"Did Arch Manning, Steve Sarkisian and cackling reporters act this way? It can’t be real," Candace Buckner wrote in a headline.Buckner is referring to Manning citing an AI video earlier this week of Sarkisian slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe, which he and the reporters in the room found funny.On Saturday, Sarkisian blew up Rowe during a post-game interview.Manning has since apologized.
Rowe said she accepted the apology.Evidently, Buckner did not.Arch Manning No.16 of the Texas Longhorns warms up before a game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Sept.
12, 2026, in Austin, Texas.(Getty Images)"I can’t tell which is worse: the phony clip depicting violence against a woman, or the real-life behavior displayed by Sarkisian, then Manning and a room of media members? Before they could edit themselves and add a glossy filter to their apologies, they showed the sordid bits of their individual characters for all to see," she wrote.For the record, Manning finding the AI-generated clip funny says nothing about his character.Even if you agree that he should have apologized – if, for nothing else, to mitigate the distraction – his comments are not worth the level of outrage Buckner is exhibiting.It's also notable that Buckner is showing such fury over Manning, Sarkisian, and reporters over their treatment of women, but not Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs.From what we can tell, Buckner has not penned a single article about Jacobs, who is facing a felony charge for allegedly strangling his ex-girlfriend.Not a word.Josh Jacobs No.
8 of the Green Bay Packers runs off the field during halftime of a preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals at Lambeau Field on Aug.28, 2026, in Green Bay, Wis.
(Getty Images)Why is that?Why would a sports reporter for The Athletic show more disgust over a player joking about a meme hitting a woman than a player who was arrested and put on the NFL Commissioner's Exemption list for allege...