JSO: Manufacturing News

[Fritz]

I just finished reading the Jermichael Finley story, and combined with the story that appeared a day or so ago on Jon Ryan, I have come to the conclusion - no big revelation, really - that the JSO (and every news organization) actually creates news.

Just a couple of weeks ago most of us were up in arms over Finley's foolish comments about not being involved enough in the offense and Rodgers not throwing the ball well enough. He seemed immature at the least and arrogant and ignorant beyond that. Kind of a jerk, in fact. He's made little contribution to the team, not even on special teams, which is one place that requires minimal knowledge for an athletic player to be able to shine. Think about how often guys get picked up the week of a game, and on Sunday they're out there on special teams (Kenny Petway, for one brief example).

So most of us held that Finley was very young, very immature - a ten cent head, as one of our esteemed posters likes to say. A risky pick that continued to seem risky.

Then the JSO decides that no, Finley is "quietly" maturing. The usual tough background - a story we've read on JSO a million times (Donald Driver, Michael Hawthorne) - but of course, at heart, a good guy who's ready to learn and grow. This seems just as manufactured as the previous way we saw Finley, yet now it's the "official" version of Finley.

Same with the Jon Ryan story. I'm sorry, but the vast majority of previous posts on Frost's sorry season - mine included - remarked upon the fact Ryan wasn't really exactly tearing it up in Seattle. Sure, he may have improved recently, but if you read carefully the comments in the story, and take them out of the context that the JSO writer gave, it looks like Ryan is just getting the kind of lukewarm, we're-not-going-to-diss-our-own-guy comments from his coaches. It's really a pretty lukewarm endorsement, to me. An admission that, yeah, the guys' doing better. I don't see rave reviews.

But the fact that the JSO chose to highlight an average guy's year makes it seem as if the Packers made a colossal mistake.

Don't get me wrong - I think and thought that TT made a mistake on this one. But I have to also admit that Ryan did not develop the way I thought and hoped he would. It wasn't like the Packers jettisoned a guy who's going to the pro bowl this year. I think Ryan ranks in about the middle of most categories.

To be sure, Frost sucks. Hands down. I'm not defending that guy. But I am saying that the JSO crafts fans' perceptions of the team and certain moves it makes. In short, the JSO manufactures news and manufactures - as much as it can given win/loss records - - certain perceptions of the team.

What irks me though is that the media never holds itself accountable. When Ahman Green didn't get re-signed the JSO went off on TT. The trade for Grant seemed more than minor at the time. Now Ahman Green is a bit player who had a huge contract he didn't live up to, and now Grant is a starting running back with a pretty bright future. But nobody on the staff there ever seems to acknowledge that they blitzed TT. They act smug to me, as if they never made any claims.

Luckily, Packerrats has many discerning posters who see past that. It's why I'm here. There are smart people here who know the game and also know the media game.

So thank you for listening to me complain.

[RashanGary]

Yep. And if you don't really really know an issue it will probably go unnoticed. We're losers to some extent. Maybe not you, but I am. I spend way to much fucking time anylizing, reading, listening to anything Packer. My #1 source of news is the press conferences throughout the week and after games from players, coaches and Ted (during the offseason). If not for that direct news I would have believed what these dirt bags write.

However, since I get the most credible of my news from the horses mouth I"ve been able to spot a full fledged liar. Sadly, many of the TT haters seem to be greatly influenced by this untrue writing. I've gotten over it, but it was nice to hear you vent because I feel the same way. I take everything I read now with a grain of salt. None of it can be trusted, esspecially Bob McGinn who has been slightly better but had some streaks that were just bafflingly unethical.

[KYPack]

Right on the mark, Fritz.

In these two articles, JSO showed us the two types of products that they manufacture:

1. The puff piece. Player A has shot his mouth off and made a horse's patoot of himself. He looks like a fool and most probably, is a fool. Presto chango, here comes JSO with a hard hitting article which reveals that player A is really a nice guy at heart. It seems player A's mother is a nice lady. Player A likes puppies and small children. Once a year, player A gives 5 bucks to his favorite charity. Boom, zoom, instant image makeover for player A.

That's cool, but it's a fucking waste of time.

2. The agenda article. The "two punters" piece. As Patler pointed out, McGinn could have churned that baby out for 2-3 months now. He (& JSO) waited until Frost was at this low ebb, and Ryan had had a good run. For most of the year, they were both about the same statistically, both in the lower third of the league. Now Ryan looks like a great player and Frost a bum.

The truth is, we cut one inconsistent guy and signed another. Next year, we'll try somebody new. 4-5 teams do that every year. Why not write a hard hitting piece that reveals Craig Hentrich never should have left town?

Yeah, JSO makes me sick from time to time. That's why I mainly read PackerRats.

[Fritz]

Yes, KY, I still sigh when I see Hentrich - still - punting like a madman for Tennessee. At least Wolf admitted he botched that one.

That's another pet peeve of mine - the way coaches and GM's seem to me to consistently undervalue kickers and punters. Especially punters. Those guys can, from two or three to six or seven times a game have an immediate and direct impact on field position. That seems to important to me - a guy who can matter, directly, a number of times per game - a guy who can give you an extra five or seven or even more yards per possession. And do so consistently. Why wouldn't you value that? I never did quite understand this.

[Rastak]

Yes, KY, I still sigh when I see Hentrich - still - punting like a madman for Tennessee. At least Wolf admitted he botched that one.

That's another pet peeve of mine - the way coaches and GM's seem to me to consistently undervalue kickers and punters. Especially punters. Those guys can, from two or three to six or seven times a game have an immediate and direct impact on field position. That seems to important to me - a guy who can matter, directly, a number of times per game - a guy who can give you an extra five or seven or even more yards per possession. And do so consistently. Why wouldn't you value that? I never did quite understand this.


I completely agree Fritz. Kickers and punters are not important if ya got one. Trust me, when you don't you feel the pain.

Having a field position advatage is huge over the course of a game and having guys who deliver in the clutch is a huge deal.

[Patler]

Why not write a hard hitting piece that reveals Craig Hentrich never should have left town?

Or even Josh Bidwell, for that matter. He has been a reliable, steady punter in Tampa Bay. Routinely has about three times as many kicks downed inside the 20 yard line as he has touchbacks, with a career ratio of 200/70. The Packers would have been better off the last 5 years had they made an effort to keep him.