Reporters using Patsfans.com Messageboard as a resource

[JoeSixPat]

I'm not sure if anyone noticed, but the Boston Herald and Projo reports about Dillon's contract extension had as their informational foundation, Miguel's NFLPA sleuthing that he reported on in this forum.

http://www.bostonherald.com/blogs/patriots/?p=2

Although in this case it was a Herald blogger who did in fact give credit to the website (but not Miguel) and not an actual reporter, it seems to me that many articles often reflect some of the sentiments and topic threads discussed on Patsfans.com

I know there have been a few other examples - recent reports of how thin skinned some of the more fairweather fans can be in light of free agent losses referenced one member's post from Patsfans.

Are there any more examples that people can think of?

Which reporters do you think check in here regularly? I think Curren does.

I think its great that they do - I just hope they'll give general and individual credit when credit is due to some of our great members who do significant research and offer insights that are often better than respected sports reporters.

 

[Seymour93]

Patsfans made news around a year ago whenever BB's marital status was outed by Tunescribe. Although no one specifically credited Patsfans, in the ESPN.com article it said, "…rumors had been circulating on internet message forums."

 

[CrazyDave]

There 1 or 2 people who post on this board who write as if they are professionals. I've had my suspicions at times.

 

[PATSNUTme]

I think that it really is low of these guy not to give Miguel credit if they are using or reffering to his pages.

Miguel put in all the work. These so called journalist should cite their sources not steal the stuff. Yes it is on Patsfan.com and they are called "Miguel's Pages". Is it so hard to give both credit?


I mean we don't appreciate or give him credit, but we are a bunch low lives anyway.

 

[maverick4]

re

Yeah definitely. On a few occasions, I have read or heard specific phrases/sentences in newspapers and radio shows that I or someone else has written on this board.

I think it's great - I consider the fans here to be some of the most knowledgeable and perceptive people when it comes to the Patriots.

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[JDSal45]

I was listening to Felger's show yesterday on ESPN 890 AM. Felger wasn't on and there was someone filling in for him, didn't catch the name, but whomever it was referenced Miguel's page.....but the guy never credited Miguel or gave the address.

Instead he said something along the lines of "there is a webpage that details the Patriots salary cap situation and it says....." and then went into the details of Dillon's contract as cited by Miguel. But the jerk never cited the page or gave Miguel specific credit, even though that is clearly the page he was talking about.

J D Sal

 

[SaCaCh]

I was listening to Felger's show yesterday on ESPN 890 AM. Felger wasn't on and there was someone filling in for him, didn't catch the name, but whomever it was referenced Miguel's page.....but the guy never credited Miguel or gave the address.

Instead he said something along the lines of "there is a webpage that details the Patriots salary cap situation and it says....." and then went into the details of Dillon's contract as cited by Miguel. But the jerk never cited the page or gave Miguel specific credit, even though that is clearly the page he was talking about.

J D Sal

Funny how we can't cut and paste their articles without getting in trouble, but when they come here and reference us suddenly its ok. I think Miguel needs to start sending cease and desist letters. :rocker:

 

[Patjew]

There 1 or 2 people who post on this board who write as if they are professionals. I've had my suspicions at times.

Who? Let's flesh them out! (Or is it "flush" them out?)

Just for fun.

 

[maverick4]

re

I've always had a suspicion that Ron Borges was one of those periodic trolls who liked to stir things up on the board!!

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[JoeSixPat]

Who? Let's flesh them out!

I'm a Professional.

(Well, at least a professional amateur... I used to be an amateur professional.)

 

[PatsSteve1]

Aren't sportswriters supposed to get information to keep fans informed about thier sports teams? Pretty sad they have to go to a fans message board to get informed themselves. I'm not sure they get much more than Miguel's stuff and maybe use it to get some idea of how fans see the team, etc.

 

[shakadave]

I've noticed PatsFanForum references (either acknowledged or disguised) in the media lately as well. I think it's great!

A good reporter must have a hard time knowing what fans are really thinking. On WEEI you hear only from those fans willing to spend an hour on hold to talk for 30 seconds. On this website, you get fans who can read and write, and a lot more information gets around. Plus new threads launch new topics for debate. Ian yes, Miguel yes, but also a lot of other contributors here should be proud!

