What About Your First Prediction?

Sorry to nitpick, but two days ago defense attorney Barry Hazen was all over the news giving color commentary in the search for Brian Nichols. On one of his appearances (I can't find the transcript but I saw him say it), he declared that Nichols would "not be taken alive." Yesterday he was back on tv, giving more expert commentary, and he didn't even bother noting that his first prediction was totally wrong. I'm glad the situation was resolved peacefully, and I respect lawyers who represent notorious and unpopular clients, but come on!

Comments

[phocion]

People admitting their predictions were wrong? On TV?

You're a funny guy, Tim!

[thoreau]

Reminds me of the night before the OJ verdict. Half the pundits were all insisting that when a jury comes back that quickly it can only mean acquittal, and the other half were insisting that when a jury comes back that quickly it can only mean conviction.

But the pundits all agreed on one thing: That they should be invited back for future shows even if their predictions should turn out to be completely wrong and obviously just something they pulled out of their asses.

[Warren]

Don't forget that lone, white, militant, gunman that was terroizing DC a few years ago.

[Franklin Harris]

Or the Arabs who carried out the Oklahoma City bombing.

[Mo]

Look like they're taking a page out of the sportswriters manifesto. All wildly incorrect predictions are ignored after the fact.

[EG]

Who else would spend any time on TV with Wolf Blitzer? Someone who knew something?

[Franklin Harris]

I still have nightmares when I see a white van.

That's funny. I still have nightmares about a white Ford Bronco.

[Semolina Pilchard]

Sorry to nitpick, but are you certain you've witnessed every TV interview Barry Hazen has conducted since Nichols' capture? Are you sure that he hadn't already noted his offbase prediction -- perhaps even dropped to his knees, weeping as he begged America's forgiveness for his prognostication lapse?

More relevant, really: Is such a declaration ("he won't be taken alive") so momentous in the first place? Does it actually merit subsequent clarification? Sure, Hazen was brazen with his pronouncement in the heat of a frenzied day, but really it was just a judgment call that turned out to be wrong. Big deal!

[madpad]

This is just the sort of thing that happens now that we have a 24 hour news cycle.

CNN, Fox, MSNBC and everyone else putters along trying to pump life into mediocre crap 48 times a day.

No one seems to realize that not a whole lot happens from hour to hour as a general rule until something big and compelling happens - about twice a year.

Everyone tries to fill up 24 hours a day with content - any content, even if it's bad, wrong, stupid or even dangerous. Anything is better than dead air or something worse than what the other guys are showing.

It's a never-ending race to the bottom.

[TWC]

Ended peacefully? Well if you don't count the littered bodies strewn about he countryside, I guess it ended peacefully enough in that the killer isn't dead (apparently he couldn't take what he was dishing).

As to moronithy forecasting that the guy would go down with the ship, that was a fairly safe bet given the intensity of his violence.

[Sean Sirrine]

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[Tim Cavanaugh]

It was resolved peacefully in that there was no new shootout involving any innocent people, he released the woman he was holding hostage, no cops got killed in the process, etc.

[David Rollins]

My favorite part of this story is that the "green Honda" for which it was breathlessly reported that "the getaway car description is being flashed on highway signs" was found in the parking garage where it was stolen. The cops checked the floor of the parking garage carjacking, but not any other floors of the garage. A real Clancy moment. D'oh!

[db]

I still have nightmares when I see a white van.

That's funny. I still have nightmares about a white Ford Bronco.

I'm pretty sure that Carl Jung noted something about the ur-evil being large and white with black round appendages.

[db]

As to moronithy forecasting that the guy would go down with the ship, that was a fairly safe bet given the intensity of his violence.

Not to mention the fact that police don't usually let cop-killers off easy. The fact that this situation was so widely known about probably ensured Nichols' survival.

[Anon.]

Who cares whether he said 'he would be taken alive' or not!! Hazen didnt know what would happen. No one in Atlanta did(talkin from experience, relative and living in ATL) All we knew is there was a killer on the loose and everyone was a little pissed anyways, that if it werent for him surrendering peacefully with no harm, he probably would have been shot and killed. We werent willing to deal with his shit anymore. Everyone needs to stop bashin on Hazen. All he knew is that all of ATL wanted this guy dead and I bet anyone that had the chance would have killed him. So y'all need to chill.