It seems like a popular thing to do with various posts covering the Patriots is to list a few players who played well, and a few who were bad. They’re called “stock watch” or “three up, three down” or other equally creative names.
Seems like it could be done with media, too.
Three Up
Tom Curran, CSNNE (web)
This post on the Amendola-bashers was the best thing I’ve read since the game ended. Increasingly, Curran is going against the grain with these things, taking on the trolls and even his fellow media members. Someone needs to do it.
Jerry Thornton, CSNNE (TV)
Thornton made his debut on the Patriots postgame show, and also proved adept at taking on some of the runaway negativity from the Twitter world and from the media and just twisting them upside down.
Matt Chatham, Lots of Gigs
Chatham is a must-follow on Twitter anyway, but his in-game stuff is especially valuable and interesting. He also shows a sense of humor while doing it. His thoughts on the defensive fronts like this:
are not going to be found immediately from the beat reporters, or even on the TV broadcast. It’s the ability to recognize quickly when things change.
Three Down
Eric Wilbur, Boston.com
The resident troll of Boston.com was taking a Twitter victory lap when Amendola left the game, called Tom Brady a choker and wondered who the QB would blame for the missed passes. Because you know, Brady always blames someone else.
Hector Longo, Lawrence Eagle-Tribune
Longo writes:
2. Devin McCourty — When a rookie in his first start can look you off at safety when you are playing Cover 2 and in your fourth season, you bite on the fake, you clearly have the football instincts of a carp. That cost the Pats the Robert Woods’ TD catch and a “Brandon Meriweather-esque” angle to the football cost the Pats on Stevie Johnson’s TD catch. The good news is the Pats escaped healthy enough that McCourty didn’t need to move to corner.
When you’re writing bitingly sarcastic things about a player’s performance, perhaps you should be sure that the player was actually in the play. On the Woods TD, it was Gregory, not McCourty who bit on the fake and was out of position. McCourty was on the other side of the field for that play.
Dennis and Callahan, WEEI
Yes, by all means, the morning after the season opener, let’s spend an hour talking about Aaron Hernandez and the “red flags” the Patriots missed. Let’s also pine for Mike Wallace (1 catch, 15 yards and many complaints after his game) and conclude that the Patriots young receivers such as Thompkins will never get any better than what they showed yesterday.
Boston Sports Media Watch 
I live in the Merrimack Valley and really appreciate Hector Longo as a high school sports enthusiast. His dedication to cover local schools is great. That being said, he is a tough read with regards to the NFL. Hec picks his whipping boys and look out. There is no getting on his good side. I can remember one positive remark, one, about Jerod Mayo. Similarly, it doesn’t matter who lines up in the secondary, any completed pass in their general direction and that guy is a bum. Honestly, the Pats could trot out a team with the 07 offense and the 03 defense and he’d find ways to pick it apart.
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Am I the only one that thinks that Matt Chatham or Mike Flynn would have made a MUCH better color person for the Pats radio broadcast? Does Scott Zolak even speak English? Not to mention his voice sounds like its coming through one of those kids echo microphones.
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Down—the Patriots horrible pre-game show on 98.5. Mix Gary Tanguay and Andy Gresh, combine with Albert Breer and Jonathan Kraft,no former NFL players or coaches for their expertise.
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Pete Sheppard’s 980 WCAP gig? Reportedly was not on, unless maybe they are working on tech issues…and supposedly took down mentions of it on Twitter and FB. Meanwhile 1510 WUFC his former station boasts of a new “Afternoon Press Box” show with Zook and Sap today 3-6 pm
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To bad you wrote this post before 2PM. Or does Felger and Mazz have an honorary spot on the three down? Rather then actually talk about the game lets discuss BB inability to draft, Kraft being cheap and the reluctance to bring in a real WR like Boldin, Greg Jennings or Mike Wallace. Notice also how they did not beat the Welker drum because DA had a good game.
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Somewhat related from this morning. Did anyone hear D&C pathetically whine about losing Boomer as a call in guest to TSH telling everyone that Boomer held out as long as he could and wanted to talk to them every week instead of T&R. Sorry Boomer lost the spare paycheck. However, I bet it was as much ‘EEI not wanting to pay for him anymore than it was CBS asking him to participate for the company that pays him handsomely.
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They made it sound like, which I think is true due to how hot the “sports media” war is right now between the 4 players, that it was CBS who finally said that they’re enforcing the exclusivity part of Boomer’s contract. Why I think it’s true is that they had a relationship but with CBS/NBC/FOX/ABC in the sports media wars, the last thing they want to do is share the talent.
What is true? Unless someone has a source here, who knows.
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Short, “old bastard’ rant… any “fan” who spends the whole game tweeting isn’t a real fan. Seems like most of these people are so annoying no one will watch the game with them. Their only outlet is to spew their asinine opinions out on twitter.
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Speaking of trolls – anyone catch Borges with Felger and Tanger last night? “On a good day I’m Hemingway” is likely the most delusional comment I’ve heard another human being speak, ever. Explains a lot.
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Maybe he was trying to joke, but it’s hard to give him the benefit of any doubts. I’ll settle for delusional. Hearing him on the air with Mazz & Shaughnessy last week back away from and try to muddy up just about every assertion in the Rolling Stone article made me want to puke.
On an unrelated note, I’ve just discovered Kevin Picard (“Just Sayin’!”) in the mornings on UFC 1510. I’ve never liked the old hens on EEI and I don’t think even in high school I would’ve found Toucher & Rich funny, and this show is really refreshing. Minimal production, just a guy speaking his mind about sports. This morning he spent about ten minutes on who’d win in a fight between Buck Showalter and Joe Girardi (his money was on Girardi). Down to the Southie accent, I’m enjoying his lack of pretension.
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