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Bruce Allen Does Monday Morning Quarterback

June 25, 2012 By

Bruce Allen will be guest-writing Peter King’s Monday Morning Quarterback one week while King is on vacation.

No, not me, the “other” Bruce Allen, who happens to be the GM of the Washington Redskins*. But if I did a MMQB column, part of it would probably look like this:

10 Things I Think I Think.

1) I think the Bill Belichick factor is overlooked in the coverage comparison of the Patriots and Saints scandals. The NFL refuses to reveal evidence against the Patriots, and that is interpreted as further proof of the Patriots guilt. The NFL refuses to reveal evidence against the Saints and it is interpreted as the league having nothing on the Saints.

2) LaDainian Tomlinson will always be affectionately known as the “Little Twat” here in New England. The image of him sitting on the bench in a parka with his helmet on during the AFC Championship game while his QB played on a torn ACL will be a lasting memory.

3) I think Darrelle Revis is a great player. I also think he’s overrated to the point of absurdity and his semi-annual holdouts are ridiculous.

4) I think the release of the All-22 films this year will spell the death of ProFootballFocus.com. At least I hope so. (See #3 above.) By the way, Game Rewind on NFL.com is one of the best deals in sports. If you don’t want to shell out for the NFL Sunday Ticket on DirecTV, Game Rewind is your next best bet. You have access to every game (not live) in both full and condensed versions, in HD, with DVR functionality, and the coaches film for $70 for the entire season.

5) Get your house in order, men of Entercom Boston.

6) I think Tony Massarotti is the biggest embarrassment going in the Boston sports media**. Have an original opinion for once, Tony. Alternating between “You’re absolutely right, Mike,” “I can’t argue that, Mike” and “No question, Mike.” doesn’t exactly make for compelling radio.

7) Wow. Shalise Manza Young’s feature in the Globe Magazine a couple Sundays back was a bit of a headscratcher. (One media person referred to it as the “height of entitlement” – strong statement.) I don’t hear Karen Guregian talking about the hardships of being a woman on the beat, and I certainly didn’t hear a peep from Monique Walker about being an African-American woman on the beat when she was down there almost everyday. I certainly didn’t hear Shalise mention either one of them in the piece.

8) I think I’m tired of being told that I now am required to respect LeBron James. Sorry, he’ll remain a front-running punk who screwed over his home town until I decide on my own to change my mind.

9) Who is Joe Haggerty?***

10) If you’re able to, please support the first annual Justin T. Harris Memorial Golf Tournament, and help raise money for the education of two small children who lost their dad, way too young.

Coffeenerdness

Still grinding my own beans and using the french press instead of paying $6 for a quasi-coffee beverage with 600+ calories.

Beernerdness

The hops vine out back is growing well, hope to do some experimenting later this fall. No citrus will be involved.

Annoying Travel Note of the Week

Lost three lug-nuts off my front tire this week. Scary. Who was it that “repaired” that tire a couple weeks back?

*Interestingly, I actually get calls and emails (on my personal email) intended for the Redskins GM, from people in the business. Some are pitching scouting services, others computer programs.

**I know I’m repeating myself here, but this is for a national MMQB column, remember?

***Yes Joe, I know who you are, this is a joke about your big-time “if anyone knew who U were” comment to Kirk Minihane.

Filed Under: Morning Links
  • classless

    One of the best posts i’ve ever read here. Made my day.

  • tl;138

    So, no thoughts/links on the Sandusky trial or Youk getting traded yesterday?

    • LJ Sandwich

      I think that without the courage and bravery of two local heroes, John Dennis and Gerry Callahan, there is no way that Jerry Sandusky gets convicted.  Had it not been for those two fearless broadcasters, beating the drum daily for the victims that had no voice, Sandusky would still be pinning small boys to shower stall walls against their will.  It’s a privelage and an honor to live within the broadcasting range of their airwaves. 

      In addition, they are probably the only two media members who have shown Curt Schilling the respect and compassion that he deserves, while also giving him a platform to logically explain how the State of Rhode Island sabotaged his successful gaming company. 

      While their competition on the Sports Hub seems content to broadcast nonesense and tom foolery, John and Gerry are champion causes and making a difference in this world.  Great men….both of them.

  • Nsr

    You totally fooled me with your first line…it reminded me of Goodfellas – “it was like we were all being made…” Then I read on, and remembered that corporate media will always shoot you in the back of the head.

  • Mpc464

    Great post, but you lost me with the “french press” bit. I picture some Cambridge dweebster in an untucked white dress shirt over jeans, sniffing in derision at the Starbucks while he swings his customer french press around like Pete Townsend

    • http://bostonsportsmedia.com/ Bruce Allen

       LOL. Fair enough.

  • bsmfan

    Bruce, love the column. Why not do it weekly or bi-monthly?

    1.) Why aren’t they? I emailed a few national hosts on this and saw nothing thus far. Is it all the winning that makes most people ignore it?

    At this point, I’ve seen a major shift in people agreeing with Goodell/league to now people are really questioning how much power he has (their fault here). Mike Freedman graded the evidence thus far: http://cbsprt.co/KnYmxV

    Basically, it’s not looking good if you had standards that would approach legal/courtroom-grade (which you don’t because this isn’t a legal trial–yet).

    Looking around various NFL sites, it seems like everyone thinks this will not go away anytime soon. I also sense a shift in the narrative where the players are getting more concern.

