I’ve watched with interest, Chad Pennington’s battle with the NY media. Chad chose not to talk to reporters after the Jets beat the Seahawks this past week. Apparently it was in response to Troy Aikman telling him that the NY Media was treating them “as if they hadnt won a game all year”.
As the Jets Quarterback in NYCity, I can only imagine the idiocy he has to deal with from the media after every game.It’s amazing that more players in NY don’t invoke the Rasheed Wallace clause and just tell reporters that “both teams played hard”. So needing to take a day off certainly isn’t a suprise.
I just wish Chad had talked to me before he lifted his boycott.
Chad, you can’t boycott the media, and then try to explain yourself through the same. To do so is to put yourself at their mercy. The minute you took questions and gave answers, you left yourself wide open for them to use your words against you. They certainly weren’t going to print the transcript of the media session in their papers. It all turns into an opportunity to have fun with you, at your expense
Chad, you need to start a blog.
You need a place where you can explain yourself. You can write as much or as little as you would like, but the words will be all yours. You can create the context. You can make sure that all issues are addressed. You can take issue with individuals, or the media as a whole. Your words, your message.
As the starting quarterback of the Jets, it will get read. It will get referenced. It will give you balance against the “power of the pen”, in a voice that can’t be misquoted or referenced out of context.
If you need any help setting it up, just drop me an email!
Guuudd
Comment by Sodhi -
I was in contact with the Clinton-Gore ’92 Internet campaign which consisted of dumping press releases into Usenet. So I sold them on the idea which later became Whitehouse.gov.
Comment by runescape money -
i kinda think its unfair to an extent for a athlete of any kind to go out there and battle for 2-3 hours or so and then expect to answer to the media while the adrenaline is still flowing… not the best timing for some.
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Comment by dave -
Couldn’t agree more. Is there anyone in the public arena that couldn’t use a blog ?
CEOs, authors, entertainers, politicians etc.
Comment by Raymond Tse -
I agree about creating a Blog so you can speak your mind freely. Mark…I just started a blog of my own. Check it out. Again, I just started it, but you might find the first two postings interesting.
Comment by Hawk -
Mark-
I wish I had seen this article the other week. Although I still think he made some good points, I think you make a great point.
http://nyjetsblog.blogspot.com
Comment by Bassett -
Maybe in addition to encouraging athletes to get a blog, you should also be encouraging them – especially NBA players – to get an education.
By the way, someone should tell Chad that yes, there are many people who would find it an “honor” to cover the Jets, but there are just as many people who would find it an honor to PLAY for the Jets so he really needs to get over himself. The media comes with the territory – they’ll build him up and knock him down just as they have with every QB before him. If he can’t stand the heat, well then he should step aside and let another honored one assume the responsibility.
Comment by Lila -
Good advice, Mark. I’m a life-long Jets fan, originally from NY, as well as a Mavs fan since moving to Dallas in 2000. I completely agree with you saying Chad was begging for trouble by venting his frustrations to the media; but I don’t blame the hard-working, philanthropic, al-together nice-guy Pennington for taking a stand when needed. I take comfort when the likes of Sean Salisbury and Mike Ditka, i.e., guys who have played in the NFL, give props to Pennington for saying how it SHOULD be. And I think the “media guys” who are knocking Chad for this, namely IDIOTS like Steve Berthiume(sp) of ESPN (you know, the SportCenter anchor with the painfully played out ‘Say ‘elllllo to my litt’ fren!’ catch phrase), need to take a step back and say to themselves, “Maybe, just maybe he’s right. And I SHOULD be thankful to have my job covering sports.” If ANYBODY should get a blog, Mark, it’s the sportswriters who never played a down, had an at-bat, shot a free-throw, or fired a slap shot with the exception of High School p.e., where they probably still got a C+. Their job should be to report what happened in the game, and that’s it. If they want to add their two cents about how Pennington just isn’t getting it done against the powerhouses that are the Patriots and Steelers, then they should put it in their blog. They shouldn’t use the newspaper as a forum for their own stupid opinions.
Comment by MJ Rose -
Not only was Chad a journalism major at Marshall but he was also a finalist for a Rhodes Scholarship. I’m sure he went to classes.
Comment by Jam -
Blogs are the “arms” of the 21st century. Everyone needs to bear at least one.
Comment by Tara sue -
would it be chaddieandthejets.blogspot.com??? heh.
Comment by gigglechick -
Chad was a journalism major, too. Assuming he went to class, a blog should be appealing to him. Evening scores is just half the fun!
Comment by Banjo Jones -
Great Idea! A blog is perfect, especially in a market like NY.
Comment by mike bertelsen -
Great idea Mark. Of course Now some cyber-squatter has jumped all over every form of Chad’s name on the net and wants to sell them to him for $1 million each. Or some clone will start a blog claiming to be Chad and say all sorts of nonsense.
Happy Holidays ALL.
And where is the New Years Party? Reunion Tower, Deep Ellum, Lower Greenville, 6th Street in Austin or Fat Alberts in Fort Worth? 2005! Crazy.
Comment by Robert -
Well put. Get a life too Chad! Anybody who’s anybody has a blog! Geesh Chad, You cannot use the twisted old media to purvey anything resembling the truth. For a New Yorker Chad’s acting pretty stinking gullible.
Comment by Rob Thrasher -
Chad could even put some Google Adsense ads on his blog and gain additional revenue!