 

[JoeSixPat]

On WEEI you hear only from those fans willing to spend an hour on hold to talk for 30 seconds. On this website, you get fans who can read and write, and a lot more information gets around.

Boy, ain't that the truth.

But I think the reporters would be stupid NOT to come here for story ideas, and leads on relevant stats, or in Miguel's case, info they should be tracking themselves but realistically don't have time for themselves.

They can get a feel for where fans stand on certain issues - even if sometimes some fairweather fan posters might give them the wrong overall impression.

I'd suggest that they become even MORE involved here... and feel free to post here themselves - much like Bob George and other Patsfan.com columnists and contributors do.

They should not be embarrassed about citing their sources if its Miguel or other Patsfans posters. We generally know anyway, so all they are doing is hurting their own credibility if they try to mislead us.

I should add that I understand the professional difficulty in actually citing individual posters as sources. Nearly all of us are anonymous - I didn't even see Miguel list his contact info on his Patscap page.

For professional reporters, citing nameless, faceless sources probably isn't smiled upon professionally.

And as much as I'd love to see it, I'm probably not going to read about JoeSixPat's exceptional football insights in the Boston Globe anytime soon.

 

[Bill's Girl]

I was thinking the same thing the other night. BelichickFan wrote something about how BB would leave if he were unhappy with his situation here (talking about BK getting involved in the Troy Brown negotiations) and Tom Curran said the same thing on NEST that night.....

 

[IcyPatriot]

So then...would it be safe to say that we could have as many as say 2 to let's say maybe 6 posters here who...without links claim knowledge of what may or what may not be going on in the BOWELS OF THE "RAZOR"

Taking information as well as sending out some DRONE information that may lead some of us who may or may not be connected to divulge furthur information.

So...to steal a line (okay borrow) from PatJew...let's FLESH out the Flesh...Posthaste of course...(I like that word, some clever poster used a few days ago.)

Who are the ??? :blahblah: 's ???

 

[mikey]

So then...would it be safe to say that we could have as many as say 2 to let's say maybe 6 posters here who...without links claim knowledge of what may or what may not be going on in the BOWELS OF THE "RAZOR"

Taking information as well as sending out some DRONE information that may lead some of us who may or may not be connected to divulge furthur information.

So...to steal a line (okay borrow) from PatJew...let's FLESH out the Flesh...Posthaste of course...(I like that word, some clever poster used a few days ago.)

Who are the ??? :blahblah: 's ???

MoLewisrock?


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[smg93]

I've noticed that too. It seems like some of the articles I've read in the various "rumor" section of internet sites like si or espn actually re-hash what's been said here. While Profootballtalk isn't really a professional news source, check out their latest article. It seems like they are also using info from here for stories as well.

http://www.profootballtalk.com/rumormill.htm

The story starts out like this:

PATS TO PULL OUT A POISON PILL OF THEIR OWN?



We always read the e-mails that readers send to us. Not just because we are gluttons for abuse, but because sometimes our readers offer up some pretty good insights.

 

[cubedoggy]

MoLewisrock?


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Mikey, you're one of the first I'd peg, because, despite your high post count, in my book, you'll always be a slimy troll...and I know there are others who'd say the same.

F off.

 

[cubedoggy]

Who? Let's flesh them out! (Or is it "flush" them out?)

Just for fun.

This is a big bone of contention w/ me (akin to the "different than" and "different from" argument, but clearer). "Flesh out" is waht most people mean, which is to "put flesh on" a skeletal supposition.

However, most people I've encountered in such situations say "flush out," which means, I guess, in their minds, a sense of "cut through the fog (or male bovine feces)."

In the end, the desired result is the same, so I don't fight it, because so is the connotation.

 

[SoonerPatriot]

As a sportswriter for a large metro paper covering primarily high school sports, I can say that checking on internet message boards is common. Most often it's used to get a kind of pulse of the fans reading but in some instances story ideas can be found on boards but only as a starting point. You have to build from there using your contacts/sources.

That said, anyone who ever cited Miguel's pages and didn't credit him is worthless in my book. There has been some hardcore work done on that page by Miguel and he deserves credit and if I were doing something that referenced his work I would make every effort to contact him and get first, last name etc.