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Published on 08/12/2009 at Wed Aug 12 13:00.
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McDaniels Needs a Media Relations Lesson

Posted Wed Aug 12th by

I don’t mind McDaniels not talking about injuries, or not talking about the depth chart or anything else that could provide even a small clue as to how our team is coming together. However, it clearly shows his inexperience with the media when he gets all huffy-and-puffy with reporters for inaccurate stories after he flat out refuses to give them the information they ask for.

Case #1 – Ryan Harris Injury
As per Josh’s copy-cat Pats doctrine of not talking to the media about any injury (even during Training Camp), he did not inform the local Denver media of the exact severity or location of Ryan’s camp injury. The inevitable reaction by the media was to find ‘other sources’… one’s that are obviously not as reliable as, say, the Head Coach. And while I don’t condemn McDaniels for this decision, I was shocked when he snapped at reporters in his post-practice interview for reporting that Ryan may miss preseason games with a shoulder injury.

Case #2 – Brandon Marshall and the Depth Chart
While not as annoying, McDaniels was pissy with reporters yesterday when asked about the depth chart (one in which Brandon Marshall was not listed as a starter). If McDaniels was willing to provide actual information to the fans and the media, then I can understand his anger at news stories conjuring up drama. But since Josh joyfully and mockingly refuses to divulge information to these outlets, it seems rather petulant to be mad when these folks go about doing their job.

Note to Josh McDaniels: If you don’t TELL the reporters the story… they CREATE one. That is just the rules of the game and it seems silly to get your nose out of whack over it. Either give the media the stories or stop being a cry baby when they go on and report (true or otherwise) the news.

…oh, wait… I forgot we’re not supposed to use the term ‘cry baby’ except to reference to a certain ex-bronco currently tearing it up in Chicago.

Sorry… won’t happen again.

  • http://broncotalk.net Kyle

    I don’t think McD is mocking or joyful about it, but I heard a lot – and I mean, a lot – of off-the-record gripes from the Denver media about the way these pressers are going.

    Did he really get upset at those questions/reports? Geez. Isn’t that the idea, to keep the media, and by extension the rival teams, guessing?

  • Don Olmstead

    Come on–find something else to bellyache about. This is the way it’s supposed to be, and the way it’s going to be for the Broncos and their media from now. Get over yourself.

  • Pete

    Exactly Kyle.
    I have no problem with McDaniels not saying anything. You don’t want your enemy to know your weakness. People forget that even Shanahan didn’t discuss injuries. I also don’t think McDaniels was getting pissy with the media. I heard and watched the interviews, and I think he was just mocking them for trying to spread false information. I don’t think the media affects him one bit, and that is a good thing. He has a football team to coach to victories. Medial and fantasy football players are afterthoughts if it will make his team weaker because the opposing team knows what to expect.
    I’d rather see the Broncos win all their games, and me lose all my fantasy games if his silence to the media gave the team an edge, even at my and anyone else’s fantasy expense.

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Jonathan Douglas

    Maybe not ‘mocking’ but comments like Dawkin’s injury was ‘above the ground’ doesn’t make you a media darling.

    And, yes, he sounded pissed to me in the official website interviews especially about Ryan and he seemed seriously annoyed to be asked about the depth chart.

    Again, I don’t mind the miss-direction and silence… just show some maturity and don’t get bitchy about unconfirmed stories that run about things you refuse to discuss.

  • Nisse

    this post is pure BS.
    nuff said.

  • http://www.dbaumgartner.com daveb

    “…tearing it up…”? He hasn’t even played a game yet. He might teat it up eventually…but nobody is doing anything right now…

  • http://broncotalk.net (dee)

    Dude are you sure you weren’t the one he snapped at or was pissy with?

    So now Reporters “make up stories?” …. “thats how the game works” … I have to admit this post is more of a rant than anything else.

    The only crybaby here is the person that keyed this.

  • http://broncotalk.net Kyle

    From the McD Tuesday chat transcript:

    On if T Ryan Harris will play in the preseason opener Friday at San Francisco

    “Absolutely. Nobody from this building said that (he was out). I wish that there was some accountability for what is written sometimes, because obviously, that story didn’t come from within these walls. He is fine. (He had) no restrictions today at practice. Do with it what you want to do with it.”

    There’s definitely some between-the-lines, unnecessary criticism there from Coach. I get what JD is saying.

  • http://birty.blogspot.com mikebirty

    meh, this is just the way sports are going. We as NFL fans are lucky that we get a league that’s media friendly. Sir Alex has banned countless newspapers and his club’s own TV channel for Man United press conferences. And despite them showing the main weekly highlights package, he hasn’t spoken to the BBC in years. I think the closed-openness of the NFL is pretty good.

  • Jack Burton

    ‘Tearing it up’? Let’s wait until they actually play a game.

  • jibbons

    “If you don’t TELL the reporters the story… they CREATE one.”

    If this is how you define journalism, maybe you aren’t qualified to write as even an amateur reporter on a fan blog.

