OT: NFL Network layoffs

[203Pat]

They really miss Chris Wesseling, they could use another voice in the mix that keeps them honest.

I was hoping they would add back a fourth member, but IMO this is again the good old NFLN being cheap.

I bet the NFLN resents that they are paying three "talent" contracts, and absolutely refused to consider a fourth.

I now have to fast-forward through Dan's schtick on Pats fans. Since Jete fans have zero experience at participating in super bowls he can't imagine that a Pats fan thinks far more about the six wins than the two losses. Even making it to the SB win or lose is a such a great thrill, one that Jete fans can't comprehend. He comes across as a total ******* by switching teams to the Giants just so he can try to stick it to Pats fans. IMO he's being a turncoat loser *******. When else would a Jete fan ever root for the Gints? It's like a Yankees fan rooting for the Mets, or a Rangers fan rooting for the Islanders, or a Knicks fan rooting for the Nets. It's ********.

I've made similar points on the ATN sub-reddit, but of course people there are mostly fans of the other 31 teams so they take Dan's side. Oh well, I guess the only way to understand what it's like to be a fan of a dynasty is live through it, something Jete fans will never experience.

Dan is the worst. Wes was the only one who would check him on his nonsense and now with Wes gone the other two tip toe around saying anything remotely negative about the Jets even while Dan gleefully revels in any failure by the Browns or Patriots. I remember after Breece Hall tore his ACL Mark called him Breece Lightening and Dan had a hissy fit. He has also beaten Gregg into submission to the point that he pretends not to be a Patriots fan anymore. I am hoping either the Rodgers trade falls through or even better he goes to NY and they go in the tank and it is a colossal failure.

 

[TheRainMaker]

Trimming the fat.

Does anyone even watch the NFL Network?

 

[Bill Lee]

Dan is the worst. Wes was the only one who would check him on his nonsense and now with Wes gone the other two tip toe around saying anything remotely negative about the Jets even while Dan gleefully revels in any failure by the Browns or Patriots. I remember after Breece Hall tore his ACL Mark called him Breece Lightening and Dan had a hissy fit. He has also beaten Gregg into submission to the point that he pretends not to be a Patriots fan anymore. I am hoping either the Rodgers trade falls through or even better he goes to NY and they go in the tank and it is a colossal failure.

Yeah, at times I wish Gregg would grow a pair and push back on Dan, but I think they all realize they're probably at career peak earnings right now and are afraid to do anything that could mess that up.

It's weird how Dan openly admits he can now admire/respect Brady now that he's retired. It's an admission that he can't get past his homer biases and evaluate players fairly. It also comes across as a way for him to cash in on Tom's success, although he's really late to the party.

Bottom line is the show is in decline. Just like the rest of the NFL, they have cheapened the product that was once top shelf to point where it's marginal. Over the last two seasons I'm finding more games sit on my DVR un-watched, and more ATN podcasts get skipped over too.

 

[Bill Lee]

Trimming the fat.

Does anyone even watch the NFL Network?

It'd be interesting to know how they define success.

In theory all this stuff is just an extended ad for the the NFL itself, yet they also seem to want to treat NFLN as a profit center too.

They probably saw other leagues made money off their media channels and thought they could do the same, but are failing at it.

I don't watch NFLN, I cut the cable many years ago, and try to avoid content with commercials whenever I can.

These days I find myself following F1 a lot.

There is a lot of high-quality content out there, some of it produced by F1 itself, mostly commercial-free.

There are a lot of interesting off-the-track story lines to follow.

F1 reminds me of the NFL a few years ago, before NFL started doing ****wad stuff like hunting down anyone who dared to show any of their highlights.

The NFL's problem is they want to monetize every ****ing thing they do, and this works against the fan's interests.

They seem to forget every cent they have came from the fans, one way or another.

I don't like any sport enough to pay for the content, I'll find something else to do with my time.

IMO, sports leagues are going to have to go back to the model where they accepted they had to give away things like video clips and podcasts to keep interest in their sports high, otherwise people will simply find other things to do with their time.

No, the average fan is not going to sit through ads on NFLN just to see talking heads yammer on and on about the sport.

Sooner or later they'll just read a book, or go for a walk.

