Don Banks shut down the Moss presser

[Box_O_Rocks]

Don Banks admits asking the question that closed Moss' press conference
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/don_banks/06/06/moss.patriots/

If the Patriots win as expected, he'll fit in just fine in Foxboro. But that doesn't mean he'll change everything we've come to expect from Randy Moss. I was reminded of that on Wednesday when I posed the very last question of his nine-minute session with the media.

I asked him if it was fair to say the Patriots took a bit of risk by trading for him? Moss smiled big, maybe recognized the face from our days together early on in his career in Minnesota, and bemoaned the end of the "good questions.'' With that, he called a halt to his first on-site New England group interview, and quickly made his exit, imploring us to "take it easy.''

Now that's the same old Randy I remember.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

USA Today, more Moss...
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/patriots/2007-06-06-randy-moss_N.htm

New England is counting on the positive peer pressure that has helped it to three Super Bowl victories in the last six seasons to stoke Moss' competitive fire.

"Different guys have different ways of motivating each other to step it up," says defensive lineman Ty Warren. "New guys come in and grab onto the back of the truck and hop in."

So far, Moss appears to be hopping in.

"I want to fit in," he said. "Nothing I've done in my nine-year career ever stopped me from fitting in with my teammates. I love playing the game."

Tim Martin, Moss' personal trainer, says there is a dramatic difference in his client since he arrived in New England.

"I hear a lot of joy in his voice," Martin says. "He's like a kid who asks for the ultimate toy at Christmas and he gets that toy. That's how he is."

 

[patsgo]

Don Banks admits asking the question that closed Moss' press conference
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/don_banks/06/06/moss.patriots/

so moss is supposed sit there and talk negative and in the past with banks? good for moss to shutup the naysayers

 

[PonyExpress]

Don Banks is flattering himself. If you listen to the presser, the Pats PR guy yells out "Last Question!" before Banks let's 'er rip. Also, Moss was joking in his response, and everyone laughed. Far from the surly way his reply has been depicted elsewhere. I can see the way Moss is reported on is going to be a burr under our collective saddle all year. Hopefully the carrion birds can now disperse: their prey is still alive and ready to kick @$$. :rocker:

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Well I just watched a segment of it on Channel 5 and Mike Dowling came away from it saying he likes they guy cause he looked you in the eye and he was honest. One of the things he said was he feels some of his bad rep is exacerbated by his reluctance to talk to the media. He feels that's not his job, catching TD's is. Said he loves coming to work every day here (something Rodney has attested to witnessing already). Said he was a little nervous at first because of the number of pro bowlers and future HOF'ers on this team... But he is settling in comfortable with his locker between Tommy and Vinny...

I know the mediots, and particularly the national ones, have to make it appear as if they are bloodhounds on the track of the real story, but Don knew him in Minnesota and said to the distraught Felger when this first happened that in the right situation this is a good guy who just wants to win. Maybe that POV didn't resonate with his peers, so he's looking for media brownie points by poking a stick in his old friends direction.

I think we will win enough to this season that managing Randy on a loser will be a non issue.

 

[BelichickFan]

You have to love the media always thinking they're the story. I'm sure Belichick would be just fine with it if Moss decided not to talk to the media at all.

"Now that's the same old Randy I remember" . . . if he's making the same old plays downfield great - who cares if he talks to Don Banks or not.

 

[ironwasp]

If we're going to get through the off season without going nuts at every sceptic in the media, we have to accept the fact that in his 9 yr career in the NFL, Randy Moss might not have acted like Walter Payton on every step of the way. He's been a difficult child from time to time. We know this, right? Right?

But we believe, as good Pats fans and as observers of 6 years and more of the good times at Foxborough, that the power of positive influence in our locker room will rub off on Randy Moss. He'll be the man for us. The guy we've always wanted for Tom Brady.

Others will be scepictical. In many cases it's their job to be like that. So we accept it, and we move on. Because week one, and week nine and week 17 and whatever else will be here soon enough. And only then will we be proved right, and everyone else not. So let's relax and enjoy it.

It's not a way-out-there hyptohesis to think that Randy Moss will be poison in the Pats. They're journalists, this is what they do. Let them have their moment.

We will have ours. As we have since 2001.

