Doug Marrone grows irritated

[Peter]

 

Exactly. Just like when he was being a dick to Ted Black at the Sabres presser where he said he already had his column written.

 

He and Harrington completely embarrassed themselves that day. Cringe worthy.

[biglukes]

 

 

He and Harrington completely embarrassed themselves that day. Cringe worthy.

And predictably, they went on twitter rampages right afterwards about how the Sabres should be ashamed, and how they, the all knowing journalists were completely in the right.

[eball]

Jerry Sullivan is a columnist. He gives opinions. You may disagree with them or not but that is the purpose for writing his opinion columns. His job is to provoke others into thinking about the topic that he is writing about. After each game he most often doesn't write a piece on the specific plays as much as he gives an overview of the game or a particular aspect of it, such as play calling or coaching strategy.

 

There is nothing wrong with disagreeing with his take on things. If you are reacting to what he wrote then he is accomplishing his mission i.e. getting you to think. Good columnists very often invite backlash responses to what they write. For them that is a positive sign that they hit a chord.

 

In many ways a good columnist is anti-establishment in approach who challenges authority. That is his role and what he gets paid to do. I simply don't understand why he gets vilified for being critical of a franchise that doesn't have much of a recent history for competency.

 

There are too many people who believe that media types should be cheerleaders for the home team. It doesn't work that way. The Buffalo market in general is not covered by sharks seeking prey. The western NY media coverage is very tame compared to the ravenous media coverage in Philly, NYC and Boston. If some of the media critics believe that the western NY reporters are out of line in their coverage of the team then what would they think of the more unruly, aggressive and obnoxiious people covering those other more intense markets?

 

If only Jerry were as insightful or provocative as you suggest. Good god. Go read some real opinion pieces and then review some of Jerry's work. Better yet -- go back and read Felser's stuff. He didn't cheerlead but he was fair and honest. Rehashing the same stories over and over again isn't good writing.

 

The advent of social media among sportswriters is an interesting phenomenon in itself. Holy cow, these guys (and gals) circle the wagons like no other group around. It's as if they're all blood brothers and nobody has ever made a mistake or misplaced a word. Twitter has exposed it all -- everyone pats each other on the back and if any of them are criticized the rest rush to their defense, without exception. It's remarkable. And then you have Tim Graham, blocking one follower after another if they dare to suggest he or another media member went over the line.

 

I don't know whether it's a good or bad thing that the media are now so accessible to the fans of the teams they cover. They (for the most part) don't want to really interact with those fans unless it's 100% positive feedback. I'll give Wawrow a lot of credit for being on here and talking about the topic without "taking his ball and going home" as others have done.

[K-9]

This thread of mental masturbation would be worth something if there were some correlation between performance during press conferences and on the field.

 

Didn't Sal M. make that correlation in his hatchet piece mere hours after the PC? To paraphrase, "If Marrone loses his cool here, what's he gonna do in a tight game situation?" He slid a few rungs down my credibility ladder after that connect the dots crap.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[Gugny]

Didn't Sal M. make that correlation in his hatchet piece mere hours after the PC? To paraphrase, "If Marrone loses his cool here, what's he gonna do in a tight game situation?" He slid a few rungs down my credibility ladder after that connect the dots crap.

 

GO BILLS!!!

Is your ladder like a little step ladder or a big extension ladder?

[Peter]

with all due respect, isn't always something with Mario. has his presence, since nearly the beginning, hijacked several story lines that would've been better served.

from his 2-1/2 days of negotiating the deal, to his wrist, to his inconsistent performance on a porous defense, to his failed engagement, to his comments about Pettine's style, to his posting of the questionable Aaron Hernandez drawing, to this ... through it all, as much as anyone would like to write something positive about him -- and there are positives -- the storyline continues to get shifted back to the theme of: "What's Mario up to now?"

 

i'd welcome that. unfortunately, i can only read and react to the latest thing.

