The Celtics and Bruins both suffered discouraging setbacks yesterday with the Bruins dropping a 5-3 game to the Lightning for their fifth loss in a row, and the Celtics losing to the Pistons, 105-97.

Faltering Bruins fall to Tampa Bay – Amalie Benjamin says that this feels like the end for the Bruins. Check the rest of the Bruins stories at Bruinslinks.com.

For a long time, one of the main attractions of this site for many was the daily links. This is something that I’ve had to relinquish in recent years as time constraints have creeped up on me. Instead of links every day, I’m usually weighing in specific topics two or three times a week.

For those who want daily links which are well done and pretty complete, I can point you to three different sources (in addition to my automated Link sites listed above.)

108 Stitches by Alex Speier. – Red Sox fans will want to subscribe to Speier’s daily newsletter which provides a look at much of the content about the team out there on that day. The newsletter is also available on the Globe web site. Speier isn’t just running down the Globe’s baseball articles of the day, he’s linking to other local sites and blogs, as well as stories across the country.

Patriots News Blitz – The Patriots official website also does a daily post of all links on the team from that day.

Red’s Army Morning Dump – This popular Celtics blog has a daily post of Celtics-related news and links.

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We haven’t heard from Roger Goodell since the Super Bowl, despite the NFL Commissioner’s claim that he is available to the media every day. In the least surprising development of all time, Goodell breaks his silence with a sitdown with Water Carrier-in-Chief Peter King for today’s MMQB.

Roger Goodell, Unplugged

Goodell is predictably tone-deaf and terrible. Coming off the year he just had, statements like “We have to meet the expectation of our fans,’’ he said. “They deserve it. We have to show them that their faith and trust in us is well placed.” are completely ludicrous.

Earth to Roger: fans do not trust you or have faith in you.

When addressing the reactionary NFL Conduct Policy that the league put into place after the Ray Rice incident, Goodell says:

I’m proud of what we did. I think what we did in developing a new personal conduct policy and making the changes that we made in education and making sure that people understand this issue, the things that we did more publicly about bringing to light this issue I think will be beneficial long-term to society—those things are things that we’ll look back and be proud of those accomplishments. We’re sorry we got to the place we got to [and] the way we got to it, but that is something that we now can look back at and build on. … We’re actually starting to see it. People are saying, “People should adopt the personal conduct policy of the NFL in other institutions and other industries.” That’s rewarding to some extent.

Is he for real? He’s trying to spin that what the NFL does is not only going to be “beneficial long-term to society” but that people are actually saying that they should copy the NFL in how they’re handling and addressing these issues? Who are these people?

Then we come to the Wells investigation over the footballs in the AFC Championship Game. Goodell says he hasn’t spoken to Wells “for several weeks” but believes he’s “near the end.” OK. What makes you believe that Roger, if you haven’t spoken to the head of the investigation?

Then there’s this.

The MMQB: You know that there’s a storyline out there that you knew about the deflating and wanted to catch them in the act.

Goodell: Let’s just short circuit this a little bit. I’m not going to get into what we knew and when we knew it because that’s part of what he’s investigating. … I can tell you that I was not personally aware of it until after the game.

Colts GM Ryan Grigson told the media at the combine that the Colts had contacted the NFL with concerns about the footballs in the week before the AFCCG. King soft-shoes the question here by calling it a “storyline.” No, it’s not a storyline, it’s a statement of fact. Or Grigson is lying.

So we’re going to believe that in the days before the AFC Championship game, with a Super Bowl berth on the line, one of the teams brought forward serious allegations against their opponent, and the Commissioner of the league was not aware of this fact?  

How is that possible?

Goodell tries to dodge the question somewhat, saying he’s not going to get into what “we” knew, but then claiming “he” was not “personally aware” of it until later. He’s either not telling the truth, or he is completely incompetent. You pick.

Published by Bruce Allen

Automattician.

67 thoughts on “Peter King Scores Exclusive Interview With Roger Goodell, Also, Dog Bites Man.”