 

[JoeSixPat]

so moss is supposed sit there and talk negative and in the past with banks? good for moss to shutup the naysayers

Exactly... he didn't say FU or anything like that... just smiled and said "that's all folks"

I give the guy credit... its the football equivilent of "Mr. Moss, how long have you been beating your wife?" question... you don't even acknowledge it, let alone offer a response.

I like Don Banks but in this case he's created a situation where Moss is damend if he does and damned if he don't

 

[Bella*chick]

I had to smile when I saw the Yahoo! headline "Randy Moss just wants to "fit in" with the Patriots". Stop the presses!

Randy did say in the article that he would not be in front of the mike very much during the year. I think that's a good thing...why be baited on a regular basis?

 

[NE39]

Banks has covered Moss a long time, as he used to be a Vikings beat writer in Minnesota. Like it or not, it is fair to question Moss based on what happened in Oakland last year. That may have been a mess of a situation, but Moss didn't exactly wrap himself in glory the way he handled it.

Reading the article, I think Banks was fair overall. He actually says he thinks Moss in NE will work, because the team will win. He doesn't think there will be problems unless the Pats lose, and he states that it is likely the Pats win and Moss has no problem because that is what the Pats do.

Everyone might want to give Moss a free pass, but it is fair for people to question his professionalism based on Oakland. I thought it a fair article.

 

[FirstAndGoal]

Although I agree that it's a fair question, it's also a jab. He's basically asking him if he plans of behaving. I think even TO thought he was going to behave in Dallas. The proof is in the actions. I'm sure Moss believes he'll be a good citizen. The season will determine that but he also took another shot at Moss for walking away and I would have probably told him to screw himself too. I'm under no illusions about Moss but the media wants a story and the first time he has an off day, they're going to be all over it like flies on sh!t.

 

[BradyManny]

I thought it a fair article.

I have no problem with Banks asking the question nor do I have a problem with Moss not answering it. If anything, Moss not justifying the question just further shows he simply wants to start with a clean slate with the Pats.

 

[5 Rings for Brady!!]

Banks has covered Moss a long time, as he used to be a Vikings beat writer in Minnesota. Like it or not, it is fair to question Moss based on what happened in Oakland last year. That may have been a mess of a situation, but Moss didn't exactly wrap himself in glory the way he handled it.

Reading the article, I think Banks was fair overall. He actually says he thinks Moss in NE will work, because the team will win. He doesn't think there will be problems unless the Pats lose, and he states that it is likely the Pats win and Moss has no problem because that is what the Pats do.

Everyone might want to give Moss a free pass, but it is fair for people to question his professionalism based on Oakland. I thought it a fair article.

Perhaps in the correct context this would be a 'fair' question, assuming that the media has the right to know anything they want, no matter how much they put somebody on the spot.

But Banks probably had his punch line written in his head before he ever asked the question- "Now that's the Moss I know......."

With that in mind, I submit to you that no matter what question Banks asked or how Randy replied, the idea was to come to the conclusion "Now that's the Moss I know".

Randy really didn't seem to do anything to warrant that response, and like everything with the media, I believe it was simply a pre-conceived notion in the mind of Banks to get a certain answer one way or the other. Randy did the best he could to dissolve a tense situation without going into a big public display of fake contrition over transgressions of yesteryear, or worse, getting angry.

That's the media. The ain't looking for truth, folks. They are looking for something to gain themselves attention and assert themselves into the middle of the story.

The only thing left for Banks to do is create himself a big dog and pony show and go be interviewed by other media types, as if he was really part of some breaking news story. But somehow I think he will leave that kind of petty tactic to the Felgers of the world.

 

[PatsRI]

Don Banks is flattering himself. If you listen to the presser, the Pats PR guy yells out "Last Question!" before Banks let's 'er rip. Also, Moss was joking in his response, and everyone laughed. Far from the surly way his reply has been depicted elsewhere. I can see the way Moss is reported on is going to be a burr under our collective saddle all year. Hopefully the carrion birds can now disperse: their prey is still alive and ready to kick @$$. :rocker:

I had to laugh at this too. I listened to the interview first (yesterday) then read Banks article this morning, he makes it sound like Moss got all bent out of shape about it. First, how is he supposed to answer a question about whether the Pats are taking a chance or not? Shouldn't that be a BB question. Second, like Pony said it was a joking response. The Pats media person said "2 questions left", Randy answered one, then the media guy goes "last question" and Randy makes his joke. Banks makes it sound like Moss refused to answer and ended the PC early or something. Moss was more open about his answers then I thought he would be. All he had to say about anything in his past was "that's over now". Wait though, if he doesn't takl to the media we'll hear the Felgers of the world saying what a cancer he is etc, etc.

