Someone Needs to tell Cooley to Cool It

[Reaper Skins]

This guy used to be my favorite player.  Had his jersey, loved his clutch ability on the field, seemed to always put the Skins first and was great with the fans.

 

After retirement his attempts to stay in the spotlight have gone from amusing, to outlandish, to downright cringeworthy.

 

I appreciate the fact that he wants to stay local and stay connected to the team, and his analysis of game film does offer a unique perspective.

 

But seriously, this latest article is the breaking point for me.  

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dc-sports-bog/wp/2017/02/15/chris-cooley-speculates-on-air-about-scot-mccloughan-is-he-drinking/?utm_term=.8d2b58c90842

 

As someone who lived through the impossibility of trying to focus on football in the era of media leaks and front office dysfunction, you think he would have better sense.  He has to know how stupid and counterproductive it is for the health of the team to allow this kind of stuff back into the news with zero facts to back it up.  He has to know that saying something like this hurts the team and undoes everything the current staff has tried to clean out the last 3 years.  He has been doing PR long enough to know that this headline will spread like wildfire regardless of the fine print he puts in after it.

 

I absolutely believe that this stems back to a personal issue that Cooley has with our GM when he wasn't given the chance to return to our roster.   

http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/washington-redskins/4-reasons-chris-cooleys-comeback-attempt-over-redskins

 

I think Cooley dislikes Scott M. and is trying to discredit him for what he feels was a personal embarrassment. 

 

I've cooled on Cooley more and more since that story broke in August 2015, and more and more I'm starting to remember him not as an awesome player, which he was, but as a symbol for what this team USED to be, and how they USED to conduct business.  And as times go on I keep finding myself wanting to leave that old, underperforming, overentitled, Redskins team in the past where it belongs.

 

If he wants to stay involved with the team, he has the ability to do alot of good, both with the fanbase and with the frnachise itself.  But quite frankly, I think he needs to recognize that the team has grown up and moved on.  If he wants to stay relevant, he should too.

 

 

 

 

 

[Mr. Sinister]

He lost me well before this nonsense. What a shame, the hypocrite and drama queen he's become. Questioning dudes heart when he openly admits he took it easy his whole career, taking dick pics with his playbook in the meantime

[Recent Vintage]

It's a shame that Cooley has made the full transition from athlete to media gas-bag. 

[Dissident2]

I'm going to take an alternative stance here. I love listening to Cooley. I think he's an incredibly unique radio talent, and I think he's pretty much the only compelling reason to listen to 980 talk radio. And it's not because he's a "circus" and you simply can't stop watching. Although there's admittedly some element of that in his presentation, that kind of thing would wear thin after awhile if there was no substance beneath it. I think he's a fantastic addition to local Redskins talk because his knowledge of football is light years beyond anyone else on that station, his film breakdowns are must-listens and, I'm guessing, like nothing else anywhere on local sports radio, and (this is the most important thing for me) he's not a shill for Snyder. His livelihood does not depend on his radio career. He's doing it because he enjoys it, and he will literally say anything with little fear of career reprisals. In short, his brutal honesty is absolutely refreshing to me, and it's very rare.

 

I totally get those who think he crossed the line with the drinking comments, but I listened to that segment live, and when he said it, I was shocked that he had the balls to say it, but I also thought, "Yep, that's exactly what I've been afraid of." And let's be clear, he listed it as one of many possibilities as to why SM has been muzzled. It's not like he did a 30-minute segment of "Scott is on the sauce again." He just threw it out there, and it's totally in line with what any knowledgable fan might wonder about considering SM's history. 

 

Like Cooley said, the guy was fired from two teams for this reason. He's admitted to the problem. It's absolutely not a stretch to at least wonder about it resurfacing when weird things are happening behind the scenes. Again, I totally get the argument that it was insensitive to Scott and the serious issue he's going to have to keep in check for the rest of his life, but I don't have a real problem with Cooley throwing it out there, because it's a legitimate thing to wonder about. Him having no qualms about saying that is why I enjoy him on the radio so much. 

 

The bigger issue to me is the Redskins FO once again making the ground fertile for these types of things to bloom. I said in another thread about the team needing to have more transparency, and this is exactly the kind of thing I was talking about. You can't expect to do something seemingly odd like muzzle your GM and then say NOTHING about why without speculation arising, especially when that GM has a sketchy history of personal issues that have bitten him badly in the past. It shows how inept this FO is at dealing with these types of things. A simple comment from Allen, for example, could've prevented all of this. 

 

Cooley's paid to express his opinions to the fan base, and I think he does a fantastic, compelling job at doing just that. From what I've seen, most of his comments are fact-based and not designed specifically to serve as baseless click-bait sound bites, even if that's how they sometimes end up. But that's on the TRUE media "windbags" and click-bait vultures like Steinberg and others who clearly are driven solely by sensationalism 24/7.

