Judge Throws Out Lawsuit Against SI Over ‘The Dirty Game’ Report

An Oklahoma City judge threw out the lawsuit in September of John Talley, who was depicted in Sports Illustrated’s investigative report called ‘The Dirty Game.’

The bombshell report, which has subsequently been debunked, detailed allegations of illegal boosting activities involving Talley and other boosters. According to The Oklahoman, Talley’s lawsuit complained the magazine falsified and omitted information “to recast his activities in a false light” to portray him as “one of the linchpins of illegal boosting activities.”

Talley also took issue with the sourcing used by the reporters in the story, particularly of those who had rocky pasts with the football program.

The judge threw out the lawsuit of Talley against the magazine on Sept. 21 after reviewing pleadings, transcripts and exhibits. Talley, who was elected to the state House of Representative in June, plans to appeal the ruling.

In a 15-page order, U.S. District Judge Timothy DeGiusti noted that the reporters recorded their interviews.

“The audio recordings … establish that they accurately reported what OSU football players named in the article said about being overpaid for work, being paid for sham work, being paid for speaking engagements, and staying on plaintiff’s property rent-free,” the judge wrote. [The Oklahoman]

Oklahoma State in 2014, after an investigation, released a joint statement with the NCAA saying SI’s report was “fundamentally unfounded.”