  1. Try this theory on for size — the person Grigson contacted was Kensil. And Kensil decided to not tell Roger and to run a sting operation himself, figuring that after he nailed NE Roger would overlook not being informed (and that if Roger was informed, Roger would have sent a “if you’re playing games with the ball, stop it and we’ll be watching” message to NE, which would have preventing Kensil from catching NE at anything).

    Mind you, that in no way diminishes the incompetence of the NFL front office (just the opposite, in fact). But it’s not immediately unbelievable.

    In short, either Grigson lied, Goodell lied, or the NFL front office is even more totally incompetent.

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    1. I feel the same way about how it played out. I just don’t believe that we will see anything close to that in writing if found to be true.

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      1. I should add that I don’t have faith that any of the NFL reporters will do any hard nosed investigation to find the truth either. There is no way they bite the hand that feeds them.

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        1. Of course they won’t. If they were REAL reporters they wouldn’t be doing sports. That kind of talent is directed towards real news. Sports reporters are the guys who barely made it into journalism.

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    2. Have to wonder where the ref selling the balls fits into this, as well.

      There is a theory out there that this is taking so long because the league is scrubbing themselves of the wrongdoing.

      @SharksOfVegas, who was right from the start, said a month ago that unless Kensil finds a fall guy, he’s gone.

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      1. It wasn’t a ref. When Schefter said “official” he meant someone like a league front office employee, not a game ref (which he clarified the next day).

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  2. I vote for incompetent. I’ve been saying that about the buffoon holding the NFL’s top job ever since he helped the media turn the Patriots’ misdemeanor rules violation back in 2007 into a scandal for the ages. A competent commissioner wouldn’t even have cared about such a petty thing, as witnessed by the fact the neither Rozelle nor Tagliabue ever did anything about it, even though several coaches have since admitted to doing the same thing the Pats were doing and many said that it had been going on for years and years throughout the league. Goodell is a fool. I know he’s supposed to be a well-educated guy, but I even have serious doubts about his intellect at this point.

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  4. Heard today while flipping during the PM drive…

    “…I think they’ll get away with it. There will be no penalty. The way this has been reported on by local media has been a joke, an absolute joke. Kraft is already kissing Goodell’s behind aga….” *click*

    Felger is still beating this drum. Unbelievable

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    1. It’s easy to get away with something you never did in the first place. Felger is such a toolbag. I’ll never understand his popularity. Never.

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      1. His popularity is directly connected to the listeners who jumped off the Big Show ship. He smartly picked up everyone who was sick of the other extreme where the Pats could do no wrong. And callers were litteraly screamed at by Smerlas and DeOssie for even questioning them and or BB.
        Now what has happened is that Felger has kept his ratings stronghold because his competition has been weak and I believe you have the Howard Stern effect going on with this show. (I used to love the old Stern show BTW) People are “hate listening”. I find myself tuning in to hear how they’re going to spin some kind of positive news into a negative. I hate myself for doing it. 🙂

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        1. At least Stern was funny, though, while being outrageous and somewhat vile. Felger and Squeaky, on the other hand, are worse than nails on a chalkboard — more like that “most annoying sound in the world” that Jim Carrey makes in the first Dumb and Dumber movie, except it goes on for four straight hours.

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  5. The Three Horsemen of the Patriots Apocalypse, on CSSNE tonight, Felger, Minihane and Tanguay, absolutely losing their minds over Krafty Bob stating the obvious, “we have a budget…”

    Yes, Felger, it’s called optimal spending under the terms of the Salary Cap. I know that your brilliant co-host (YAARM) and audience believe you when you say that the cap doesn’t exist, but in fact, it does.

    Forget the Jets, who haven’t won anything of significance in forever. Let’s just keep going back to last off-season when the Broncos, “loaded up and went for it”, using Felger’s terminology and ended up with NOTHING to show for “it.”

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    1. Whoa, whoa, whoa! Bob Kraft said the Patriots have a budget?! But that’s a code word used for thinly veiled anti-Semitism! Right, Bruce & company? PFFT! Btw, still waiting on a retraction and apology for that absurd comment. Not gonna hold my breath, though.