 

Cooley is utterly unique on the radio. I'd hate to see this drive him out in favor of yet another vanilla, know-nothing, cookie-cutter "analyst."  

[TD_washingtonredskins]

I'm not going to defend Cooley overall as strongly as @Dissident2 just did. He grates on my nerves about half the time. But, once again, I think the comment in question wasn't all that ridiculous. 

 

Context is critical here and, as stated, he didn't say he thought Scot was drinking again or had any inside information that he was. All he did was propose it as one possible reason that the front office isn't allowing him to speak. It's no different than speculating about why a player is suspended by the team when they've had a history of behavioral issues.

 

Given Scot's past with drinking and the odd circumstances of that issue with his wife, it's completely in bounds for fans to worry that something weird is going on in the man's personal life. All Cooley did was throw that out as a potential reason. Yes, it would be unfortunate...but it's also just as likely as "something Scot says might impact the Redskins' leverage with the Cousins negotiations"

[Jumbo]

I have always thought he had too much douchebag and dotard, overall, and not enough cowbell. One of my least favorite Redskins in terms of persona.

 

(that comment has zero to do with his current scot stuff)

[RabidFan]

His statement was definitely on turd level and he knows this town swirls on any controversial thing.   Hell we've have QB controversies since Sammy Baugh retired.  His film breakdowns are great though and something I look forward to.  For example, one breakdown he did gave Long at Center an A+ and he detailed that he was making all the right calls and adjustments for the whole OL.  To me that type of insight gets me encouraged about a player and I hope we have found our Center for the next 10years.  Other times his secondary analysis has been great and he has been spot on when saying Bruton was useless a month before we actually benched him.

 

The hour with Riggo is gold too when they talk about fishing/hunting and dry wall repair. 

 

He said a stupid thing in a town that turns molehills into the Swiss Alps on a dime but still is light years better than say a Chris Russell or other idiots on local radio talking about the Skins.  IMHO

[Warhead36]

There are things Cooley does well. His postgame film breakdowns are excellent and he's generally a pretty funny guy when talking about other random stuff(that you have to talk about to fill in 4 hours of radio time).

 

But as the years go by, the guys that Cooley plays with and/or knows in the Redskins organization are fewer and fewer. Now that McVay is gone I don't think there is anyone on the team that is Cooley is particularly close with(MAYBE Bruce Allen? that's about it, but Allen won't leak anything). So now with no real sources, he's devolved to just speculating if not downright making stuff up.

 

I think he's trying too hard to be this journalist that breaks news. He needs to stick with his schtick.

[celticsalmon]

As an employee of "redskins Radio" Cooley has to talk (mostly) about the Redskins everyday - regardless of the season.  The very team that employs him is not giving him information to share - so he - like so many others in the media - is left to speculate. I do not condone his comments about Scot- going personal is inappropriate.  But, Allen has done a miserable job of PR- his gag order without explanation only feeds speculation and thus mis-information.  Of course disfunction is what this organization excels at!

[bedlamVR]

Thing is Cooley knows Scott is drinking again will be the take away message ... he has nothing to back it up ... sure it's on your mind but you on the radio are in a privalaged position . If you cannot prove it or even point to anything tangable that this might be the case then you do not say it on radio to millions of listeners ... 

 

simple 

 

when JP for example comes on the radio and talks about redskins stuff everything he is going to say is thought out before hand ... it's because he is a journalist with integrity . 

 

Cooley is a jock - and there has been this move recently if you haven't played you cannot comment (Lashawn mccoy for instance ) but it must be the case that is true for other fields . Jocks like Cooley get gigs on the radio because of their personalities but have no media training. 

 

Thats wrong . And what he said is wrong because of the stage on which he said it . 

 

The problem is this - nothing the FO can do in this situation is right - Scott is reknown for not liking the media spotlight - but loves football ? which is why the redskins FO was set up perfectly for him as there was Bruce Allen as the teflon Don as team president . 

 

For what ever reason Bruce and Scott have decided it is not a good idea for Scott to do a whole bunch of PR right now - but Bruce Allen would be available to field questions and forefill media obligations ...that was the decision and it should be the end of it 

 

it is not that the skins FO isn't talking - it is just who is talking . 

 

Now if the team deny it people will say why are the denying something there must be more to it 

 

and if they do nothing then asshole jock radio personalities make stuff up to fill the vacuum 

 

 

 

[Gibbs Hog Heaven]

Couldn't agree more. He was by far and away my favourite Redskin through his time playing for us. 

 

But since he's joined the radio booth he's turned into a complete gob****e. His midweek game breakdown can be insightful but it's all the other crap that goes along with it. 

