Mike ReissMike Reiss is the Patriots beat writer for the Boston Globe and blogger extraordinaire on “Reiss’ Pieces.”

Reiss started his popular blog while working for the MetroWest Daily News, where he worked for seven years. In 2005, he was hired by the Globe’s West weekly section, and the next year he joined the Globe’s sports department.

Reiss’ Pieces is THE place Patriots fans go to when looking for breaking news about the club, year round. Reiss makes some appearances on NESN, especially during the football season, but is not a constant presence on the airwaves.

Reiss grew up in Framingham and is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

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Published by Bruce Allen

Automattician.

79 thoughts on “Approval Ratings – Mike Reiss”

  1. Solid “Approve!”

    Should register over 90%, I would think.

    His father Roy, along with John Dennis, started the first Sunday late night sports show in Boston on Channel 7. I believe it was during the Celtics 1981 championship run.

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    1. Well you know why I disapprove? The guy sucks up to the Patriots. He doesn’t try to flirt with the establishment to get news. The Patriots videotaped some games, and what did we get from him? Nothing. Yes he reports about who signed, and so on, but that’s about it. Give me a press release and I can write that.

      He’s OK, at the best, but certainly lazy enough not to make the extra effort that will set him apart from other substandard sports writers.

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      1. Finally, a peek inside the twisted mind of one who would vote ‘disapprove’ on Mike Reiss. Naturally, he’s full of duplicitous bullshit.

        The “reprints press releases” is a pretty tired line repeated all too often by the Casale sock puppets, don’t you think? Yeah, the Patriots put out press releases to the media that tell them what formations they were in last weekend, what the personnel groupings were, and so on. Mike just cuts and pastes those, right? And there are some fans (all right, most fans) that might be interested in who signed with the team, for how long, and for how much. The fact that you aren’t tells me just what you want from your Patriots coverage.

        Further, Mike wrote plenty about the Patriots videotaping games. What he didn’t do is photoshop Belichick as the devil or call for his lifetime ban. He didn’t loudly insist that every game they ever won was because they were ‘cheating’.

        Just say it. That’s what you wanted, and you don’t approve of Reiss because he didn’t give it to you. Just like Sally, who doesn’t like him because he’s never “sharply critical” of the team with the .720 winning percentage this decade, six division titles, four conference titles, and three world titles. Yeah, they ought to be getting hammered.

        At least now we can quantify what percentage of the population is comprised of miserable little shits who think a three-time world champion gets a free ride. According to the above poll, it’s 4.2%. God help us.

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    2. because he’s not good. i don’t like his reporting. i disapproved him because he’s never sharply critical of the Patriots.

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      1. Your comment reveals a total misunderstanding of the role of a columnist vs. the role of a reporter.

        Please refrain from voting in these polls until you do a little homework.

        Sincerely,

        Humanity

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  2. The best Patriots beat writer when he was at MetroWest. Still the best today. Very genuine, nice guy as well.

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  3. I wonder if a disapprover for Reiss could give a valid argument other than just being contrarian?

    I’ll take straight facts and informed, supported, opinions over blowhard blather 6 days a week and twice on Sundays.

    Approve!

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  4. He might get a few ‘WHO??’ responses here, but from my perspective Mike ought to be near the top of the ‘Approval’ ratings and I’ll help the cause here. A no-nonsense guy with a dedication to his craft and seemingly no biases, axes to grind, or hidden agendas. That’s not to say these things can’t or won’t crop up…just that they aren’t present now. A clear poster child for how we wish most in the sports media cabal behaved. Saying ‘most’ rather than ‘all’ reflects the reality that Dan Shaughnessy, Butch Stearns, Meat Puppet, Massachusetts-roti, and others are still in our midst collecting paychecks for being either cantankerous or outright lame.

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    1. “A clear poster child for how we wish most in the sports media cabal behaved.”

      Well said.

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  5. A true credit to his profession. Loves the game and conveys that, above all else, with every entry. Plus he’s damn good. Beats the trad media at their game, and beats the bloggers at theirs. First ballot hall of fame good guy.