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      1. No, please hold your breath. I am begging you. So that others may be spared this tiresome crusade.

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        1. You’re right. The crusade of logic against the needless liberal-hypocrite PC police is a lost cause.

          Oh, and, Bruce, class act of up-voting such a comment. You make a reckless and completely baseless accusation of anti-Semitism against a man with a Jewish father, get called out for it, but hide behind your defenders instead of addressing your mistake. Bob Kraft said the team has a budget. Get some balls and speak up or stay out of it, you coward.

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          1. “liberal-hypocrite PC police”

            In the form of vaudeville style entertainment known as American politics, accusing one’s opponent of anti-semitism is a favorite tactic of many people on both sides of the so-called political aisle.

            Nice try though (not really) and please keep it up with the Weekly Festivals of Whining as you’re always good for a laugh.

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          2. Falsely accusing someone of bigotry because you don’t agree with his opinion? That’s liberal hypocrisy, son.

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          4. Nope. Liberals love to accuse others of being intolerant while themselves being intolerant of any opinion that they disagree with. Liberal hypocrisy. Happens all the time. Congrats on citing a Republican politician who has done it too. Bottom line is that conservatives don’t pride themselves on being tolerant while being intolerant on the reg. Love you, son.

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          6. How did I backtrack? My comments on liberal hypocrites are consistent. Don’t just throw idiotic comments out there that make no sense. Explain in detail or don’t say anything.

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          7. Btw, how about you address the issue that your hero Bruce the coward refuses to instead of changing the subject?

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          8. You’re desperately and transparently looking for a way to paint me into a corner on this, but you can’t and won’t win. I don’t agree with Bruce that what Felger did or is doing is thinly veiled anti-semitism.

            To me it’s more of the same trolling of the fanbase, i.e. the exact same thing that I call the exact same people out for on a weekly basis. Felger, Mazz, Johnston, Flynn, Kaufman, Jones, Shank, Borges, Minihane, Tanguay, Volin, Mutnansky, Benz, etc.

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          9. Not trying to paint you into a corner. Just calling Bruce out on his ridiculous claim of anti-Semitism against Felger and point out Kraft’s comments that echo the exact statement that Bruce used as an example of thinly veiled anti-Semitism. I’m glad you have the common sense to see that Bruce was wrong. Most people on here just agree with everything he says.

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          10. Listen man, people are laughing at you, the self-appointed public defender of the poor defenseless sportz gabber-slash-theater major. Of all the pursuits in life, there can’t be one lower than that.

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          11. People on an anonymous message board are laughing at me? I’ll never recover from this! There is one lower. The guy who feels that way about me and takes the time to lob an insult. Classy as Bruce the coward you are. Speaking of: How about you address the issue that your daddy refuses to instead of changing the subject?

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          13. This is the 2nd or 3rd time you’ve brought this up, but it’s always in a question form. Either tell us why he was thrown off the beat and show some proof, or don’t bring it up. It’s almost as bad as the people on here who make up false statements that have never been posted yet discuss it as fact.

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    2. I have no problem with the use of the term “budget” but its ridiculous that more and more media types point to their “profit margin” to justify their transactions. For example the Volin column after the Mankins trade. Unfortunately there’s no real inside info on NFL owner’s ledgers (aside from the GB Packers) but I highly doubt a few million on a roster player is a major factor, I would imagine that they forecast whatever the cap number is or close to it.
      Any time I hear these clowns mention “profit margin” I cringe.

      Disclaimer: I am not relating this to the “Anti-Semitism” argument, whatsoever.

