Eagles

Audio: Mike Missanelli and I Debate the Media’s Whining over the Eagles

By Kyle Scott

Published: Feb 18th, 2015 · 9:11 PM EST

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Mike Missanelli had me on his show today to debate the whole Eagles not talking to the media thing. He took issue with this post (in which I basically called Reuben Frank a whiner) because he feels it’s the Eagles’ duty to communicate with fans.

Here’s the audio:

Courtesy of 97.5 The Fanatic

I have no issue with any of Mike’s points, even the misguided stuff about bloggers feeling the need to chop down mainstream reporters because we’re “jealous.” It’s his opinion. I think he’s wrong, but it’s his opinion. Reporters do deserve scrutiny, especially the ones who do little more than lazily transcribe press conferences and write vanilla stories based on canned quotes (which I’m not accusing Frank of, by the way). And while some bloggers absolutely would kill for some of those big boy jobs, or have used blogging to get into the mainstream, that’s not everyone. It’s not me. I’m as interested in the running a business thing as I am the writing about sports thing, and I’d take doing this – for many reasons – over being a beat writer or newspaper columnist 100 out of 100 times. That’s not to disrespect other bloggers or reporters– it’s just not me. So I think he’s generalizing when he says bloggers bash mainstream reporters out of jealousy. Often, when we bash them, it’s because they suck.

As for the Eagles not talking thing– I agree they should have to answer questions at some point. But bitching that they’re not doing it now, when we’re more than half a year away from football season (GAHHH!), is stupid. If older reporters put half the effort into actual reporting – like some of the newer-school guys – that they do into complaining about the curious absence of low-hanging fruit in the form of succinct soundbites, and used their access to cultivate some sources, God knows what we’d learn about the Eagles’ front office situation. Certainly, it would be stuff we won’t get from any press conference.

These are all points I could’ve made if the guest’s audio didn’t duck under the host’s and I was able to finish a goddamn thought with Mike.

@CrossingBroad Solid interview but you think this is a close representation of how it went? http://t.co/7bpoBESChV

— Billy Bayer (@quickhitz051) February 18, 2015