Whiny Sportswriters of Hempstead Unite!

[Bugg]

From the media people who thought we would riot over D'Brick over Leinart-they just don't get it. Canizzaro was so used to being spoonfed by Edwards that if anyone makes his life marginally difficult he acts like he's Rosa Parks on the bus. If its' so bad, get another job or write about something else.There's nothing as boring as anyoen bitching about work. Writers are no better, and in thsi case, much worse.

Mangini is going to be judged by wins and for hours on end. Which under Edwards didn't appear to be the standard for his pets in the media. What a freakning baby Canizzaro is. Sooth has some partner there. Heaven forbid he WATCH FOOTBALL and simply report on that; he's wants a valet or something.

http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/print.php?url=http://www.nypost.com/sports/something_sphinx_sports_mike_vaccaro.htm

SOMETHING SPHINX

By MIKE VACCARO

August 20, 2006 -- LOOK, here's the honest-to-God truth: I don't care if Eric Mangini ever talks to me, ever returns one of my phone calls, ever lets one of his relatives talk to me, ever tells me a knock-knock joke, ever lets one of his assistant coaches unburden himself to my notebook, ever engages in bright, pithy banter or repartee. I really don't.

I don't care if Mike Tannenbaum ever smiles, or if he ever tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, or if he ever says anything that doesn't sound like it's been vetted to the teeth by the bland police. I don't care if he and Mangini are making like Maxwell Smart behind the scenes, monitoring players' quotes, phone records, Internet accounts. I really don't.

The two men who run the Jets are allowed to be as paranoid, as petty, as distrustful, as mistrustful, as suspicious, as skeptical, as wary, as guarded, as cagey, as reticent, as evasive, as taciturn, as ambiguous, as vague, as fuzzy, as hazy, as secretive as they want to be. They can turn the Jets team colors into vanilla and beige (if they haven't already). They can do anything they want to do, because really, and I'm serious about this: I don't care.

There are certain subjects that bore even the most passionate sports fans to tears. The status of your fantasy football league team is one. The way you negotiated that bear of a par-5 at Bergen Hills last week is another. The bad beat that knocked you out of your weekly Hold 'Em tournament, that's a rapidly rising favorite.

But nothing makes a sports fan's eyes glaze quicker than listening to sportswriters and sportscasters whine about their jobs. If Player X won't talk to you, if Coach Y won't let that player talk to you, it can make for some fascinating conversation. Around other sportswriters. Around sports fans, this is what the universal response is: Shut up and do your job.

So let's be very clear about something: the gulag that passes as New York Jets headquarters isn't a sportswriter issue. The fact that it has become the home office for media haters? Good for them, if they can get away with it. If Mangini wants to act like the Coach in the Plastic Bubble, if Tannenbaum wants to enable that kind of behavior, good luck to them.

They're still making a dreadful mistake, though.

Because acting the way they act doesn't just make it harder for sportswriters to do their jobs. It makes it harder for fans to do their job. That's the thing that gets lost in the cartoonish culture the Jets Boy Wonders have been allowed to craft in Hempstead.

I will testify to this, with my hand on a Bible: I do not spend five seconds worrying about the Jets' two-deep. But Jets fans sure do. And so when the Jets release that depth chart alphabetically, instead of the way depth charts are kept and have been kept at every level since the beginning of time, it isn't the sportswriters they are spiting, it's the fans. When they refuse to acknowledge player injuries, when they refuse to allow players to speak their minds, guess what? Sportswriters' lives aren't really terribly affected. But fans' passions sure are. You do this stuff enough, maybe people start to realize that football is just a game, that it isn't life and death. Maybe interest starts to wane.

Maybe it's really possible to take the most patient fan base in sports, a fan base that has endured decade after decade of false starts and sudden stops and too much bad football, and make them finally ask the question: why the HELL do we put up with this?

It's why when the news surfaced late last week that Chad Pennington might miss last night's exhibition game with the Redskins because of family issues, there wasn't a Jet fan in creation who believed that, who didn't suspect there was something else wrong. Why should they believe that? Because of Mangini and Tannenbaum's stand-up, up-front truth telling? Of course Pennington would cause the Internet to buzz with rumor an innuendo. That's what happens when you can't trust people. And here's the beauty of that: Normally, when that happens, the first thing a coach will blame is the media. And guess what? There's no way anybody can blame the media here. Because the media is as in the dark as everyone else.

Here's the standard thing that everyone says about the way Mangini and Tannenbaum conduct their business: As long as they win, they'll be able to get away with anything they want. But the point that argument misses is this: By conducting their business the way they have, the way they do, you have to wonder if winning is even an option.

After all, it is by conducting business the way that they do that they a) apparently wouldn't listen to Curtis Martin when he told them he was hurt; did nothing to address what would be a catastrophic development if Martin wasn't able to go by failing to add running back depth in the draft; c) figured the answer to their prayers lay in the dubious legs and character of Lee Suggs who d) failed his physical.