 

[203Pat]

Yeah, at times I wish Gregg would grow a pair and push back on Dan, but I think they all realize they're probably at career peak earnings right now and are afraid to do anything that could mess that up.

It's weird how Dan openly admits he can now admire/respect Brady now that he's retired. It's an admission that he can't get past his homer biases and evaluate players fairly. It also comes across as a way for him to cash in on Tom's success, although he's really late to the party.

Bottom line is the show is in decline. Just like the rest of the NFL, they have cheapened the product that was once top shelf to point where it's marginal. Over the last two seasons I'm finding more games sit on my DVR un-watched, and more ATN podcasts get skipped over too.

All the ads came right after their latest contract negotiations so I am sure they're making more money after the league finally decided to monetize podcasts (and of course they overdid it). Dan really can't contain his homerism and it is is blatantly obvious when he does his power rankings for NFL.com and somehow the Jets are always at least 5-10 spots higher than where any unbiased person would put them. I think he just released his rankings the other day and thinks the Jets are the 8th best team in the league.

I agree that the podcast and honestly the league as a whole are in decline. The NFL has made it clear that money takes precedent over the product. Hell, Goodell is now trying to Flex teams into and out of TNF to appease Mr. Bezos. That is an insanely bad idea. When would that decision be made? I would have to think it is prior to the Sunday games being played because there is no way teams can find if theyre playing on Thursday on Monday after a game. It also screws the fans who have tickets to the game because most people don't work Sunday and most people do work Thursday and Friday and it makes it much more difficult to attend the game. Year after year they water down the product and year after year they may more money so I can see why they keep messing with things but there will be a tipping point eventually and people will move on.

 

[FortressX]

Willie got the boot too

Willie McGinest is out at NFL Network

In one of the least surprising aspects of the ongoing belt-tightening by a media outlet owned and operated by the fattest of fat cats, former NFL linebacker Willie McGinest is out at NFL Network.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

 

[Palm Beach Pats Fan]

Trimming the fat.

Does anyone even watch the NFL Network?

NFL Network may suck, but it's 100 times better than BSPN

 

[203Pat]

Willie got the boot too

Willie McGinest is out at NFL Network

In one of the least surprising aspects of the ongoing belt-tightening by a media outlet owned and operated by the fattest of fat cats, former NFL linebacker Willie McGinest is out at NFL Network.

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

That one isn't a surprise. Can't believe he tanked his career over some nonsense.

 

[captain stone]

Trimming the fat.

Does anyone even watch the NFL Network?

I do, for specific events - free agency coverage, draft news etc... But junk like GMF? Never. Never ever ever.

Giardi, like Bert's Breer before him, once he got a national gig became more Sewer York than New England.

But before the NFLN fired him, they should've fired ALL of the ignorant, bubble-headed, less-than-useless, casting-couch/politically-connected Bimbos polluting their airwaves: studio, sideline, on-location... EVERY-****ING-WHERE... ALL. OF. THEM.

 

[maust]

That one isn't a surprise. Can't believe he tanked his career over some nonsense.

Just an unfathomable lapse in judgement from a guy who'd always enjoyed a great public image. dafuq...

 

[BadMoFo]

I do, for specific events - free agency coverage, draft news etc... But junk like GMF? Never. Never ever ever.

Giardi, like Bert's Breer before him, once he got a national gig became more Sewer York than New England.

But before the NFLN fired him, they should've fired ALL of the ignorant, bubble-headed, less-than-useless, casting-couch/politically-connected Bimbos polluting their airwaves: studio, sideline, on-location... EVERY-****ING-WHERE... ALL. OF. THEM.

Same here, love the game replays and the draft coverage, but Good Morning Football is unwatchable. It was somewhat tolerable when Kay Adams was there, but the rest of the cast blows.

 

[Guts]

That one isn't a surprise. Can't believe he tanked his career over some nonsense.

POS behavior let's call it how it is

 

[203Pat]

Same here, love the game replays and the draft coverage, but Good Morning Football is unwatchable. It was somewhat tolerable when Kay Adams was there, but the rest of the cast blows.

