My training of Ben Volin continues :)

Miguel · Jul 16, 2014

Miguel said:
Unfortunately, Ben Volin tweeted out yesterday that there would be a cap penalty.
Ben is wrong.

From his Tweeter feed.
Ok kids, time to throw some cold water on those “Andre Johnson to the #Patriots” trade rumors, especially any involving Amendola
#Patriots are currently $6.4M under the cap. Johnson’s base salary is slated to be $10M. And trading Amendola adds $2.25M more to Pats cap

Amendola counts 4.575 million against the 2014 cap and 5.575 million against the cap. If traded, he would count $1.2 million against the 2014 cap and $3.6 million against the 2015 cap. In both years, the trade creates cap space for the Patriots.

As an aside, I found it hilarious that Ben would tweet out "Ok kids" and then get his facts wrong. On June 29 he tweeted this teaser to his Sunday notes column (are #Patriots bracing for a Brady contract dispute). His column did not provide any basis for the speculation.

My salary cap training of Ben Volin continues

He tweets out a Google doc of the Patriots salary cap numbers but does not account for the Top 51 rule correctly so he ends up with a cap space total of $6,611,827. Actual number = 6,403,532.

SeanBruschi54 · Jul 16, 2014

I'm sorry if this offends anyone who likes Ben Volin but I feel he was not a good replacement for Greg Bedard. Bedard was not a Patriots homer but did his research and was overly prepared to write articles and answer questions.

I feel Volin is mostly defensive of all of his opinions and if you choose to criticize them he will insult/belittle you. He also still talks about the Dolphins WAYYYYY too much, is it possible he was forced to cover the Patriots?

Just my 2 cents.

BradyFTW! · Jul 16, 2014

SeanBruschi54 said:
Im sorry if this offends anyone who likes Ben Volin but I feel he was not a good replacement for Greg Bedard. Bedard was not a Patriots homer but did his research and was overly prepared to write articles and answer questions.

I feel Volin is mostly defensive of all of his opinions and if you choose to criticize them he will insult/belittle you. He also still talks about the Dolphins WAYYYYY too much, is it possible he was forced to cover the Patriots?

Just my 2 cents.

I agree, but to be fair Bedard set the bar awfully high. Almost anyone was going to be a downgrade from him.

PatsGuy · Jul 16, 2014

I've said it multiple times; Volin is a lightweight. You can predict that in his "on Football" column there is at least one reference to Florida football. For people who were critical of Bedard..what do u have to say about Volin?

PatsWickedPissah · Jul 16, 2014

Miguel's camp makes BB look like a kitten. I have no problem with references to FL football, it broadens the reader's perspective. However sloppiness in your profession where you're touting supposed facts that are wrong makes me question anything he asserts. Is IT sloppily researched too?

SeanBruschi54 · Jul 16, 2014

BradyFTW! said:
I agree, but to be fair Bedard set the bar awfully high. Almost anyone was going to be a downgrade from him.

Right. We all knew we were losing a great Patriots beat reporter, MIke Reiss and Greg Bedard were our go to people it seems for info and to a lesser degree Tom E Curran.

patstrips65 · Jul 16, 2014

This is from his June 29th Notes after writing about Brady contract....

That’s why it was so interesting to hear Belichick, who always chooses his words carefully, say, “We know what Tom’s age and contract situation is” on May 9 after he drafted Jimmy Garoppolo. Brady hasn’t said or done anything to indicate a contract dispute is coming, but are the Patriots bracing for one just in case?

He cherry picked the quote.

This is from Curran on May 9th...

Is Garoppolo a successor to Mallett or Brady, I asked Belichick?

“We know what Ryan's contract situation is,” Belichick acknowledged. “We know what Tom's age and contract situation is. I don't think you want to have one quarterback on your team.”

My conclusion is he (Volin) is a simpleton.

Jackson 2 · Jul 16, 2014

patstrips65 said:
This is from his June 29th Notes after writing about Brady contract....

That’s why it was so interesting to hear Belichick, who always chooses his words carefully, say, “We know what Tom’s age and contract situation is” on May 9 after he drafted Jimmy Garoppolo. Brady hasn’t said or done anything to indicate a contract dispute is coming, but are the Patriots bracing for one just in case?

He cherry picked the quote.

This is from Curran on May 9th...

Is Garoppolo a successor to Mallett or Brady, I asked Belichick?

“We know what Ryan's contract situation is,” Belichick acknowledged. “We know what Tom's age and contract situation is. I don't think you want to have one quarterback on your team.”

My conclusion is he(Volin) is a simpleton.

I agree he cherry picked the quote. I disagree he's a simpleton. Rather, I suspect he's agenda-driven, which is worse than being a simpleton.

Hudson Pats Fan · Jul 16, 2014

Glad I'm not the only one who isn't a fan of Volin's beat reporting on the Patriots

Joker · Jul 16, 2014

He should have stuck to playing the violin....wha?...uh...oh wait...

Fencer · Jul 16, 2014

SeanBruschi54 said:
Right. We all knew we were losing a great Patriots beat reporter, MIke Reiss and Greg Bedard were our go to people it seems for info and to a lesser degree Tom E Curran.

