Comments on: Charlie Pierce on Manny, Red Sox, Media

By: Duke

Duke — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:41:15 +0000

Callahan was right on with his article on Manny. Any “homer” can see that!

By: HighWireNickEsasky

HighWireNickEsasky — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 21:37:47 +0000

Not sure why people keep bringing up NPR. Is it b/c of Pierce’s famously droll performances on Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me? Or his cerebral commentary on More Than a Game, which specializes in features of female Iditarod mushers?
For those who avoid NPR due to its socialist “business structure” you can always pick up the Globe Sunday Magazine, which is a beacon of high-end commercialism. It’s a nice, capitalist way to enjoy his tortured logic and preening self-aggrandizement.

By: Jon

Jon — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:01:16 +0000

There’s nothing on WEEI even remotely as entertaining as the weekend line up on NPR. All the liberal bashing in the world won’t change the fact that the Giant Forehead and Golfboy are complete caricatures of themselves, the Big Show and the putrid Whiner line are completely unlistenable and Yankee Talk every weekend is the worst 4 hours of radio on an Entercom station. Sorry. EEI blows.

Dennis and Callahan continue to try to eliminate every non-white player on the Red Sox lineup – starting with Pedro and working their way to – gulp! – Papi. Maybe they should spend less time worrying about Metco Gorillas and more time on their golf game. Oops!

By: mandb97

mandb97 — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 16:23:58 +0000

I couldn’t agree more on Gammons. I remember a couple of months ago he was on Doug Gottlieb’s show on ESPN Radio. Gottlieb had the “nerve” to assume Sammy Sosa had taken steroids. Well Gammons had to take him to task and tell him how irresponsible it was to make such an assumption. Thank God Gottlieb had the guts to inform him as a hall of famer he should explain why he should not assume he did not take steroids. He then asked Gammons how did Sosa go from 175 lbs to 240 lbs almost overnight? “Hall of Famer” Peter Gammons did not have a response.

By: Tony

Tony — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:53:44 +0000

You nailed it Fred.

Pierce has never let the facts get in the way of his writing. In fact, he still believes that the Tuck Rule play was a bad call….never mind that it was enforced correctly then, had been enforced the same way before, and continues to be enforced the same way today (and never mind that Woodson’s violent head slap against Brady went uncalled on the very same play–a fact that EVERYONE totally ignores about that play, which drives me insane to this day whenever I hear some imbecile refer to that play as a bad call by the refs!).

Disagree with the rule all you want, Charlie, but accept the FACT, almost 7 years later, that it was NOT a bad call!!

But I digress.

You’re right about Callahan…at least Callahan has his radio job because the free market determines it. No matter how anyone feels about him personally, and his views, at least the free market has determined his status.

Being on NPR, which is nothing more than taxpayer-subsidized liberal propaganda, elitism and arrogance doesn’t exactly qualify a writer as being superior to another. It simply means that said NPR contributor’s viewpoints are favored by the elitists snobs who run the network.

By: fred derf

fred derf — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:15:08 +0000

Charlie Pierce always unreadable (except maybe to himself) and never lets the facts get in the way to his version of the story. All the Boston media said (and Theo said it at his press conference) that Theo went to the players about Manny. Charlie knows the players went upstairs to rat out Manny. It fits his story better. Then again Charlie saw toll-coin baskets on the MassPike 3 years after they were eliminated.
The Fan Boys, sycophants, stat geeks and cellar dwellars worshipped Manny but Callahan has this one right (and his show is on a free market station not an elitist tax subsidized station). When you get lucky in life and are blessed you should feel obligated to give back. Maybe this is visiting Walter Reed, maybe it is going to an all star game when you say you are hurt just to wave your little cap or maybe it is visiting some kids with cancer (“Manny hates kids with cancer” – nice tasteless joke Charlie). When you are successful in life and you don’t give back it just shows you care about no one but yourself. Not even the Fan Boys.

By: Tony

Tony — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 13:46:49 +0000

Agreed.

I’ve always believed Gammons to be incredibly overrated and a sellout willing to go to the wall to defend guys who give him inside access.

For me, he jumped the shark when he went on WEEI during the height of the steroid scandal three or four years ago and implied that steroids don’t help players hit home runs. Given that he’s one of the few writers ever to have a good relationship with Barry Bonds, that statement from Gammons was not the least bit surprising to me. He also was chummy with Mark McGwire during Mac’s playing days.

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:36:17 +0000

I think I’ll do the classy thing and assassinate Gerry Callahan’s character after he quits/retires/gets fired.

By: walty

walty — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 20:00:48 +0000

Gammons is an embarrassment. No objectivity, always takes care of people that keep him on speed-dial (Theo) and rip people who don’t give him the time of day, like Manny. He has resented Manny for a long time.

Gammons may be the most connected media person to every front office, but he really should not be put on a pedestal the way he is. He gets scoops due to his front office contacts because he plays ball and gets the spin out for them.

By: Joe

Joe — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 17:13:09 +0000

If you’re pro-Manny this would probably be your perfect column. If you’re anti-Manny it’d probably be Callahan’s (which even if you don’t agree with, I think you’d have to concede was a stronger written piece than this). The problem I have with this piece is how it glosses over the things Manny’s done this season. It’s focused just on the reactions and surrounding factors, but never really addresses the real problems that Manny’s transgressions caused.