Wrong! Who says because he is a public figure that he has to go around telling anybody about his personal life? He doesn't owe that to the fans or the media.
He can be in the "fish bowl" while he is at work, because that is what put's him into the fish bowl.
His private life is another story. People have a lot of nerve expecting these people to give up every shread of privacy because they play pro sports or are on TV or in movies. Who the hell gave you the right to know who they are going out with or how much money they make or where they are going to be tonight. Nobody that's who!

I agree with Cbfjeff- there's nothing that says Nowitzki has to share all his business just because he's a famous athlete.
I just feel sorry for him and what he must be going through. He'll probably never trust women again after this.
Too bad he didn't meet me first! :)

Public figure does not equal open book. If that is the case, Dale name me the last five times you had sex, because I pay your salary though watching and reading www.wfaa.com.

I have heard that Dirk can make 3's with his eyes closed, apparently he chooses his girlfriends the same way. But why did it have to get involved with Chewbacca's sister??

Dale Hansen I wonder how you and your fellow public vultures at WFAA would feel if someone in your family had some problems with the law and the other media outlets here in town aired your PERSONAL matters.

Just because someone is famous does not mean they are not entitled to privacy and the antics of you and the other media turds in relation to the Mavs players is nothing short of REVOLTING.

And pathetic, do you think the public is stupid. ALL of the media here is saying the same thing "we broke this story first". Who cares who got what first. That is lame and hounding people over personal matters makes all of you look like desperate hooligans with no concept of courtesy or class.

Dirk Nowitsky is NOT fair game, leave him alone and focus on the REAL story which is exciting basketball. The only thing I care about is what is happening ON the court

Dale Hansen I wonder how you and your fellow tabloid vultures at WFAA would feel if someone in your family had some problems with the law and the other media outlets here in town aired your PERSONAL matters.

Just because someone is famous does not mean they are not entitled to privacy and the antics of you and the other media turds in relation to the Mavs players is nothing short of REVOLTING.

And pathetic, do you think the public is stupid? ALL of the media here is saying the same thing "we broke this story first". We see through the hype and the BS. Who cares who got what first. That is lame and hounding people over personal matters makes all of you look like desperate hooligans with no concept of INTEGRITY, courtesy or class.

Dirk Nowitsky is NOT “fair game”, leave him alone and focus on the REAL story which is exciting basketball. The ONLY genuine news worth reporting or even hearing is what is happening ON the court

Dale, I usually agree with you but in this case...your flat wrong. Dirk, you're a class act! I feel sorry for what happened to you. Sheesh Dale, you're turning into Skip Bayless. A FAT Skip Bayless at that. Go have another drink and leave Dirk alone.

Sports figures, pastors, President's and other "public" figures are somehow held to a higher standard. Maybe it shouldn't be so, but in our society we do seem to expect more from those who are public role models. I think it is because in general we idolize these folks and just don't expect them to disappoint us. And really there isn't a dispute here, when your private life becomes public, well, it's public!

Considering the number of people saying "private life is private" what exactly are they doing listening and reading and bloging? My hobby is counting apostrophe errors in blogs.* Yes, I need to get a life just as they do. If they aren't interested, don't watch and don't listen.

* Possessive or contraction.....not every time a word ends in an "s" for goodness sake. I hope you aren't DISD products.

to dirk, don't let the gal mess up yur mind and
embarass your german family. If you must just walk away from basketball and return to Germany, life is just too short.

I wish everyone would back off Dirk, apparently he suspected something wasn't right in his relationship with this woman, had it confirmed and then had to make the hard decision to have her arrested, it was probably one of the hardest decisions he has had to make. I am sure he is feeling humiliated and that he was deceived by her. This is not any of our business! He told the media he did not want to discuss this personal matter, still the wfaa reported pushed even at one point commenting "so your going to leave you pregnant girlfriend in jail" If she is truly pregnant and the child is his, I have every confidence in Dirk that he will man-up, he is a good person who probably trusted in the wrong woman! I hope that all works out for everyone involved! Dirk go kick some Nugget A**!

Judging from the tone of the blogs, the majority disagree with Dale and Brett Shipp. I wish the viewing public would investigate the media. I wonder what dirt we would uncover?

Dale Hansen, I believe you are a public figure. So, to adopt your position, I think you should explain why you have had such problems having a relationship with your children.

If the supreme court states that there is no such thing as Private information (which they have in several opinions) then there is no such thing as private information. in a very narrow opinion Scalia stated that other than medical records, one cannot expect to have privacy in one's life.