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  6. Mike Reiss is hands down the best reporter covering a professional team in Boston. Big Time respect and approval!

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  7. Second unanimous approval from me in the last three polls. The consummate professional, knowledgeable, hard-working reporter who does not make himself the story. Has more than earned his rise through the newspaper ranks and started blogging long before most local media had even heard of the term. “Reiss’s Pieces” is a must read if you want information on the Patriots.

    Reiss is also a successful second-generation member of the Boston sports media. His father Roy worked as a Ch. 7 sports anchor back in the 80’s (he may have been replaced by the immortal Zip Rzeppa).

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  8. A solid pro with reporting skills well beyond his age. Can anyone confirm that he is the son of Roy Reiss, Boston sportscaster in the 70’s?

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  10. 4 disapproves? So let’s see – Hart, Perillo, Tomase, and Casale. Is that right?

    A guy who plays it straight, does research on his own, gives you what the conventional wisdom behind a move MIGHT have been, (rather than TELLING you with 100% self-assurance) and doesn’t seem to have an agenda. You’re not long for this town.

    More integrity than any journalist – news or sports – in this town. Approve 1 million times.

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  11. Cons: Looks uncomfortably like Elaine’s “black” boyfriend on Seinfeld…voice not made for TV or radio.

    Pros: everything else…NFL Notes reading is excellent, though too much Pete Kendall and Ty Law stuff recently. When Cafraudo does that, he gets killed.

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  12. No agenda, no hackery. Just the facts, served up with intelligence. Shows what a good, hard-working reporter can do instead of whining about Belichick’s lack of spoon feeding.

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  13. A truly rare member of the journalistic community. He actually thinks it’s HIS job to research and acquire information, and not the coach’s job. He also stubbornly clings to that long-forgotten journalistic creed that you leave your personal feelings and agendas out of your reporting.

    Who does he think he is, anyway?

    I hope like heck that he doesn’t become corrupted by the jackholes in his “profession” that surround him on all sides.

    Huge APPROVE.

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  14. Phantom Approved!!!

    Top of the Food Chain!!!

    Gourmet Greatness….

    Great Ate!!!

    Guilt Pleasure…

    Snack Attack!!!

    I’m getting carried away…Reiss is great, but I’m still blown away by the 75 million that ate BBQ at my City Hall pigfest, and the quarter of a billion slobs that devoured 90 hot dogs per person at my pappy’s Suffolk Downs Sausage Party…

    Dave Andelman
    EVP, CEO, CIO, Partner, Owner,
    Phantom Gourmet Inc.

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    1. The saddest part is that the TV show itself (the obnoxious hosts notwithstanding) is a great concept and a totally guilty pleasure. Who doesn’t want to know where are the best places to go in the Boston area for burgers, pizza and chicken wings? I especially enjoy their annual fast food review when they rip on Subway and BK.

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  15. No BS and he is very careful with his facts. He was like that even before the Tomase debacle which is more than can be said for many other reporters in this town.

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  16. Incredibly earnest guy who tries to respond to every email he gets. Must have the patience of a saint to answer some of the moronic questions in his mailbag.

    Speaking of the mailbag, that’s where the distinction between him and the previous mailbag guy, Nick Cafardo, really shines through. Cafardo would get a question and immediately pass the buck, e.g., “You’d have to ask Stacey James, the Patriots media director.” Ask Reiss the same question, and the answer would be, “That’s a good question. When I posed it to Stacey James, he said …”

    Reiss gets some heat for being a Patriots mouthpiece, but that’s from the folks who think contrarianism is the same thing as critical thinking.

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  17. Highest possible approval.

    How can you not like this guy?! He’s become the ‘go to’ guy for all patriots news and notes. His blog is the best in Boston period.

    He’s professional, doesn’t appear on EVERY news outlet in the area every week, is not a self promoter, is a good writer, has payed his dues before becoming the Patriots beat writer…etc. I had never even heard the sound of this guy’s voice until he was on camera reporting from Arizona for the last superbowl. The antithesis of John Thomase. He wouldn’t go ahead and break a story before being absolutely sure of the story/sources/information just because ‘he wanted to break a big story’…

    This guy is all class…

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  18. Reiss is the only one I read anymore. The only one worth reading. He has a blog and actually maintains it! Approve, Approve, Approve.