Mark- Why don’t you have ads on your blog?
http://einfo.blogspot.com/
Comment by Brent -
Mark,
You’re a billionaire. I’m sure you have the means to contact Chad yourself. He’s not going to read your blog. First Trump, and now Chad. What’s the point of blogging to other celebrities? How does this benefit anyone?
Comment by Dave -
Mark, I think I see a great business opportunity for you here. The sports press derives much of their power from the presumption that they are the first to know about post-game information. What if they were removed from the loop? Give an athlete an hand-held device that they can speak into (during the game, during a timeout, at half-time, before/during the post-game press conference) that will transcribe their comments in real-time to a blog! You could offer several services beyond providing the athelete with the device, including optional ‘proof-reading’ services. In fact, it may be best to tie this service in with a PR firm….
Comment by Greg -
The more the better. Everyone wins. I’m tired of hearing the media’s selfish spin on atheletes and decision makers. When you hear things straight from a blog, it’s amazing how a different picture emerges.
Thanks for all the great inside info Mark, and giving us a glimpse at the way you think.
Comment by Bob -
Good call, although technically he can say whatever he wants, as you do Mark. Blogs are monitored by NFL,NBA,NHL etc etc people…Say something wrong you get fined, ie Dave Stern…..simple as that…
Comment by Alex Pachan -
Sorry, I meant NFL. I don’t think the NBA could do much to Chad!
Comment by Todd -
And then the first time he says something on his blog that the NBA doesn’t like, he’ll be fined.
Of course, that would NEVER actually happen, right Mark?
Comment by Todd -
I wholeheartedly agree, Mark. Chad needs a blog. However, I’m sure that the NFL would try to find a way to silence it. The league wants robots, not humans.
Comment by Rasheen Carbin -
Good advice mark, the younger players are already doing this, such as pittsburghs Ben Roethlisberger: http://www.br-7.com/
Comment by Phil -
Its a little known fact that one of the major goals of the Web was to put the power of the press in the hands of ordinary people.
Back in 1992 I was pretty pissed with the fact that Rupert Murdoch, an Australian had by his own account been able to choose the government of the UK. When Tim showed me the Web a few months later it was obvious that this was a way that we could in time even out the playing field.
I was in contact with the Clinton-Gore ’92 Internet campaign which consisted of dumping press releases into Usenet. So I sold them on the idea which later became Whitehouse.gov.
The idea was not to replace the press, it was to stop them from lying and getting away with it. The press was considerably more honest during the 2004 campaign than in 2000, which does not say much but it is a start. When the Internet first hit the mainstream in ’95 there used to be smug comments from pundits about whether ordinary people could handle unfiltered news. Of course they can, its the ignorant lying pundits that are toxic.
Comment by Phill Hallam-Baker -
In the Greensboro community there is a great debate with local journalists over the role of traditional media as it seeks to suck the value and the management out of our blogosphere.
Your post was right on time. Thank you for the inspiration.
Comment by Tara sue -
I’m a huge NY Jets fan, and have just become a huge Mav’s fan. Thank you for the great advice for our QB, I hope he takes you up on your offer. Now, where can I find a DQ? Hmmmm…. 🙂
Comment by soggy -
I also agree… although the mass media wont like getting their info right then and there in the locker room right after a game. but then thats the time that players may make rash statements that they will soon regret.
i kinda think its unfair to an extent for a athlete of any kind to go out there and battle for 2-3 hours or so and then expect to answer to the media while the adrenaline is still flowing… not the best timing for some.
maybe Ely Manning should start a blog and he can tell us how he regrets not going to the Chargers! man was that an all around bad decision on his part…
Abel
http://www.LifeAtF8.com
Comment by Abel -
I think you should start up a weblog service for athletes (and maybe other famous people). I know there are some (especially in the music industry) that already run blogs but i think more individuals would, if given an easier medium to use to create one. The ones i have seen previously are usually on an ‘official’ or company site. If you could give readers one place to go to lookup stars and athletes i think it would get a lot of attention!
Comment by David -
I think there might be some player agents out there just cringing at the prospect of having their clients freely discussing their issues in a public forum. I can think of quite a few atheletes in every major sport capable of embarrasing himself.
I did appreciate how Chad dealt with the media, but his fight is being fought on the opponents field, the media.
Comment by Nuno -
i’m curious how many athletes, or entertainers, or owners! have their own blog, its always cool to read more about that person & in a sense get to know them, their writings will make fans like them or maybe even hate them more….can you imagine of artest had a blog to vent after what happened, that would have been an interesting read. if anybody can list some links of athletes/artist/owners with their own blogs pass them on…mark does any mavs have their own blog? can you talk any of them into it?
-luis
http://www.dallaspartyrental.com
Comment by Luis -
I wonder how long it’s going to be before more media personalities and entertainers (and yes, I’m lumping pro athletes into that category) start catching on to all things blog.
You’re spot on here–this is a perfect example of how someone like a Chad Pennington could use a blog to tell THEIR side, circumventing the inaccuracies and inefficiencies of the press, whether it’s the relentless N.Y. sportsmedia, or the non-stop prying eyes of the Los Angeles tabloid journalistas.
Rock On.
Comment by Kyle Bunch -
Great advice! Your second to last paragraph sums up what I love about blogs:
You need a place where you can explain yourself. You can write as much or as little as you would like, but the words will be all yours. You can create the context. You can make sure that all issues are addressed. You can take issue with individuals, or the media as a whole. Your words, your message.
Comment by Randy Staats -
You make great sense and I commend you on trying to help him out with some good advice.
Comment by Erik Lane -