NFL.com Blogger Attacks Bucs
August 26th, 2009
Roger Goodell needs to stop the irresponsible journalism coming from the league.
Joe can’t believe the NFL is letting its own Jason LaCanfora write up a stack of unsourced innuendo about Mark Dominik and the Bucs quarterback competition and publish it on the league’s Web site.
It’s irresponsible on a number of levels. And Joe sincerely hopes Dominik gets on the phone to LaCanfora and Roger Goodell and lays down the law.
The NFL should demand their own writers refrain from writing up a bunch of rumors that can hurt a team’s chemistry and create negative controversy.
That’s what the real media is for.
If Roger Goodell needs more Web traffic that badly, he’d be much better served firing LaCanfora and hiring a bunch of part-time hotties to practice long-snapping in front of a Webcam streamed on NFL.com.
LaCanfora paints Dominik as a guy who can’t decide on a quarterback and is shopping Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown to help the team make a decision.
Of course, LaCanfora is quoting a bunch of mystery men. He might as well be quoting message board posters off TBO.com.
Two NFL sources said the Bucs have been calling teams, willing to listen to offers for Leftwich, McCown or second-year pro Josh Johnson, a player thought of highly internally but who likely wouldn’t have great trade value.
“They sounded like they’re willing to deal any one of those three,” one executive said. “They’re looking for someone to make the (starting quarterback) decision for them.”
LaCanfora goes on to quote a Bucs source who said Chucky likely would have made Josh Johnson his frontrunner for the starting job.
Now slithering with his Twitter account, LaCanfora just Tweeted this:
Tampa Bay shoppins 3 QBs other than Josh Freeman. Leftwich or McCown could probably be had for a 5-6th rounder, which would end Bucs QB comp
Joe is going to call LaCanfora today and see if the NFL’s resident coward has the nerve to go on the record.
August 26th, 2009 at 9:47 am
Joe, I agree with you. I love the way these guys reference these “NFL sources”. He is a coward. And why would you think that Morris is trying to get other teams to make a decision for him rather than the team trying to get something, anything, for the guy who’s not going to make the final roster. There is a market in the league for a quality back-up, even for a legitimate project.
August 26th, 2009 at 9:56 am
Has anyone ever trusted anything that came from NFL.com other than box scores and team links?
August 26th, 2009 at 10:13 am
Go Joe! Give that Adam Schefter wannabe an education.
August 26th, 2009 at 10:35 am
Joe, I hope you post your findings as a result of talking to this guy. Now that the “news” is out. I would sure love to find out how true (or not) it really is.
August 26th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Joe here,
Don’t exactly expect to get LaCanfora on the phone. But I’ll try.
August 26th, 2009 at 11:44 am
I would save your on-air minutes Joe. If these Bucs see these guys as dead even, why not try to get a 5th or 6th round pick before you cut one of these backup QBs. This happens and is speculated about every preseason with teams that have 4 QBs. No one makes the trade though unless another team has several QB injuries. Dominik will make phone calls and other teams will look at our Qb that we just cut. So save the phone call for the article that says the bucs had the worst offseason in buc history.
August 26th, 2009 at 12:02 pm
Joe here,
Joe’s got no problem with Dominik calling his colleagues and shopping his roster. Crap, that’s his job.
Joe’s got a big problem with NFL.com belting out an unsourced story like this the day before the two guys compete for the job the final time. Why the hell should a team have to stand for its own league spreading gossip about critical tops and getting in the heads of its players.
Plus it’s so selective. Surely, LaCanfora could report anonymously what’s really going on with Arron Sears, which is a huge story that got swept under the rug.
August 26th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Joe, you got a good bash in. Let it go. It doesn’t matter. Like you said if Dominick has a problem with it, he will handle it. Plus Joe, you never call out the idiot that commits the offense. Take it to his Boss. Email the commish your story and let him handle it. He should change his name to “The Punisher” as it is.
August 26th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
It is not hard to believe by the way that Dominik and Morris have done so far. Obviously as adament as Morris was about how important it is for a team to have the starter named by 3rd preseason game and then going back on his own statement.
August 26th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Tye: What’s wrong with someone changing their mind? Oh, that’s right, you probably call them a “flip-flopper”. Would you rather the team make a decision just to appease you when they feel they don’t have enough information to make that decision? Stick to posting on web sites and leave the personnel decisions to the one’s who actually put themselves in positions to make them.
August 26th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Joe, these sportswriters never use named sources for these type stories for the simple reason their sources won’t allow it. It’s SOP. I don’t think the writer fabricated the story.
August 26th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Yea, I went on LaCuntwhora’s blog and slammed him. They removed my comment after a little while. I guess the little wimp can dish it out but can’t take it. I must have violated the personal fan conduct policy. Hey Gayson, I’m not a fan.
August 26th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Sorry, when in doubt, always shoot the messenger. The only fair fight is one you lose.
August 26th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Raheem does not deny trade rumors afterall.
August 26th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Joe here,
George Costanza, I never implied the writer fabricated anything. That doesn’t mean his sources are credible, though. Point is it’s never been SOP for a pro sports league to get into this kind of gossip mongering that goes right to the core of negatively affecting a team.
At this rate, the NFL should just hire one of the many unemployed sportswriters in every city to just dig up dirt on every club.
August 26th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Chris: Someone can change their mind, That isn’t in question. I am saying that he himself said how important it was for a team to have the Starting QB named before the 3rd game and his action show that he must not think it was as important as he said it was. That leads people to question his leadership.
August 26th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Was Brett Favre mentioned in the trade talks?
August 26th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Perhaps this “coward” mystery sources are Bus Cook and Brett Favre. If not Favre, then it’s probably the Mad Twitter himself!
I wouldn’t be surprised if Favre was mentioned in the trade talks either…given how much damage he’s caused for the last several seasons with his Mickey Mouse retirement decision making. No wonder why I call him, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Favre.
August 26th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
The NFL should make it’s bloggers on nfl.com adhere to the same rules about Twitter that they plan to impose on the players…
August 27th, 2009 at 2:06 am
one man’s gossip mongering is another man’s reporting, albeit with unnamed sources, Joe.
i suspect, though don’t know, that nfl.com allows its writers to function like writers on newspapers, blogs, etc., which means the use of unnamed sources, particularly as it relates to the professional sporting world.
news is gossip, gossip is news is the the Law of the Land in this day and age. i’m surprised you’re so upset by this, but i remain your devoted reader.