Should he lose his job over it? Probably not, if that's the only mark against him. But if I was his editor he would get some sort of punishment. He behaved like a megalomaniacal ass while representing the company, and his intentionally rude behavior made national news. He disgraced his paper.

Should he have been fired? Not necessarily. But anyone who would defend his behavior is dead wrong.

The Detnews continues to go from bad to worst.

it's a conservative rag anyway (and now they're only publishing three days a week)...

By posing the question as he did, Parker put Marinelli in a position of being pitied. Marinelli certainly doesn't deserve any pity, not after accomplishing the greatest feat of incompetence in the history of the National Football League.

If Parker had asked his question straight - instead of grandstanding for the TV cameras in the press room - he might have actually received an answer from Marinelli. Giving Parker the benefit of the doubt here, isn't that what he was looking for? How does it benefit Parker, his newspaper and his readers to alienate his sources with unnecessary dickishness?

However, Marinelli ALWAYS responded the same way: "Because Joe Barry is teaching the defense EXACTLY how I want it to be taught." He said that multiple times throughout the season, Erik. So what does this lead us to believe? Well, either Marinelli wants poor defense to be taught, or the Lions' players simply aren't executing what they're being taught by Barry. If Parker was a good journalist, he'd use some logic and come back at Marinelli with a question based on the aforementioned conclusions.

Furthermore, Parker said he was trying to make light of the situation. "Making light" of a situation is not the job of a professional journalist, regardless of whether or not you're a columnist. Nor is it a journalist's job to try to get someone - players or coaches - to laugh at their historical failure.

“Do you wish your daughter would have married a better defensive coordinator?”

“Sir, you hired a defensive coordinator who’s also part of your family. Do you regret that decision, and did that fact that he was part of your family influence your decision to make the hire?”

The first question is asking Marinelli about his daughter's husband, not about his defensive coordinator and how it affects his family life. There is a huge difference there. To ask about someone's professional life in relation to their personal life is acceptable. Ask Tom Coughlin. If Parker had meant to ask the second question, he would have. As you pointed out, he's a columnist, so I'm fairly certain he's able to discern the differences between those two sentences. This story is clearly lacking any understanding of the situation. Parker apologized after he asked that question and admitted it was wrong to ask. Have you actually watched the press conference? How was Parker not being insensitive

Also, your final sentence is a little lacking. After all your talk of practicing good journalism, you think you would expand on what it actually is.