Soon after Furman Bisher opined in a Saturday Evening Post column that college football, particularly at Alabama, had taken a barbaric turn -- "I'd seen so much brutal stuff in college football, probably not nearly as much as you see now," he said in 2006 -- the magazine printed an article about an overheard phone conversation between Alabama football coach Bear Bryant and University of Georgia athletics director Wally Butts, the former Bulldogs coach. The story suggested the pair inappropriately discussed details of the schools' upcoming game in 1962.
It was widely assumed that Bisher authored or contributed to the piece and he had to testify when Butts sued the magazine for libel. In fact, Bisher’s sole involvement was a few interviews, which went unused. He was provided an advance copy of the story and said he encouraged, without any luck, the Post to soften its tone.
“He didn’t write a word or supply a word to it,” said Jim Minter, his former Atlanta Journal-Constitution editor.
Butts was awarded damages -- substantial at first, later reduced significantly -- over the Post piece. Bryant settled out-of-court on two suits, the first aimed at Bisher’s column.
Bisher’s subsequent clear-the-air visit to Tuscaloosa proved fruitless when Bryant declined to meet him. After the legendary coach died, Bisher expressed no interest in covering the funeral.
“Ugliest part of my career,” he said. “Some people in Alabama still think I wrote it.”
-- Mike Tierney
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