What "responsibility" does the media have to ask the tough questions?

[SkinsFTW]

There is only one reason that a total buffoon like Bruce Allen is answering questions about anything related to any team in the NFL and has been for the past 10 years now.

 

 

[DWinzit]

Enjoyed this thread topic. I agree there is an obligations to the public to ask almost any line of questions that affects them.

I would have dove more into what the plan is to move the team out of perpetual mediocrity? Do they have a better game plan moving forward...and if so what as the cap status and lack of coaching shake up appears to be more status quo? What does he see as the reason for the myriad of injuries over the past few years? Why the team does not hold real pressers for their fans sake!?! 

[profusion]

A good reporter develops other sources when given the runaround like with Bruce the other day.

 

Problem is, in a paranoid, fear-driven organization like the Redskins, you'll never get anyone to go on the record. So, what you end up with are endless anonymously sourced stories that get criticized here just as much as Dan or Bruce do.

[joeken24]

Hoping not to break any rules, but Bruce seems entrenched in the political culture that is DC. And maybe he has too. People just don't act this way anywhere else in the US (maybe NY or Chicago). Most reporters in the other areas (say the midwest or west coast) don't really hit stories from the same angles as reporters in this area, IMO. Here, every word is carefully used, dissected and analyzed. I think its the reason Bruce is hated and Gruden kinda gets a pass. Gruden comes off like a honest from the hip kinda guy. Bruce comes off like someone running for office; someone calculated and disingenuous. The organization would be better off announcing Doug as the GM and allowing Bruce to negotiate contracts in the background. Hell everyone attaches the GM to picking players anyway. We don't really consider contracts unless someone gets over paid. Other than the blunder he made during the Foster saga, he comes off honest, approachable and talks football. And again, unless a player is over paid, there would be no reason to know that Allen still exist in the organization. I admit he does a good job acquiring players from a contract standpoint. But why can't he just sit in the utility room with a cell phone or something. Too ****in easy.

[Voice_of_Reason]

If you listen to the recap Redskins Talk Pod with FP Finlay, Keim, Mitch and Pete, JP was a little defensive and Keim was explaining why it's hard to get answers out of these sessions.

 

I think a lot of that is a bunch of malarkey.  You can ask tough questions, you just don't have to be a dick about it. And Keim was saying it's hard to ask follow-up questions because everybody is screaming them.  Well, fine.  After Bruce said he's 7-9, SOMEBODY should have said, "well, since you've been here you like 40-100 (I don't know the exact numbers) and average 6.5 wins a season, what are you doing to improve that?  Because the fans see 9 years of track record and no real change.

 

It's not that hard and you don't have to be a dick to do it.  Heck, you don't even have to bring up the #FireBruceAllen thing. 

 

I was appauled at the gutless wonders and then the subsequent defensiveness.  And I like JP and Keim. (Who wasn't there, was kinda just sticking up for his buddies.  Which I appreciate)

 

Keim also said that there are a lot of topics to cover. I also say hogwash to that.  Most fans right now don't care about a new stadium, or anything other than why he's here, and what hes' going to do to get better.  Why does he think there are so many injuries?  How do you address that moving forward?  Once can be bad luck.  Twice is some bad luck but a trend. 

 

All of these things are easy to ask, but our media is so afraid of asking tough questions because they fear they're going to get cut out, they ask fluff-ball crap nobody cares about and let all of them get away with cream-puff answers.

 

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

9 minutes ago, Voice_of_Reason said:

 

All of these things are easy to ask, but our media is so afraid of asking tough questions because they fear they're going to get cut out

 

On one hand, I get it.  On the other, I don’t.  Primarily because there’s nothing to be cut from.  Bruce gives these guys nothing to begin with.  He calls into talk shows in San Diego with his buddy, who doesn’t care enough about the Redskins to know how awful he is.  I can only imagine what the listeners in SD are thinking, “why the F am I listening to Bruce Allen talk Redskins during Super Bowl week...or ever”.  

 

Might as as well come out guns blazing and ask the tough questions the fans who give the clicks want asked.  Because he’s not going to give them anything anyways.

[Cskin]

I happen to think part of the issues with the Redskins team under performing each year is because they believe the fawning press articles from the Washington press.  Every year articles are written about how good the Redskins roster appears to be and how the sky's the limit.  In reality, the team lacks talent and is often out coached by opposing teams.  As soon as players realize, and this generally happens half way though the year, that the team doesn't compare to top tier teams in terms of talent and top coached teams curb stomp them, they give up and crash and burn.