 

Hail. 

[FrFan]

I doubt he changed his mind from last year

[Dissident2]

6 minutes ago, bedlamVR said:

it is not that the skins FO isn't talking - it is just who is talking . 

 

Now if the team deny it people will say why are the denying something there must be more to it 

 

and if they do nothing then asshole jock radio personalities make stuff up to fill the vacuum

 

 

Just to clarify, I don't think the team should EVER address the notion Cooley brought up about SM drinking again. When I said "a simple statement by Bruce Allen could've kept this from happening," I didn't mean they come out and say, "Btw, Scott is not currently a booze hound." They should of course never mention that publicly. 

 

I'm saying they should've given some sort of comment  on why Scott wasn't talking when the speculation started brewing. Even better, they should've just let the man talk. If they were concerned with what he'd say, why not explain to him what they wanted him to say? That's something else Cooley mentioned. One of the comments was, "Maybe they're concerned with how honest he can be and with what he'll say." Cooley's response was, "Well, then tell him what you want him to say." I agree with that. Simple. As usual, this team makes it easy for these things to start. 

 

And again, Cooley didn't "make anything up." He never once said, "I think Scott is drinking again" or even said, "I hear rumors .." He merely brought it up as one of several possibilities as to why SM's profile is so low at the moment and why the team isn't letting him speak. This is a guy who used to drink vodka out of a Gatorade bottle. Hopefully he never gets to that point again, but to wonder about it when things go a bit south and get a bit weird is just human nature. 

 

Again, though, I totally get why anyone would think that is a questionable place to go.

[lavar1156]

Cry me a river. For the first time Bruce Allen has forbidden the GM to speak to the middle. Radio hosts speculate. It's their job. Some of you are so butt hurt it's unbelievable. Tho I think it's apparent that Scot is a large voice in the building that is against signing Kirk long term which I think is the real reason why.

[KingGibbs]

I'm still pissed at him for dropping that pass around Seattle's seven yard line in the playoffs.

[Burgold]

As someone who worked in the news business and on radio for seven years... what he did was awful. You don't come out and besmirch the guy's character without proof. You don't say, "Well, I don't have any proof and no one's said anything to me, but..." and play the speculation game. It's worse than irresponsible. 

 

I like his football analysis, but have always hated shock-jockism. He kept repeating (in the article) that he had no proof, but continued speculating. I'd have suspended my reporters for going with an unsubstantiated story with no sourcing. If you decide to stir the pot, you better have some ingredients to put in it.

[fordranger76]

He comes off as a fratboy douchenozzle to me. Considering he is one of the voices of redskins radio for the games I would not be shocked to see him get canned over this and with good reason. Just because the Redskins are being quiet apparently means Scot is on the wagon again. That is a huge leap and borderline defamation of character. Sick of his act and time for him to go somewhere else.

[Reaper Skins]

1 hour ago, Dissident2 said:

 

 

I'm saying they should've given some sort of comment  on why Scott wasn't talking when the speculation started brewing. Even better, they should've just let the man talk. If they were concerned with what he'd say, why not explain to him what they wanted him to say? That's something else Cooley mentioned. One of the comments was, "Maybe they're concerned with how honest he can be and with what he'll say." Cooley's response was, "Well, then tell him what you want him to say." I agree with that. Simple. As usual, this team makes it easy for these things to start. 

 

 

Couldn't disagree more.  The Skins are doing the professional thing by having the team President handle the media during the offseason so the GM can focus on the roster and Kirk's contract.  It's the DC media, and comments like Cooley's, that turn this into a ****show of speculation and unfounded drama.

 

Serious question.  If this happened in ANY other organization, would it even be reported on?  It's not the team its the people covering it.  Our GM talks to the media just as much, if not MORE than any other NFL franchise.  There is NO evidence (only speculation based on an article that was based on more speculation) that being away from reporters isn't EXACTLY what Scott M. wants during the most important part of the year for him.  Even if he did, its perfectly within the Team President's rights to tell him to focus on football and HELP him to do so by removing the task of media interaction.  This isn't "muzzling".  It's Bruce making Scott's job easier.  This is how professional teams conduct business.  By eliminating distractions and letting their workers focus on what they were hired to do.  The media is to blame for this "non story".  Not the team who is acting professional.  The talking heads who aren't used to it and are too lazy to find a real story.

[Tsailand]

2 hours ago, Dissident2 said:

he's pretty much the only compelling reason to listen to 980 talk radio

 

Agreed.  Trot him out to make the apology, then get back to the film reviews and the football stuff.

 

For those just now realizing Cooley is an asshole... really?  Did you think he was Pope Francis?  Football is 80% assholes and radio is 100%. 