    What happens if this goes to court and the NFL has to report that they “destroyed” the evidence.

    7.) I’m willing to bet that person didn’t say/write anything because it almost sets up the “you’re racist/sexist” right? Sad. Thought the same about it.

    —————–

    On the all-22, Doug Farrar and Cosell did a great article on it:

    http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/22-replays-seem-great-really-seeing-160237483–nfl.html

    —————-

    Is it Felger’s new strategy that every Sox problem is because of Beckett? I’m not a fan of Beckett but this seems almost overboard now. He seems to imply the point that the Sox will be title contenders once they get rid of Beckett, no matter what they get back in return.

    Also, it seems everyone is labeling Youk the snitch now that he is gone?

    —————–

    Don’t turn on ESPN today if you don’t want to see their slobbering love affair with the Heat. I don’t know why ESPN didn’t pay to air the parade, but they did have to show Wimbledon. I don’t think they gave this much air-time to the Giants when they had their parade..

    • http://profile.yahoo.com/MWWDA5IBW7VOU7AJC2CQSUYBWQ Bruins309

       Well the last time Felger slandered someone (Jeremy Jacobs), he got promoted from the Bruins beat to the Patriots beat so why would he stop now?

  • Tom

    I  never made the Belichick/Saints connection (or disconnect??) before…makes sense. Well done. Funny how so many media call what the Saints did “much worse than spygate”, but fans (non-Pats, obviously) think that spygate was MUCH worse (“…because it affected the outcome of games!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”) Uggh.

    • http://twitter.com/DryHeave1 DryHeave

      actually, I can’t remember who it was but some ESPN talking head thought “spygate” was much worse than Saints GM bugging the opponents lockeroom…..(when that was making headlines) that story sort of petered out. Who reported it?…John Tomase?

      • bsmfan

        If you listen to the DP show today (unfortunately, they only archive guests and not the shows). Listen to the commentary right after the Drew Brees interview. About 75% of it was spent on BountyGate.

        I’ll summarize: (I’m mixing all of this together and trying to get it right here)

        In between what Florio (friend of DP) has said to him, DP’s own sources and research: he has stated that Peyton/Saints front-office staff wrote their account of events, only to have it “denied” by the NFL to where the NFL rewrote all of this to them. They then used this evidence against Vilma, et. al.

        DP also says that Brees knows much more than he’s letting on but he’s also an informal proxy mouthpiece
        for Sean Peyton (prob talks with him but also talked to him about events before the suspension). At this point, Williams and Peyton have been completely silent and MIA from anything in public. He states that this is because (and Brees backs him up) there is more out there and the NFL is basically using this as leverage against them.

        So, at this point, as Vilma, et. al. have claimed (and are fighting), the NFL is railroading them with all of this so they can use it as leverage/a legal defense in the future. Basically, these guys are the spacemonkeys/scapegoats on all of this so the NFL won’t have to pay out a few more billions later. These guys are fighting back.

        The problem is that the entire “legal process” is Goodell. They let this happen. They said nothing about the judicial process during CBA negotiations. So, as some (Andrew Brandt) have argued, how much sympathy can you feel or give credibility to this?

        ————————-

        The media angle: at first, it seemed like outlets were lining up to help pile-drive home all of this stuff. As the players would go on any media outlet who would listen and the evidence has been examined (I posted the Mike Freeman/CBS breakdown), I see more and more questions asked, all to varying degrees (which are in direct proportion to their league partnerships). At this point, depending on the analyst and what I would call “their leverage given their stature and popularity”, I’ve seen more questions asked than answered.

        The league still says “we’re right, you’re wrong.” And, I gather that more and more people want to see more, and are not kosher with what the league has seemed. I don’t see them as letting the Saints off the hook here but I get that many people aren’t cool with basically screwing the careers/lives of these guys because they need a defense during lawsuits a few years from now.

        ——————

        Did any of this happen during Spygate? Did the Patriots fight back in this way? Or did they want it to go away? With how people react to the Patriots being 14-2 or 13-3, you still get an entire subset of people saying “Belicheat”, etc.

  • Jackson

    Bruce, the more I read your stuff the more sure I am that you’re my alter-ego. Right on the money, as usual.

  • NEPatsfan

    You’re certainly not required to like LeBron James, but I don’t see any way you can’t respect him as a player at least. That was one of the greatest playoff runs you could ever have. Sometimes it’s ok to lose with dignity and tip your cap to the enemy.
    Also, can we please retire this “front runner” nonsense? What does that even mean? Here’s a fact, after falling BEHIND in their last 3 series, the Heat went a combined 9-0. Sorry, but I just find the sour grapes and the excuse making to be nauseating.

  • Moon

    ” I think Tony Massarotti is the biggest embarrassment going in the Boston sports media”
    Couldn’t agree more. At one point he was a respectable journalist/media member but now he’s a joke. Nothing more than an embarrassing side kick. He’ll have difficulty finding another job when this gig is up.

    • DJC

      I don’t see it your way. Massarotti’s Baseball Reporters show from 6-7 is great radio. Tony is direct, opinionated, and informative. With Felger, I find him funny. He doesn’t make up the opposite side with Felger if he doesn’t believe it.

  • MarkB

    With $7.5 million this year, Revis will have been paid $40 million over three years. In other words, with the signing bonus he got paid up front, for doing nothing, he’s actually getting $13.3 million for playing this year.

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