Tempest in an Aquarium

[NaboCane]

A lot has been said lately on the subject of local sports reporters, particularly in light of the ongoing feud involving the local writers and Saban. There have been valid points made, as well as some hasty conclusions.

All in all, it's a sad time if you're a Dolphins' fan because the press is our conduit for information about our favorite team, its activities and its players. Anytime you have information taken from its normal course and forced through a funnel to the end users, (us) it skews the result. Try as anyone might to minimize the importance of an unfettered press, the reality is that we wouldn't know **** without them except what the team deigns to tell us. And any skewing of the news gives us a product unlike the one we would have received otherwise. That's just a simple fact.

There are those who stand statue-like on one side of the issue; they only defend "the party line," substituting knee-jerk reaction for independent, analytic thought, thinking that this reflects loyalty to the team. They fail to see that with the exception of a few - very few - instances, life is not comprised of absolute right and absolute wrong; the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle of the combatants' subjective truth.

True loyalty to the team would dictate an abiding desire to have every bit of news about the team that can possibly be available, except where it functions to the detriment of the team.

And I find it ironic that most of the folks willing to give Saban 100% absolution in this matter are the same ones that wailed loudly at the discovery of all the behind-the-scenes malfeasance during the Wannstedt regime, and lamented that we didn't know sooner.

I will remain a motivated observer; I will keep my own counsel as to who I think is to blame for each episode in this unfortunate situation, using logical analysis and my own personal set of ethics. What I will not do is succumb to any form of dogma, and support or vilify based on having chosen a side before all the facts are in.

In other words, I'll watch, learn, listen, and decide for myself what I believe. In other words, I will approach this with an open mind.

And most importantly, I will keep in mind that each of these incidents is part of a big picture; one that is only just beginning to unfold, and one that will play out over the time of Saban's tenure here. A long and successful tenure, as I'm sure we all hope.

So, instead of rooting for only one side and hoping for a loser on the other, I will root for mutual understanding so that we all win.

 

[AjFazz85]

Well guess what buddy Saban has all the power and the sports writers can go %$&* themselves.

 

[rhadaddy]

I haven'te really commented on this issue...

A lot has been said lately on the subject of local sports reporters, particularly in light of the ongoing feud involving the local writers and Saban. There have been valid points made, as well as some hasty conclusions.

All in all, it's a sad time if you're a Dolphins' fan because the press is our conduit for information about our favorite team, its activities and its players. Anytime you have information taken from its normal course and forced through a funnel to the end users, (us) it skews the result. Try as anyone might to minimize the importance of an unfettered press, the reality is that we wouldn't know **** without them except what the team deigns to tell us. And any skewing of the news gives us a product unlike the one we would have received otherwise. That's just a simple fact.

There are those who stand statue-like on one side of the issue; they only defend "the party line," substituting knee-jerk reaction for independent, analytic thought, thinking that this reflects loyalty to the team. They fail to see that with the exception of a few - very few - instances, life is not comprised of absolute right and absolute wrong; the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle of the combatants' subjective truth.

True loyalty to the team would dictate an abiding desire to have every bit of news about the team that can possibly be available, except where it functions to the detriment of the team.

And I find it ironic that most of the folks willing to give Saban 100% absolution in this matter are the same ones that wailed loudly at the discovery of all the behind-the-scenes malfeasance during the Wannstedt regime, and lamented that we didn't know sooner.

I will remain a motivated observer; I will keep my own counsel as to who I think is to blame for each episode in this unfortunate situation, using logical analysis and my own personal set of ethics. What I will not do is succumb to any form of dogma, and support or vilify based on having chosen a side before all the facts are in.

In other words, I'll watch, learn, listen, and decide for myself what I believe. In other words, I will approach this with an open mind.

And most importantly, I will keep in mind that each of these incidents is part of a big picture; one that is only just beginning to unfold, and one that will play out over the time of Saban's tenure here. A long and successful tenure, as I'm sure we all hope.

So, instead of rooting for only one side and hoping for a loser on the other, I will root for mutual understanding so that we all win.

But if I have to sacrifice the little offseason news I get in order for the dolphins to not only win more games but turn the corner and win a championship....

I'm ALL FOR IT.!

 

[finfan54]

I always think the media is motivated by selfish forces. In other words, their arrogance is always right and everyone else is wrong. If you rub up against them, they let you have it. It does nothing but turn people off in the long haul.

I predict in two years when Saban is known as a great HC, like Belechick, you will see different reporters doing the news in Miami or you will see changed opinions.

 

[stan marino]

With not much happening right now, and all the interviews on Miamidolphins.com, I havent really noticed too much of a difference so far. After having the end of the Shula days, the Jimmy days, and then the Wanny days...I'm willing to try anything to get this organization moving forward again. If that means less finfo for me than so be it.

