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With no sugar-coating as per usual, it’s time for Dan’s Website Whispers . . . let’s get it started, let’s get it started . . .
Kudos to Mark Sanchez for setting up two camps for players during the lockout – Jets West and Jets East. He showed terrific leadership skills by taking this initiative.
Not that it matters, because these camps were about football, but nonetheless, Sanchez’s media strategy was a little strange for these events.
Keep in mind, the Jets PR department obviously couldn’t be involved in these events since they weren’t allowed to be in contact with the players during the lockout. So Sanchez and his camp were on their own.
Jets West, held in Southern California, was open to the media. Some beat writers went, others didn’t. In a recession, it was tough for some papers to check off on a cross country flight (very expensive), hotel, rent-a-car, meals, etc.
Then, when Sanchez followed that camp up with a Jets East, he didn’t allow the media to attend. This was an event in New Jersey, easy to get to for the beat writers.
Once again, Sanchez doesn’t owe an explanation to anyone. This was during a lockout and no NFL media rules apply. During a regular NFL spring, Roger Goodell requires that reporters are allowed in attend mini-camps practices.
It just seemed bizarre that the California event was open to the New York media, but the New Jersey event wasn’t.
But to Mark’s credit, somebody in his camp set up a conference call with reporters following the clandestine New Jersey event, and Sanchez and Nick Mangold addressed the media.
However, here is where Sanchez really missed having the Jets PR department to lean on.
One of Mark’s agents notified just a few writers – Rich Cimini (ESPN New York), M.A. Mehta (Daily News) and Jennifer “Jenny” Vrentas (Star-Ledger). It’s possible another writer was aware of it, but those are the three names we know for sure.
Some other writers and radio reporters eventually found out through word of mouth, but not because they were contacted. The Sanchez’s agency had to know there were more than three or four beat writers who cover the team. Thesre are the New York Jets in the #1 media market, not the Arizona Cardinals.
Jets Confidential was never notified about this conference call from the organizer of it.
It’s not that big of a deal. This was a minor off-season event. We will get over it.
Sanchez definitely misses Meghan Gilmore, who handles his media schedule for the Jets organization.
But Sanchez’s agent had to see the throng of reporters at every Jets practice and realize this isn’t Indianapolis – there are more than three or four reporters covering the team.
But once again, this isn’t the end of the world (maybe that is a bad expression to use considering the recent Harold Camping prediction).
Leaving reporters off the press conference list is bad PR.
But it won’t impact Sanchez too much.
For one, it was an off-season event.
Two, he has most of the reporters who cover this team eating out of the palm of his hand . . .
Pictured above is punter Steve Weatherford, who is likely going to be playing elsewhere next year. Look for the Jets to safe some coin at the punter spot, and not pay the veteran minimum to Weatherford.