    What you are describing is speculation, not journalism. Get over yourself. Klis and Jones deserve to have their reputations assaulted for ‘creating the story.’

    This post is garbage.

  • greg

    Josh has a right to not give out specifics on injuries, it protects his players on game day. I think he’s absolutely correct if the news is going to take bad feeds to publish incorrect reports, there needs to be accountability for all the garbage they publish without proper backing.

  • gobronx

    I thought we traded Jay Cutler away… What’s with all the crying in here???

  • http://BroncoTalk.net Mr.East

    I like to Bill Parcells approach.

    “That’s a stupid question… next!”

  • jvill

    “If you don’t TELL the reporters the story… they CREATE one.”

    Yeah, and when I wanted a raise, and didn’t get one, I just took money from the cash register. And then the owner got pissed at me! I mean, WTF?! Doesn’t he realize that just because I want something means I get it!

    The only problem I’ve got with how the coach handled this is he should have just rolled with it.

    Maybe this would have been better: “Beats me where they got that info, but I hope they keep misreporting injuries throughout the entire season.”

  • max

    The media has come to believe that free speech entitles them to force someone to make a comment. Did any of these reporters watch the movie “Absence of Malice” years ago. The media wants us to believe it is their right and duty to report stories. But because this industry is for profit they often make stories. And they will falsify info to make someone to talk. Fishing for a story. The NFL mandates what they can and must tell the media, anything else is too much.

  • Ben

    How about the media do some work. Watch, observe, comment.

    I didn’t think it was the media’s job to just regurgitate the words that the head coach gives them at a press conference. If they don’t know the injury status – tough. Report that it is unclear and move on to the next comment. The media needs to work a little harder in my opinion.

  • rcsodak

    wow…I must’ve missed a bunch of games and not realized it….

    “a certain ex-bronco currently tearing it up in Chicago. “?

    Way to “CREATE one. “, when it comes to THAT statement.

    You might just be on your way to being a journalist yet. LMAO!

  • Waylon

    Please…. The Denver sports media has been a joke for years, and I don’t blame anyone in the Broncos organization for being frosty with the local reporters. To be honest, I think it’s long overdue.

    Does anyone else remember the media circus surrounding Jake Plummer’s fender-bender a few years back? Or that the Denver Post was basically a mouthpiece for Bus Cook throughout the Jay Cutler fiasco? If the Post spent half the time reporting on X’s & O’s as they do reporting on Brandon Marshall’s rap sheet, we’d be much more enlightened football fans.

    With all of the criticism (fair and unfair) that has been heaped on McDaniels by the media, it just seems childish and petty for anyone in the media to complain when the tables are turned.

  • Waylon

    Just to clarify, I am NOT referring to Broncotalk when complaining about the media in my previous post. This is the one reliable place I can go for real football news. If I had to rely on DP and ESPN for Broncos news, I probably would have become a rugby fan long ago.

  • rcsodak

    JD, maybe you should make it a point of not posting, when it comes to McD. Your bias is past obvious, imho.

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Jonathan Douglas

    rcsodak, yes. I have grave concerns about how McDaniels has handled the team since coming on board. And I admit my writing style tend to be sarcastic… Hell, I’m pissed Miles off before. :)

    I, however, do feel like I need to defend my original statements.

    1. I AGREE with Josh that non-disclosure on injury is in the team’s best interest. Heck, I liked what jvill said. Josh should have just said calmly: “Beats me where they got that info, but I hope they keep misreporting injuries throughout the entire season.”

    2. The thing I found odd was his REACTION to the media. It’s strange that he found this annoying or frustrating if non-disclosure or miss-direction was what he wanted. I mean, why get pissed if your miss-direction worked?

    That’s it. It’s not horrible criticism. I’m not asking for him to fired over this. I don’t think it will cost us games. I’m not pissed about it. Heck, I’m not ‘blowing it out of proportion’.

    I just thought it was odd…

  • anthony33

    Jonathan,
    Who gives a damn how he deals with the media except the media?

    As a fan I want him to represent us well and most importantly coach this team back to the elite of the NFL. Period. If he does that he can piss on their legs for all I care.

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Jonathan Douglas

    P.S. I think I can post both positively and negatively about our coaches (new or old). Back in Nov 2007 I posted about how Shanahan’s Defense was his Achilles Heel. I’ve also posted positive things about McD. Earlier this year I stated “I�m very happy with McDaniels� (assistant coaching) choices.”

    Being a fan does not mean you are prevented from noting anything negative about current players and coaches. It also doesn’t mean you have to hate and mock players that leave the team.

  • http://www.broncotalk.net Jonathan Douglas

    P.P.S. I loved Mr. East’s comment! hahaha

    And it makes sense as Josh is from that coaching tree, right? :)

  • jibbons

    For the record JD, my critical post had nothing to do with whether or not you like McD. It had to do with the fact that you have completely obscured the issue of bad reporting on the part of the DP. On top of that you piled on the coach for being critical of two reporters poor work.

    I don’t care if you like the Broncos coach, but don’t try to blame other people’s bad work on him not feeding them stories.