Tyler Dunne story on McDermott - 3 parts, 25 interviews, one damning conclusion

[FireChans]

7 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

 

Yeah that article if anything looks worse for McDermott IMO. The team is not rallying around him. Everyone interviewed clearly feels awkward and is trying to find the right words to describe such a bizarre event.

 

I don't think the players on the roster outright hate him at this point, but I do think they are just tolerating him.

The game will be the barometer. If they come out lifeless, it’s over.

 

if they come out balling and fired up, McD’s reign of terror continues!

[CaliBills]

52 minutes ago, PBF81 said:

 

@CaliBills

You posted a red-x of disagreement with the above.  Just curious, what do you disagree with?  

 

Did I miss unequivocal statements by Allen, Diggs, Dawkins, Morse, Davis, Knox, Cook, Kincaid, etc. downplaying it?  

 

 

 

The problem I see is you are expecting something out of the players that frankly, I don't believe they owe you anything. 

 

Maybe they didn't make themselves available to the media, maybe they just don't want to discuss what they deem an in house thing.  

 

Maybe we as fans have zero clue of what really goes on behind close doors and what type of relationships McD has with the players.  

 

The Bills have been known to keep things in house.  

 

Look at the Diggs garbage that the media blew out of proportion in the beginning of the year.  Players eventually felt pressured by the media to say something.

I would say the same thing is happening with this.  

They do not want to talk about it and why do they owe any of us anything.  They don't

 

[BrooklynBills]

On 12/7/2023 at 11:45 AM, GoBills808 said:

One source cited an assistant coach with kids who’d typically arrive for offseason hours about five minutes early (7:55 a.m.) and leave no more than five minutes late (4:05 p.m.) simply to help out as much as he could back home as a father. McDermott, quite perturbed, decided to add an hour to the workday. In his mind, if his coaches weren’t going to give him the “extra,” he was going to get the “extra” out of them. He started requiring coaches to stay from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., instead of 8 to 4. Even if there was a chance he wasn’t so punctual himself.

 

This is an 8 hour work day with an hour lunch break, otherwise know as a JOB.

 

I'm on Team Fire McDermott but this is such a soft ass critique.

[Kincaid Kool-Aid]

4 minutes ago, Process said:

The fact that almost every guy they quoted in that article wasn't even on the team a few years ago tells you everything you need to know lol. 

 

Even Micah. His support of McDermott was basically saying I don't need a coach to hold me accountable because I do that myself. Uses his first name, doesn't even call him coach. 

 

My concern is that even if McDermott doesn't have the respect of his peers or his players, will Terry care?

Exactly. Not exactly a ringing show of support by Hyde. 

[Beck Water]

12 minutes ago, PBF81 said:

 

I have a little bit of knowledge with the situation, unless I missed something, he was incredibly popular so he decided to break from there to attempt to make some money for his work, as he should do, like anyone.  

 

Do you have some info that they banned him and told him not to return?  

 

 

I'm afraid this kind of calls your "knowledge of the situation" into question.  Dunne was terminated, released, let go, downsized from Bleacher Report during a staff reduction.  That's a fact.  His friends and colleagues agree.  He didn't have a choice about whether or not to "break from there". (there being BR), his position ended.

 

He says that he had the option to find employment elsewhere.  His track record and credentials give no reason to disbelieve this.

 

He chose to start "Go Long" instead.  I thought it was a gutsy move at the time, and admired it, but it's kind of going in a bit of a dark direction at times IMO.  Putting out very critical pieces which rest on large quantities of anonymous sources, for example.

 

 

 

Edited December 9, 2023 by Beck Water

[FireChans]

On 12/7/2023 at 9:45 AM, GoBills808 said:

full quote

 

One ex-player recalls McDermott getting upset that the offensive linemen wore Jordans on Saturday walkthroughs because Jordans didn’t seem very lineman to him. Didn’t seem tough. He preferred the big men on his offensive line walk around the facility in work boots and Carhartt jackets. When players were upset about this edict, center Mitch Morse actually drew a Jordan logo on one of his shark cowboy boots. One source cited an assistant coach with kids who’d typically arrive for offseason hours about five minutes early (7:55 a.m.) and leave no more than five minutes late (4:05 p.m.) simply to help out as much as he could back home as a father. McDermott, quite perturbed, decided to add an hour to the workday. In his mind, if his coaches weren’t going to give him the “extra,” he was going to get the “extra” out of them. He started requiring coaches to stay from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., instead of 8 to 4. Even if there was a chance he wasn’t so punctual himself.

 

2 minutes ago, BrooklynBills said:

 

This is an 8 hour work day with an hour lunch break, otherwise know as a JOB.

 

I'm on Team Fire McDermott but this is such a soft ass critique.

I hadn’t seen this snippet yet, but this is EXTREMELY hackery.