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  19. Strong approve. He does his job with class, no agendas, just good fact based information. A couple of disputes with Pats players were mentioned with Mike, and he was able to work it out privately with no media/fanfare. Also is legitimately respected by Bill Belichick…..Yes, he is the son of Roy Reiss, formerly of Channel 7.

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  20. Ron Borge’s depature made it possible for Mike Reiss to emerge at the Boston Globe.

    Reiss reminds us how good sports reporting can be when you work hard, do your homework, generate lots of information, and keep your personal agenda out of the story line.

    Too many old-timer, blow-hard columnists like Dan Shaugnessy become lazy and believe they are somehow part of the story.

    Thank you Mike Reiss for brining professional sports reporting back to the Boston Globe.

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  21. Didn’t get his job handed to him like the vast majority of his female counterparts. Actually worked his way up the ranks, which earns my undying respect.

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  23. Simply the best in Boston. There are only 2 websites I need everyday, Reis’s Pieces and BSMW.

    I only wish there was an “I hate Andy Gresch” website

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    1. The Guntfather is a tool. He is the guy who thinks he is always the funniest man in the room. Just ask him.

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  25. Consumate professional. Does his research and checks his feelings at the door. The fact that he does not prostitute himself to every available media outlet (yes I’m talking about you Buckley) only enhances my opinion of him. He is a throwback to what print journalism should be.

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  26. Huge two thumbs-up. What all contemporary sports writers should be, i.e., agenda-less observers and diligent reporters who use both traditional and online outlets to get their stories out to the consumer in a timely manner.

    My only (minor) concern is that, like Felger and Curran before him, Mike could one-day morph from respected chronicler of professional football into an attention-driven d-bag. I really don’t see it happening, though, only because he appears to be very self-aware and not in any need to scream, “LOOK AT ME!!” Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

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  27. Can I vote “Approve” 1000 times?

    And besides Borges and Cafardo, who are those 11 who voted disapprove.

    This guy practicality re-defined the medium with his blog, and helped put dinosaurs like Nick out to pasture.

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  28. Useless…the guy hasn’t posted anything on his blog in three days. What do they pay him for anyway?

    All kidding aside, Reiss is THE source for Patriots news, whether it’s the middle of May or the day before the Super Bowl. He is great at using facts, rather than perception, to draw conclusions, and the info he posts after games on snaps played and formations used is extremely helpful in analyzing how the Pats attack various defenses and how trends develop over the course of the season. I compare Reiss’s reporting style to that of Sean McAdam – both report and form opinion based on fact, and neither speculate or make outlandish predictions just to draw attention to themselves. Not enough good can be said about the way Reiss does his job.

    The 7 disapprovals tell me that John Tomase not only knows how to eat cookies, but how to clear them too.

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  29. I used to work with Mike at MetroWest – He’s a really genuine, nice guy and I don’t think anyone should be concerned about him becoming like the rest of the agenda-filled hacks in the Boston media. He was the best Patriots beat writer when he was working in Framingham, and he didn’t change a bit when he moved to the globe.

    “It is what it is” – he’s not going to change now. approve!

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  30. How can you NOT approve of Reiss? What does he do that lacks merit? The guy is the brightest hope for the future of sports journalism in this town, period. End of discussion.

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  32. His apparent lack of a gunt is no reason to dislike. Has a bright future and does a great job reporting. Is everything that fat boy tomase wishes he was…

    APPROVE!

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  34. A pro – his blog is THE source for Pats and NFL info. I love the fact that he stays out of the gutter and reports the facts.

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  35. It’s only a matter of time before he’s scooped up by one of the national sites, and rightfully so. Agenda-free, hard-working, informative and knowledgeable about the sport.

    Incredibly nice guy as well, from the very, very, very little I know.

    Not sure who has the highest approval rating thus far (I’d assume most people are under 20%) but he has to be at the top of the list.

