Fritz
11-30-2008, 08:46 AM
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.
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.