 

Oh man you have a kid? And a job? What a unique experience, go ahead and take off early every day. This is anonymous, so I’m assuming the kid doesn’t have medical issues or anything else, because they would include that to make McD look even worse.

 

you are a low rung on the totem pole of a multibillion dollar industry. Golly the man in charge expects you to work hard 

[HappyDays]

1 hour ago, ToGoGo said:

McDaniel is an absolute fraud. McDermott is authentic. 
 

What you’re perceiving is a wall that McDermott puts up in front of the blood hungry media. And now you see why. They’ll devour you the second you’re down.

 

I think authenticity and accountability go hand in hand. McDermott has not been genuinely accountable. Yeah he uses his stock phrase "it starts with me." But when push comes to shove he deflects blame.

 

After 13 seconds the special teams coach was fired and that was the last word we heard on that. After the Broncos loss this year McDermott's post game presser was seriously unhinged. Instead of taking any blame, he blamed several players one after the other, even dragging Sam Martin's play at one point, and said that 12 men on the field was simply a failure to execute. He later went on WGR and said he did not think Allen's mental state was where he wanted it to be and said that he didn't think Allen was showing enough joy on the field.

 

None of those examples showed accountability which means none of it was authentic. It is all a sign of a control freak feeling defensive and unable to withstand the pressure. Like I said earlier in the thread I believe McDermott is a good man but I don't buy his coaching persona at all.

 

A good counterexample is Joe Brady. As soon as he was hired I thought he oozed authenticity. His demeanor in press conferences and on the field at training camp was for real. After the Eagles game he took genuine accountability for the 3rd down miss in OT. Not a BS "it starts with me" before placing the blame elsewhere. I believe Brady when he said it was his fault and I believe that he will work to make sure it doesn't happen again. I have never gotten that sense from McDermott.

[LEBills]

9 minutes ago, PBF81 said:

 

I have a little bit of knowledge with the situation, unless I missed something, he was incredibly popular so he decided to break from there to attempt to make some money for his work, as he should do, like anyone.  

 

Do you have some info that they banned him and told him not to return?  

 

 

 

Well, the article was actually three lengthy pieces.  

 

 

B/R shut down there longform Mag Dunne was apart of. When it shut down, Dunne decided to go independent.

[Beck Water]

Just now, HappyDays said:

 He later went on WGR and said he did not think Allen's mental state was where he wanted it to be and said that he didn't think Allen was showing enough joy on the field.

 

If you'll allow me, I'd like to just focus in on this.

 

Weren't most of us commenting on the same thing - that we felt Allen was looking like a whupped dog on the field and not showing a lot of fire or emotion, up through the Broncos game?

 

And weren't most of us commenting that in the two subsequent games, Jets and Eagles, he was visibly playing with a lot more energy and fire, including being heard saying "I'm ***** back!"?

 

But now, somehow the same observation that many of us had made, is not 'authentic" and is a sign of a control freak feeling defensive, even though we jumped from an average of 20.6 PPG in the 5 previous games, to 33 PPG (and 505 yds vs the Eagles!) in the two subsequent games to date?

 

I'm very confused here.

[PBF81]

10 minutes ago, CaliBills said:

 

The problem I see is you are expecting something out of the players that frankly, I don't believe they owe you anything. 

 

Maybe they didn't make themselves available to the media, maybe they just don't want to discuss what they deem an in house thing.  

 

Maybe we as fans have zero clue of what really goes on behind close doors and what type of relationships McD has with the players.  

 

The Bills have been known to keep things in house.  

 

Look at the Diggs garbage that the media blew out of proportion in the beginning of the year.  Players eventually felt pressured by the media to say something.

I would say the same thing is happening with this.  

They do not want to talk about it and why do they owe any of us anything.  They don't

 

 

This would suggest that it wasn't out of proportion, that it was merely covered up prior to the season starting in the interests of team goals.  

 

That happens too.  

 

We'll see, but many of us have a strong hunch that those of you still defending McD are in for a suprise over the next five weeks.  

 

Nothing I or any of us say or do, we have no control.  Let's see.   Who knows, maybe we rise from the proverbial ashes to win the SB.   

 

 

[FireChans]

Just now, Beck Water said:

 

If you'll allow me, I'd like to just focus in on this.

 

Weren't most of us commenting on the same thing - that we felt Allen was looking like a whupped dog on the field and not showing a lot of fire or emotion, up through the Broncos game?

 

And weren't most of us commenting that in the two subsequent games, Jets and Eagles, he was visibly playing with a lot more energy and fire, including being heard saying "I'm ***** back!"?

 

But now, somehow the same observation that many of us had made, is not 'authentic" and is a sign of a control freak feeling defensive, even though we jumped from an average of 20.6 PPG in the 5 previous games, to 33 PPG (and 505 yds vs the Eagles!) in the two subsequent games to date?

 

I'm very confused here.

Hatchet job! Retroactively, things people were all saying “Allen is disinterested, Dorsey sucks, Gabe Davis isn’t good enough” are all now evidence of McD’s personality flaws.

