Mike Reiss seems pissed off

fair catch fryar · Jan 25, 2015

luuked said:
Classic case of either going with what your employer wants and getting paid or going the "journalistic integrity" route and finding a place that supports that/starting your own thing.

Given that he has a family to feed I can see how he is stuck between a rock and a hard place.

I agree, but it also becomes a choice of whether you can live with yourself after realizing the slime you are covered in or if you want to truly be a sport's journalist. He may have to take a pay cut, but Reiss would still be able to "feed his family" as you say, regardless of where he ended up being a writer. It's similar to free agents that go for the most $$$, but ultimately probably regret leaving a team and a place where they are truly happy. I'll never know, but I like to feel that I would always choose happiness over $$$, assuming that my family was "fed" of course.

hwc · Jan 25, 2015

Screw Michael Reiss and the flea-infected dogs he lies with. I'm years beyond the point of cutting any of these mainstream media hacks any slack. There are no "white hats" at ESPN or the Boston Globe or NBC News and so on.

RayClay · Jan 25, 2015

Uncle Rico said:
Yup. From Friday:

A bit on the absolute side.

Aren't you quoting Peter King?

AzorianPats · Jan 25, 2015

robertweathers said:
Heath and WMG are level-headedand props that are to represent some semblance of fair and balanced commentary.

I also have watched the NFLN and while there are segments that are neutral, there have been news and on-air talent (you know who)

Call me a cynic but I do think that there are circles within the NFL that have an issue with the Pats that influence opinion on that network.

Ohh of course there is.

A decade and a half run like the Pats is not supposed to happen in today's NFL. All these teams are competing for the same goal, and the Pats are usually the team that ends their season.

Just think about this. Here's 3 teams that were yearly SB contenders in the beginning of our run, and since then have been long considered cellar dwellers since.

Rams
Raiders
Titans

fair catch fryar · Jan 25, 2015

Rob0729 said:
They gave him three balls to throw: one under inflated, one in league regulations, and one over inflated. They didn't tell him which one was which. When he was given each ball he would first take each ball with both hands and squeeze the with his thumbs like he was giving it CPR. Then he threw. He obviously picked the right balls and claimed it was easy to pick the under inflated one (implying he couldn't believe Brady couldn't, but maybe the game balls didn't have a heart attack last Sunday). He also said he could throw it with more velocity because he could dig his hand into the ball. Something, ESPN's Sports Science disproved (and ESPN removed from the web).

This has been a witch hunt by ESPN. BTW, notice they haven't had Tedy Bruschi or Heath Evans on any of these segments and opted to go with Brunell who is part of their Z squad of analysts prior to last week?

Heath Evans is no better. He has been on NFLN all week and has done nothing IMO to disprove these talking meatheads. I feel like he has become one of them. I haven't noticed Big Willie on there though. I don't think they want his opinion if his antics during the draft tell you anything.

Rob0729 · Jan 25, 2015

Fixit said:
Ah, thanks. Seeing as he's the only guy who says he can tell the difference, I assumed that he didn't just take a snap and throw it like, you know, a QB in a game would.

Jerome Bettis could too, but that was because he was on the same segment and used the same CPR test.

nabwong · Jan 25, 2015

In defense of mike reiss.

I read his articles (also articles from other honorable journalists) not because they are in line with the party line but because I believe they are his words. For the most part, I believe they are. But everyone has to make difficult choices at work. Those of you who criticize reiss, ask yourself if you're never towed the party line. Raise your hand please. Sometimes you lose the battle to win the war.

VrabelJr · Jan 25, 2015

robertweathers said:
Here is his article from Monday.

Please call out exactly where he says the Pats are guilty.

He is being a reporter. He is not saying the Pats are guilty. He is mentioning the weather. If they are guilty they should be held accountable.

I don't understand what he did wrong?

Good point. I actually never read the article because the title was so inflammatory to me at the time, and still kind of is in my opinion.

RobertWeathers · Jan 25, 2015

fair catch fryar said:
Heath Evans is no better. He has been on NFLN all week and has done nothing IMO to disprove these talking meatheads. I feel like he has become one of them. I haven't noticed Big Willie on there though. I don't think they want his opinion if his antics during the draft tell you anything.

Willie and Bru are either being told to steer clear of this mess b/c their respective networks value their analysis and don't want their analysis to be tainted thus impacting their brand or they have asked that they not be part of this which hunt because of their affection for the organization.

If the former, its ironic...the BESPN and NFLN bosses execute Order 66 on the Pats by discrediting them but keep their on-air talent protected so they aren't discredited.

fair catch fryar · Jan 25, 2015

Jackson 2 said:
I don't think people who know me would ever use "naive" as an adjective to describe me. Despite that, I think Mike Reiss is a moral, honorable stand-up guy. I don't know him, so I could be wrong but I doubt it. I still remember Squeaky and the Douchebag referring to him on the air as a fanboy, honk or some other such nonsense. Reiss called them on air band ripped them a new one politely, yet directly.

