Speculative article on friction between McDermott and Staff?

[Mark Long Beach]

1 minute ago, jkeerie said:

I wouldn't.  I don't think you'll find out with certainty anyway.  McD simply said "it came down to execution."  And then "it starts with me."  I'm listening to Dunne on WGR now and Dunne is saying the last 13 seconds came down to McD.  

 

Eh.  A non-story being made into one.     Of course McD is the one to blame, it's his responsibility, and he's stated this is the case.    As for "execution",  Dunne is implying that he's blaming players rather than coaches or himself.  

 

I think McD is saying as a team (coaches included) we didn't finish the job. He's sheltering any coach or player under him from any individual blame and thus protecting them from being crucified by media and fans.   Many players are forever demonized who have made mistakes in critical moments ("Buckner dropped the ball!") or even just not succeeded (Scott Norwood anyone?).

 

I want a Superbowl, not someone to blame.    We need these (mostly) same players and coaches to succeed next year.  They didn't quite this year.

 

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

6 hours ago, HereComesTheReignAgain said:

Does anyone else find stories that are completely based on anonymous quotes really annoying?  You can say anything that you want, and simply state that you have sources that didn't want to be named.  

I worked side by side with journalists at every level for over 20 years. This simply doesn’t happen. 

[Buffalo_Stampede]

4 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Dunne just said the kickoff team was told squib left and bass kicked it deep. There were 126 seconds and he doesn’t know if McDermott overruled it or if Farwell didn’t get the message to bass. He says you can draw conclusions. 

This is what I heard before getting out of the car. I also may have punched the dash a few times and angrily shut off the radio.

 

Quote

Listen to this moment from Howard and Jeremy on Audacy. Music, news, sports and podcasts. It’s all here. https://go.audacy.com/HoqC0Rlh8nb

 

[jkeerie]

12 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

Compared in terms of saying he's not Rex. He said Rex had crazy stuff happening all the time.

Jeremy. They were just starting to read the article.

Oh...he said it after reading Dunne's article.  So it still comes down to Dunne's take.

[todd]

6 hours ago, DrDawkinstein said:

 

 

"...It comes down to execution, which starts and ends with the Head Coach... I take full responsibility for the execution that wasnt where it needed to be"

 

Same thing he's said all along. What more do people want? Self-flagellation on Empire Sports Network?

 

Basically there are number of people who have been on an anti-McDermott crusade, and it started well before the playoff game. We all know who they are, and they are kinda ridiculous. McDermott has been an incredibly successful coach since he's been here, despite having Tyrod one year and a rookie QB the next. I wouldn't let 16 seconds ruin all that, unless you are a troll on a crusade. There seem to be plenty of those.

 

Look, a head coach is supposed to call out people when they don't perform, including himself. He does that. Daboll had some really crappy games that he called. Like monumentally horrible. Pittsburgh. The first NE game. And McDermott called him out. And our running game got on track and turned the season around. That's good coaching, although some goons don't want to admit it. And some of the press who can't find a regular job are trying to manufacture something.

[eball]

What a hack job by a writer trying to become the next Timmah Graham.  He’s done this in other pieces as well.  Take nameless quotes and orchestrate them into his narrative to get clicks, follows, and subscriptions.

 

Look, McD, other coaches, and players all f***ed up in the last 13 seconds of that game.  Trying to create a narrative that McD choked it all away and never accepted responsibility is bush league.

 

[Einstein's Dog]

5 minutes ago, YoloinOhio said:

Dunne just said the kickoff team was told squib left and bass kicked it deep. There were 126 seconds and he doesn’t know if McDermott overruled it or if Farwell didn’t get the message to bass. He says you can draw conclusions. 

Do people, like Dunne, use the term squib kick and pooch kick interchangably?   Because a squib kick, which had always been a kick along the ground, would certainly have been a risky call - and generally no better than what they ended up with.

 

A pooch kick that goes high and comes down at around the 10 is what should have been the call.  So, IMO, squib kick or out of end zone are no different - both bad calls.  The right play was a pooch kick.

[jkeerie]

4 minutes ago, Buffalo_Stampede said:

This is what I heard before getting out of the car. I also may have punched the dash a few times and angrily shut off the radio.