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  6. One of the story lines that seems to be coming out of this years Owners meetings is that Robert Kraft clearly works differently than his fans would want. Kraft is very deliberate. Organizationally he has a plan/philosophy that has gotten HIS team to 10 AFC championship games in 19 years through 3 coaches. It has gotten his team to 7 Super Bowls in those 19 years and they have won 4 of them. No NFL team in the salary cap era has had any where near that success. As fans we get lost in the forrest staring at a particular tree. The Pats lose Lawyer Milloy. Must be doom. How can the Pats trade Bledoe to a division rival. Must be doom. Ty Law, Asante Samuel, Mike Vrable, Login Mankins, Vince Wilfork, Darrell Revis. How will the Pats ever recover. Kraft says trust the system. He does. That leap of fate is so difficult for Pats fans to swallow because we are spoiled. Kraft does not have the luxury to be spoiled, he has a business to run. To look at things from his perspective is counter intuitive to the fan but worse it is illogical to a commentator like Mike Felger or Gary Tanguay. They have the luxury of focusing on one detail (one tree) and ignore all of the others (the rest of the forest) to make a single point.

    To me this comes to roost specifically with how Kraft is handling twin scandals: Deflategate and Revis Tapering. As a fan I want Kraft breathing fire. It is infuriating that the league has gotten away with the Patriots (Brady and Belichick) character assassination that they have. If I were Kraft I would want league heads on a platter. But Kraft is more measured than I am. He knows he will have to work with these people going forward. He is trying for balance where I would strive for scorched earth. With regards to the Jets, if I were Kraft I would want the Jets 6th pick overall. Not a swap of picks. I would want that pick out right. The Jets clearly tampered. Regis wanted to go home and the Jets owner said publicly he would make it happen. The rest was just a charade. However when the punishment comes down…swapping of third or fourth round picks…Kraft is going to graciously say punishment has been served and we are putting this behind us. All because he has a vested interest in working with the league for financial windfall going forward. Its not what I would want…but its what he needs to keep alive his printing press (The New England Patriots).

    I wish occasionally the talking heads in town acknowledged the larger forest Kraft needs to cultivate before looking at felling a specific tree. It would make the Sportstalk in town significantly better.

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    1. Stop being so logical, it’s bad for the hotsportztake business. Seriously, this is an excellent post. As a fan, I, too, at times have trouble separating the “in the moment” emotionalism from the long-term view that Kraft must take; but that’s why I’m just a fan and Kraft is an influential billionaire who is well-respected within league circles. As for the tampering, there is no way Goodell can allow the Jets to get away with it, or with just a slap on the wrist. I would be disappointed with anything less than swapping second round picks and also awarding the Pats with the Jets’ 5th rounder (in the Lance Briggs tampering case, which didn’t even result in his signing with the team that tampered, the Bears ended up with an extra 3rd rounder, I believe — the Revis case is far more egregious than that was). As for Deflategate: Bring me the head of Mike Kensil, and we’ll call it even.

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    2. So basically in a nutshell,Kraft has to function the same way that Vito Corleone had to work with his “partners” even though they tried to kill him and murdered Sonny.
      NFL owners group=mordern day mafia. 🙂

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  7. Roger Goodell is neither dumb and or bad at his job. What he is is a lawyer who is paid millions to be the owners tackle dummy. He is the diversion the owners need when the NFL gets bad PR. And he takes it. He will dodge,mislead and divert attention all for the benefit of the owners and he keeps on going. If he wasn’t a puppet then he would’ve been fired by now.
    Roger has obviously mastered the art of politics and diversion from his father. To look into a camera and lie with a straight face is not skill you can find in just everyone. It’s a politicians skill and no doubt if he wasn’t in the NFL he would be in congress or the Senate milking the taxpayers with the rest of the scum.
    He earns his money and owners like Kraft and the Rooneys can hide behind Roger when get richer proposals are thrown out there;like 18 game seasons,expanded playoffs,London,fighting for the blackout rule,ect…

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        1. The larger point is well taken… Roger keeps taking the hits, more money is being made, owners are happy

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    2. Best comment on here in a while. he’s a 40 mil per year patsy. 32 billionaires can afford 40 million per rear to absorb their issues. You would think, However, for that price, they could do better than circus clown.