 

and i write this, even as i attempted to get off to a fresh start with Mario with the piece i wrote on reporting day, during which i led with Mario wearing a Superman hat and trying to put the past behind.

two days later, and with no intention of wanting to write about Mario again, something happened.

 

jw

 

John,

 

I hope you read my earlier post where I complimented you. I put you in a completely different category from Sullivan, Gleason, and Harrington. Yet, I got to tell you, to paraphrase Chris Berman, no one circles the wagons like Buffalo sports reporters.

 

Regarding Mario:

 

Two and one-half days of negotiating a deal: It took me more than two and one-half days to decide to move to Miami and accept an offer from a law firm here coming out of law school 26 years ago - and believe me, my initial salary as a lawyer did not have as many zeros as Mario's contract.

 

Inconsistent performance on a porous defense: The Bills had a porous defense. There are eleven guys on defense (not to mention the departed DC). Obviously, Mario was not the only reason for how the defense performed. We all would have wanted him to be more dominating. He did get 10.5 sacks however. He was inconsistent, but his play picked up after he had his procedure. To his credit, he did not miss a game and played through it. Guys like Sully (especially on his WGR spots) always seemed to question whether there was an injury and, in turn, his manhood. He continues to do so after missing a couple of practices to take care of his foot several weeks before the first regular season game.

 

Engagement: Are you kidding me with this?

 

Comments on Pettine's style: I am not sure what you are talking about. All I have heard is that he is excited to play in the new defense. Paul Hamilton was talking about this yesterday or the day before on WGR.

 

Posting a Questionable Hernandez Drawing: Are you talking about the Grand Theft Auto New England thing? I have heard a lot of jokes etc. about Hernandez from a lot of different people. I really don't care. I also have found that different people of different backgrounds and ages have different senses of humor. When I was a teenager, I used to recite Richard Pryor routines with one of my best friends (who happened to be black) with whom I played football. While I still think that Richard Pryor is hilarious, I would not recite many of those routines any more -- except the one with the punch line: "And, it's deep too." [Those of you that know the joke are probably laughing right now].

 

John, you have built up a lot of credibility in my book. I respect your opinion, because I do not think that you have a particular agenda or narrative you are pushing. I disagree with you at times - for example, your take on whether the Bills should have tagged JB. I respect your opinion even when I disagree with it.

 

Sullivan, Gleason, and Harrington, on the other hand, not so much.

Edited August 2, 2013 by Peter

[Mr. WEO]

Didn't Sal M. make that correlation in his hatchet piece mere hours after the PC? To paraphrase, "If Marrone loses his cool here, what's he gonna do in a tight game situation?" He slid a few rungs down my credibility ladder after that connect the dots crap.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

Not inthe way doc was suggesting. He is simply asking how will Marrone react when the questions (or subject matter) gets a lot tougher.

[JohnC]

If only Jerry were as insightful or provocative as you suggest. Good god. Go read some real opinion pieces and then review some of Jerry's work. Better yet -- go back and read Felser's stuff. He didn't cheerlead but he was fair and honest. Rehashing the same stories over and over again isn't good writing.

 

If someone has been covering the Bills for the past dozen years or so what is the new refreshing story?

This is a new year under basically new management so hopefully there is a greater opportunity for more positive commentary. But if one has been commenting on the Bills for the past number of years the storyline has been consistent. It certainly doesn't have much to do with inspiring play or management.

 

If you find Jerry Sullivan to be so irritating there is a simple solution: Don't read his column or listen to him when he is on the radio. Why get agitated over what he says when you have the option to ignore what he says? When I read his columns or hear him on the radio if I agree with him on an issue I agree with him. If I don't then I don't. I don't find him aggravating or annoying as others do. I find Mike Shoop to be annoying and condescending. So I don't give much credence to what he says and try to limite the times that I listen to his show.

