For what it's worth, at least Mazz had the you know what to write back to my e-mail, I gained more respect for him...(His response is first, followed by the email I wrote him last week)
Tim -
Thanks for the e-mail. As you can imagine, I've received many on this
particular topic and, given the nature and subject of the column, I am
trying to respond to as many e-mails as possible.
Please understand that this was in no way meant to be an indictment of all
fans. Rather, it was an indictment of those who blindly accept anything and
everything in the names of protecting the teams whom they support. The fans
have never bothered me; the FANATACISM has. I believe in questioning things
fully when there is a need, partly because it is my job, partly because it
is my nature. (Imagine how my wife feels.) Had we all taken that approach
with major league baseball years ago, maybe the steroids problem would not
have ballooned into the enormous issue it became.
That said, the Herald made an enormous mistake with regard to the
videotaping story. You and every other New England sports fan (and I'm
including all of them here) have a right to be angry about it. Spygate was
an emotional story, and those kinds of stories can bring out the emotions in
all of us. I think we'll all be happy when it's over, assuming that it is
not over already.
Personally, I enjoy what I do. One of the great things about working in
Boston is the passion of the fans here - good and bad. As such, I've always
felt that fans had the right to yell back when they felt the desire. We all
need to be reined in sometimes.
Thanks.
- Tony Massarotti
On Wed, 14 May 2008 06:39:53 -0700 (PDT), Tim Osgood wrote
> Mr. Massarotti,
> I suggest you read the opening remarks over at bostonsportsmedia.com
> and re-read your remarks about Belichick at the beginning of this
> whole "spygate" thing...which was blown out of proportion by your
> slanderous newspaper. Who knew that YOU Mr. Massaroti were the head
> cheerleader in a witch-hunt for Belichick's head...holding them
> accountable for cheating...then YOU'RE place of employment admits
> how dead wrong they were. You led this man on a parade around town
> shouting "Look at my columns, look at me, we are RIGHT and this man
> is WRONG, he should be humiliated!"....If anyone should be
> humilitated it is YOU...but of course, you will admit no wrong-doing
> nor take any accoutability for your cold and arrogant remarks
> towards Belichick. What ever happened to fine journalism? Of course
> you will turn blue in the face standing by your comments...Arrogance
> at its finest...You've lost a loyal reader because of the venom
> you've spit all over this situation....Anything to get YOUR name in
> the headline, huh?
