Expect Samuel in camp (after two weeks)

[bigdgp]

If the Pats can get Asante into camp by the time the season starts, play the season with him, TAG HIM AGAIN and then deal him for #1, that'd be an amazingly good outcome.

That'd be perfect for the '09' Draft so we could have 3rd year with two 1st rd. picks. I'd be down with that.

 

[Pats726]

It all depends on the outcome of the 2007 season:

A. Asante proves that 2006 was not a fluke or
B. Asante proves that 2006 WAS a fluke.

THAT is the big question...the reason why a NE long term deal was out of AS's ballpark... the fact is that Samuel believes A strongly..but with only basically 11 games of this strong play, who knows if that will really continue...which is why the tag is a good idea. The fact that he is pushing more and more for a big deal NOW leads me to think more B, but if he reports within reason so he can have a full season, I really am not sure. And if he continues with more strong play, franchise and trade OR some similar thing...his value with a strong season will be quite high..

 

[ironwasp]

I think Tomase has earned a break. Over the past 12 months his work has been consistenly good; he has broken news and added a lot of insight. He's still prone to follow Borges and Felger down the path once in a while, but bearing in mind the paper he writes for, that's kind of inevitable every now and again.

 

[PatsFanInVa]

Yeah, well. If Tomase really knew the fans he'd lurk on the bulletin boards under a psuedonym.

:rocker:

PFnV

 

[Pats726]

I think Tomase has earned a break. Over the past 12 months his work has been consistenly good; he has broken news and added a lot of insight. He's still prone to follow Borges and Felger down the path once in a while, but bearing in mind the paper he writes for, that's kind of inevitable every now and again.

I disagree with the "consistent" remark...better than he first was, but once in awhile he shows the novice football writer making dumb remarks..yes, he also HAS broken stories, but onvce he eliminates ANY Borges/Felger style dumb sayings, he will have earned that.

 

[fgssand]

but onvce he eliminates ANY Borges/Felger style dumb sayings, he will have earned that.

He cannot as long as he is a frequent guest on Felgers show and found to be around Borges when he is guest hosting.

The brotherhood of the writers are very protective of each other and like a disease gone wild, they mutate their germs via the poison ink in thier pens and brains.

Reiss has managed to avoid these germs and this disease, Curran had to leave Pro Jo in order to stay unbiased (Borges, Mannix & Cafardo were the first to contract the germ which came to them via Red Sox nation, now it is Borges & Felger).

 

[Pats726]

He cannot as long as he is a frequent guest on Felgers show and found to be around Borges when he is guest hosting.

The brotherhood of the writers are very protective of each other and like a disease gone wild, they mutate their germs via the poison ink in thier pens and brains.

Reiss has managed to avoid these germs and this disease, Curran had to leave Pro Jo in order to stay unbiased (Borges, Mannix & Cafardo were the first to contract the germ which came to them via Red Sox nation, now it is Borges & Felger).

Very true..and when Tomase goes into it and acts stupid..says dumb things...and does NOT go against thr grain of the bozos...he falls into the trap. Usually teh writing is better..but again..sometimes not. Reiss has basically been away from all that drama..which makes him a cut above.

 

[Pat_Nasty]

Yes - he works hard, is reliable, knows his sports and this team. Seems like the organization trusts him and that trust was earned.

The trust was earned? More like bought and paid for with editorial discretion.

Don't get me wrong: I like Reiss a lot. His blog is a vital resource for Pats fans, he is a diligent worker, a fine writer, and a great line of communication between the team and the fans. What's more, he's generous enough with his time to privately answer most questions fans email to him, whether he's going to include them in a mailbag or not.

If Reiss were an employee of Patriots.com or Patriots Football Weekly, I would be his biggest fan. Since, however, it is the Boston Globe that pays his checks, I'm made somewhat uncomfortable by the line being blurred by his defferance to the team's interests over those of his readers.

 

[patchick]

Some of you guys are amazingly tough on Tomase. The guy hustles his ass off, gets exclusives as much as, if not more than, Reiss (fan boys just don't always LIKE what exclusives he reports) and yet somehow, every time, Tomse's met with skepticism.

Remember how so many here claimed Tomase was wrong about Bruschi's (and Hobbs's) schaphoid bone?

Hear, hear. Tomase's improved by leaps and bounds in his football savvy since getting the beat and has broken a number of stories. He's become a really valuable resource, an alternate voice beside Reiss as the (also valuable) most-favored voice of the Patriots brass. He has less access but is more candid. I'll take 'em both.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Since, however, it is the Boston Globe that pays his checks, I'm made somewhat uncomfortable by the line being blurred by his defferance to the team's interests over those of his readers.

Au contraire, I see Reiss as addressing MY fan interests. He gives me access to info I'd not otherwise have, especially on a timely basis. Even better, he has a high SNR (signal-to-noise ratio). By that I mean that in contrast to Felger, et. al. there's less false info and editorial noise BS swamping out the clear signal of information. I don't need to filter through tons of crap, making judgements and discarding tripe to find the few gems, only to wonder if they are true or part of a controversey seeking personal agenda.

I believe that Tomase is growing as a football reporter.

 

[sebman2112]

Sometimes I like Tomase and sometimes I don't.

The blog that Tomase and Breer write together can be useful (if you don't already know the info their posting), and it seems more and more of the Post are actually written by Breer, not Tomase.

 

[Pat_Nasty]

Au contraire, I see Reiss as addressing MY fan interests. He gives me access to info I'd not otherwise have, especially on a timely basis. Even better, he has a high SNR (signal-to-noise ratio). By that I mean that in contrast to Felger, et. al. there's less false info and editorial noise BS swamping out the clear signal of information. I don't need to filter through tons of crap, making judgements and discarding tripe to find the few gems, only to wonder if they are true or part of a controversey seeking personal agenda.