 

The advent of social media among sportswriters is an interesting phenomenon in itself. Holy cow, these guys (and gals) circle the wagons like no other group around. It's as if they're all blood brothers and nobody has ever made a mistake or misplaced a word. Twitter has exposed it all -- everyone pats each other on the back and if any of them are criticized the rest rush to their defense, without exception. It's remarkable. And then you have Tim Graham, blocking one follower after another if they dare to suggest he or another media member went over the line.

 

I don't know whether it's a good or bad thing that the media are now so accessible to the fans of the teams they cover. They (for the most part) don't want to really interact with those fans unless it's 100% positive feedback. I'll give Wawrow a lot of credit for being on here and talking about the topic without "taking his ball and going home" as others have done.

 

If you participate in the social media such as twitter you are not going to get meaningful reporting and responses. You are getting snippets of first impressions. If someone such as Graham cuts you off, so what? That is the individual's prerogative, just as you have the prerogative of cutting off the reporting member to your account. That is the nature of that particular medium.

 

The people reporting on the Bills are not cheerleaders. That is not their role. Many fans come at the game from a more team embracing perspective. Media members are going to be more critical than a diehard fan. They are much less willing to accept the company line than fans are. How else are they going to do their jobs?

Edited August 1, 2013 by JohnC

[Peter]

 

And predictably, they went on twitter rampages right afterwards about how the Sabres should be ashamed, and how they, the all knowing journalists were completely in the right.

 

I noticed that too. It was an echo chamber. As I wrote in another post, to paraphrase Chris Berman, no one circles the wagons like Buffalo sports reporters - especially the guys from the Buffalo News. Sully and Harrington hit their nadir at the Sabres PC.

 

 

 

If only Jerry were as insightful or provocative as you suggest. Good god. Go read some real opinion pieces and then review some of Jerry's work. Better yet -- go back and read Felser's stuff. He didn't cheerlead but he was fair and honest. Rehashing the same stories over and over again isn't good writing.

 

The advent of social media among sportswriters is an interesting phenomenon in itself. Holy cow, these guys (and gals) circle the wagons like no other group around. It's as if they're all blood brothers and nobody has ever made a mistake or misplaced a word. Twitter has exposed it all -- everyone pats each other on the back and if any of them are criticized the rest rush to their defense, without exception. It's remarkable. And then you have Tim Graham, blocking one follower after another if they dare to suggest he or another media member went over the line.

 

I don't know whether it's a good or bad thing that the media are now so accessible to the fans of the teams they cover. They (for the most part) don't want to really interact with those fans unless it's 100% positive feedback. I'll give Wawrow a lot of credit for being on here and talking about the topic without "taking his ball and going home" as others have done.

 

So true.

[Thurmal34]

For those keeping this thread going - WEO, GG, jw, Joe Miner, etc. What is the expectation for Marrone vis a vis the media going forward after this purported "dust up"? Do you think he, like many rookies, will learn from this? Or do you think what you saw is what you will get for the duration of his tenure as HC of the BB?

[K-9]

Is your ladder like a little step ladder or a big extension ladder?

 

It'a a Little Giant. 24 ladders in one!

 

And I can hang laundry on it.

 

GO BILLS!!!

[Campy]

I don't think anyone was "right" or "wrong" in this exchange.

 

But Marrone is going to need to get some more patience with the press; imagine what he would be like after a bad loss.

 

If he's like Belicheck after a loss, I'm cool with that. In fact, I'd say a Bills coach getting PO'd after a loss is long overdue...

Edited August 1, 2013 by Campy

[Joe Miner]

For those keeping this thread going - WEO, GG, jw, Joe Miner, etc. What is the expectation for Marrone vis a vis the media going forward after this purported "dust up"? Do you think he, like many rookies, will learn from this? Or do you think what you saw is what you will get for the duration of his tenure as HC of the BB?

 

I'd just like a professional interview on both sides.

 

We're talking about a football team in training camp, not breaking the Watergate story or guarding national secrets from terrorists.