 

 

Dunne is not concluding that McD definitively overruled the squib kick.  He's saying "whether the word never got to Bass or McD overruled it" the squib was expected.  So Dunne knows no more than anyone.   This is all conjecture.  It sounds to me like McD didn't want to hang anyone out to the court of public opinion other than himself.

6 minutes ago, eball said:

What a hack job by a writer trying to become the next Timmah Graham.  He’s done this in other pieces as well.  Take nameless quotes and orchestrate them into his narrative to get clicks, follows, and subscriptions.

 

Look, McD, other coaches, and players all f***ed up in the last 13 seconds of that game.  Trying to create a narrative that McD choked it all away and never accepted responsibility is bush league.

 

I totally agree.  In fact, listening to Dunne, he knows nothing definitive.  It's all conjecture.

[BillsMafi$]

Dunne story is very very concerning 

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

6 hours ago, CountDorkula said:

i love how sources for other teams are incredibly believable, but when it comes to the Bills, "unnamed sources" are false, because it shines the team in a negative light.

 

 

 

People don’t seem to understand this basic tenant of journalism:  sources are unnamed because if you name them?  Your career in journalism is over because no one will even look at you, let alone give you information. 

[jkeerie]

1 minute ago, BillsMafi$ said:

Dunne story is very very concerning 

I'm not concerned in the least after listening to Dunne just now on WGR.  He knows nothing more definitive than what others have been reporting all along.  McD has apparently not even pointed fingers to anyone in front of the team.  That's not a lack of accountability.  That is taking the "blame" on your own shoulders as the one in charge and not hanging anyone out to dry.  

[todd]

3 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

 

Dunne is known to members of this board.

 

"Josh Reed is a Murrow and Emmy Award winning journalist...and Sports Director" of Buffalo News 4 since 2015.  A real flame thrower there.

 

As he just put it: 

 

"Some of y’all are funny. You want reporters to give you insight on your team… unless you disagree with it"  and " It’s a tweet not a web story. Don’t fans want to hear what we’re being told I credible sources?"

 

Apparently the answer is no for many here.

 

Well buying into Dunne's schtick it certainly fits the anti-McDermott agenda some have here, despite his winning record and getting the Bills to the playoffs in all but one year. I'm not saying he's Dickerson or anything, but some people have an agenda and an axe to grind.

[Turbo44]

7 minutes ago, jkeerie said:

I'm not concerned in the least after listening to Dunne just now on WGR.  He knows nothing more definitive than what others have been reporting all along.  McD has apparently not even pointed fingers to anyone in front of the team.  That's not a lack of accountability.  That is taking the "blame" on your own shoulders as the one in charge and not hanging anyone out to dry.  

I disagree. I subscribe and Tyler didn’t get into specifics on WGR as he wants to make a living. Interesting stuff from the article for those who don’t subscribe:

 

Farewell called a deep left squib quick (which he uses interchangeable for a pooch kick). McD overruled him told Bass to kick deep and this wasn’t communicated to the rest of the ST, hence the confusion. Farewell was not fired, he resigned over this. It was kept quiet so He could get another job.

 

on the 2 defensive plays, #39 was told to play exactly where he did in relation to Hill then Kelsey. Players also questioned why poyer and Hyde played 35 yards off the ball.

 

Diggs confronted the defense in the locker and almost came to blows with a defensive player before Hughes intervened. At that point McD cooled it down saying the blame is on him not on anybody else. This is the only time he ever spoke about the 13 seconds with any of the players.

 

mckenzie was not a source for this story.

 

if Tyler is making this sh*t up, he has an amazing imagination.

 

there’s probably more in the story that I’m forgetting. Just when I was getting over it this drags me back in

[eball]

If you don’t believe Ty Dunne is all about Ty Dunne, go back and read his “inside takes” on the Rodgers/Green Bay situation last year.  He told anyone who would listen that Rodgers “would do anything possible” to get out of Green Bay prior to the season.

 

This guy is fashioning himself into a NFL drama creator.