What are you referring to? I would love to watch it.

RobertWeathers · Jan 25, 2015

VrabelJr said:
Good point. I actually never read the article because the title was so inflammatory to me at the time, and still kind of is in my opinion.

While I still think the article is as close to fair and balanced as we've seen from all the crap reporting from this week, I think the untold story is that Reiss came under heavy editorial pressure to adjust the tone of his article on Monday to lend credence/support Mort's report.

shmessy · Jan 25, 2015

resdubwhite said:
i think a retraction is the only honourable thing to do. The suggestion there was "pretty strong evidence" for a start.

Absolutely NOT.

Here is the full sentence of that "pretty strong evidence"

"But 11 of 12 footballs is pretty strong evidence that something was happening from the time officials inspected the footballs 2 hours, 15 minutes before the game and the actual game itself."

How can you argue that something didn't happen? 'Something happening' turns out to have been an atmospheric change in the footballs in conditions (cold, wind, wet) that don't always occur. This was aided, (apparently, after learning from the very informative and ACCOUNTABLE Bill Belichick) by the LEGAL rubbing of sunbstances on those footballs. There is nothing wrong with what Reiss wrote.

He summarized at the end:

"To be clear, more information is needed before any final judgment can be made on accountability. At this point, the fact 11 of 12 footballs came in underweight moves the story forward, and raises more questions as to how it happened"

This did not warrant the pitchfork crew that ginned up against someone who PUBLICLY puts his good name out there every day and takes more PUBLIC crap for his standing up for the truth about the Pats than any of the anonymous internet heroes who took up pitchforks against him this week for no reason at all.

Uncle Rico · Jan 25, 2015

RayClay said:
Aren't you quoting Peter King?

Yes; sorry, shold have included the trail.

mosi · Jan 25, 2015

Blackluck said:
I wrote this as comment to Mike's blog piece:

After all the talk this week about the integrity of the game, the one thing that became crystal clear is that the majority of the national sports media has none.

When you have major sports outlets and media personalities publically calling Bill Belichick and Tom Brady liars and cheaters without a shred of substantive evidence, then any credibility they have is forfeit.

The sad truth is though no one will hold them accountable. There will be no apology, no reflection and no reaction to the ugly mob mentality they helped unleash.

You are a rare exception in a profession that sorely lacks ethics and objectivity. Thank you for your thoughtful, balanced and fair reporting over the years.

What bothers me about all this is that what is more important the integrity of the game or journalistic integrity? In my mind, it is not ever close. Even if a team team threw games with Las Vegas, the journalistic integrity is more important. Without that, a free society has nothing. Nothing. And in the end of the day, a game is just that, a game.

mosi · Jan 25, 2015

fair catch fryar said:
Heath Evans is no better. He has been on NFLN all week and has done nothing IMO to disprove these talking meatheads. I feel like he has become one of them. I haven't noticed Big Willie on there though. I don't think they want his opinion if his antics during the draft tell you anything.

Actually, I have thought he has been pretty fair.

Slagathor · Jan 25, 2015

My issue has never been with the national media. They are what they are.

My issue is with the supposed "locals". Sadly...we have few true locals covering the team. I actually feel jealous that Indy and Denver have guys like Kravitz and Woody Paige. They seem to have a passion for their local teams...even if their interests are self serving.

Who....outside of goofy Zolak...do we have like this?

But it goes further than that. If you you listen to radio or read the paper...there is genuine hate and disdain for the entire Patriot organization.

But I think I've found out why. Boston, being a very left wing town and a media that relects it doesn't gel well with Pro Sports. The owners are what they are. Rich capitalists who's overall goal is maximizing profit. Fats Cats as some radio guys may call them. I truly believe the Boston medias view of our sports teams begins and ends there.

I remember something Felger had waxed about on his show on what greatest NFL franchise was. He said of course his Packers, which came as no surprise. He trolls this all the time, so that's not a big deal. But he made the comment that they were great because they were a team "owned by the people"...and their activities were an open book.

That and many other reasons are why I've tuned out long ago.

shmessy · Jan 25, 2015

Slagathor said:
My issue has never been with the national media. They are what they are.

My issue is with the supposed "locals". Sadly...we have few true locals covering the team. I actually feel jealous that Indy and Denver have guys like Kravitz and Woody Paige. They seem to have a passion for their local teams...even if their interests are self serving.

Who....outside of goofy Zolak...do we have like this?

But it goes further than that. If you you listen to radio or read the paper...there is genuine hate and disdain for the entire Patriot organization.

But I think I've found out why. Boston, being a very left wing town and a media that relects it doesn't gel well with Pro Sports. The owners are what they are. Rich capitalists who's overall goal is maximizing profit. Fats Cats as some radio guys may call them. I truly believe the Boston medias view of our sports teams begins and ends there.