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  8. I agree, he didn’t say he gives Bill a budget. I never said he did. Reread my post. Don’t put words in my mouth. This is a direct quote from Kraft: “When you’ve got a budget, there’s certain things you can’t do, and we have a budget.”
    Like I said, Bob Kraft said the Patriots (does anyone dispute the “we” in his statement means the Patriots?) have a budget. That’s what Felger said as well. Bob Kraft echoed the EXACT sentiment that Felger did. The only difference is that Kraft sees it as a positive and Felger thinks it’s a negative. He even used the word BUDGET, which Bruce Allen characterized as thinly veiled anti-Semitism. I guess Bob Kraft is of the Bobby Fischer ilk?
    Speaking of gutless Bruce Allen, he has taken the cowardly route of up-voting another comment to hide behind instead of addressing his original ludicrous accusation. Who will police the police of Boston sports media? Keep cowering, Bruce, cause you clearly have plenty of mindless minions that’ll back up any idiotic statement you make. Keep fighting the good fight against Peter King cause NO ONE is calling that guy out. What’s next? An explosive takedown of Gary Tanguay??

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    1. Holy crap, you’re insane. What the heck happened? What in the world pushed your buttons on this topic?

      For the last time, the word budget on its own has no ulterior meaning. But when, day after day, week after week, they are talking about the team’s financial decisions, and *sarcastically* use the term “budget” – with clear emphasis and different tone of voice they are clearly, as LTD and others said, playing to a stereotype of Jewish people. In my view, that is exactly what I described as “thinly veiled anti-Semitism.”

      But to your clearly damaged and nonfunctional brain, it’s just whenever someone uses the word budget then I think they have some sort of evil hatred towards a race of people, which has apparently made me evil and the subject of an endless foot-stomping tirade on your part.

      I don’t know where that comes from other than a disturbed, obsessed person who will write literally dozens of posts in response to something written on a small, niche blog. It’s a little scary, if you ask me.

      I’m done with you, You can go away now, and quit hijacking my comment section.

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      1. Yup. There you go, coward. I’m crazy for calling you out on a baseless and dangerous accusation of anti-Semitism. There you go, mindless minions! He chalks me up as a kook and degrades me with insults instead of addressing the issue and retracting his heinous statement! They’ll love that, Bruce. You know what your audience will blindly follow. Way to stoke the fires of ludicrous PC policing. Funny that you still haven’t addressed the fact that Bob Kraft said the Patriots work from a budget. And he didn’t mean the salary cap, genius! Anything on that one, Bruce? No? Too busy finding bigotry in nothing? Or going after Peter King for the umpteenth time? Cool, bro.

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        1. What the hell are you talking about. Yes, they set a limit for each player on what that player’s value is. Call it a budget, that’s fine. Like I said above, the world budget has no evil connotation. The reason they have to place the value on each player is because they are operating under a salary cap. Genius! What is so hard to understand about that?

          If anyone is going on a ludicrous PC policing spree here, it is you.

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          1. I didn’t call it a budget. Felger did. And you used his quote as an example of “thinly veiled anti-Semitism.” Your words. Go back and read your own post, Bruce. Now, just yesterday, Bob Kraft said that the teams works on a budget that precludes them from signing guys such as Revis. He confirmed EXACTLY the sentiment that Felger cited (in a critical way). And yet you still refuse to acknowledge this. Now you’re saying it’s not the word, it’s the fact that they talk about money and budgets all the time (despite the fact that such things are extremely relevant in the NFL). Well, Bob Kraft talks about it too! In the exact same terms! Felger is critical of it and you absurdly label it anti-Semitism. I’ll repeat: It’s a dangerous and damaging statement to make. It’s not something that should be thrown about on a whim or a feeling. There’s ZERO basis for it. You’re WRONG for doing it. You’ve been called out for your foolish statement and now you’re trying to make it about anything else but your vile accusation. You’re making personal attacks on me, trying to rally your readers against me, and completely ignoring the salient facts that have been brought to your attention by myself and other people on here. If that’s how you actually want to handle it, then go for it. But I’m going to call you out for it. Frankly, you shouldn’t be running a site of this nature if you’re not going to hold yourself accountable when you make asinine statements such as you did. But, hey, clearly a lot of your readers don’t mind. Good luck with that. You want me gone from this board? I’m gone. Doesn’t change the fact that you were wrong for what you said and you’re a coward for how you’ve handled the aftermath. Take care.