 

[FinNasty]

your upset because you are a sports writer arnt you?! No WAY somebody writes that well unless they do it for a living with all that crazy us of vocabulary! you are just bored since you have nothing to write so you are starting to cry on this board! :roflmao:

Nasty

 

[rafael]

True loyalty to the team would dictate an abiding desire to have every bit of news about the team that can possibly be available, except where it functions to the detriment of the team.

I agree with this statement. I just believe that the level of access the media had before was detrimental. IMO Saban is just trying to eliminate the detriments. The truth is that nobody, not even Saban, can cut out the media entirely or control all the info. There are minimum, league mandated media access times. I believe that if your trying to draw the line between media access and protcting the team's interest this is as good a place to start as any other.

 

[FinHeavenAJ]

your upset because you are a sports writer arnt you?! No WAY somebody writes that well unless they do it for a living with all that crazy us of vocabulary! you are just bored since you have nothing to write so you are starting to cry on this board! :roflmao:

Nasty

He's not a reporter by any means, nor does he write for the site at the current time. I think he's just intelligent and knows his vocabulary very well. Further, he put together a very well thoughtout post...

That's just my opinion anyways...

 

[Agua]

Anytime you have information taken from its normal course and forced through a funnel to the end users, (us) it skews the result.

And what was being produced by the beat "writers" under the Wanny watch wasn't skewed? I just finished reading an old article by Andy Cohen in the DD covering his meeting with Wanny just after the resignation. The media attention had become a detrimental distraction to the team, and that's why he resigned. [EDIT] If they would turn the fire on good old loveable Dave, do you not think they would do it to a man they address, behind his back, as "Coach Satan" or "Hitler"? [End EDIT]

I've said it over, and over: these guys brought this on themselves, and now they pay the fiddler. Saban has already said, and I heard it in an interview (when I say I heard something, you can take it to the bank, I heard it), that the tight lid would loosen up a little in time but he needed to set the tone when he first came in. We've already seen it lighten up a little bit with the media being invited to view the rookie minicamps and the interviews with the players. The only think that isn't getting out is stuff that could be detrimental to the Phins such as who is being interviewed for X coaching position, what players the Phins are interested in picking up, and such. I'm sure you can see how leaking that kind of information is detrimental.

The Dolphins speak through 1 voice now. The beat writers can't go from player to player or assistant coach to assistant coach to try and find some point of disagreement, real or perceived, so as to write an article on it and stir up muck. That was their MO, and it's been truncated.

I don't have any problem with these guys not being allowed to run from player to player to coach to coach in an effort to find some point of disagreement. They can do their interviews at the facility, during the times the interviewee is made available to them.

[Edited as noted above]

 

[finmann]

I really hope that this doesn't blow up in Saban's face. These reporters are just sitting by and waiting for anything negative to happen or for saban to make his first mistake which he will eventually.(He is human after all) I just think it sucks for us fans to have no information whatsoever, not even a drip. However, I will trust Saban that he knows what he is doing since he does have the team best intentions at heart.

 

[DOLFANMIKE]

True loyalty to the team would dictate an abiding desire to have every bit of news about the team that can possibly be available, except where it functions to the detriment of the team.

And therein lies the problem with the bias Miami Media. They want to see the Dolphins fail. They want to create news, not report news. They enjoy when we fall short. That is why they can't be trusted and why Saban has muzzled them.

 

[DOLFANMIKE]

I don't have any problem with these guys not being allowed to run from player to player to coach to coach in an effort to find some point of disagreement. They can do their interviews at the facility, during the times the interviewee is made available to them.

Wow. This is so well stated Agua! Well done.

 

[DOLFANMIKE]

He's not a reporter by any means, nor does he write for the site at the current time. I think he's just intelligent and knows his vocabulary very well. Further, he put together a very well thoughtout post...

That's just my opinion anyways...

Nabo is a true fan and great guy.

 

[WharfRat]

your upset because you are a sports writer arnt you?! No WAY somebody writes that well unless they do it for a living with all that crazy us of vocabulary! you are just bored since you have nothing to write so you are starting to cry on this board! :roflmao:

Nasty

So then, I guess you're upset because you don't have a very good "us of vocabulary"? "arnt" you?

Perhaps before you make fun of someone who has a better command of the English language than you do, you should think about what you're doing first... :shakeno:

 

[LostInPatsLand]

Re: Tempest in an Aquarium

I'd agree with you 10,000% if we were talking about the U.S. government. On the other hand, I don't think Saban's limiting the freedom of press is going to hinder my freedoms as a citizen too much.

That said, the Dolphins' gathering and use of information is perhaps the biggest weapon they possess outside of what goes on on any given Sunday. (The analogy to war continues...). It's a freedom I'm willing to have surrendered to Saban until he proves he is either incompetent or not trustworthy. On the other hand, the Miami press has proven itself to me to be more interested in sensationalism than in doing right by its citizens. To see this, you need look no further than Finheaven's own uncovering of the Miami media bias:

http://www.finheaven.com/boardvb2/showthread.php?t=30413