The Uselessness of Press Conferences

The last AJC I read was around 2008 I think... about the time. Furman Bisher had posted his last article late that year, I think. When he and Outlar were gone, so was sports journalism in the city of Atlanta.

Bisher wrote for the AJC for darn near 60 years. Despite some well known controversy in the early 60's around an Alabama-UGA football game, he was an outstanding opinionator (my word). He was called one of the top sports writers in the country by Time magazine and wrote articles for many different famous publications.

Outlar was an ex-Marine if I am not mistaken and a former editor for the Red and Black. He was with the AJC for around 40 years, retiring in the late 80's. No slouch himself as a writer as he was voted Sports Writer of the Year several times by various organizations. I will always remember a quote he gave when someone asked him what he was doing after he retired. He said something along the lines of "Nothing. I don't 'do' anymore... i just 'be'"

It was great having the two at the same time... The Constitution in the morning I think with Outlar and the Journal in the evening with Bisher. I think that's how it was. We were always a "Journal" family so I saw mostly Bisher. I had a surrogate grandfather who lived across the street from me (One grandfather I never knew and the other died when I was very young) who was a morning "Constitution" guy who would keep that sports page for me so I always got Outlar a day late.

Thinking about those two makes me nostalgic. Mr. Barrett, my sort
of adopted grandp was a former Atlanta Cracker and I spent endless Saturday's with him watching the baseball game of the week and talking about the Braves and all Atlanta and Georgia sports.

I also think back to those days when the city of Atlanta actually had real honest to God sports journalists. Neither man was afraid to call it like it was and call out coaches, players, or owners if they so felt the need. These guys didn't play patty-cake with our sports teams, worried that one harsh word may relegate them to the back seat of the team plane on the flight to play the Rams or the Dodgers (remember those days when we were in the West divisions?!) No... they had no such fears as they were revered and respected around here more than owners, coaches, or players! If anyone was feared, it was a fear of them writing about someone else and putting your team in Atlanta sports purgatory. You also have to remember that for a majority of the time, neither of these hiya had much to write about regarding Atlanta sports teams especially. However... like Pete, Skip, and Ernie did with the Braves.. somehow they made it interesting.

Ah... heady times.

Wartdawg wrote: They seem to be asking questions for the lowest common denominator of football fans, and the big problem there is that level of fan isn't even watching a coach's presser.

.... at least that's what I would want to believe giving the "journalists" some benefit of the doubt, but you are closer to the truth: These so called "journalists" are on that lowest common denominator level and don't understand the game on any level any deeper than that.

'Tis sad.. I hardly ever even bother watching them
these days.

You're spot on brother.

The lowest common denominator sums things up in many facets of our society today, not just football, but that ventures far too close to getting into politics and I'll stay away from it. I don't want everyone hating me.

Wartdawg wrote: I also think back to those days when the city of Atlanta actually had real honest to God sports journalists. Neither man was afraid to call it like it was and call out coaches, players, or owners if they so felt the need. These guys didn't play patty-cake with our sports teams, worried that one harsh word may relegate them to the back seat of the team plane on the flight to play the Rams or the Dodgers (remember those days when we were in the West divisions?!) No... they had no such fears as they were revered and respected around here more than owners, coaches, or players! If anyone was feared, it was a fear of them writing about someone else and putting your team in Atlanta sports purgatory. You also have to remember that for a majority of the time, neither of these hiya had much to write about regarding Atlanta sports teams especially. However... like Pete, Skip, and Ernie did with the Braves.. somehow they made it interesting.

Ah... heady times.

Well the problem today is that, due to the snowflake-ization of our society, when someone does grow a pair and calls out coaches, or players, or AD's, then the backlash is instant and they're branded an idiot, a hater, uninformed, disrespectful, arrogant, etc.

Case-in-point. Last week, Finebaum called out James Franklin for his post-game press conference comments saying his team wasn't an elite team, while taking no responsibility for winning the asinine-play-call-of-the-season award for calling a play to hand the ball off on 4th and 5 on the final play of the game. Finebaum was utterly eviscerated in the media and in the comment threads. Finebaum was 100% correct - Franklin should have owned that play and that game result. The result of that game had nothing to do with his team being an elite, or good, or lucky, or whatever kind of team. It had everything to do with an abysmal play call that cost them the game. But Finebaum was the big jerk, an SEC worshipper, disrespectful to Franklin, and other vulgar things that I won't repeat in polite company. Finebaum held the coach accountable. That used to be standard in sports beat writing. No one wants to hear it anymore.

One of the most accurate and thoughtful post ever.... imho

Sports writers are part of the news supply chain...

The process for reporting news has changed..

.rather than reporting the News they collectively want to be part of the news writing in script for themselves....

... in the early days of reporting weather on TV did any of

Us remember seeing a fool reporter standing outside in a hurricane

Watching pieces of debris blow pass.... we knew .... enough what hurricanes can do....

My mom who lived to be 91.... send that all

News has become .... like baby food ..... nothing to chew on...

As usual....Mom got it right.......Go Dawgs