In a different New York culture, one where football wasn't such a secondary sport, one where the Jets held even a smidgen of credibility, this would be treated the way it is: as a calamitous lapse of competence and judgment. So far, that must stand as the benchmark by which this Dynamic Duo will be judged. That's all we have.

The benefit of the doubt? The honeymoon period?

I'm not talking about either one. Let's call it a team matter. Mike Vaccaro's e-mail address is michael.vaccaro@nypost.com. His Yankees-Red Sox book, "Emperors and Idiots," is available in paperback in bookstores everywhere.

[JetCane]

There are certain subjects that bore even the most passionate sports fans to tears. The status of your fantasy football league team is one. The way you negotiated that bear of a par-5 at Bergen Hills last week is another. The bad beat that knocked you out of your weekly Hold 'Em tournament, that's a rapidly rising favorite.

But nothing makes a sports fan's eyes glaze quicker than listening to sportswriters and sportscasters whine about their jobs. If Player X won't talk to you, if Coach Y won't let that player talk to you, it can make for some fascinating conversation. Around other sportswriters. Around sports fans, this is what the universal response is: Shut up and do your job.

Great stuff by MV. He tells everyone to shut up, but complains that the jets staff is still making a mistake.

/insert rolleyes icon/

I read the sportspages to read about my team, not about the reporter- Mushnick may be an exception, but he is a columnist.

edit- I left out a crucial senternce in the original post.

[RSJ]

What a tool.

[Sperm Edwards]

Wow. So it's all about the fans? Jets fans will become extinct because Mangini didn't release his depth chart or because Curtis Martin isn't the starting RB? (Presumably he'd have no issues if this 33yo RB was still our starter).

What Jets fans has ANYONE met who has objected to the minimal media access? Where are they? Where are these legions of Jets fans that scream out, "I give up and have lost interest in the Jets, and football in general, because Eric Mangini didn't release the depth charts in August?"

Think about how silly this is. "No more football for me b/c I don't know if David Barrett's currently #2 or #3 on the CB depth chart."

You couldn't make up a sillier basis for an article if you were entering a silly article competition. This could very well be the worst of the I'm-a-big-baby articles that's been written yet. This guy should be embarrassed having his name attached to this whiny, sophomoric drivel.

[Maxman]

What I don't get is this. Every reporter wants to write about the fan uprising. But there has been no fan uprising. Jets fans are happy that Mangini will make it tougher to game plan against them by being coy about injuries.

Mangini will be judged by his record. Jets fans are smart. Jets fans didn't buy into Herm even though he had a good record (decent one anyhow). Unfortunately for me, I was in the minority and didn't see it.

So how about Jets fans get to speak for themselves. There are plenty of forums for such things.

[Gainzo]

What I don't get is this. Every reporter wants to write about the fan uprising. But there has been no fan uprising. Jets fans are happy that Mangini will make it tougher to game plan against them by being coy about injuries.

Mangini will be judged by his record. Jets fans are smart. Jets fans didn't buy into Herm even though he had a good record (decent one anyhow). Unfortunately for me, I was in the minority and didn't see it.

So how about Jets fans get to speak for themselves. There are plenty of forums for such things.

The same thing happened up here when Belichick & Pioli took over in 2000. The writers got all kinds of info during the Pete Carroll era and then the brickwall went up after Belichick came in.

Most of the writers will get over it and stop bitching. Some won't. To this day Ron Borges hates Belichick and will take shots at him whenever he can.

I suspect that Vaccaro or Cannizarro may become the Jets version of Ron Borges.

Here is a recent quote from Borges:

Bottom line is, you know, I bet he had a lot of his lunch money taken from him in sixth grade. And you know what? And you know what? I'd have had all his quarters. - Ron Borges, On ESPN Boston, 01/06/06, speaking of Bill Belichick

[Maxman]

The same thing happened up here when Belichick & Pioli took over in 2000. The writers got all kinds of info during the Pete Carroll era and then the brickwall went up after Belichick came in.

Most of the writers will get over it and stop bitching. Some won't. To this day Ron Borges hates Belichick and will take shots at him whenever he can.

I suspect that Vaccaro or Cannizarro may become the Jets version of Ron Borges.

Here is a recent quote from Borges:

Not sure how many Lombardi's Borges has won. But that is good to know that he feels confident he could have beaten Belly up in the 6th grade. Seems very relevant as well.

Some of these guys are too full of themselves.

[Gainzo]

Some of these guys are too full of themselves.

That says it all. Of all the media sportswriters have the biggest egos of them all.

They have jobs all of us average joe fans would love to have, then they go and bitch and moan about everything and some make it personal. It's crazy.

