WP: Zack Bolno, executive director of communications, fired

[Atlanta Skins Fan]

Oh...the WP reporter Rick Maese tweeted that there was NO CONNECTION between the Bolno firing and the Haynsworth stuff. PROOF your connecting the dots was a total fabrication of your imagination.

If you are going to make accusations of misinformation, you should get your own facts clear. "Haynesworth stuff" is very broad. Maese simply denied a connection with the Saturday night Haynesworth interview:

For those wondering, Zack Bolno's firing had nothing to do with Haynesworth's remarks. Bolno wasn't involved and there's zero connection

I made no connection with the interview, but rather with the leak from a "team source" on Sunday that Haynesworth was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis. The Washington Post itself claims a team source, and from the timing of the leak and the timing of the firing, I inferred that Bolno was the source.

I have also made clear that this was simply my opinion. If you have a problem with people stating opinions as opinions, on an opinion message board, you have too much time on your hands. I freely concede that my opinion may be wrong. That's why I did not state it as fact.

[SonnyandSam]

Gotcha. I agree that assume as fact what exactly caused the firing is crossing the line, but I am not sure why speculating about what caused it is a cardinal sin.

As far as the Post debunking the Haynesworth connection, did they cite a source, as all I have seen was Maese's twitter debunking it. Again, is it crazy to speculate about members of the media protecting their sources?

Speculation with no related facts is nothing more than lying to the message board members. IF the speculation is based on related facts, then it is fair game.

Consider this scenario...Supposed Bolno was supervising the interview with AH. He allows the interview to continue not only with what AH said after the game but allows him to take verbal shots at the coach/team and does nothing to end the interview. Then we find out he was fired.

I think reasonable people would consider that lack of control by a team PR person to have something to do with the firing....although I even doubt it would be cause for firing.

There are NO reported facts that relate the AH story with the ZB story other than they occurred on the same day. So what?

People are falsely accused of stuff by liars all the time. I've know people whose lives and careers were ruined by people lying or rumor mongoring about good people. I consider it highly irresponsible when I see anyone making stuff up with absolutely no factual basis.

As for reporter's sources.....As professional reporters they get some leeway. But frankly, I quickly start ignoring some reporters when their information based on "sources" proves wrong too often. JLC is a good example of that. A reporter has a high responsibility to determine whether HIS/HER sources are reliable or not.

Bloggers and people hiding behind fake names on a message board need to earn the respect of their readers before we believe everything they write.

Let me bring it closer to home....this is purely an example...don't get offended....what if I posted that I thought you were a child abuser, a rapist or were cheating on your wife? Is that irresponsible? It is based on no factual information. I could say my source told me.

I know that is an extreme example....but why post speculation when you have absolutely no real connection between two stories?

Again....I don't know Zack Bolno....never met him...hardly knew he existed other than seeing his name from time to time. Guy could have been a jerk for all I care....It is still wrong to speculate on something that is not connected by any facts at all.

Sorry.....I'll get down off my soap box now

[SonnyandSam]

If you are going to make accusations of misinformation, you should get your own facts clear. "Haynesworth stuff" is very broad. Maese simply denied a connection with the Saturday night Haynesworth interview:

I made no connection with the interview, but rather with the leak from a "team source" on Sunday that Haynesworth was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis. The Washington Post itself claims a team source, and from the timing of the leak and the timing of the firing, I inferred that Bolno was the source.

I have also made clear that this was simply my opinion. If you have a problem with people stating opinions as opinions, on an opinion message board, you have too much time on your hands. I freely concede that my opinion may be wrong. That's why I did not state it as fact.

I have absolutely no problem with people voicing opinion based on some facts. You wrote your "speculation" with absolutely no factual basis and wrote your original post as though there was no doubt the two were connected. Go back and read your own post.

And picking on my use of "Haynesworth stuff" is the true straw man. You knew exactly what I was referring to because of your original post. Is not the leak about Haynesworth's alleged illness "Haynesworth stuff"?

See....you can't even interpret words carefully. There was no misinformation in my post....and you know it. You just cannot admit that you went overboard in connecting two unrelated events with no factual foundation.

[zoony]

What puzzles me is the timing of this. We're 7 months into the Shanahan era, 8 months into the Allen era, and these moves to "get their own people in place" are made a few weeks before opening day? For the communications guy?

That is puzzling, no matter how close or how far away from the situation you happen to be.

Did the guy/gal they want all along for this position just recently become available? Are other jobs safe? Is this step 1 of a broader effort to overhaul other media-relations positions?

It is all somewhat odd, no matter if you make any inferences or not. These moves are normally made January - March.

Any word on the replacement? That might shed some more light on this.

.......

[SonnyandSam]

What puzzles me is the timing of this. We're 8 months into the Shanahan era, 9 months into the Allen era, and these moves to "get their own people in place" are made a few weeks before opening day? For the communications guy?

That is puzzling, no matter how close or how far away from the situation you happen to be.

.......

