Dan Rather was a fine news anchor. He was a much better reporter. His on-the-spot approach sent him into the middle of hurricanes, jungles, wars and oval offices, greatly influencing news reporting as we see it today across cable television. This attitude, which earned him the nickname “Gunga Dan,” allowed Rather to move from a small affiliate in south Texas on to Dallas and then to “60 Minutes” and its parent network, CBS, where he ultimately took over for the beloved Walter Cronkite as anchor in 1981.

Sure, at times Rather made himself the story, and he never was as beloved as his predecessor, but he did become a reliable face in the news, committed to what was current. He didn’t turn the World War II generation into the cash cow like his NBC counterpart, and even at 73 years old, Rather was getting out on location. As an anchor, he stayed committed to keeping news current and much more hard-line than his foils.

But it ultimately was inaccurate reporting on his part that partially forced his resignation as chief anchor and managing editor of “CBS Evening News” last week. In late September, Rather acknowledged flaws in a segment that ran on his program, which raised questions about President Bush’s service in the National Guard. Rather decided to announce his retirement before the release of investigation results into the journalistic faults that caused CBS to air the inaccurate report and Rather to defend it.

And that’s the saddest part about what happened to Rather; the reputation and regard he had built over 24 years as a journalist was soiled by one act of poor judgment.

But it’s nothing new for great people, if you’re willing to call Rather great, to have their legacies tarnished by one transgression.

Woody Hayes, decidedly one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, had his legendary career ended with one of the ugliest on-field events in the history of the game.

Between 1951 and 1978, Hayes coached the Buckeyes to five national championships, 205 victories and 13 Big Ten titles. Though he had developed a reputation for being fiery, he was a teacher at heart. He held the title of associate professor at Ohio State and even taught class during summer sessions. He was also one of the first coaches to actively pursue the recruitment of African-American student-athletes to a major collegiate program.

But most of his accomplishments became overshadowed after the 1978 Gator Bowl, where after a late-game interception by opposing Clemson University defender Charlie Bauman, Hayes stepped into the playing field, approached Bauman and punched him. A day later, Hayes was relieved of his coaching duties.

In the aftermath, Hayes’ coaching greatness has become largely overshadowed by his one infamous lapse in judgment. Like Gen. George Patton before him, genius and greatness was trampled by transgression.

As time has unfolded, both Hayes and Patton have been subject to new appreciation. And only time will tell if Rather will be seen as favorably down the line. Much will depend on the seriousness of the consequences of the investigation into CBS News.

But for at least one viewer, Rather kept his demeanor and standards about as close to the standards Murrow and Cronkite laid out before him. Certainly much more than any of his counterparts.

Sure, he pushed the line, but journalists, especially in his position, must in order to stay relevant in the ever-changing face of television news. In the age of cable, Rather had to pursue and chase stories while his 24-hour competitors could stay perpetually up to date. Once, Rather and CBS were the lone purveyors of the news, but the proliferation of cable forced the nightly news to search for more substantive investigations, and in this pursuit, Rather lost his way. Maybe it was pressure from producers or other higher-ups, but the desire for a scoop during the election season just pushed CBS too far.

There is no defending what Rather did last September, but there is also no reason to forget what “Gunga Dan” did to influence television news. He was the last great one, and he’ll be sorely missed.

Drew Hansen ([email protected]) is graduating very soon.