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  9. He also said BB wanted Revis back. But THE BUDGET didn’t allow for it. And I haven’t contradicted one thing I’ve said, you pinhead. Apparently those who blindly follow Bruce like to just make stuff up. I said it was true that the Patriots work from a budget. And Bob Kraft confirmed that in his statement. Period. Point out where I contradicted myself with DIRECT QUOTES or shut up. And give Bruce a foot rub while you’re at it, clown.

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  10. I am sure you’ve heard of the Jets filing tampering. If not, it’ll take up at least 75% of the topics on the airwaves today.

    Michael Hurley over at CBSBoston posted a great item on the absurdity.

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    1. Yes, and that “Mehta” guy who called the Patriots “petty” last week for complaining about the tampering with Revis, apparently called the Jets “smart” last night when he heard the news of their tampering charge against NE. Seems that Mr. Mehta is bucking to become the NY version of that “Doyel” lunatic out in Indianapolis.

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    2. So I think the NFL has painted itself into a corner with their legalistic approach to all of these investigations. Let’s take the tampering one. In their quest to know everything they sent their investigators to the Jets office, they have spoken to untold people and have not taken action. Now because the NFL wants their owners to be friendly to the Media Bob Kraft answers a question about a departed player and the Jets file a legalistic tampering charge…not because anyone thinks they tampered but because they want to mitigate the penalty they know is coming their way.

      Had the NFL handled this quickly and decisively when Johnson made his stupid comments…this is not a case and the Jets don’t dare file tampering charges based on what Kraft said. The NFL could still get themselves out of this mess and put an end to all of this border war crap once and for all by giving the Pats the Jets #6 pick in the first round and release a statement that says. “The Jets tampered with a player under contract. The Patriots did not tamper when asked about their impressions on a negotiation that happened 2 weeks ago. Further, for wasting the NFL’s time by filing the claim we upped the penalty to the first round pick. Now we understand it is a competitive league and all teams are looking for an advantage but it should not come by violating league rules. Then Goodell should look directly into the camera and say…Jets and Pats…grow up.

      None of that will happen. Goodall is useless and there are no adults in the NFL front office looking out for the best interests of the league.

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    3. And, as in a court of law, there should be a sanction for filing a frivolous complaint–loss of pick and/or a hefty fine.

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    4. If Johnson thinks what Kraft said is tampering, then isn’t he – by logical extension – admitting that he tampered?

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  11. Just a random thought: I defy anyone to name someone in local sports media more stupid than Gary Tanguay.
    The. Worst.

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    2. Butch Sterns but seriously I am splitting some serious hairs with that one. Tanguay proves that Ted Baxter was not based on fiction day in and day out.

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    3. Tanguay by far. I mean, it’s not even close. Sometimes I feel bad for him cause he’s trying so hard to be “something,” but he’s just such a pathetic failure at it. Most of the time I just loathe him, though. I said this before: I’d love to know his colleagues’ honest opinions of him. Even if it was done anonymously.

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  12. I can’t remember who I was debating this point with in prior weeks, but to the person that thinks it’s Kraft and not BB that calls the shots on the budget and more to the point, how much is budgeted for each positional group, I give you this, from the Gold Standard:

    http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york-jets/print?id=50160

    On Monday, at about 3:30 p.m. ET, Kraft spoke to reporters and answered questions about Revis’ departure. He didn’t make any comments that screamed “Tampering!” Mostly, he talked about how he wishes he could’ve kept the star cornerback, but that he sided with Bill Belichick’s belief it was in the best interest of the team to move on.

    Belichick’s belief. Belichick’s. Not Kraft’s. Belchick’s.

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    1. It was I you were discussing the topic with and I NEVER said Kraft decides the budget for positional groups. I said he’s involved in the contract aspect of signing players. That’s why he says WE have a budget. That’s why he says he SIDED with BB’s belief. As in, BB came to him and said it was in the best interest of the team to move on from Revis and Kraft signed off on it. This backs up my assertion that BB answers to Kraft on such matters. BB doesn’t just do what he wants to do. He tells Kraft what he wants to do and Kraft okays it.

