http://www.nypost.com/sports/jets/embarrassing_display_mars_1st_day_jets_mark_cannizzaro.htm EMBARRASSING DISPLAY MARS 1ST DAY By MARK CANNIZZARO July 28, 2006 -- IF THE Jets perform on the field the way their operation performed yesterday during the players' arrival at training camp, it's going to be a long, calamitous season. The Jets took what had been a decades-long tradition of reporters interviewing players at the Hofstra University dorm rooms upon their arrival at training camp and turned it into an embarrassing mockery. One day after the Giants made every one of their assistant coaches available and on the same day when the Giants were walking their beat reporters into players' dorms for interviews, the following is a postcard from the Jets' first day of training camp: One day after signing a contract that will pay him some $18 million in guaranteed money, No. 1 draft pick D'Brickashaw Ferguson twice ran away from interview requests by a small gaggle of reporters at the Hofstra cafeteria area. On the second brush-off, on his way out of the cafeteria, Ferguson literally sprinted into a busy street to get away from reporters and some fans who were clamoring for autographs. If a group of six reporters was that intimidating for Ferguson, how is this guy going to respond when he lines up across from Jason Taylor or Dwight Freeney for the first time? This, by the way, is a player who received media training around the time of the draft. What in the world do they teach these people? And what are the Jets doing? With the Giants always seeming to do the right things in terms of public relations, the Jets have always been a team that has been in dire need of good PR. Some have made the analogy of the Giants being the varsity and the Jets, always the second-class citizens in this town, the jayvee. Yesterday, the Jets looked smaller than the jayvee. They looked pee-wee league. What team in the NFL is not going to parade its top draft pick, the No. 4 overall pick in the draft, a pick that has been universally praised and a local product from nearby Freeport, in front of the public to celebrate his signing? Answer: Not a single team in the league, other than the Jets. Ferguson wasn't the only player who declined interview requests. He was just the most egregious. In a league that craves to control the news media whenever possible, the Jets had a perfect chance to do so yesterday by making Ferguson available upon his signing. That way, everyone would have written a positive story about Ferguson signing and reporting on time and being ready for his rookie year, and he wouldn't have been seen in such an embarrassing light - scurrying away from reporters and fans like a timid child. Later in the day, the Jets slipped out a news release saying that Curtis Martin and Justin McCareins were placed on the physically unable to perform list. That release, of course, was accompanied by not a single mention of what each player's respective injury is nor how long they might be out of commission. The entire day represented a low point in public relations for the Jets. mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com
BWAHAHAHA! Welcome to the post-Herm-love-fest era Mark! Good for Brick, and good for the whole team. Why should they be expected to act like YOUR definition of a "professional" team, when the media-at-large treats the team like crap. Amazing, he flat out says that the media perception of the Jets is the "jayvee" team, and then wants them to cater to the media. That is just classic.
I love it. Cannizzaro was the biggest Herm whore amongst the beat writers. I can't wait to read the garbage he produces about Mangini and his staff through out the season.
When will the Jet beat writers realize that a story like that is only about themselves and that the fans don't care. Ferguson, had he given an interview, would only have filled it with cliches anyway. "I'm excited to be here." "I can't wait to get down to work." I've got a lot to learn." "The playbook is a lot thicker than the one we had in Virginia." " I just want to go out there and give it my all and help the team." etc.
And here I thought this was something serious by the article's title. Gotta love the NY media, how they get when things don't go their way. Reminds me of the Pennington press conference a bit.
----- Original Message ----- From: JetsIn2004 To: mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 7:37 AM Subject: GET OVER YOURSELF I read your article today, and you need to learn to get over yourself. You're used to having Herm and his staff basically write your articles for you, and now you actually have to do some work. They did not want to talk to you, and guess what... regardless of what you think, they are not required to. While I do not want to see the #4 pick of the draft running into a street, I'm glad he ran away from you. I hope Press is barred from the complex. I'm sick of you guys crying when something does not go your way. Your job is to report on camp, if they even let you stay there. Your job is to report facts. Your job is not to put your opinion on everything, and cry every time you do not get your way. That's all you've been doing your whole career. Fortunately for you, Herm Edwards was your best friend, and was willing to let you sit there and make personnel decisions it seemed, let alone get facts for an article. Look, noone is interested in your whining about not getting player access. If the job is too hard, I'm sure the Post will let you follow the golf tour around the rest of the year. I'm sure there are 100s of people who would take your place in a heartbeat. Sincerely, JetsIn2004 -------- Of course, where it says JetsIn2004 I used my real name.
I hope all of our players run away from reporters now. Maybe Mark Can'o'Ravioli will lose a few tons chasing them.
AGREED with ALL above..... I saw the title of the article while diving to work and had to read it and I'm like WTF??????? What a POS article from a Jayvee Writer.
Bravo good sir. I don't know about you guys, but the thought of Brick running around the Jets complex definitely brings a smile to my face- the theme song from Mission Impossible comes to mind- reporters tripping over each other trying to get a quote. The only person the reporters were even able to get a shot of was Anthony Schlegal, as he emerged from the bushes:
His original article titled, "My breakfast at the Marriot was pretty decent", was rejected so he had to write about something.
