Website deletes old articles after touting LaVar Ball-free policy

A new sports media venture has deleted old articles after touting a LaVar Ball-free policy to try and acquire more subscribers.

The Athletic, a new subscription-based sports journalism website, on Tuesday touted in a social media marketing campaign that they are a LaVar Ball-free outlet. Here’s their pitch:

Of all @TheAthleticCFB sales pitches, this one might prove the most effective (and timely). https://t.co/yrmcjPmBPH pic.twitter.com/KcEsjjbKpL

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) January 9, 2018

Stewart Mandel, one of the company’s college football reporters, doubled down and said he’s “serious” that there is a no-LaVar company policy.

We’re serious by the way. There’s an official no-LaVar company policy.

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) January 9, 2018

Despite the advertised policy, Ball was mentioned in Anthony Slater’s article about the Warriors-Nuggets game on Monday night.

Black Sports Online’s Robert Littal also pointed out that the site had written about LaVar in detail in the past:

Then they just flat out lie to you, but it doesn't matter because they already have your subscription. I like people over there, I recognize fakeness when I see it, you not fooling me. pic.twitter.com/PpdQ5DhANs

— Robert Littal (@BSO) January 9, 2018

At some point after it was pointed out that their past articles were in conflict with the new stated policy, the site deleted the old LaVar Ball articles:

The Athletic pretended to have a "No LaVar Ball" policy bc SERIOUS JOURNALISM™, got called out and then tried to delete their archives to cover their tracks

Links are cache'd versions of the deleted articles.

1) https://t.co/fde2IgrJPf

2) https://t.co/wTXB84mgfq pic.twitter.com/7UOXL2dApm

— Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) January 9, 2018

There is some irony in the notion that a company that dislikes the way LaVar Ball markets his company uses Ball’s name to market their own company. At least they probably just became Steve Kerr’s favorite outlet.

Sticking to the policy may be easier said than done for The Athletic.