Mike Reiss Appreciation Thread

[Snarf]

Boston sports writing is littered with bitter old men who have strange psychoses that make them shamelessly bash everything the Pats do. We all know who they are. They lost my business and readership years ago.

Here's a big thumbs up to Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe, whose articles and timely blog entries aren't only accurate, but they're fair and well balanced.

Good job MR! :eat2:

 

[mtbykr]

:eat1: :agree: :eat3:

 

[ironwasp]

Ironically, Mike Reiss might be the only person out there pleased to see Borges back this week or whenever it is. He's been carrying a heavy load recently, more or less covering the Patriots by himself, except for the regrettable recent contributions of CHB and others.

I second your comments. He's a decent reporter, and his stuff can be relied upon to be accurate and free from hysteria and personal animus.

As a writer I think he's still got a way to go, but that can only come with experience and time, and he'll get better.

Of course, becoming a bitter old man also comes with experience and time, so let's hope he can avoid that.

 

[ClevTrev]

Boston sports writing is littered with bitter old men who have strange psychoses that make them shamelessly bash everything the Pats do. We all know who they are. They lost my business and readership years ago.

Here's a big thumbs up to Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe, whose articles and timely blog entries aren't only accurate, but they're fair and well balanced.

Good job MR! :eat2:

Amen. But "old" has nothing to do with it.

Mike keeps things in perspective and reports the news. He doesn't attempt to read into issues or read people's minds. It's the constant mindless speculation that drives most of us crazy.

Good post, and thanks, Mike, for a breath of fresh air!

 

[Hoodie]

Yup. He's terrific and we are lucky to have him.

 

[fgssand]

I appreciate his hard work and good, accurate information.

He has earned my trust and respect in a tough market. He has integrity.

He asks the right questions and does not cross the line in print or in person during his interviews.

In a field full of buffoons (hello shaugnessey,cafardo and macmullen) - he is a port in their storm.

 

[BlitzFritz]

I also really like Mike but I disagree that he is "balanced".

While his perspectives are well written in a balanced tone, he will never EVER make a critical statement of the Pats. I am starting to view him as a tiny bit of a mouthpiece, who in return, gets occasional priviledged info from the FO, eg the inside dope on Asante negotiations.

His latest spin on the Randy Moss situation -- "after i thought about it, i realized it is just like Corey Dillon" -- is a bit too bootlicking for me.

anyway thats my theory.

and i do like to read him, better than anyone else.........

 

[Tunescribe]

For those of us who have written to the Globe criticizing Borg-ass, it might help the cause to also write in praise of Reiss. Maybe that will help prevent wRONg's return.

 

[SoCal Bong]

It amazes me that despite his popularity, no other journalists seem to even try to model themselves after him (PFW take note). There is definintely room for several of his mold in the media covering one of the all-time great sports franchises.

I met him in San Diego a couple of hours before the Chargers playoff game and he was very cool. Took the time to talk for a couple of minutes (and a picture) despite there being a huge game coming up shortly. He even mentioned our OCPF tailgate party in his blog that day.

 

[ironwasp]

It amazes me that despite his popularity, no other journalists seem to even try to model themselves after him (PFW take note). There is definintely room for several of his mold in the media covering one of the all-time great sports franchises.

Journalism is very rarely a popularity contest, and more often than not writers are concerned with keeping their editors happy, rather than the readership. Policy decisions are taken at a higher level. If CHB and Borges are acting like asses you can bet their editors are happy. And to be honest, the fact that the sports media itself is such a sttrong ongoing story in Boston is probably something that the brass likes.

 

[PATSNUTme]

]I also really like Mike but I disagree that he is "balanced".[/B]

While his perspectives are well written in a balanced tone, he will never EVER make a critical statement of the Pats. I am starting to view him as a tiny bit of a mouthpiece, who in return, gets occasional priviledged info from the FO, eg the inside dope on Asante negotiations.

His latest spin on the Randy Moss situation -- "after i thought about it, i realized it is just like Corey Dillon" -- is a bit too bootlicking for me.

anyway thats my theory.

and i do like to read him, better than anyone else.........

First you disagree that he is balanced then you say he uses a balanced tone- which one is it.

He will be critical of the Patriots when it's justified. You can take that to the bank.

He just doesn't look under every rock to find a excuse to be critical. He does not have a personal hatred of the Patriots HC. He doesn't take joy if he precieves that the Patriots MAY have a problem. He does not write critical columns just to see how cute he can be.

 

[Pat_Nasty]

First you disagree that he is balanced then you say he uses a balanced tone- which one is it.

He will be critical of the Patriots when it's justified. You can tke that to the bank.

He just doesn't look under every rock to find a excuse to be critical. He does not have a personal hatred of the Patriots HC. He doesn't take joy if he precieves that the Patriots MAY have a problem. He does not write critical columns just to see how cute he can be.

There's an expansive middle-ground between hacks like Borges and the CHB and shils -- hardworking, diligent shils, buts shils nonetheless -- like Reiss.

It's sad that the "bitter old men" have so poisoned the sports media landscape that Pats' fans' hearts + minds are so easily won by going to the opposite extreme.

 

[Hoodie]

I also really like Mike but I disagree that he is "balanced".

While his perspectives are well written in a balanced tone, he will never EVER make a critical statement of the Pats.

Mike was critical of the Pats not resigning Vinitraitor. What he didn't do was jump up an down and scream that "the Patriots are cheap, this was a stupid move, they don't value their players etc."

There's a difference between criticizing the team's decisions and the hyperbolic rage exhibited so frequently by his fellow sportswriters.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

First you disagree that he is balanced then you say he uses a balanced tone- which one is it.

