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Darnold ESPN Radio Appearances Go Sideways


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Haven't listened to a single one of these spots, but sounds surreal. What's it like to hear a man try to explain his career is going up in flames in real time? How do you deal with that on either end? 

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/bob-raissman-sam-darnold-and-the-saddest-10-minutes-in-sports-talk-radio/ar-BB1b16GU?ocid=msedgntp&fbclid=IwAR26U545aGG-5ESfZp1-qQ8vw6WLr0TTAk5jpZ0Vf5poGlGW9LpI6k5v144

 

Bob Raissman: Sam Darnold and the saddest 10 minutes in sports talk radio

By Bob Raissman, New York Daily News  3 hrs ag
 

NEW YORK — It’s not even close.

 

The saddest 10 minutes on sports talk radio is Sam Darnold’s weekly paid appearance on ESPN-98.7’s “The Michael Kay Show.” It’s not as if the quarterback of the 0-9 Jets is hesitant to answer questions. He tries. Darnold is a sympathetic figure. Through all the losing, through sickness and injury, he also remains likeable.

 

But whatever Darnold is getting paid to do the spot now isn’t worth it. That’s the reality. It’s painful to listen to. And if they are human, it can’t be an easy lift for the three Gasbags asking the questions. Maybe the time has come for the quarterback to bow out of these sorrowful sessions. There are seven left.

Darnold has to answer inquiries (from Kay, Don La Greca and Peter Rosenberg) knowing that in his third season the Jets are more than a mess and his future, once so bright, is, at best, a question mark. The media has already moved on from him. Now, all the talk is about the organization dumping Darnold and selecting Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence if it gets the first pick in the draft.

 

For those wrapped up in the Jets future, winning even one game is out of the question. Their crusade won’t stop until the Jets lose every contest remaining on the schedule. Still, Darnold keeps returning to 98.7 at around 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday to take the heat. Even one of his interrogators wonders why?

“Who benefits from our talking to Sam?” Rosenberg asked after Darnold’s interview last Tuesday. “…Are we just doing this because we have a deal with him?”

In the past, players or managers who got paid for weekly radio spots, have bailed when they couldn’t take the heat and they had no use for the Gasbag(s) asking the questions. This isn’t the case with Darnold.

Kay, DLG, and Rosenberg ask pointed questions. And while Darnold may tap dance, and give a variation of the same stock answer, he comes off sincere, concise and non-confrontational.

This was apparent when Kay wondered if the quarterback has gone off the deep end.

“…Are you broken, are you demoralized over all the losing that’s gone on (here) the last three years?” Kay asked Darnold.

Darnold: “No, not at all.”

Kay: “Is it tough not to be broken and demoralized?”

Darnold: “No, not at all. …We have a great organization. … And I’m going to continue to do everything I can to put us in a position to win football games.”

As Darnold’s season in hell continues, about all that’s left to wonder is if the quarterback actually believes his own answers.

That, and how many listeners continue tuning in to be part of the saddest 10 minutes on radio.

———

©2020 New York Daily News

Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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12 minutes ago, Saul Goodman said:

I feel sick about how the Jets have ****ed Darnold over. They ****ed over Sanchez as well but it was more of a case of misguided “these moves (Santonio, Plax, Mason) are actually offensive upgrades for him to work with”. Darnold was served a sh*t sandwich, following a very encouraging second half to his second season.

Truthfully, I’m rooting for the Jets to win remaining games mostly just to spite this horrendous abomination of a football franchise. 

Mark Sanchez was definitely tooled in some ways. I've said that many times. He just wasn't smart enough to transcend one main obstacle: his brain. 

In the end he should harbor no ill will: the Jets were dumb enough to overpay him. I get your second paragraph so loud and clear because I've been there; but that mostly had to do with the garbage FO, which is really Woody the Rube by default. "I hope the Jets lose all of their 'home' games for the rest of my natural life." 

 

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25 minutes ago, Ian Fleming said:

He is exhibiting true professionalism.

The contemporary sports media model is based on hyperbolic sensationalism to drive ratings. He refuses to give it to them out of a sense of professionalism or personal values. That is very admirable.

Now because he refuses to give them the fresh meat, the media is complaining about him either not venting frustrations or throwing others under the bus.

This organization has left him to dry in a media market that needs controversy to justify its existence. The organization won’t change and Darnold won’t either apparently. 
 

Darnold has conducted himself with dignity and professionalism he will do better elsewhere.
 

 

Just another way of putting forth the same sentiment.

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11 minutes ago, Integrity28 said:

Know what’s worse than the radio spots?

The scum bag article calling attention to it.

Agreed, But it's an awful situation all around. Sure when both parties signed up for this they had no idea it would go so awry. Wonder why they aren't saying, here's your check, forget it. There's nothing interesting left to say.

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1 hour ago, Ian Fleming said:

He is exhibiting true professionalism.

The contemporary sports media model is based on hyperbolic sensationalism to drive ratings. He refuses to give it to them out of a sense of professionalism or personal values. That is very admirable.

Now because he refuses to give them the fresh meat, the media is complaining about him either not venting frustrations or throwing others under the bus.

This organization has left him to dry in a media market that needs controversy to justify its existence. The organization won’t change and Darnold won’t either apparently. 
 

Darnold has conducted himself with dignity and professionalism he will do better elsewhere.
 

