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New Jersey – This could get really ugly. This isn’t to say that he was wrong, but you are provoking people who don’t really need a lot of provoking.
And I’m sure the Jets’ brass wasn’t thrilled with this. They don’t like picking fights with the press. They have enough problems with the media without adding fuel to the fire.
What I’m talking about is what Brandon Marshall said on Showtime today about the media.
“We have an epidemic right now and the epidemic is, the clash between our local media and our players,” Marshall said. “In fact, I struggle with it at time. I personally think that the media has too much access. Let’s face it, we get out the shower and there’s 10, 15, 20 reporters standing there looking at you waiting to ask you a question while you’re getting dressed. I think it’s too much. I think we’re put in tough positions. And I think we need to figure this thing out.”
I’m not saying he’s wrong. He makes some good points.
The set-up is bad.
I cover this in the latest issue of Jets Confidential Magazine which is coming out in a couple of days. It’s a zoo in the Jets’ locker room. There are probably too many reporters in there.
I don’t agree with reporters “standing there looking at you waiting to ask you a question while you’re getting dressed.”
That doesn’t paint a totally accurate picture. The PR people tell the reporters to let the player get dressed and he will talk in a bit. I don’t see reporters standing around watching him get dressed. I could be wrong, but I don’t see that. He is painting a picture of bunch of perverts.
I agree with him it’s too much access. He’s right about that.
I don’t like his elitist attitude when he references “local” media. The problem is all of the media, not just local. It’s almost like he was trying not to offend his friends on the show, or others who might look to hire him after his career. That was snobby. The media problem is across the board, not just local.
“My biggest issue is this, it’s we have young players who aren’t trained to handle the difficult conversation. We put them in a hostile environment; take Dallas for example,” Marshall said. “They’re on a five, six, seven-game losing streak whatever it is so you understand what’s going on inside of these players and we’re asking them these tough questions. How do we think they’re going to respond? So for me, I think the teams and the NFL’s job is to protect the players. And I question if we’re doing that by giving them so much access, especially right after a game or every single day.”
His first answer was better.
The situation in Dallas involved Dez Bryant yelling at ESPN’s Jean-Jacques Taylor who ripped him in a column (in which he called the player “petulant.”)
Bryant turns 28 on November 4. He’s in his sixth season. How is that a young player? So not sure what he’s talking about there.
And for him to say, “we have young players who aren’t trained to handle the difficult conversation.”
That isn’t true. I see young players being coached all the time by the Jets’ PR staff. The Jets and many other teams work hard with young players on dealing with the media. Marshall needs to do a little more research on this one.
And let me say this – Marshall is going to get destroyed by the press from this point on if he screws up in games. He just dismantled his goodwill with the local press. I’m not saying it’s right for the press to be vindictive, but they are human, and tend to cut people slack who treat them with respect.
And I’m telling you, the media is going to cut the Jets less slack (if that is possible) after this assault on them.
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again – this TV show is a really bad idea for an active player.
The Bears didn’t like it. If I’m Todd and Mike I ask him not to do it next year.
November 17, 2015
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