He will be critical of the Patriots when it's justified. You can tke that to the bank.

He just doesn't look under every rock to find a excuse to be critical. He does not have a personal hatred of the Patriots HC. He doesn't take joy if he precieves that the Patriots MAY have a problem. He does not write critical columns just to see how cute he can be.

Exactly. Mike has disagreed with their approach from time to time, and criticized what he believed may have been a mis step or mistake. But he's open to reason and he doesn't once stake out territory based on what he thinks he knows, and then defend his position to the death. That's the mistake so many of them make. In their effort to prove to us how superior they are to us, they end up defending positions at odds with guys whose jock they can't carry from a football expertise POV. I don't want to know what a sports writer thinks, I want to know what Belioli might be thinking. And if you've antagonized them to the point they won't give you the time of day, then you are of no use to me as a fan. Given accurate and preferably insightful information I am relatively comfortable making up my own mind where assessing this team and organization's moves and chances are concerned.

What I want from my football media is solid accurate information and insightful analysis. The latter isn't Mike's forte yet, but if he stays the course he will get there. Felger was there once the same way Mike got there, by cultivating sources within the organization who could explain things to him in background because they trusted him to be circumspect or at least fair in his use of the information they shared with him. But he bailed for the bigger bucks just like a greedy player. I think landing the Wood, who loves to shop and rub shoulders with movers and shakers, and who likely outearned him at least 3 to 1, pushed him over the edge. And the bigger bucks via multimedia gigs at least initially go to the shrill snitch, the snide critic and the argumentative agenda driver.

That is what Wrong and Shank represent the very worst of, although they as their editors will argue from a sportsmedia POV both are exceptional writers - at least when they aren't plagerising or transcribing dictation from Yawkey Way.

And Nasty - Mike is no more a shill than Felger was back in the day when reading him was a worthwhile exercise because he had the best access and insight on this team of anyone on the beat.

 

[ClevTrev]

Journalism is very rarely a popularity contest, and more often than not writers are concerned with keeping their editors happy, rather than the readership. Policy decisions are taken at a higher level. If CHB and Borges are acting like asses you can bet their editors are happy. And to be honest, the fact that the sports media itself is such a sttrong ongoing story in Boston is probably something that the brass likes.

Good point. And the most recent example of an editor directing a story's theme is the one by Shaughnessy yesterday ripping the team for being hypocrites. He actually filled the Borges role, because Borges is in the penalty box. There was no way Reiss would be a candidate to write that type of story. So, they brought in the one closest to Borges, Danny Boy.

 

[Mike the Brit]

I too appreciate Mike Reiss very much. He's first and foremost about putting timely and detailed information in the hands of his readers.

It's true that he's better at getting hold of information that is positive or neutral in relation to the team than he is at ferreting out news of problems and setbacks (Chad Jackson's injury or the background to the departure of Branch) and it's true that he's not as much of a high-powered critical analyst of the team as some others. But let's appreciate his strengths -- the information that he puts into the blog alone is remarkable and every printed article is a solid, professional piece of work, at the very least. Did anyone else notice how much better the Globe's "round-up" pieces have been with Mike writing them rather than the dreaded wRONg?

Here's to you, Mike!

 

[spacecrime]

and i do like to read him, better than anyone else.........

He gets good stuff, and I know why. If you were Meriweather or Moss, and both Felger and Reiss were after you for an in-depth interview, who would you talk to?

The other night Felger went on and on about Meriweather, saying he came out of his apartment with guns blazing. Went on and on, said the neighborhood wasn't bad. He attributed it to his being Hurricane. Playing with guns and getting in trouble is what they do. You think Wilfork will welcome Felger to stand in front of his locker?

If you were the Pats FO, and were about to give out information on an injury, would you call Felger?

If one guy is absurdly negative, and one is absurdly positive, give me the positive guy any day of the week. I'm a fan, after all. I don't need somebody telling me every day how stupid my team's coach is, and what a bad decision it was every time they sign a player.

I'm hoping the Pats go to the superbowl, and I think they have a better chance than any other AFC team. With that in mind, isn't optimism called for?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I'm hoping the Pats go to the superbowl, and I think they have a better chance than any other AFC team. With that in mind, isn't optimism called for?

Believe it or not, that is Felger's position too. Which is why he is the real hypocrite in all this. Felgie's already booked his flight to the desert, and at the end of the day he doesn't really care how Bill gets him there. He spent all last season bashing him for not spending enough (and he didn't seem to care on whom). I don't think Shank is particularly anxious to see the Pat's distract the attention of the faithful from the best baseball team money could buy. However if it takes a million dollar per appearance encore from another guy he once drove to the airport (because he was overweight and selfish and quit on his lousy team and needed a porter to lug his baggage on his way to Texas via Toronto and NY), Shank signed off on making that no-brainer that move two years ago!

 

[Eugene Chung]

Believe it or not, that is Felger's position too. Which is why he is the real hypocrite in all this. Felgie's already booked his flight to the desert, and at the end of the day he doesn't really care how Bill gets him there. He spent all last season bashing him for not spending enough (and he didn't seem to care on whom).

To echo the point of hypocrisy, Felger bashed Belichick and Pioli all year but then stated (paraphrasing) "they did their jobs" after the San Diego win.

 

[PatsFanSince74]

What I really like about him is his "Fact to Opinion" ratio. For every thoughful opinion that Mike offers, he also provides us with five or six useful facts about the Patriots or the NFL. For most other writers, it's the reverse; one fact for every ten ill-informed opinions.