 

Getting asked questions you don't like or getting an answer you don't like isn't a reason to participate in the spectacle that resembled an interview the other day.

 

I hope everyone learns from this. This isn't a critic of people's ability to do their jobs, just one public instance I think reflects poorly on all involved. I have a feeling after a few more interviews when the season starts no one will care about this anymore.

[JM57]

After browsing JW's posts on the topic, his actions say it all. HE is the one that "took the heat" from Marrone, THEY are not. HE is the one acting like a mature, rational, professional adult. THEY are the ones stomping around in circles, holding their breath like petulant children.

 

+1000 to JW for being what I wish all our local media could be

[GG]

For those keeping this thread going - WEO, GG, jw, Joe Miner, etc. What is the expectation for Marrone vis a vis the media going forward after this purported "dust up"? Do you think he, like many rookies, will learn from this? Or do you think what you saw is what you will get for the duration of his tenure as HC of the BB?

 

I wonder why people are eagerly bringing up Belichick and Parcells but not Greggo. Marrone's move was certainly more on line with the latter. I have seen BB and BP be adversarial with the press, but I don't believe I've seen them lose their cool.

[bills44]

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/eye-on-football/22971650/report-dolphins-wont-explain-why-mike-wallace-didnt-practice

 

I wonder if Dolfans' collective panties are in a bunch, due to Philbin not opening up about Wallace's absence from practice.

[Doc]

Not inthe way doc was suggesting. He is simply asking how will Marrone react when the questions (or subject matter) gets a lot tougher.

If they keep asking the same tougher question over and over again, they'll get the same reaction from Marrone. Somehow I don't think they'll make that mistake in the future again.

[Thurmal34]

 

 

I wonder why people are eagerly bringing up Belichick and Parcells but not Greggo. Marrone's move was certainly more on line with the latter. I have seen BB and BP be adversarial with the press, but I don't believe I've seen them lose their cool.

 

TY for the reply. Is your sense that Marrone will continue to lose his cool when faced with repetitive probing questions or do you feel that he will learn from this alleged hiccup and improve at dealing with the local media?

 

 

 

I hope everyone learns from this.

 

Stop making sense!

[Delete This Account]

I'd just like a professional interview on both sides.

 

We're talking about a football team in training camp, not breaking the Watergate story or guarding national secrets from terrorists.

 

Getting asked questions you don't like or getting an answer you don't like isn't a reason to participate in the spectacle that resembled an interview the other day.

 

I hope everyone learns from this. This isn't a critic of people's ability to do their jobs, just one public instance I think reflects poorly on all involved. I have a feeling after a few more interviews when the season starts no one will care about this anymore.

 

what are you talking about? a professional interview? what exactly does that mean? are you suggesting we check the yellow pages and call up a professional interviewer or interviewee?

interviews happen. they take on a life of their own. questions are asked. answers are provided. however professional or unprofessional you might regard them to be doesn't really matter. they happen.

 

what exactly are you suggesting? that they follow some kind of rule? am i in fact asking professional questions here? because if that's the case, i suggest i should get paid.

or, are you suggesting that these professional interviews meet some certain standard in which you've developed. and if that is the case, please inform us all so that we can all follow the guidelines, because lord knows, it's important to remain "professional." or whatever that means.

 

jw

 

oh, yes, i also hope everyone learns from this, whatever that learning part is, because we should all learn stuff, cause learning is important.

Edited August 2, 2013 by john wawrow

[benderbender]

I wonder why people are eagerly bringing up Belichick and Parcells but not Greggo. Marrone's move was certainly more on line with the latter. I have seen BB and BP be adversarial with the press, but I don't believe I've seen them lose their cool.

BB has the benefit of experience. In that the media knows he won't give you anything. So the media stops asking. Marrone doesn't have the luxury of a record of being tight lipped. And he has probably trying too hard to be open with the press to this point. Hopefully lesson learned.