 

[Pats726]

I had to laugh at this too. I listened to the interview first (yesterday) then read Banks article this morning, he makes it sound like Moss got all bent out of shape about it. First, how is he supposed to answer a question about whether the Pats are taking a chance or not? Shouldn't that be a BB question. Second, like Pony said it was a joking response. The Pats media person said "2 questions left", Randy answered one, then the media guy goes "last question" and Randy makes his joke. Banks makes it sound like Moss refused to answer and ended the PC early or something. Moss was more open about his answers then I thought he would be. All he had to say about anything in his past was "that's over now". Wait though, if he doesn't takl to the media we'll hear the Felgers of the world saying what a cancer he is etc, etc.

I only heard the blurb on the radio and that it seemed like Moss left because of Banks...but when I read that it was a last question situation..I laughed..AGAIN the media reported SOME of the facts..leaving important ones out...

 

[NEPatriot]

Don Banks is flattering himself. If you listen to the presser, the Pats PR guy yells out "Last Question!" before Banks let's 'er rip. Also, Moss was joking in his response, and everyone laughed. Far from the surly way his reply has been depicted elsewhere. I can see the way Moss is reported on is going to be a burr under our collective saddle all year. Hopefully the carrion birds can now disperse: their prey is still alive and ready to kick @$$. :rocker:

I heard the exact same thing! It's funny how these things get spun.

 

[NE39]

Perhaps in the correct context this would be a 'fair' question, assuming that the media has the right to know anything they want, no matter how much they put somebody on the spot.

I'm not disagreeing with you. What I'm saying is isn't it fair to expect those covering the team to be skeptical, given what happened in Oakland last year?

Believe me, I'm excited at the prospect of what Moss can bring to the Pats offense. I am 100% behind the decision to trade for him. IMO, it was a pure value decision, and the reward far outweighs the risk in this case.

However, when you read the article Banks wrote he doesn't come across as incredibly negative or attacking. He even states he think that Moss will do well here, because the Pats will win. Moss himself has said his problems come from losing, so it is hard to criticize Banks for saying he will only be OK as long as the Pats win.

IMO, saying Moss has a "clean slate" and giving him a pass for quitting on Oakland is only seeing the reward side of bringing him in. There is a risk as well, which is that when things don't go well (and there is adversity to overcome for every team in the NFL), Moss will tank. That is the risk, and it can't be written off because of his history.

Granted, I'd like to think it all works out just like it did for Dillon. I also like to think the potential reward is worth taking the risk. However, I can't get on anyone for asking him about that risk.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

Don Banks admits asking the question that closed Moss' press conference
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/don_banks/06/06/moss.patriots/

i see that someone has made the point, but just to emphasize that reiss had it that Moss' press availability had gone on for nine minutes (preumably of a planned ten minutes) and that the Patriots' media person announced "last question" before the Banks' question. I think it's a tribute to Moss that he didn't take the bait.

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

Ingoldsby...
http://story.scout.com/a.z?s=68&p=2&c=649738

FOXBORO, Mass. – Wednesday is the 63rd anniversary of D-Day, and the army of reporters accompanying the Allied armada that day was likely about the same size as the number of media members in Foxboro.

Randy Moss began his Patriotic great crusade when he spoke with the media face-to-face for the first time in New England. Every utterance was covered by the likes of Peter King of Sports Illustrated, and representatives from the USA Today, NBC Sports.com, and the NFL Network, not to mention just about every media outlet that covers sports in New England.

Today's session conducted outside on the practice field may have been among the greatest gatherings to grill an athlete in recent New England sports history. The circle formed before Moss even arrived, as the media jockeyed for position and the camera carriers climbed their step stools seeking the perfect elevated vantage point.

 

[spacecrime]

so moss is supposed sit there and talk negative and in the past with banks? good for moss to shutup the naysayers

It's a no-win question, along the likes of have you stopped beating your wife.

Either Moss says, "Yes, the Pats took a risk," and Banks writes that he is the same old Moss, a risky porposition,

Or he says, ""No, the Pats did not take a risk," and Banks writes that he is the same old Moss, arrogant and boastful,

Or he refuses to answer, and Banks writes that he is the same old Moss.

No matter what Moss said, Banks could have written the article last week.