With the news that columnist Brian McGrory will become the new editor of the Boston Globe, some might wonder whether any changes would be forthcoming in the sports department. I doubt it. Based on some of the truly atrocious columns McGrory penned about the Red Sox, I think we can be confident that the sports department will remain as it is.
What it is is a place where the head of the department is eager to air his grievances about Bill Belichick and the Patriots to anyone who might come calling.
In a feature on Oregon Head Coach, (and NH’s own) Chip Kelly, in a publication from Portland Oregon, there is this passage:
Belichick has prowled the sidelines in a beat-up gray hoodie for the past 13 years with the Patriots, a permanent scowl fixed on his face. He doesn’t release injury reports beyond what is required. He is not popular with the Boston-area media.
“He’s uncooperative and downright rude unless he’s talking about the history of the NFL and football,” Joe Sullivan, assistant managing sports editor for The Boston Globe, wrote WW in an email.
Typical. Sullivan’s antics, from filing a complaint with the NFL over media access to his churlish, unprofessional and childish comments about them to shaping his staff coverage in a slanted way, have been well documented here.
The professionals on the beat have little or no issue with how Belichick handles things with them. For the most part, they understand it’s how things are going to be, and have accepted it, and work with it.
Only the entitled self-styled elites continue to complain about it. Joe Sullivan, easily one of BSMW’s least-favorite figures in the Boston sports media world, leads the charge.
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Speaking of brave journalism at the Globe, congratulations to Sully’s star pupil Dan Shaughnessy for making The Atlantic’s list of The 50 Worst Columns of 2012. Not just sports columns. Any column.
You remember the one, about the bloodthirsty bloggers being responsible for all that is evil in the world? Yeah, that’s the one, though, I’d only put that one in the top five of Dan’s worst columns of 2012. Maybe I should make a proper list. Hmmm.
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It’s been interesting hearing the contract between WEEI and WBZ-FM over the last week. For the most part, The Sports Hub has stayed on mission – whatever mission each show generally takes, the morning show is still goofy, and makes awkward attempts to talk sports, middays remain bombastic and mostly Patriots-centric and Felger and Mazz are who they are. There have been a few references to the murders of the innocent children in Newtown, but for the most part, they’ve stayed their course.
It’s has been a sharp contrast at WEEI, where the staff have always fancied themselves social commentators. At times, entire shows have gone by without a mention of sports, and Dale Arnold has led this charge. I have no doubt whatsoever that Dale is 100% sincere in what he’s doing. I don’t know however, what the right balance here is.
I’ve made the case before that for me, if I want news and social commentary, I turn to outlets that specialize in those discussions. Sports radio is an escape from that, an escape from the “real world” issues. Or at least that’s how I view it.
Last Friday, like most people, I spent most of the day and afternoon looking and listening for updates on what had happened in Newtown. I went to the news outlets. I wasn’t interested in what the sports people had to say, much like I have no interest when Brian McGrory writes about the Red Sox.
When I got into my car in the late afternoon, it was almost a relief, a comfort to hear Tony Massarotti screeching angrily at “delusional” Patriots fans. It was a break from what was happening.
Felger and Mazz, I thought, handled it well. Each hour they made sure to acknowledge the situation and provide a quick update or thought, but then went back to what they do best.
It is good to have options here in sports radio listening. Some, I’m sure want to hear Dale and his viewpoint. Others want an escape. We got both.
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ESPN suspended First Take commentator Rob Parker for 30 days yesterday for his comments about Robert Griffin III.
I’m not sure that ESPN even realizes that they breed their own problems. By having ridiculous shows like First Take, which encourage participants to take outlandish stands and attempt to one-up each other in these contrived discussions, eventually people are going to say things which are not only stupid, but offensive. It’s hard to out-stupid Skip Bayless, but apparently that doesn’t stop people from trying.
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The news that Adam Jones has been hired to replace Damon Amedolara on the 98.5 evening show was met here with tepidness. Jones is a capable host, but he is also straight from the school of Mike Felger radio, having literally learned the trade at the knee of Felger. If you like Felger’s style, and many many do, then you’re going to enjoy Jones. The show can will pretty much be an extension of the afternoon show.
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It’s the Winter season on ‘Dennis & Callahan Morning Show’ – Bill Doyle has a look at Kevin Winter’s early contributions to the WEEI morning program. The ending paragraph where Callahan talks about Jon Meterparel doesn’t sound insincere at all…
Callahan said he hasn’t heard from Meterparel since he left.
“I knew I wouldn’t,” Callahan said. “He’s not the type. He just disappears. That’s the way he is. I hope he’s making some progress finding his dream job of doing play-by-play for the Toledo Mud Hens or whatever.”
Sean McDonough recovering from scary surgery – Chad Finn provides an update on the ESPN broadcaster and former Red Sox voice.