I agree completely. Even more now that I just read all the meda accolades for Bolno. See the link below. The media and players really loved the guy. It does make one wonder what caused the firing.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2010/08/goodbye_to_zack_bolno_for_now.html

[Atlanta Skins Fan]

I have absolutely no problem with people voicing opinion based on some facts. You wrote your "speculation" with absolutely no factual basis and wrote your original post as though there was no doubt the two were connected. Go back and read your own post.

I did. This was my original post:

Originally Posted by HA1LV1CT0RY

I would put money on it being about the Haynesworth medical debacle stuff.

My bet: He was an anonymous source confirming this story:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/redskinsinsider/albert-haynesworth/rhabdomyolysis-sidelined-hayne.html

Fired for leaking / insubordination. Tony Wyllie had no comment for that story, but his subordinate may have been the inside confirmation.

If so, good firing.

"My bet" = idiom for "in my opinion"

"If so" = reminder that this is my opinion

You seem to like arguing for the sake of arguing. I've stated from the beginning that this was my opinion, and I've laid out the grounds so that others could judge the basis for that opinion and agree or disagree. I also didn't start the Haynesworth connection (there were several prior comments), but rather took it in a different tangent. And again, I freely concede that my opinion / inference may be wrong. There's no scandal here, just opinions about why a senior rep got the axe on short notice, on a Sunday.

Also, it's fair game when the Post makes it national news. You can't expect a whack job to go down, and then get reported nationally, without speculation as to what happened. The man's job was PR, and Sunday was a PR nightmare for the team. The firing apparently took place within an hour of a leak about Haynesworth's medical condition.

The inference is perfectly reasonable, but may be wrong.

I'm done here today due to work obligations.

[SkinsFanJPD]

I agree completely. Even more now that I just read all the meda accolades for Bolno. See the link below. The media and players really loved the guy. It does make one wonder what caused the firing.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2010/08/goodbye_to_zack_bolno_for_now.html

Don't you think that with all these media types in love with the guy, someone would actually find out and report the truth about what happened? But it sure smells a lot like the old Snyder re-emerging............

[zoony]

But it sure smells a lot like the old Snyder re-emerging............

how so?

[zoony]

I'm genuinely curious why Zack gets treated this way moments before the start of the season, when there are no jobs available.

And who does Shanahan plan on upgrading this position to? Jeez, I feel sorry for the guy/gal coming in to fill these shoes.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2010/08/goodbye_to_zack_bolno_for_now.html

Peter King, Sports Illustrated: Don't know what Zack Bolno did to deserve whacking in Wash, though I can guess. But he's one of the best PR men I've ever dealt with. Sad.

(King also mentioned Zack in his column, pointing out that the Eagles, Cowboys and Giants haven't changed PR directors since 2000, while the Redskins have had seven people in the job since that time.)

Pablo Torre, Sports Illustrated: Seconded.

Chris Mortensen, ESPN: Let me also chime in on sudden departure of Zack Bolno from Redskins PR staff: VERY DISAPPOINTING.

Ross Tucker, SI.com: I second this.

Steve Wyche, NFL.com: My two cents worth too: Zack Bolno = Total class. Great, great guy. Hate to see him gone. Rt there with you Mort. Very disappointing.

Seth Wickersham, ESPN The Magazine: Sad about Zach Bolno being fired in Washington. One of the best PR guys I've ever worked with.

David Elfin, AOL FanHouse: Zack Bolno's firing by the #Redskins is a travesty, especially this close to the start of the season when all NFL jobs are filled ...

Nischelle Turner, Fox Sports: Just heard my friend/collegue Zach Bolno was fired frm the Redskins PR Dept. Bad move Skins. Professionally 1 of THE best. Personally: a gem

Bob Glauber, Newsday: This one hurts: My good buddy Zack Bolno has been pushed out the door in Washington. Excellent PR man caught up in Redskins' vortex. Sigh....Anyone needing a reference on Zack Bolno can contact me any time. Class act. Everything a PR person should be ... that is all.

Judy Battista, New York Times: Sorry to hear that Zack Bolno is out as the head of the Redskins PR dept. He was a real pro under often difficult circumstances there.

Albert Breer, Boston Globe: Zack Bolno, in my time at Sporting News and now w/Globe, was awesome to deal with. Saw the Redskins through a very tough time.

Rick Stroud, St. Petersburg Times: NO finer PR pro than Zack Bolno, who abruptly left Redskins.

Rick Maese, Washington Post: On personal note, Bolno was often a big help during a difficult stretch of team history. Good at his job and I'm sure he'll land on his feet

Paul Tenorio, Washington Post: Just heard about Zack Bolno leaving. He was always great to work with and great to deal with. Am sure he'll land on his feet somewhere soon.

Mike Jones, TBD: I'll miss Zack Bolno, no longer w Skins PR. complete class act. helped me learn pro sports coverage when i started out on the Wiz beat in 08

Seems to me like there is more going on here.

....

[ntotoro]

Indeed. I'm not surprised by the media basically praising one of their own, but there's definitely something much, much deeper. Don't mean to be Captain Obvious, just curious.

Then again, part of me wonders if these people praise him so much for how liberally he may give them tidbits. I don't know.

