Fighting Words: Pats, Sox & the Boston Media

[jmt57]

Jerry Beach has just written a book called Fighting Words: The Media, The Red Sox and How Boston Finally Won It All. The book focuses on the relationship between the Boston Red Sox and the Boston media but was originally going to be about the Boston media and all four pro sports teams. What may be of interest to Pats fans is that there was originally going to be a chapter devoted to the relationship between the Boston media and the Patriots. That ended up not being included in the book, but the author does talk about what he was prepared to include on his blog/website: Fighting Words The Director's Cut: The Patriots Chapter (Part One)

Only in Boston could a record-shattering NFL team play in the shadow of a baseball team that went more than 80 seasons between world championships. On Sept. 19, 2004, the Patriots, who had just won their 17th game--two shy of the NFL record--shared the dominant front page photo in The Boston Globe with the wild card-leading Red Sox, who had just lost their second in a row to the Yankees to all but fall out of contention in the AL East.

The headline inside the box—17 IN A ROW…TWO IN A ROW—made it seem as if the Sox’ losing streak and Patriots’ winning streak were equally significant feats.

This was a remarkably bizarre situation to the rest of the country. “That’s another thing that mystifies people from outside of New England,” Boston Herald Red Sox beat writer Sean McAdam said. “If you look around and look at the numbers—and I’ve occasionally done this exercise with other people in the business—and asked how many markets in America does baseball hold sway over football still, and the general consensus is that, at tops, it’s less than a half dozen.”

Although it is a somewhat lengthy column, I thought it was very good read. Interesting to note at the very end of the column was a quote by the Globe's Nick Cafardo - he had Mike Reiss' position with the paper before the Globe hired Reiss - about how Bill Parcells would spend time with reporters in off-the-record sessions after press conferences. Cafardo goes on to talk about how Parcells was "very entertaining" and "would always fill up your notebook."

Following in Parcells footsteps, it's not a surprise that the media excoriates Belichick; they lust for another Parcells.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

I think it's more of a generational thing more than anything. Everyone I know 40 and under prefers football to baseball and Patriots to Red Sox. The problem with the older sportswriters/sportscasters in Boston besides being the ugliest group of social misfit mopes on earth is all they ever cared about was the damn Red Sox therefore the only thing ever covered was the damn Red Sox. Patriots rarely got any coverage untill the Parcell's years and even then it paled in comparison to the RS.

 

[jmt57]

Fighting Words The Director's Cut: The Patriots Chapter (Part Two) focuses on Belichick in Cleveland and his dealing with the media there, up to Robert Kraft hiring him to coach the Pats. If you ever wondered why the national media doesn't care for BB, look no further than the media in Cleveland. If I'm not mistaken I recall Michael Holley saying something to the effect that so many Cleveland writers spoke so badly about BB, that he (Holley) already formed a negative opinion about Belichick before he had coached his first game. Their dislike for him was so strong that they actually contacted Kraft to try to convince him to not hire Belichick.

Belichick’s image was further soiled in October 1993, when he cut quarterback Bernie Kosar—a native of nearby Youngstown who directed the Browns to three AFC title game appearances in the 1980s and was enormously popular with fans and media alike—in favor of recent signee Vinny Testaverde.

Belichick’s instincts were eventually proven correct: Kosar was never again a regular starter in the NFL while Testaverde directed the Browns to the playoffs in 1994 and a wild card win over Parcells’ Patriots. The Browns were expected to contend for the Super Bowl in 1995, but they fell apart after Modell announced he planned to move the franchise to Baltimore. Belichick was fired amid nearly unanimous roars of approval from fans and writers alike after a 5-11 season.

“There were people who made it personal,” said Patriots vice president-player personnel Scott Pioli, who was a member of the Browns’ personnel department during Belichick’s tenure.

 

[borg]

The Globe owns a piece of the Saux...what more needs to be said

 

[jmt57]

Fighting Words The Director's Cut: The Patriots Chapter (Part Three) takes a look at BB and the injury report, dealing with the media post-spygate, and the Patriots organization as one that has been ahead of the curve with their website - in order to control the messages that were made public.

In 2003, Felger wrote the Patriots believed the Philadelphia Eagles’ openness about game plans and injuries helped the Patriots beat the Eagles, 31-10. The Eagles announced the Tuesday prior to the game three defensive starters would likely sit due to injury. Later in the week, their defensive coordinator announced the replacements and admitted the team would cut back on its original game plan.


The Patriots exploited the Eagles’ three new starters in their lopsided win. Meanwhile, the Eagles were almost certainly surprised to see rookie Eugene Wilson playing safety for the Patriots. Wilson spoke to Felger for 15 minutes two days prior to the game and never indicated he would move to safety against Philadelphia.

 

[Ryan]

I've lived in MA for my whole life and I've always disliked the Red Sox and found the ridiculous attention they get annoying, especially during years when the Patriots are so great.

 

[shmessy]

I can't wait to read this book. I saw something about it a few weeks ago, and evidently, the author is an out-of-town guy (NY?) so he comes to the subject from a fresh perspective.

That being said, I think the story had mentioned that the book does center on the Sox and the media - - and that he tried to get Belichick to interview, but was rebuffed - -therefore, less on the Pats.

 

[Tunescribe]

The whole Bankofamericasox vs. Patriots argument is old and tired and not as "real" as the agenda-driven mediots want it to be. Baseball is an anachronism clinging to stale life in a very in-bred parochial city. Outside Boston city limits the Patriots rule all of New England.