I think it is sad....somebody was in his house and videotaped them together, how sad. She is obviously not the only one that he (Dirk) cannot trust. He cannot trust the media either, especially WFAA. I think it is disgusting. The man obviously cared for this chick and who knows, if she was hustling him or not. Dale Hansen you are an idiot for even suggesting that this man owes the public anything except exceptional ball playing.

Hey Dale, get off the soapbox, the work you do is in the public limelight as well. I guess if your wife gets arrested for DWI or something like that, we should know about it and NBC 5 and Fox get to interview you about it for a story. Hey, you are a sports broadcaster, who works for the public and in the public and get way overpaid for it, nonetheless.

Get Dale the hell off the air.

Oh, you walking out?

There is definitely a double standard going on here. I've been in the broadcast media for well over 20 years, and I can tell you, lips are tightly sealed when it comes to "figures" of Hansen's ilk. There's too much money involved for the media companies to risk the story coming out and possibly besmirching their reputation. So Hansen and other fat, lazy "reporters" (spare me!) sit back on their gold plated thrones and lob stones at others who are having personal problems. As mentioned so eloquently by Sanchez and others above, why not spill the beans on your wreck of a personal life, Dale? Not that we'd give a damn; it's just that it would be one way of leveling the field.

What a stupid thing to say. The lives of people who are public figures aren't open for the world to see just because they're public figures. The only reason we hear about this stuff is because (in this case a minority of) dumbasses want to read about who's sleeping with whom, and because people like Dale Hansen think everybody's trash is their business. Look, there's a difference between someone like Dirk, who plays basketball and has only ever tried to maintain a very private personal life, and some stupid little teenage celebrity who gets drunk at a club and then tries to ask for respect for their private life when they go into rehab. Dirk has NEVER tried to spill his business all over the public; he's only ever been a class act, and the cred he buys with that behavior SHOULD catch him a break from the fans and the media when his private life gets a little messy. And I have to say most Mavs seem to feel the same way about it, which gives me some confidence in the basic decency and common sense of people.

Stop being so literal people. I think the point that Dale is making is that Dirk can't make be involved in a scandal like this and not expect everyone to just ignore it. Dirk isn't under an obligation to discuss his personal life, and Dale isn't under any obligation to ignore a scandal.

Dale -- You're a public figure. Do you have any bad marriages, relationships, or personal mistakes that you need to confess? Because you're on TV, be prepared to disclose if at any point we, the public, decide that you owe us the information. Let us know when you post that online.

In the meantime, you don't have to ignore the Dirk story, but he doesn't have to comment because it's his personal business.

Dale, when are we going to get a story about your alcoholism? Is there a time when you aren't drunk on TV?

Dale, please update us on your two kids who can't stand their a-hole father. It has been awhile since I've heard how you think you can buy their love with gifts, but they still see through all of the BS for what you really are. Please, this should be public and I would like to see a report about your eff'd up family soon on Channel 8.

I can see why many want to have Dale's personal life exposed in a negative manner. I am not going to state again in this blog where Dale is off base here. I decided to post here just to say we all know or have met someone just like Dale. We also know what people like him deal with behind closed doors in their homes. They struggle with the fact no one likes them and they haven't a clue how to change or fix it. So they talk loud and take the view that they know will cause controversy and hope to bring attention to them self. No TV gig or dollar amount can change not being despised and thought a fool.

The whole matter is simply none of our f@#$ing business.

dale is a big, fat, idiot.

The fact that I know nothing about Dirk's private life is incredible and satisfying. I do not care if he is (or I guess now was) engaged to an unattractive stripper con artist or if he loves opera or loves to sing karaoke. It doesn't matter. What matters is that he has arguably one of the best jump shots the NBA has ever seen. What matters is that he is one of the most important sports figure in Dallas. He is a gentleman and conducts himself in a professional manner.

If he chooses to display his private life for all to see, then fine. But he hasn't. I'm not sure where media outlets feel they have the right to know things of a private nature. Maybe it's Paris Hilton's fault. Either way, leave the man be.

It's too bad we cannot separate the personal and the private. The guy makes his living playing a game for Christ's sake! He is certainly not a Nobel Laureate.

Dale, you are a tool. I am so glad you don't do COwboy games anymore. Your hatred for the local sports teams makes me wonder why you don't pack up and moe back under the rock you crawled from under.

Dale,
Since your life is in the public eye as well, let's talk about your son Eric Hansen. Please tell us how he was involved sexually with the now dead and then married Jeanmarie Geis. You comments demand you to explain his behavior and role of her death. In fact, I think WFAA should do an interview in your house with your family. I know Clarice Tinsley would be happy to interview you.