[YoloinOhio]

1 minute ago, eball said:

If you don’t believe Ty Dunne is all about Ty Dunne, go back and read his “inside takes” on the Rodgers/Green Bay situation last year.  He told anyone who would listen that Rodgers “would do anything possible” to get out of Green Bay prior to the season.

 

This guy is fashioning himself into a NFL drama creator.

Also the Sammy Watkins stuff, but by the second interview no one cared anymore 

[GunnerBill]

Just now, eball said:

If you don’t believe Ty Dunne is all about Ty Dunne, go back and read his “inside takes” on the Rodgers/Green Bay situation last year.  He told anyone who would listen that Rodgers “would do anything possible” to get out of Green Bay prior to the season.

 

This guy is fashioning himself into a NFL drama creator.

 

He has to be all about Ty Dunne. It is literally his living. 

[LABILLBACKER]

31 minutes ago, Einstein's Dog said:

Do people, like Dunne, use the term squib kick and pooch kick interchangably?   Because a squib kick, which had always been a kick along the ground, would certainly have been a risky call - and generally no better than what they ended up with.

 

A pooch kick that goes high and comes down at around the 10 is what should have been the call.  So, IMO, squib kick or out of end zone are no different - both bad calls.  The right play was a pooch kick.

Completely agree.....Squibs can get stopped well short of the 25. They can also go out of bounds or all the way into the endzone. The "pop up" pooch kick takes longer for the returner to receive it.  You either get a fair catch around the 10 or Hardman attempts a return using clock. Calling for a squib would've also ironically been the wrong call.

[eball]

6 minutes ago, GunnerBill said:

 

He has to be all about Ty Dunne. It is literally his living. 

 

I don’t disagree, but he won’t be getting my money.

[BuffaloBillyG]

10 minutes ago, Turbo44 said:

I disagree. I subscribe and Tyler didn’t get into specifics on WGR as he wants to make a living. Interesting stuff from the article for those who don’t subscribe:

 

Farewell called a deep left squib quick (which he uses interchangeable for a pooch kick). McD overruled him told Bass to kick deep and this wasn’t communicated to the rest of the ST, hence the confusion. Farewell was not fired, he resigned over this. It was kept quiet so He could get another job.

 

on the 2 defensive plays, #39 was told to play exactly where he did in relation to Hill then Kelsey. Players also questioned why poyer and Hyde played 35 yards off the ball.

 

Diggs confronted the defense in the locker and almost came to blows with a defensive player before Hughes intervened. At that point McD cooled it down saying the blame is on him not on anybody else. This is the only time he ever spoke about the 13 seconds with any of the players.

 

mckenzie was not a source for this story.

 

if Tyler is making this sh*t up, he has an amazing imagination.

 

there’s probably more in the story that I’m forgetting. Just when I was getting over it this drags me back in

Cool story. Next time he should put in some car crashes and dragons to make it REALLY pop.

 

Look, if people want to believe all this drama without any proof other than "Dude trust me, I was told this happened" then that's super. As we see all across America these days people will believe anything they read without proof just to increase the sound in the echo chamber they want to hear. 

 

One thing I know for sure...when a story comes across with as much "detail" from the amount of sources it would take to put it together that all remain unnamed "sources" then about 90% of what you're reading is the authors opinions presented as resolute fact. 

[folz]

3 hours ago, Mr. WEO said:

why?  If these are the things players are saying, why is it nonsense? Why wouldn’t the readership be interested in hearing this?  TD put this article out there because he thinks Bills fans who follow him are dumb?

 

Let me take a stab at showing why some think the article is disingenuous in a manner.

 

 

He starts off with what his obvious opinion and thrust of his slant for the article:

 

"Obviously, Sean McDermott owed more to the public."

 

This is obviously either bothering the writer himself, or he knows he can stoke his readership by bringing up something he knows they are upset about. But Sean McDermott doesn't owe the public an explanation. He is not a public servant. He works for the Pegulas and the NFL. Also, as a good leader, he is making sure that no one (player or coach) gets thrown under the bus. Do people really want him to point fingers? Or instead of saying, ultimately it was his responsibility/execution, did they want him to break down at the podium and say, "It's all my fault. I screwed up. Woe is me." A good leader doesn't do either of those things. A good leader handles their business internally, picks themselves up, and moves on. I just don't know what people want from him.