[PBF81]

21 minutes ago, PBF81 said:

Do you have some info that they banned him and told him not to return?  

 

@Rico   Well, do you?  

 

A laugh emoji doesn't answer that question.  

 

 

[CaliBills]

1 minute ago, PBF81 said:

 

This would suggest that it wasn't out of proportion, that it was merely covered up prior to the season starting in the interests of team goals.  

 

That happens too.  

 

We'll see, but many of us have a strong hunch that those of you still defending McD are in for a suprise over the next five weeks.  

 

Nothing I or any of us say or do, we have no control.  Let's see.   Who knows, maybe we rise from the proverbial ashes to win the SB.   

 

 

 

And if that happens then all of this would be forgotten and for nothing.

 

I am not defending McD, i just don't care about this specifically and do feel the article is an attack as the author did the same with Aaron Rogers in 2019.

[Scott7975]

4 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

If you'll allow me, I'd like to just focus in on this.

 

Weren't most of us commenting on the same thing - that we felt Allen was looking like a whupped dog on the field and not showing a lot of fire or emotion, up through the Broncos game?

 

And weren't most of us commenting that in the two subsequent games, Jets and Eagles, he was visibly playing with a lot more energy and fire, including being heard saying "I'm ***** back!"?

 

But now, somehow the same observation that many of us had made, is not 'authentic" and is a sign of a control freak feeling defensive, even though we jumped from an average of 20.6 PPG in the 5 previous games, to 33 PPG (and 505 yds vs the Eagles!) in the two subsequent games to date?

 

I'm very confused here.

 

Allens mental state is on McDermott.  It's long been talked about here.  At least by some of us.

[Beck Water]

5 minutes ago, HappyDays said:

A good counterexample is Joe Brady. As soon as he was hired I thought he oozed authenticity. His demeanor in press conferences and on the field at training camp was for real. After the Eagles game he took genuine accountability for the 3rd down miss in OT. Not a BS "it starts with me" before placing the blame elsewhere. I believe Brady when he said it was his fault and I believe that he will work to make sure it doesn't happen again. I have never gotten that sense from McDermott.

 

I don't, actually.  I think he did the right thing as a coach and a leader to say that, but both of those players had coaching and film about how to play certain defensive looks pre game.  One of those two players read the defense and made the correct call as to route or throw, and one of them read the defense and was mistaken.

 

So maybe I just don't understand what you mean by "genuine accountability" here.  Brady took accountability in the "starts with me" sense, he's the coach and the one having the pre-game film sessions and conversations during the week of preparation, so when he talks about watching film with his players and preparing them, he can say he needs to do a better job there.

 

But how is this different from the accountability McDermott says when he says "it starts with me"?  Brady wasn't saying he made the wrong call for the down and distance, or he'd make another call if he had a do over, he specifically mentioned preparation and film.

[NoSaint]

16 minutes ago, CaliBills said:

 

The problem I see is you are expecting something out of the players that frankly, I don't believe they owe you anything. 

 

Maybe they didn't make themselves available to the media, maybe they just don't want to discuss what they deem an in house thing.  

 

Maybe we as fans have zero clue of what really goes on behind close doors and what type of relationships McD has with the players.  

 

The Bills have been known to keep things in house.  

 

Look at the Diggs garbage that the media blew out of proportion in the beginning of the year.  Players eventually felt pressured by the media to say something.

I would say the same thing is happening with this.  

They do not want to talk about it and why do they owe any of us anything.  They don't

 

the players don’t owe it to me - but if they were head over heels for the guy they’d be heaping praise publicly 

[Beck Water]

2 minutes ago, PBF81 said:

 

@Rico   Well, do you?  

 

A laugh emoji doesn't answer that question.  

 

 

 

If you missed this:

 

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, FireChans said:

No, McD is.

McD will crawl under that bus? 

[CaliBills]

Just now, NoSaint said:

the players don’t owe it to me - but if they were head over heels for the guy they’d be heaping praise publicly 

 

That is your opinion.  Maybe they don't care about the outside noise and just want to focus on winning a damn game.

[PBF81]

13 minutes ago, Beck Water said:

 

I'm afraid this kind of calls your "knowledge of the situation" into question.  Dunne was terminated, released, let go, downsized from Bleacher Report during a staff reduction.  That's a fact.  His friends and colleagues agree.  He didn't have a choice about whether or not to "break from there". (there being BR), his position ended.

 

He says that he had the option to find employment elsewhere.  His track record and credentials give no reason to disbelieve this.

 

He chose to start "Go Long" instead.  I thought it was a gutsy move at the time, and admired it, but it's kind of going in a bit of a dark direction at times IMO.  Putting out very critical pieces which rest on large quantities of anonymous sources, for example.

 

Thanks for the info.  I'll validate it. 

 

Appreciate it.