Originally Posted by patriotsrule

I have noticed a lot of talk about the media on a number of boards and thought it would be fun to discuss who is good at their craft and who isn't. Here is my list in no particular order:

The Good

Michael Parente - My personal favorite. Does his job very well and I think he should get more opportunities.

Jerome Solomon - Seems to have a lot of exclusive info. It took me a while to warm up to him but now I like him.

Hector Longo - Kind of a clown but good at what he does.

Jackie McMullen - Gets a lot of exclusives because of her rep and she's a tremendous writer.

Tom Casale - Came in during the year for PFW and is doing a great job. Really knows his stuff and is one of the few who actually "analyzes" games from both sides.

Mike Reiss - His reputation speaks for itself. His blog is the best thing going for Patriots info.

Michael Felger - Most of the time. Don't like him as much on the radio and he's starting to get annoying but I still like reading his report card every week.

The Bad

John Thomase - I can't stand him as a football writer. He knows baseball but he isn't cutting it on the Patriots beat.

Andy Hart - He's just a clown. He says things but never backs anything up and if you question him, he just calls the fans stupid. Great analysis.

Dan Pires - Some people like him but I really can't stand him for some reason. Maybe it's just me.

Tom Curran - I used to like Tom and I don't dislike him as much as some people but I feel he's gotten lazy with his writing over the years.

Bob Ryan - Has great information and I don't mind listening to him but you know he always thinks he's smarter than not just fans, but everyone on the planet.

Albert Brier - Maybe it's just his writing style that bothers me but his stories are so boring they put me to sleep.

The Ugly

Ron Borges - Hey, I don't mind if you don't like BB. Not everyone does but don't just say things to say them because you have a personal problem with the guy. That's not being a journalist. It's being an unprofessional idiot. Honestly, does anyone still read his garbage?

Well, that's my list. I know I left a lot of people out so I'm interested in knowing what the rest of you think. We tend to spend so much time bashing Borges and a couple of other guys, I would like to know who you think is doing a good job and who rubs you the wrong way.

Originally Posted by Miguel

My personal list would have

Must-Read - Above the Good Category
Mike Reiss
Tom Curran

Good
Dan Pires - Consistently Good Stuff.

Mixed bag
Mike Felger - More than any other writer covering the Pats, Felger misreports on the cap. Felger more than makes up for it with his analysis of players.

Has an obvious agenda-
Borges - His non-Patriots football reporting is pretty good but his coverage of the Patriots just rubs me the wrong way.

Originally Posted by Pats67

Here's some of Dan Pires's handiwork from a KFFL post:

After his tirade last week, I'm more convinced than ever that he's better at acting than running the ball - a person who calls themself a man of God, a devout Christian and carries a Bible (read: prop) like he's St. Thomas Aquinas would never ever talk like that to anyone under any circumstances. It was very telling that whole exchange was unprovoked, and then the true Dillon - a loner, as described by his teammates - came to light.

As my bud once told me: "Tigers don't change their stripes - they only get wider."

Later in the same thread, Dan goes on to tell us what a great guy and true professional that Ron Borges is. No confirmation he got the 'tiger' line from his bud Ron. It is clear, however, that Dan has gotten a few other pointers from Ron.

Originally Posted by Miguel

It might just be me but I do not have a problem with Dan Pires giving his opinion on Dillon's tirade. I have yet to see an Pires article that shows an bias against Dillon. Have you seen an bias in Pires' writing?? If so, when and where??

Originally Posted by shmessy

Hey Miguel, not to be a wiseacre or anything (moi?), but does your keyboard have an "an" key?