JSO vs. Chicago Tribune

[hoosier]

In my experience, on the day after the Packers humiliate the Bears, nothing quite beats a little trip through the Chicago Tribune sports section. We have seen some pretty mediocre Bears teams over the last three decades, but I never seen anything close to the level of vitriol that their sportswriters are spewing at the Bears, and most notably at Cutler and Trestman. David Haugh's lead article is "Trestman Oblivious to Reality After Embarrassing Loss." Steve Rosenbloom's column is called "The Bears hate you."


The Bears did not fire the general manager after the Packers debacle that followed the Patriots debacle. The Bears did not fire the head coach or any assistants, either, after becoming the first NFL team since 1923 to give up 50-plus points in consecutive games. How could that happen, or, more precisely, not happen? Because the Bears seem to have an infinite tolerance for national humiliation. And because the Bears hate you. They must hate you, because otherwise, how else can you explain the way some of the people in charge play you for stupid?

It is quite a contrast to the JSO, where most of the reporters (especially McGinn and Silverstein) emphasize that their job is to report, not to be fans. Packer fans like to complain about the quality of journalism at the JSO, and some of those complaints seem justified. But at least we are not stuck with the Bears and the Tribune!

[Joemailman]

The Chicago sportswriters are much like the Bears fans. They build the team up, and then rip them to shreds when their elevated expectations aren't met. Growing up as Packer fans in Illinois, we used to laugh at how quickly the Bears fans would turn on the team and start booing when things didn't go well. Things will be brutal if they struggle at home against the Vikings this week.

[Tyrion Lannister]

It is quite a contrast to the JSO, where most of the reporters (especially McGinn and Silverstein) emphasize that their job is to report, not to be fans. Packer fans like to complain about the quality of journalism at the JSO, and some of those complaints seem justified. But at least we are not stuck with the Bears and the Tribune!

I don't have a fancy journalism degree from the Norman Chad School of Sports Writing, but here's my take:

There's a difference between a reporter and a columnist, although a reporter can be a columnist and vice versa.

McGinn is an example of a "reporter" and a "columnist." When McGinn writes his "Game Analysis," that's reporting. When he inserts bluntly that Hawk epitomizes mediocrity or that the Packers can win without Rodgers, that's McGinn being a columnist.

The 70's and 80's will forever live in infamy in Packers lore. I am sure at one time or another, McGinn or Cleft Crusty has called for someone's head.