I believe that Tomase is growing as a football reporter.

And Reiss could continue to give you that kind of info + reliability while working as an official party organ for the Patriots, without creating an unseemly conflict of interest between the team, the Globe and the fans.

The fact is, either Reiss is an incredibly oblivious reporter (which I don't believe he is) or he's sat on quite a few bits of information until either the Patriots saw fit to release it, or another reporter broke the story, and the Patriots had him release their spin on it. This includes stories about injuries to players and personnel moves in the offing. In return for his discretion, he is made the team's mouthpiece -- this is why in every rumor thread someone posts "I'll believe it when I hear it from Reiss."

Well, this something the Globe should not abide for the sake of the hits his blog gets their website or the readers he wins their papers -- this is a type of collusion in between reporter and subject that the Globe must not allow in any of the sections in its paper, even sports.

 

[Pat_Nasty]

Sometimes I like Tomase and sometimes I don't.

The blog that Tomase and Breer write together can be useful (if you don't already know the info their posting), and it seems more and more of the Post are actually written by Breer, not Tomase.

I like both Breer and Tomase. I like the former's game breakdowns and "Tale of the Tape" sections. He is nowhere near as deft a writer as Borges, but he's every bit as good an analyst, and unlike the departed troll, his game analysis is not tainted by petty grudges. He can be a bit dry at times, but he's got a good eye, and you can trust what he says.

As for Tomase, I think the stone wall that the Pats are able to put up because they've got Reiss has forced Tomase to become a more skilled reporter. His scoops are far more trustworthy, and he's confident enough in his ability to get them regularly enough that he no longer feels the need to make too much of the small ones.

 

[cstjohn17]

Hear, hear. Tomase's improved by leaps and bounds in his football savvy since getting the beat and has broken a number of stories. He's become a really valuable resource, an alternate voice beside Reiss as the (also valuable) most-favored voice of the Patriots brass. He has less access but is more candid. I'll take 'em both.

I agree with PatChick and PatsWickedPissah, we are lucky to have both perspectives. I didn't take any journalism classes and don't really care about collusion or conflict of interests, I just want the access and then I will make my own decisions.

My 2 cents
Thomase - looks like a bad Penn Jillette impersonator
- really has to hustle for his stories because he isn't as tapped in as Reiss
- Point After blog with him and Breer is very good and provides an alternate (and sometimes critical perspective, nothing worse than a bunch of ball washing reporters, it is one thing on a Fan Bulletin Board, it is another story all together from the media)

Reiss
- changed the way sports is reported in Boston
- hard to believe but he was originally with the Metro West Daily News and then started the Reiss Pieces with the Herald
- he had the first blog that provided timely (multiple updates per week), others tires and failed (Curran from the Projo)
- he has worked very hard and has the connections within the Pats FO (I think he may be BB's long lost love child)
- provides most of the information is an accurate fact based manner, sometimes is not willing to be critical of the Pats
- classic picture with him and Kyle Brady

Again we are lucky to have to variety of perspective, makes it easy to tune out people like Mike 'Mr. Hollywood' Felger. I listen to 890 AM because they do tend to talk more football but have to laugh at 90% of the bs Felger makes up on a daily basis.

Back to the original question, lets hope Thomase is right on this one. So far it is playing exactly to the script of a Franchised player if he comes in a couple of days before the season opener it will be exactly how many of us predicted.

 

[Pat_Nasty]

Thomase - looks like a bad Penn Jillette impersonator

I'd have gone with John Popper from Blues Traveler.

 

[Pats726]

Well, this something the Globe should not abide for the sake of the hits his blog gets their website or the readers he wins their papers -- this is a type of collusion in between reporter and subject that the Globe must not allow in any of the sections in its paper, even sports.

And that is of course never the case with all the writers from the Globe and the Red Sox...I mean NEVER...same standard??

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

And Reiss could continue to give you that kind of info + reliability while working as an official party organ for the Patriots, without creating an unseemly conflict of interest between the team, the Globe and the fans.

The fact is, either Reiss is an incredibly oblivious reporter (which I don't believe he is) or he's sat on quite a few bits of information until either the Patriots saw fit to release it, or another reporter broke the story, and the Patriots had him release their spin on it. This includes stories about injuries to players and personnel moves in the offing. In return for his discretion, he is made the team's mouthpiece -- this is why in every rumor thread someone posts "I'll believe it when I hear it from Reiss."

Well, this something the Globe should not abide for the sake of the hits his blog gets their website or the readers he wins their papers -- this is a type of collusion in between reporter and subject that the Globe must not allow in any of the sections in its paper, even sports.

Nonsense. Just look at the Globe's long association with Will McDoughnut and his parcells relationship.
We get one perspective and view from Reiss and another from Tomase. That's what makes reading each worthwhile.
What we DON'T get is a mouthpiece from an unacknowleged butt buddy (McDonut channelling Parcells, etc.), a demented personal agenda (Borges the lazy plagurist) or a writer puting in a weak effort while away from his MLB love object (Cafardo & the old time Globe 'sports' reporters).

For a true example of corporate ball washing just look at the Globe and 90% of its reportage on the Desperate Housewives.

 

[Pat_Nasty]

And that is of course never the case with all the writers from the Globe and the Red Sox...I mean NEVER...same standard??

Believe me, I know the problems of conflict of interest between the Red Sox in the Globe go FAR deeper and are FAR more disgusting... but this isn't a Sox board, is it?

 

[JustWinBrady]

BB makes the lives of Tomase and the Herald as difficult as possible because of all the gossip and personal stories related to belichick in the herald's inside track. Because the globe doesn't stoop to this level of gossip, reiss and the globe benifits.