[Gainzo]

More Borges gold:

On a day when they could have had impact players David Terrell or Koren Robinson or the second-best tackle in the draft in Kenyatta Walker, they took Georgia defensive tackle Richard Seymour, who had 1 sacks last season in the pass-happy SEC and is too tall to play tackle at 6-6 and too slow to play defensive end. This genius move was followed by trading out of a spot where they could have gotten the last decent receiver in Robert Ferguson and settled for tackle Matt Light, who will not help any time soon.

- Ron Borges, MSNBC after 2001 Draft.

Get used to this Jets fans. There are going to be one or two beat writers who will go after Mangini no matter what he does.

[Bob]

If it weren't for sportswriters, you'd know nothing about the Jets except what you see for three hours on Sunday.

The crying ABOUT sportswriters is far more widespread than the crying BY sportswriters. Get over yourselves.

[Gainzo]

If it weren't for sportswriters, you'd know nothing about the Jets except what you see for three hours on Sunday.

The crying ABOUT sportswriters is far more widespread than the crying BY sportswriters. Get over yourselves.

I think what we all want from sportswriters is objective work, be it positive or negative, about the team. What we don't want are writers who get personal with the people running the team.

The amount of bitching and moaning from the sports writers in NY/NJ since camp started has been embarrassing.

[BaumerJet]

What I don't get is this. Every reporter wants to write about the fan uprising. But there has been no fan uprising. Jets fans are happy that Mangini will make it tougher to game plan against them by being coy about injuries.

Mangini will be judged by his record. Jets fans are smart. Jets fans didn't buy into Herm even though he had a good record (decent one anyhow). Unfortunately for me, I was in the minority and didn't see it.

So how about Jets fans get to speak for themselves. There are plenty of forums for such things.

How many of you who were at the Meadowlands practice stood up & applauded when Mangini made them run a lap if they screwed up?

So, why should we be complaining - there has been no sign of a single BBQ's this season & I for one am glad we finally got another forceful HEAD COACH & not another modivational speaker!

[Gainzo]

I have a question. How were the sportswriters during the Parcells era?

I'm going to guess that they treated him a hell of a lot different than they are treating Mangini, even though access to information was probably the same.

[Maxman]

If it weren't for sportswriters, you'd know nothing about the Jets except what you see for three hours on Sunday.

The crying ABOUT sportswriters is far more widespread than the crying BY sportswriters. Get over yourselves.

LOL. That can't be serious. People aren't complaining about reporters. They are complaining about reporters complaining. Big difference.

Gone are the days that these reporters have the scoop, that is what has them so scared. They have all taken to the internet...with blogs and the like. Don't get me wrong, I am pro-reporters. But if all we were left with was the 3 hours we see on game day and internet message boards, the world would not end.

[Gainzo]

LOL. That can't be serious. People aren't complaining about reporters. They are complaining about reporters complaining. Big difference.

Gone are the days that these reporters have the scoop, that is what has them so scared. They have all taken to the internet...with blogs and the like. Don't get me wrong, I am pro-reporters. But if all we were left with was the 3 hours we see on game day and internet message boards, the world would not end.

The times have changed big time. Dr. Z on si.com was a beat reporter with the Jets back in the day. He had unprecedented access to the players and coaches back in the late 60

[Bugg]

The times have changed big time. Dr. Z on si.com was a beat reporter with the Jets back in the day. He had unprecedented access to the players and coaches back in the late 60’s and early 70’s.

Do you see him complaining now? No. He has relationships that he has fostered over the last 30 years and still has access to the Jets.

Nothing like the beat writers of today who expect to get information because they work for one of the local rags. Lazy pricks.

Good point. Thing with Zimmerman is he played college ball and knows the game. Mangini even gave him an in depth interview on SI online about football. Problem for too many of these writers is they want to write human interest and personality driven gibberish rather than about football.

I bought "Guests of the Ayotollah" on Amazon recently and noticed Mark Bowden had written a book about being a beat writer covering the Eagles during the Ryan and Kotite years called "Brining the Heat". And while much of the book is about those personalites-kotite, Buddy Ryan, Reggue White, jerome Brown, Randall Cunningham, Seth Joyner-Bowden readily admitted that he didn't know much about football when he was so assigned. So what he asked was position coaches to take may be an hour a week to describe what the various positions and schemes are, and then looked at the film of that unit for an hour on film day after the game. In other words, he went in and told the coaches "I don't know

d!ck about what you do; can you show me?" and suprisingly enough they were willing to do help him. His intent wasn't at that time to write a book, just to become proficient in understanding pro football.

Now, I doubt Mangini would do that. But if these guys took a moment to stop pretending they're experts and got away from the nonsense that they now seem to be asorbed, it would probably make everyone's job a whole bunch easier. Concentrate on the football.