 

You do realize it was Darnold who chose to do this spot every week, don't you? He wanted the paycheck. 

As for the media... this isn't the 1960's, when reporters looked the other way at athletes failings on and off the field. Think back to when Bouton's book Ball Four came out. Remember the uproar over the stories he told about Mantle? It was a seminal moment in the way media would cover sports going forward.

Darnold has been awful, and after two years of getting the biggest Free Pass I can remember a NY athlete ever getting, he's now taken some heat for his failings. Who cares if he has to answer some tough questions?

He seems like a nice kid, he's just not a good NFL QB. There's no shame in that. He made it to the highest level in his sport, and was compensated very well for it. The Jets were the ones who took the big hit here, not him.

 

 

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15 minutes ago, jetscrazey said:

I think the only reason Sam is still doing this spot with professionalism is he wants to show other GMs he can still be "the guy" in terms of leadership quality.

Cool story, but I think those GMs will remember his lack of on field production more than the things he said on a radio show. 

That's just me though.

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7 hours ago, 14 in Green said:

You do realize it was Darnold who chose to do this spot every week, don't you? He wanted the paycheck. 

As for the media... this isn't the 1960's, when reporters looked the other way at athletes failings on and off the field. Think back to when Bouton's book Ball Four came out. Remember the uproar over the stories he told about Mantle? It was a seminal moment in the way media would cover sports going forward.

Darnold has been awful, and after two years of getting the biggest Free Pass I can remember a NY athlete ever getting, he's now taken some heat for his failings. Who cares if he has to answer some tough questions?

He seems like a nice kid, he's just not a good NFL QB. There's no shame in that. He made it to the highest level in his sport, and was compensated very well for it. The Jets were the ones who took the big hit here, not him.

 

 

You gotta walk the walk when you get the big bucks! 
Everyone remembers him asked at the draft what he would bring to the Jets

His answer: WINS 

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10 hours ago, 14 in Green said:

I said the same thing the other day, and I'm no fan of Darnold's playing ability. Never was.

I just can't believe how quickly 90% of the guys here went from "he's throwing darts out in Cali with Palmer" back in July, only to start dumping on him by week 2.

The next 7 weeks are probably Darnold's Last Stand, and I'd love to see him stick it to everyone by winning 2 or 3 games. The angst that would cause here regarding the draft would be delicious. 

You can say that again. I mean the part where you tell us over and over again how you feel you were supposedly right about Darnold. It never gets old.

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8 hours ago, bitonti said:

USC always did a great job preparing QB's for press conferences

Sanchito was a master at saying the right thing 

Darnold is also a nice young man 

the problem is these guys can't actually play football 

Polishing a turd all day doesn't turn it into a diamond. Darnold isn't terribly cerebral, which is why the runs every play as called  never audibles at the line . He can run, but he doesn't feel the rush very well.He combines the hang onto the ball forever mentality of Ken O'Brien with a complete lack of ability to read a defense of Geno Smith. Misses more open receivers than any other QB I have ever seen here, and we've seen some bad QBs here. It's bad. Coaching isn't changing any of that. He can hang around the NFL on a bench for a few years and then go back to doing PAC12 tv stuff and surfing; not a bad life at all. 

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14 hours ago, Saul Goodman said:

I feel sick about how the Jets have ****ed Darnold over. They ****ed over Sanchez as well but it was more of a case of misguided “these moves (Santonio, Plax, Mason) are actually offensive upgrades for him to work with”. Darnold was served a sh*t sandwich, following a very encouraging second half to his second season.

Truthfully, I’m rooting for the Jets to win remaining games mostly just to spite this horrendous abomination of a football franchise. 

If you were sitting next to me, id high five you,and take you to the restaurant of your choice. 

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16 hours ago, 14 in Green said:

You do realize it was Darnold who chose to do this spot every week, don't you? He wanted the paycheck. 

As for the media... this isn't the 1960's, when reporters looked the other way at athletes failings on and off the field. Think back to when Bouton's book Ball Four came out. Remember the uproar over the stories he told about Mantle? It was a seminal moment in the way media would cover sports going forward.

Darnold has been awful, and after two years of getting the biggest Free Pass I can remember a NY athlete ever getting, he's now taken some heat for his failings. Who cares if he has to answer some tough questions?

He seems like a nice kid, he's just not a good NFL QB. There's no shame in that. He made it to the highest level in his sport, and was compensated very well for it. The Jets were the ones who took the big hit here, not him.

 

 

Agree 100%. The 22 year old kid voluntarily accepted the spot, and continues to show up despite all the horsesh*t, nonsense, insanity and his own crap play...that he owns up to.

 

Meanwhile,  Gase hides behind limited Zoom sessions and the other "Adults" that are supposedly ultimately responsible for this sh*t show are noticeably absent, like the confused, incompetent clowns they apparently are.

 

But yeah, Darnold. **** that guy. Amirite??

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21 minutes ago, Jet_Engine1 said:

Agree 100%. The 22 year old kid voluntarily accepted the spot, and continues to show up despite all the horsesh*t, nonsense, insanity and his own crap play...that he owns up to.

 

Meanwhile,  Gase hides behind limited Zoom sessions and the other "Adults" that are supposedly ultimately responsible for this sh*t show are noticeably absent, like the confused, incompetent clowns they apparently are.

 

But yeah, Darnold. **** that guy. Amirite??

Always. ?

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