 

But, the real problem to me with the article is this:

 

"so many of the men who poured their blood, sweat and tears into the organization have been left completely in the dark...With those 13 seconds shrouded in mystery, players were forced to investigate themselves. Many, of course, declined to speak which is understandable considering their boss has refused to utter a word of substance on the matter. There’s little upside. But several did share their findings with Go Long on the condition of anonymity."

 

So he starts off telling us how "many" players feel...leading us to believe it is like a majority of the players. Then tells us "many" players declined to speak. So did many players feel what you said if many players declined to talk? And notice how he's amping up the animosity towards McDermott (and his feeling of the situation) with his emotionally-charged word choices (see bolded phrases above). This is what in the courtroom would be considered leading a witness (or in this case, a reader). So, after saying many players did not comment, he claims that "several did share their findings...on the condition of anonymity."  

 

Let's break that down. How many are several? The definition of several is "More than two, but not many." So, rather than that original "MANY" players he inferred he knew how they felt, we are down to maybe a small group of players. And he says the player's "share their findings" from these "investigations" that they were "forced" to make on their own. Ok, what did this small group of players conclude? What are the actual quotes that will bring us to a better understanding of what happened or what is going on? Well, Dunne offers us four quotes total from either 2, 3, or 4 players. The way they are placed in the article, it could only be two players talking, or it could be up to 4 players (definitely not "many").

 

“You preach accountability,” one player said. “But you don’t practice it.”

 

Said one player: “Everybody knew that if we just beat Kansas City, we would’ve beat any team.”

 

And another: “We definitely would’ve won the Super Bowl.” 

 

“You don’t get over,” one player said, “a game like that.”

 

The first quote is almost undoubtedly from McKenzie. The other three quotes have nothing to do with the 13 seconds or who is to be held accountable, etc. There is no investigative work here by the players or the writer. It is just what any player would say after a tough loss, or what you're expectation was. Nothing to do with McDermott or how he handled the situation then or since.

 

So, after starting off making us think that the majority of the team feels the way the writer is leading us, it all comes down to one anonymous quote, from one player. So, one player said the coach needs to practice accountability and from that we are to believe there is some kind of mutiny at One Bills Drive?

 

And with this one quote, he proves his thesis:

 

"The conclusion? This loss is on the head coach. Not the players. The coach." Who said it wasn't? Whenever you are a leader, every loss ultimately lies in your lap.

 

And why not throw a few of these in to make your readers feel the way you do about McDermott, "No coach can clap their way through this loss." "And the more you learn about this historic collapse, the more it appears the head coach once empowered as the judge, juror and executioner at One Bills Drive should be No. 3." He is trying to paint McDermott as some tyrannical leader, but gives no proof other than his own opinion and that one quote from one player.

 

 

And one last point. His whole thing that McDermott has also been closed mouth in-house again comes from Isiah, who admittedly missed the team meeting, and possibly 1-3 other players he talked to (but who didn't give him a quote about it), and who might not be high enough on the ladder to get explanations anyhow (do we really think McDermott didn't talk to say Josh, or Micah, or Jordan in their final meetings about what happened. Or that he, Frazier, Beane, and the Pegulas haven't discussed it, etc., etc.). Not saying it might not be true that McDermott was closed lip with parts of the organization (because their pay grade didn't warrant them being a part of those discussions), but this is the only other proof we get from Dunne, the following quote:

 

Everything ended very “abruptly,” one team source said.

 

So, the actual quote is "abruptly," the rest of the words are the writers. So what is the actual context to "abruptly?" We're supposed to take a one word quote from an anonymous source and extrapolate out that everyone hates McDermott or something? And who is a team source? A coach, a trainer, someone in the cafeteria? What would it really tell us anyhow unless we knew at least their position with the team.

 

It is what it is, a writer having a premise/agenda for an article, tries to find proof to back up his thesis. When there is very little to actually go on, take what little you have and make it seem like it is more, and use a lot of emotionally-charged words to direct your reader to your foregone conclusion.

 

More opinion piece, than any type of hard-hitting investigative journalism imo.