Cannizzaro is such a tool. I read the title of the article and expected to find information about a disasterous first day in TC. Instead he states that "it's going to be a long, calamitous season" because D'Brick didn't want interview with him? What a joke! Hey buddy, why not give us some facts about the actual training camp instead of crying like a little child.
I feel like running over to JI right now and paying a $50 membership fee to talk to him more about this. . . . . or, rather, no, I guess I don't.
Wow! When reading the title of the article and the first few sentences, I was thinking the players were getting into fights or maybe not listening to their coach, etc. I started laughing when I saw how the article made it seem like the Jets will go 1-15 because they didnt talk to the media. When he implied Fergusen wouldnt be able to handle the leagues DE's because he couldnt face the pressure of the press is the most assinine statement I've ever heard. These Jets writers are morons. I totally agree with the people who complain about them.
This retard wants to compare himself and other fat-ass losers like him to pro defensive ends? They wanna call Ferguson a timid child? Look at houw the reporters react when tey don;t get what they want. It reminds me of the kid who kicks and screams in line at the grovery store because his mom won't let him have a chocolate bar. These guys really need to grow up and understand that they are at the bottom of the totem pole here. The sonner they figure it out, the sonner they can stop wasting our time with these hard-luck crybaby articles.
My email to Cannizzaro Oh you poor reporters, you didn't get to hassle the players on Thursday with the mindless monotony of your time-wasting questions. You actually think that you can compare a group of out of shape reporters to professional NFL defensive ends? Is Jason Taylor going to question D'Brick between plays and ask him what he thinks of his coach and how much his contract was for? I assume you must have a university degree considering the line of work you are in, so please, explain the logic of your comparison. You called Ferguson a timid child. Look at how you reporters react when you don't get what you want, whining and crying like a kid at a grovery store whose mom won;t let him have any candy. So much for professionalism, eh? Reading garbage like what you and Cimini wrote makes me, and many other fans care less and less about when you have to say when the players do decide to talk to you. Reading that sarcastic, insulting, time-wasting article makes me hope they continue to duck the media and leave you guys with handfuls of nothing all season. You guys need to grow up and realise that you're at the bottom of the totem pole here. The sooner you figure this out, the sooner you can stop wasting your own time and the readers' time with your hard-luck, crybaby stories. In all honesty, after reading what you and Cimini wrote, I would prefer a Bobby Knight-style treatment of the media by the Jets. I'll get my info from NFL Network, thanks. At least Rich Eisen doesn't bash the teams when he doesn't get the answer he wants.
Recap from NJ.com HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- D'Brick ashaw Ferguson showed his speed. Eric Mangini showed his style. A bizarre opening day of training camp showed these guys definitely aren't the same old Jets. On a day in which the new head coach wasn't available and player after player made it clear they were not supposed to comment about anything to anyone, Ferguson stole the show. Upon exiting from the camp cafeteria, Ferguson playfully ran past fans and the media -- ignoring requests for autographs or comments on his new five-year, $27.5 million deal that included slightly less than $18 million in guaranteed money. The Jets can only hope the 6-6, 315-pound offensive lineman moves that well on pulling plays. At least Ferguson had fun, gig gling as he ran across the street and to the training facility. There didn't appear to be a whole lot of laughs elsewhere. "I do as I'm told," guard Bran don Moore said. "I have to get taped," quarterback Patrick Ramsey said. "I have an appointment," guard Pete Kendall said. "Is the PR department around?" quarterback Brooks Bollinger said. And on and on it went. Yes, the PR department was around: It asked the media to leave the area after getting a call from team security. In the past, players have hung around after lunch, talking to fans and media before the start of an afternoon practice. That practice apparently is in the past. "It (the atmosphere around Weeb Ewbank Hall) is a feeling of being really focused," said veteran cornerback Ray Mickens, one of three players who spoke with the media and may be facing fines. "It's real intense. I guess it's like that anytime you have a first-year coach. Everybody is out to make a good first impression." Mickens said he didn't mind it. "Eric is being himself," Mickens said. "He's a very detail-oriented coach, he definitely studies a lot. He pays attention to the little things. That's what he wants out of us as players. You have to be a reflection of your head coach, and that's what he wants us to become." Mangini, the youngest head coach in the league at 35, was unavailable for comment. He'll speak today. The head coach usually addresses the media on the day players report to camp. But this is not business as usual. Mangini already has shown he plans to do things differently and appears to be modeling his style after his mentor, Patriots coach Bill Belichick. He quizzes players in the hallway on plays. He expects them to know what everyone is doing. "He's a very strict coach, it's another whole vibe you get," safety Erik Coleman said. "He's a disciplinarian, he expects his players to know everything about the team. I think that's a positive thing. It's pretty intense, everyone's serious about what's going to happen." Apparently everyone except Ferguson. But here's guessing that might change.