 

[Satchboogie3]

I understand football is huge right now, but lets not forget that this is and HAS always been a baseball city. The Sox have been the big team in this town for over 100 years. The Patriots haven't been around even half that long and have only been great in the last decade. Let's not blow this out of proportion.

 

[BradyManny]

I think it's more of a generational thing more than anything. Everyone I know 40 and under prefers football to baseball and Patriots to Red Sox. The problem with the older sportswriters/sportscasters in Boston besides being the ugliest group of social misfit mopes on earth is all they ever cared about was the damn Red Sox therefore the only thing ever covered was the damn Red Sox. Patriots rarely got any coverage untill the Parcell's years and even then it paled in comparison to the RS.

Good point I hadn't thought of. When you think of the Globe old-timers and how little they know about football, it does explain something.

I'm a huge Sox fan, but I've grown weary of "Sox-nation" and its self-importance. Honestly, once we won the Series in 04, everything changed and it never will be the same. The truth is as I see it: football is a more entertaining sport, the Patriots are a better team to root for, and now that the obsession w/ breaking the curse is over, its a little less exciting rooting for the sox.

 

[borg]

A team that has been around for a hundred years, plays nightly 6 months a year. A new story every night.
Verses
16 games, once per week and a front office that ignores the media.... it's not too complicated

 

[Tunescribe]

I've lived in MA for my whole life and I've always disliked the Red Sox and found the ridiculous attention they get annoying, especially during years when the Patriots are so great.

It's a latent manifestation of the self-flagellating Puritan ethic handed down from generation to generation, perpetuating the subconscious belief that you're not happy unless you're miserable. Thankfully, we're seeing indications of that odd element of Boston sports culture changing, slowly but surely. When fossils like Dan Shaughnessy and Peter Gammons finally move on and Fenway Park succumbs to the wrecking ball, improvement will accelerate.

A team that has been around for a hundred years, plays nightly 6 months a year. A new story every night. Verses 16 games, once per week and a front office that ignores the media.... it's not too complicated

Yeah, right -- if you actually enjoy watching paint dry every night for six months.

 

[Satchboogie3]

It's a latent manifestation of the self-flagellating Puritan ethic handed down from generation to generation, perpetuating the subconscious belief that you're not happy unless you're miserable. Thankfully, we're seeing indications of that odd element of Boston sports culture changing, slowly but surely. When fossils like Dan Shaughnessy and Peter Gammons finally move on and Fenway Park succumbs to the wrecking ball, improvement will accelerate.



Yeah, right -- if you actually enjoy watching paint dry every night for six months.

I think it's pretty sad that people have such low attention spans today that they can't enjoy sports like baseball and golf.

 

[patsfaninpittsburgh]

A team that has been around for a hundred years, plays nightly 6 months a year. A new story every night.
Verses
16 games, once per week and a front office that ignores the media.... it's not too complicated

Also, I might add that they are the two "it" franchises.

In 2007, the most watch TV in the fall was:

Pats Chargers
Pats Cowboys
Pats Colts
Pats Steelers
Pats Giants

The Red Sox are equally universal. As someone who doesn't live in Massachusetts, anymore, it's obvious they are both universal.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

I will admit I am a diehard Red Sox fan.

I make my living doing football games, and consider myself a true Patriots fan, but mt heart is 100% Red Sox.

I've been to Pats TC once a year for 5 or 6 years, never saw them play in Foxboro in my life, yet I've spent almost all of March for years Fort Myers watching every Red Sox spring trianing game I could.
I've seen at least 100 games at Fenway over the past couple of years and would see more if possible,

 

[Tunescribe]

I think it's pretty sad that people have such low attention spans today that they can't enjoy sports like baseball and golf.

Why do you think it has to do with "attention span"? Baseball is dull and tradition-bound. Look around you next time you're at Fenway. About half the people don't even pay attention to what's happening on the field. You know why? Because most of the time, NOTHING IS HAPPENING. FYI, golf is not a sport, it's a recreation.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

I understand football is huge right now, but lets not forget that this is and HAS always been a baseball city. The Sox have been the big team in this town for over 100 years. The Patriots haven't been around even half that long and have only been great in the last decade. Let's not blow this out of proportion.

Yet in the last 90 years the Pats still have more championships. Wait a minute, do you work for the Globe?

 

[Satchboogie3]

Why do you think it has to do with "attention span"? Baseball is dull and tradition-bound. Look around you next time you're at Fenway. About half the people don't even pay attention to what's happening on the field. You know why? Because most of the time, NOTHING IS HAPPENING. FYI, golf is not a sport, it's a recreation.

Dictionary.com:
Sport:
an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc.

 

[Satchboogie3]

Yet in the last 90 years the Pats still have more championships. Wait a minute, do you work for the Globe?

Which team has been relevant for the longer period of time? The Red Sox have had similar success to the Pats in the last decade, the difference is that the Sox had been around and fairly competitive for a long long time.

 

[LeonPowe]

I think it's pretty sad that people have such low attention spans today that they can't enjoy sports like baseball and golf.

Please tell me this is a joke. It has nothing to do with attention spans. Watching a slow-moving baseball game is not hard, it's BORING. Even the players, all they do is sit or stand around 90 percent of the time. And now you've got these ridiculous pitch counts and the managers going to the bullpen setting up righty vs lefty and then bringing in a new pitcher for lefty vs righty.

Golf is the same way. Swing a club, watch him walk 500 feet. Swing the club again.