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  13. And once again you bring nothing to the table. You shouldn’t comment unless you actually know what the topic is. Go back and read Bruce’s original post where he uses Felger’s quote about the Patriots having a budget as an example of thinly veiled anti-Semitism. Then read Bob Kraft’s comments on the Patriots having a budget (and he doesn’t mean the salary cap, even Bruce has acknowledged this) and said budget being the reason why the team couldn’t resign Revis. If you don’t see how Kraft’s comments make Bruce’s claim of anti-Semitism against Felger even more absurd than it was in the first place, then you, sir, are the maniac. And please note that all I’m talking about is Bruce’s accusations of anti-Semitism. Nothing else. I’m not saying I agree with Felger on the budget (I don’t). I’m not saying I disagree with Kraft on the budget (I don’t). This is all about Bruce’s baseless accusation and his refusal to acknowledge his mistake in light of everything that has been brought to his attention. Falsely accusing someone of being a bigot is as seriously inappropriate as being a bigot. Bruce needs to admit he was wrong and retract his statement. Period.

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  15. Ortiz calls out the CHB:

    http://www.theplayerstribune.com/david-ortiz-on-the-record/

    In 2013, I came off the DL and started hot. My first 20 games I was hitting like .400. And the reporter with the red jheri curl from The Boston Globe comes into the locker room says, “You’re from the Dominican. You’re older. You fit the profile of a steroid user. Don’t you think you’re a prime suspect?”

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    1. From this point on Dan Shaughnessy shall only be known as the reporter with the red Jheri curl.

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  16. Some interesting Reiss stuff today.

    First, from his personal blog: http://www.mikereiss.net/thoughts-on-victorino-sports-talk-radio-the-media-culture-in-boston-and-more/

    “I often wonder if the hot takes would be as hot if they actually had to be accountable to those they were talking about. I do think part of what makes them willing to go as far as they often do is that they don’t have that accountability, and don’t have personal interaction with those they are talking about. It’s much easier to fire away when there is that disconnect.

    And that’s what I’ve been noticing more and more, not just with that program, but other opinion-based shows on TV that are more edgy, both national and local. I think the further you’re removed from being around the game, in the locker room, at league meetings, conversing with athletes, coaches etc., you lose a bit of touch with reality. It becomes more WWE than professional sports and that can be dangerous — and most of all misleading to the public — when in the position of powerful opinion-shaper.”

    And then in today’s chat: http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/boston/chat/_/id/51688

    “Peter, I think “paid propagandists” is way, way, way too extreme. The scary part of that is that if that’s what “Felger and Mazz” are pushing, and people really believe it, it’s just wrong. They were once in the same position as reporters covering a team or league and I would never have called them “paid propagandists” at that time. They were damn good reporters. They’ve crossed a line now and their role is different as entertainers, but I think it is really disingenuous of them to suggest that those covering teams are “paid propagandists”, if they are indeed doing that. I would absolutely challenge them on that. It’s about relationships and being fair, accountable, and professional to those you cover. That’s different than propaganda and to suggest otherwise is classic WWE stuff.”

    and

    “Mike, do you think there is any chance that the league would have outlawed the ineligible/eligible plays if Peyton Manning, Sean Payton, Chip Kelly, Andy Reid, or some other offensive ‘genius’ had used it. (snip)

    Mike (11:18 AM)
    No, I don’t, Bill. I very much felt an anti-Patriots slant to these meetings, more from several of the teams themselves. Everyone’s pretty much jealous, it’s a highly competitive environment, and you see that sort of manifest itself in these settings when everyone is together. ”

    and (and note that while Reiss “pared it down”, he still posted a reader’s shot at ESPN and didn’t dispute it at all).

    “Mike – Love your work. I constantly check the website throughout the day. However you work for ESPN. That network is way more guilty of over-the-top viewpoints and unsubstantiated rumors than Feldger and Maz. ESPN invented sports reporting as entertainment.

    Mike (11:22 AM)
    KTP, I read your whole comment but pared it down. This is fair. That doesn’t change my viewpoint on the topic.”

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