I haven't watched in years but that show was so annoying. Last time I watched it was Nate Burleson, who I know has since left and I didn't mind him, then Kay Adams who I didn't really have an opinion on, and then Peter Shrager and Kyle Brandt who I can't stand. Shrager was such a doofus and tried to pretend he was Adam Schefter with his fake insider nonsense. Kyle Brandt just seems to have fully leaned into becoming a bouncing off the walls meathead who needs to scream like a lunatic as his shtick.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

yeah they hire no talent people like bonetta mj acasta ruiz.,.. the good morning football show would be better with out shrager or brandt... i dont know why they need a analytics person like cynthia freeland to be there hire football people not people that just stand there and talk with their hands

 

[captain stone]

Same here, love the game replays and the draft coverage, but Good Morning Football is unwatchable. It was somewhat tolerable when Kay Adams was there, but the rest of the cast blows.

I imagine that's how she got her job in the first place...

 

[State]

Giardi, like Bert's Breer before him, once he got a national gig became more Sewer York than New England.

You’re hilarious with nicknames. Sobriquet master.

I still laugh at Myles of Space for Myles Bryant.

Ever been hired by Madison Ave?

 

[Bill Lee]

The only content I take in from NFLN is some of their podcasts.

Didn't realize Rachel Bonnetta is so easy on the eyes, but she isn't easy on the ears. IMO her mouthy grrl schtick wore out quickly in the audio format, she didn't seem to add anything to the conversation other than hawt takez.

I've seen a huge stream of media insiders tweeting about how great Rachel is.

Many said she added an element of comedy to the coverage.

That shows how messed up most of the media members are.

They liked the comedy because THEY are bored with their jobs and want to inject comedy into their day to day experience.

They don't seem to accept that fans go to sports media outlets for sports, not for comedy.

If THEY want comedy in their lives, THEY should change careers, and make room in the media for people who can focus on the sport.

 

[captain stone]

You’re hilarious with nicknames. Sobriquet master.

I still laugh at Myles of Space for Myles Bryant.

Ever been hired by Madison Ave?

I'm not the only one, by any means... For example it was PatsWickedPissah I believe who came up with the name Skippy for Josh McD; and BaconGrundleCandy provided Dalton Never Seen Keene... Kontradiction came up with Glitch Richards...

 

[Bill Lee]

Since we're big on off-the-field narratives during the off-season:

Jim Trotter declined severance package that included NDA

Remember when outside counsel Mary Jo White recommended that the NFL prohibit teams from using non-disclosure agreements and the league just sort of ignored it?

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

Jim Trotter, formerly of NFL Media, told Peter King for his latest Football Morning in America column that Trotter could have exited with extra pay, if he’d agreed to zip it.

“I was offered a three-month severance package, with an NDA,” Trotter said. “I declined.”

Note that while the article has a lot of spin in it, this is a direct quote of Trotter. Florio goes on to suggest the obvious, he refused to take the cash on offer was because he had grounds for legal action.

Another section that includes a quote:

Via King, the league told Trotter’s agent last fall that there was no reason to think Trotter wouldn’t have his contract renewed, although he might have to take a pay cut. By late February, after Trotter’s second annual effort to challenge Commissioner Roger Goodell publicly on diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in the NFL Media newsroom made the Commissioner look not so great, Trotter received a different — and not so great — message.

He was asked whether he’s in “alignment” with the newsroom. Trotter said, “Of course not. The fact that we don’t have one Black executive, one Black copy editor, one full-time Black employee on the news desk is troubling.” He was told that it’s “kind of hard to fight corporate headwinds.”

Those headwinds blew Trotter right out of the building. And he now may be planning to try to blow the house down.

So Florio is definitely stitching together a narrative, we'll have to see if anything comes of it or not.

 

[203Pat]

Since we're big on off-the-field narratives during the off-season:

Jim Trotter declined severance package that included NDA

Remember when outside counsel Mary Jo White recommended that the NFL prohibit teams from using non-disclosure agreements and the league just sort of ignored it?

profootballtalk.nbcsports.com

Note that while the article has a lot of spin in it, this is a direct quote of Trotter. Florio goes on to suggest the obvious, he refused to take the cash on offer was because he had grounds for legal action.

Another section that includes a quote:



So Florio is definitely stitching together a narrative, we'll have to see if anything comes of it or not.

I think Trotter is going to air the league out via a lawsuit. Not what the league wants with the lack of minority hires and the Flores lawsuit already happening.