virtue of today's world. Only one paper fell for it. So must not of been real convincing. I think the LJW should just learn their lesson and move on. Trying to trace down the culprits is a waste of time to me. I've been involved in pranks before and always felt they were fun as long as no one was hurt. And the only damage here is egg on the face and a few bruised ego's I would say. Nice to have a laugh this time of year. Merry Christmas to all.

December 21, 2007 at 11:16 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

brooksjjj (anonymous) says...

Yeah, the prankster went through great length to make Ryan believe something: 2 whole phone calls. Maybe next time Ryan will do some legwork BEFORE putting the story up.

December 21, 2007 at 11:36 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

oldalum (anonymous) says...

It was either the KCStar or Topeka Capitol that said they got the same call, but called the AD to confirm and were told it was baloney. They returned the call to the guy and told him the AD denied it, and he said something like "whatever."

December 21, 2007 at 11:52 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jpstrayer (anonymous) says...

hinrichfan27---well the competition must be doing something right, because they didn't get caught up in the hoax.

December 21, 2007 at 12:36 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...

Topeka Cap-Journal ...

I have a friend who works in the sports dept at the KC Star, as far as he knew ... no one had tried this with them.

December 21, 2007 at 12:55 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

feedback71 (anonymous) says...

I suppose it would be helpful to know who, exactly, was behind this hoax. It might give more insight into the motivation for this. Was it a Virginia Tech fan trying to distract our coach and team from the job at hand? Perhaps a jealous MU fan?

December 21, 2007 at 1:25 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

klong (anonymous) says...

The LJW isn't exactly the NY Post. They got one pulled over on them, that's it!

December 21, 2007 at 1:32 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

hambone (anonymous) says...

Look, it's over now, but to make excuses for the bad decision making by all involved at the LJW doesn't help. All the heat they're getting is deserved. If this had happened closer to the game and had been left on the site to get picked up by a national outlet, that could've been damaging, plain and simple, and they know that. So all the apologists can stop enabling their bad performance. The ljw know there is no excuse, none. They blew it. No harm. Move on.

I feel bad for everyone who was traumatized. I read the original comments made who found the story and it's horrifying. That would've been such a let down for me. Stop doing stories on it and eat it.

December 21, 2007 at 2:14 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jayhawk86 (anonymous) says...

Here is the link for the story the other night and the comments. in case you missed it.

http://www2.kusports.com/news/2007/de...

December 21, 2007 at 2:15 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kik1958 (anonymous) says...

My wife calls the LJ-W "the Lawrence Bee" implying that it is just a small town useless paper..........guess she was right. Why don't you go back to printing the local police beats again. Maybe you can get that correct!!!

December 21, 2007 at 2:45 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

bg_duck1 (anonymous) says...

I just got a call from a guy who said he was Frank Beamer and he claimed to be the guy who called wood and told him Mangino was leaving.

December 21, 2007 at 5:04 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

SacJayhawk (anonymous) says...

I just got a call from Coach K's agent's agent and apparently ratface is the front runner to replace Sutton Junior after they tank this season. I haven't bothered to confirm any of this yet in the rush to be first to break the story...

December 21, 2007 at 7:42 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

JBurtin (anonymous) says...

I guarantee it had to be a K-State fan.

Think about it.

They got a good basketball coach, then lost him shortly after to West Virginia. Putting them right back in the craphole they started in.

In a K-Stater's mind, KU has no business getting good at football. So losing our good football coach to the same school that took their basketball coach would be the happiest day of their lives.

Further, many K-State fans are from western Kansas, right near Colorado. So I'd bet just about anything that he married someone from over the state line.

Perhaps this was an attempt to put Mangino's name out there for the job. Sometimes when that happens the fans start calling for that coach to be hired and it actually happens. The proof is what just happened at Nebraska. I doubt Bo Pellini would have been Tom Osbourne's first pick, but the fans and the media pretty much made his decision for him. If he would have picked anybody else (rehiring Solich for instance), there would have been an outcry.

Nice try kitty kat klansman. Even if KU lost Mangino, we would have several other very good options to replace him. Bill Young would make a damn fine head coach. He would be taking over the program without having to change a thing in terms of playing style. Clint Bowen has been under him for several years and is already the co-defensive coordinator. There most likely wouldn't even be a dropoff next year. The kitties are just gonna have to deal with the fact that KU is going to continue to be the dominant program in the state.

December 21, 2007 at 8:38 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jhaux (anonymous) says...

Jacky has a Linkedin.com page. Techie.

December 21, 2007 at 8:40 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

CaliforniaJhk (anonymous) says...

There are a number of recruits making decisions between now and Christmas. It would seem that a little drama might screw that up.....who would want to do that?....how about one of the schools that lost a commitment to us. One recruit is deciding between KU and Wisconsin. The NCAA should give this a look.

December 22, 2007 at 1:58 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

sarahdeangelo (anonymous) says...

Why is this still available online? This entire article was written without any research and is completely unfactual.

October 22, 2009 at 1:29 p.m. ( | suggest removal )