I remember something Felger had waxed about on his show on what greatest NFL franchise was. He said of course his Packers, which came as no surprise. He trolls this all the time, so that's not a big deal. But he made the comment that they were great because they were a team "owned by the people"...and their activities were an open book.

That and many other reasons are why I've tuned out long ago.

"Who....outside of goofy Zolak...do we have like this?"???????

You seem to want to read fan columns.

If you want to read rah-rah fan columns, we have them here at this site.

A good reporter should be balanced and uncompromising. Obviously, the Felgers/Shanks/Borges' etc. are the other very wrong extreme.

No offense, but it seems that you are mostly looking more for feelgood stories than the unvarnished truth.

It all boils down to you writing "who....outside of goofy Zolak...do we have like this?"

That just about said it all.

If Reiss or Curran are 'too anti-Patriot' for you, then I have to disagree and let's just leave it as there are lots of different people in this world with differing opinions.

There's nothing wrong with some folks wanting to read things that make them feel good. I'm not denigrating that. But Zolak as the only truthful journalist is something that drew a laugh.

What it comes down to is that neither extreme is right.

Reis and Curran (and SMY, Daniels, Howe, Guregian, Price, etc.) are the responsible journalists.

resdubwhite · Jan 25, 2015

shmessy said:
Absolutely NOT.

Here is the full sentence of that "pretty strong evidence"

"But 11 of 12 footballs is pretty strong evidence that something was happening from the time officials inspected the footballs 2 hours, 15 minutes before the game and the actual game itself."

How can you argue that something didn't happen? 'Something happening' turns out to have been an atmospheric change in the footballs in conditions (cold, wind, wet) that don't always occur. This was aided, (apparently, after learning from the very informative and ACCOUNTABLE Bill Belichick) by the LEGAL rubbing of sunbstances on those footballs. There is nothing wrong with what Reiss wrote.

He summarized at the end:

"To be clear, more information is needed before any final judgment can be made on accountability. At this point, the fact 11 of 12 footballs came in underweight moves the story forward, and raises more questions as to how it happened"

This did not warrant the pitchfork crew that ginned up against someone who PUBLICLY puts his good name out there every day and takes more PUBLIC crap for his standing up for the truth about the Pats than any of the anonymous internet heroes who took up pitchforks against him this week for no reason at all.

so you are saying that despite the headline. " patriots should be held accountable". Which he's already apologised for there is absolutely nothing in his piece that could be construed as raising question marks on the team.
I think also as a moderator it would be better to refrain from ad hominem attacks. Pitchforks comments were/are unneccesary.

Slagathor · Jan 25, 2015

shmessy said:
You seem to want to read fan columns.

If you want to read rah-rah fan columns, we have them here at this site.

A good reporter should be balanced and uncompromising.

No offense, but it seems that you are mostly looking more for feelgood stories than the unvarnished truth.

It all boils down to you writing "who....outside of goofy Zolak...do we have like this?"

That just about said it all.

There's nothing wrong with some folks wanting to read things that make them feel good. I'm not denigrating that. But please don't call that truthful journalism.

Neither extreme is right.

That's not the case at all. In my example of Zolak...I refer to someone who's FIRST inclination would be giving the team the benefit of the doubt.

In most cases, our media looks for opportunities to criticize And condemn.

As a fan of Boston sports...I don't want a bunch of hugely bias...RAH RAH...guys covering the team. That would be boring. I prefer even handedness with maybe a fan's pinkie on the scale.

But we seem to have the complete opposite of that in our local coverage.

shmessy · Jan 25, 2015

resdubwhite said:
so you are saying that despite the headline. " patriots should be held accountable". Which he's already apologised for there is absolutely nothing in his piece that could be construed as raising question marks on the team.
I think also as a moderator it would be better to refrain from ad hominem attacks. Pitchforks comments were/are unneccesary.

Everybody SHOULD be held accountable at all times!

Why is that controversial to you?????

Would you prefer "No Matter What, Patriots Deserve a Free Pass"?

And he did NOT apologize - - there was nothing to apologize for.

I also stand fully behind my pitchfork comment. It is easy for the anonymous on websites to go after someone like Reiss who everyday has to walk a tightrope of objectivity in public. There most certainly WAS a peer pressure, mentality going after him on the website this week. This is the same thing that drove Bedard off our forum when he graciously came for a while to discuss Patriots with the members here. because Bedard wasn't a Zolak there were 4-5 posters who simply hounded the guy and we never saw him again.

This 'loyalty litmus test' to demand pro-Patriots propoganda all the time from journalists is just as wrongheaded as the rest of the nation's kneejerk 'Patriots are evil' demand from theirs.

Some people simply want to read an objective account. if you think Reiss had some sort of anti-Patriots agenda in writing 'IF' the allegations are true they should be held accountable, then I fully disagree with you.

Mike Reiss seems pissed off

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