1 hour ago, FrFan said:

[Orakpo calling Cooley a bum]

 

 

The problem with that is Orakpo was a  bum too.

 

3 hours ago, Mr. Sinister said:

Questioning dudes heart when he openly admits he took it easy his whole career, taking dick pics with his playbook in the meantime

 

Lots of dudes did the same.  ESPECIALLY on the Redskins.  I'm glad he's given us an honest look at what went on behind the scenes.  To me this is more valuable and interesting than someone with a Kirk or Brady work ethic talking about how hard he works.

[Dissident2]

Quote

Couldn't disagree more.  The Skins are doing the professional thing by having the team President handle the media during the offseason so the GM can focus on the roster and Kirk's contract.  It's the DC media, and comments like Cooley's, that turn this into a ****show of speculation and unfounded drama.

 

Yeah, but the problem is that your explanation above is also speculation, since (as far as I know) Allen hasn't said anything as to why SM isn't talking. The other problem I have with that is that he DID speak last year, quite extensively. Gave a pretty long presser after the season was over about what they'd be doing moving forward, how they'd try to handle Kirk, debriefing on the season that ended, etc. He also told the media that he would talk to them at the Senior Bowl, and then that didn't happen. If Allen would've come out and said what you said above, that would've been all he had to do. There may have still been speculation on it, sure, but I think much less. 

 

Quote

Serious question.  If this happened in ANY other organization, would it even be reported on?  It's not the team its the people covering it.  Our GM talks to the media just as much, if not MORE than any other NFL franchise.  There is NO evidence (only speculation based on an article that was based on more speculation) that being away from reporters isn't EXACTLY what Scott M. wants during the most important part of the year for him.

 

Again, though, it was reported that Scot told reporters he'd talk to them at the Senior Bowl, which he did extensively last year. Then it didn't happen. If he didn't want to speak with them, he probably would've said that initially. So there would seem to be something going on there behind the scenes. As you say, it's all open for speculation at this point, and my point is that the speculation could've been curtailed much better by a simple comment from Allen. 

[onedrop]

if Dan Snyder is THE Dan Snyder, examples not required, why arent we questioning how or why Cooley is being allowed to say such things on a media outlet Dan owns.....with seemingly NO repercussions?

 

seriously, if you can sue a random grandma surely you can muzzle a Cooley....on your own radio station no less. right? wouldnt this be the ONE time a direct intervention be justified, disparaging the GM of the team? WHY is this being allowed, WHY is there nothing being said from the other side on this or any other front? follow the money and get to the WHY for most answers in most situations.

 

 

[TD_washingtonredskins]

1 minute ago, onedrop said:

if Dan Snyder is THE Dan Snyder, examples not required, why arent we questioning how or why Cooley is being allowed to say such things on a media outlet Dan owns.....with seemingly NO repercussions?

 

seriously, if you can sue a random grandma surely you can muzzle a Cooley....on your own radio station no less. right? wouldnt this be the ONE time a direct intervention be justified, disparaging the GM of the team? WHY is this being allowed, WHY is there nothing being said from the other side on this or any other front? follow the money and get to the WHY for most answers in most situations.

 

 

Well Cooley hasn't been on the air the past couple days (I don't think). 

[PartyPosse]

3 hours ago, lavar1156 said:

Cry me a river. For the first time Bruce Allen has forbidden the GM to speak to the middle. Radio hosts speculate. It's their job. Some of you are so butt hurt it's unbelievable. Tho I think it's apparent that Scot is a large voice in the building that is against signing Kirk long term which I think is the real reason why.

THere is a big difference between speculations that are job-related and speculations about a person's personal life  - especially when it concerns alcoholism and the struggles of a person's past. This was just disrespectful and irresponsible. Forget about Kirk and football decisions, this is bigger than football.

[Dissident2]

1 minute ago, PartyPosse said:

THere is a big difference between speculations that are job-related and speculations about a person's personal life  - especially when it concerns alcoholism and the struggles of a person's past. This was just disrespectful and irresponsible. 

 

Yeah, but the alcohol thing is inextricably linked TO his job. That's why he got fired from S.F. and Seattle. He was no longer able to do his job because of the alcohol. So it is definitely job-related. It's a tough thing to talk about, and probably shouldn't have been mentioned at all, I agree, but it's a totally legitimate concern for a guy with this history. Hopefully it's not true.

 

[onedrop]

3 hours ago, lavar1156 said:

Cry me a river. For the first time Bruce Allen has forbidden the GM to speak to the middle. Radio hosts speculate. It's their job. Some of you are so butt hurt it's unbelievable. Tho I think it's apparent that Scot is a large voice in the building that is against signing Kirk long term which I think is the real reason why.

i guess the difference then between radio hosts and ES posters is that radio hosts get paid to speculate