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  36. Incredibly professional. Answers emails as quickly and soundly at the Globe as he did when he was under the radar at the Metrowest Daily.

    In addition, he helped bring the Globe closer to the internet age by bringing his pre-established Pats blog along when they hired him.

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  37. 17 Disapproves? I didn’t know Borges had access to that many computers .. although that does explain the sock puppet commentors on his blog.

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  38. 17 monkeyspankers disapprove. Mike is the only Boston sports reporter I read these days.

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  39. Why Mike Reiss is overwhelmingly respected and a runaway leader for “most approved” out of these unscientific polls:

    1. He has built a well-earned reputation for accuracy and fairness by insisting on writing and working with factual information. He got there by being a reporter — and never losing sight of that fact — and by doing his job damned well.

    2. He’s never part of or bigger than the story.

    3. He understood before anyone else the role of the blog as a tool for delivering news in real time and building name recognition and reader trust … and did it without being a loudmouthed, smarmy know-it-all.

    4. He’s the complete opposite of the blowhard clowns who dominate so much of the airwaves in Boston by mistaking volume for logic.

    Any one of those factors would be enough for an “approve” vote from me. Reiss brings all four.

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  40. Deep knowledge of and enthusiasm for his subject. Good writer. Willing to listen to a question without a smirk on his face. Not too full of himself. Strongly Approve.

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  41. Approve! This is no fun when we have class acts like this to comment on.

    Let’s stir the pot a little and see what kind of media scum will need to be skimmed off the surface!

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  43. Class act, doesn’t make himself part of the story, solid reporter, understands blogging and uses it expertly, gets out more fresh information in one report than blowhard old hacks like Shaughnessy have in the past 20 years, young,hardworking, professional, smart, and the only reason to pick up Globe sports–ever.

    Approve a million times over.

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  44. When Borge-Ass was at his peak in blowheartedness, it was hard to know what was going on with the Patriots. When Reiss made an appearance out west, that veil disappeared.

    He’s super nice, works as hard at his job as any Patriots player, tries (and succeeds) in being fair. Insightful like no other person covering the Patriots. Appreciates Belichick (as most of us do), and understands like few reporters do, how BB thinks and operates.

    One of the best beat reporters covering any sport for any team in North America. He and Gasper are about the only 2 writers who keep the Globe sports relevant. If you don’t like him you don’t like honesty and insight.

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  45. Back in the 70s and 80s, I used to devour the Sunday Globe sports section. The first Mrs. Howz would be done with the paper before I finished sports. Sadly, there’s only one writer left in Boston that would bring that kind of loyalty…Mike Reiss. He’s a good reporter, he keeps himself out of the story and he respects his readers. 1 billion approves, and who are the 21 lame-brains who disagree? Shank, Edes, Borges, Tomase…

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    1. Reiss: Machine-like (and that’s a good thing) in his reporting, fairness, accountability, dedication and love for both the game he covers and the craft he so demonstratively excels at.

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  46. I was Mike’s summer camp counselor about 20 years ago. I remember he really liked the Milwaukee Brewers and had a good vocabulary for a 10-year old.

    Regarding his success today, it could not have happened to a nicer guy.

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  47. I’m nearly ill with the idea that anyone would ever disapprove of this guy.

    Seriously, we’re screwed.

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  48. Totally enjoy reading his well informed, well written, and always up-to-date blog. Solid all the way around. Would read his stuff any day of the week over anything written by the CHB. Why would anyone disapprove?

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  49. The best writer in the Boston sports business, by far. I can’t wait for football to start so I can read his stuff. If he sounded like Mike Gorman, I’d probably sleep with him.

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    1. Yep…which only proves the thesis that negative votes for good guys (or positive votes for idiots) are coming from ‘The Cabal’ and not from readers and listeners. The sports media business (in Boston, especially) is incredibly incestuous and consumed by jealousies, bitterness and rage. Thank you, Al Gore, for inventing the Internet so blogs like this and carpet-bombings against rodeo-clown media hacks can exist & flourish.

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