[milellie111]

They're freeing up money to sign Vincent Jackson

[themurf]

What puzzles me is the timing of this. We're 7 months into the Shanahan era, 8 months into the Allen era, and these moves to "get their own people in place" are made a few weeks before opening day? For the communications guy?

The cynic in me wonders if the plan was to keep him through training camp (i.e. - the busiest time of the season) and then let him go once camp broke. I've got no reason to believe that's the case, but it would answer the question about the timing of the move.

[Dub70s]

Why would the media be so disappointed in him getting fired? Unless they felt like a good guy (in their eyes) was treated wrong. I wonder how much they benefited from the friendship (interms of information) and now they are going to miss the relationship.

If this guy wasn't the source then he wasn't doing the job right (ensuring the correct information came out or finding out who was leaking the info). One or the other will get you fired.

My two cents!

[@DCGoldPants]

I think the bottom line is that even with Shanny and Allen. It will take time for this Organization to develop any long term cred.

I still think they lied through their teeth about the ticket broker mess.

The guy was popular with folks inside and outside the organization. Obv there is stuff we don't know.

[ADF]

The timing is a bit odd. Since the media loves this guy so much, it should be easy for them to contact him and figure out what happened. So, we should hear something soon. If he did get caught leaking info or doing something else he shouldn't then the media will never report it.

[brianm23]

........

The notion that he'd be a guy leaking stories to anyone is something that would only be spread by people who have no knowledge on the subject.

I want make a general comment in terms of "knowing people", but I want to make is specifically clear I don't care one way or another whether this guy is a leaked source or not. People can fool you, and people you think you know sometimes can turn out to be different than the person you are used to seeing. This guy here at work was hands down the most consummate professional I've ever seen at a job in the 6 years I worked here, and nobody ever believed it when the guy all of a sudden turned into a alcoholic. He went from somebody you could depend your life on to somebody you wouldn't trust as soon as they left your eyesight. I'm not saying this to debunk what you said about this guy because I'm clueless about him and the situation. Just wanted to state that sometimes people aren't always what they seem on the exterior. Again, this was just a general comment, about life, than it is about this situation. I'll be over here in the "don't care" section in regards to this rumor/speculation/whatever.

I have also made clear that this was simply my opinion. If you have a problem with people stating opinions as opinions, on an opinion message board, you have too much time on your hands. I freely concede that my opinion may be wrong. That's why I did not state it as fact.

It doesn't matter what you state. People will always take words and twist them into meaning that simply aren't there. Either that or they'll take out of it some implication that you did not infer. Words do not translate well at times.

Seems to me like there is more going on here.....

I concur on this. This doesn't seem like some changing of the guard or this, most likely, would have happened long ago with the other moves. Either way, unless this guy plays DT/guard, chances are that I'll continue to not care. :pfft:

[herb mul-key]

maybe just trimming the fat....younger cheaper guys along w Wylie can do the work?

[SkinsFanJPD]

The timing is a bit odd. Since the media loves this guy so much, it should be easy for them to contact him and figure out what happened. So, we should hear something soon. If he did get caught leaking info or doing something else he shouldn't then the media will never report it.

Well, if this is the guy who was advising Snyder as of late, he was doing a good job. Snyder actually has seemed human the past few times I saw him interviewed.............

[Destino]

You know while it is fun to hatch all sorts of theories this could be as simple as he got caught doing something he wasn't supposed to. People get fired all the time for applying for other jobs, looking at porn, or opening their big mouths to the wrong people all the time.

[TK]

Its simply a matter of Shanny wanting his own guys. Don't be surprised when the Scouting Dept gets a shake up.

[SonnyandSam]

Its simply a matter of Shanny wanting his own guys. Don't be surprised when the Scouting Dept gets a shake up.

I was waiting for the scouting department shakeup....but it never materialized after the draft when those things typically happen. I thought.....well maybe Mike and Bruce are OK with the scouting department after all....I guess not....now that The King has spoken

[tiger187126]

Its simply a matter of Shanny wanting his own guys. Don't be surprised when the Scouting Dept gets a shake up.

i can't believe that hasn't happened yet.

[SkinsFanJPD]

Its simply a matter of Shanny wanting his own guys.

I don't believe that for a second. Not with the timing involved here. No way.

[Veretax]

Any chance it was because they were playing HTTR during the Raven's Touchdowns? LOL

[pvkeeper19]

Anybody ever think that maybe the reason all these reporters love the guy is because he is an inside source for them, and not necessarily because he's really "great at his job?"

A reporter's goal is to get the story before everybody else. If somebody's leaking info to reporters, of course those reporters would be sad to see him lose his job. I'm not saying that's the deal, but it's one conceivable explanation for the public outpouring of support for the guy.

Also, to those of you getting all defensive about not using facts to back up our opinions, you're wrong. The pertinent facts are A) that Bolno got fired, and that Albert Haynesworth is causing a mess for the team. It's not out of bounds to extrapolate that the firing might have something to do with the recent PR nightmare (even though that has apparently been refuted since the speculation began). If the team thought he was doing a great job, they probably wouldn't have fire him. Whether the most recent Haynesworth problem is a direct cause or a contributing factor will probably never be made clear to us.