Slightly different skill sets. Reiss gets the "official" facts, and does an outstanding job of packaging them, cleaning up most of the spin, etc. Curran was great at drawing BB out about more conceptual football issues, especially on Fridays.

Bedard combined the skills of a very competent reporter with a lot more personal ability to break down film and otherwise analyze football then any other local reporter I can think of.

Anybody before that was distinguished, if at all, by general reporting skills. Almost everybody hired by the Globe, for example, could flat-out write. In particular, Borges is an excellent writer, which helps explain why two newspapers made the mistake of hiring or retaining him despite some of his terrible other attributes.

Deus Irae · Jul 16, 2014

Volin's just not very good at his job. The Globe was in a position of need, and they poached a guy that wasn't up to the task. I've not animosity towards Volin, and I hope he has a long and successful career. I just think that there are certain markets where he's not currently up to snuff, and Boston is one of those markets.

Again, I've nothing against Volin. However, between him and SMY, and the more national focus that Gasper seems to have nowadays, the Globe has placed itself in a position where it has poor reporting for the region's #1 or #2 sports team (I'm not going to go arguing it).

jmt57 · Jul 16, 2014

Here is the Globe's bio on Ben Volin:

Volin is the national NFL reporter for the Globe, which he joined in the spring of 2013. A graduate of Emory University with an MBA from the University of Florida, Volin previously spent eight years at the Palm Beach Post, where he covered the Miami Dolphins and Florida Gators.

In more detailed terms of why Volin may seem to write about the Dolphins so often, I refer you to his introductory blog entry when he joined the Globe; Miami is the NFL team that he is by far most familiar with.

Hi, my name is Ben - Extra Points - Boston.com - 5/20/2013

I'm new to the Boston area, but maybe not to you folks reading the blog. I come to the Globe after spending the last eight years at the Palm Beach Post, including the last three as their Dolphins writer. I also "red-shirted" on the Dolphins beat in 2007-08, so I've seen plenty of Patriots-Dolphins games over the years - the Patriots' multitude of blowout wins, and the Dolphins' "Wildcat" win at Gillette in 2008.

His next paragraph from that column also helps explains his focus on the Gators:

Quick bio: Grew up in Montgomery County, Md., graduated from Emory University in 2004 and got an MBA from the University of Florida in 2010. I joined the Post in 2005, and from 2008-10 I covered Tim Tebow, er, the Florida Gators. So I know what it's like to cover a championship football team with a transcendent coach/QB combo.

LinkedIn | Ben Volin

Perhaps Volin comes across as defensive because of some initial treatment by New Englanders? He wouldn't be the first person from the south that people in the area looked down on as being intellectually inferior the moment they found out where he was from, without giving him the benefit to prove himself one way or the other. I'm just speculating, but they may have something to do with the apparent chip on the shoulder. Of course, an inordinate amount of references to the Gators and Dolphins doesn't help his cause either though.

Miguel · Jul 16, 2014

Ben just tweeted back:
"I see what you're saying..... thanks"

Uncle Rico · Jul 16, 2014

PatsGuy said:
I've said it multiple times; Volin is a lightweight.

Sums up my impression.

lurker1965 · Jul 16, 2014

PatsGuy said:
I've said it multiple times; Volin is a lightweight. You can predict that in his "on Football" column there is at least one reference to Florida football. For people who were critical of Bedard..what do u have to say about Volin?

No opinion on Bedard, but your logic is flawed. If one is critical of Stalin pointing out that Mao was worse is not good.

hwc · Jul 16, 2014

Who is Ben Volin? What is the Boston Globe?

Joker · Jul 16, 2014

shmessy · Jul 16, 2014

SeanBruschi54 said:
I'm sorry if this offends anyone who likes Ben Volin but I feel he was not a good replacement for Greg Bedard. Bedard was not a Patriots homer but did his research and was overly prepared to write articles and answer questions.

I feel Volin is mostly defensive of all of his opinions and if you choose to criticize them he will insult/belittle you. He also still talks about the Dolphins WAYYYYY too much, is it possible he was forced to cover the Patriots?

Just my 2 cents.

Give him time. Bedard talked incessantly (and still does) about Green Bay. Bedard is not exactly an easy act to follow. Guy went straight to Sports Illustrated. Volin is young, and I have found his insights quite good.

shmessy · Jul 16, 2014

PatsGuy said:
I've said it multiple times; Volin is a lightweight. You can predict that in his "on Football" column there is at least one reference to Florida football. For people who were critical of Bedard..what do u have to say about Volin?

Some people have very short memories. The Green Bay drumbeat from Bedard was way worse. (almost as bad a Breer's Ohio State nonsense).

That being said, Bedard is a very tough act to follow - - he's going to inherit the top NFL job at SI when Peter King hangs it up. Not exactly chopped liver. Volin is young and pretty damn good. He'll get better as he acclimates.

Now, the dropoff from listening to Gil Santos' voice to that of Bob Socchi is a much longer drop......

My training of Ben Volin continues :)

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