Joe Bear

I don't think you know the difference between sports columnists and sports reporters.

Probably also like Velus Jones.

I don't work in media. I'm just not blind to the pitfalls of handcuffing it.

Another thing about press conferences: if you're a young reporter who doesn't work for a local TV outlet, the O, ESPN or NFLN, there's a decent chance you may not even get to ask a question. "Big deal. Just write whatever they said," you probably think. But if you're a young reporter, writing what everyone else wrote doesn't make you stand out. It keeps you on the bottom rung of the totem pole, it doesn't allow for different spins on topics, and a lot of the younger folks in there are the ones who take it most seriously, anyway. It's the same concept as drafting a guy in the sixth or seventh round, or signing a UDFA, then letting them play no more than one or two snaps a year, because they weren't a Day 1 starter. Well how the hell do you know how good they are, then?

Nothing Austin Corbett said is inaccurate. David Newton wants that access for nefarious purposes, and removing it removes his value entirely. However, there are good reporters in the locker room who actually value their careers, work hard at developing a rapport with players and coaches, and have the players' respect.

Players don't want to come back to the building when they don't have to, and they absolutely have no interest in spending what little bit of free time they have during the week talking to one reporter who wants to do a story. You might get that if you work for NFLN or ESPN (and aren't a moron like Newton), but the odds still aren't in your favor. It's far more trouble on the reporter's, players's and PR guy's time to try that method instead of letting the guy be open to media for three minutes after the player's already showered and changed following a game.

Removing access from media only gives platforms like X even greater importance. Then, all the stories are written about what some idiot said to a player and what that player said in return, and people will complain about how bad journalism’s gotten even more. Removing access won’t make it better.

But — it is important when it’s your job. No outlet is running a feature story on a player without a quote from said player. Can’t ask Bryce about every guy on the team.

The whole roster doesn’t do press conferences. Say you’re writing a story and you need a quote from an up-and-coming defensive player who’s by no means a household name. How else do you get access? Hope for an autograph session?

This is the head coach's job, not the quarterback's. Bryce can't go in the defensive huddle and remind Chandler Wooten to wrap up when he's tackling a running back. And offensively, what can he do that makes Hubbard, Thielen, Coker or an offensive lineman better? His performance is all I'm thinking about when considering a contract extension.

People love to hate the media, because they report facts people don't want to know, let alone read about. Not everyone who covers professional sports is a callous buffoon like David Newton, and not everyone who wants locker-room access post-game wants to be in there because they're gay or they're a woman trying to get laid. Many of these people need this access to gather comments, again, from non-head coach and non-QB members of the team, so they can properly do their jobs. In football terms, it's as uneducated an opinion as "why do players need practice? Just more time around a bunch of guys. If that's all they want, go to a gay bar or something. They don't even play games at practice. Just show up on Sunday and do better than the other team. It's not hard."

That's not true. The media aren't allowed until after a brief cooldown period after the game. Press conferences don't provide the access a post-game interview provides, because in most cases, only the head coach and the starting QB (unless he played poorly) go to the podium. If you were doing a feature on a guy for your hometown paper, and he's not Dave Canales or Bryce Young, how do you get his comments after the game? You think you can tweet at him and he'll respond?

Talk to the defense about that one.

No need to consider this until after the season IMO. I mean, you can consider it, but it's not a priority yet.

Appreciate Shaq's team-first attitude and his many contributions here. Best of luck whether he's back here, or with a new team.

Cam's gonna find some way to bring this up on ESPN or social media.

I didn't know there was a dark mode until this, so thank you.

Kevin Durant complains more than most fans. He's really one to talk.

To Scott Fitterer? No. The easiest pick is the one you don't make. To Dan Morgan? Hmm. We'll see.

I've seen a Jansen jersey or two on the concourse before. It's a good choice.

Is it truly breaking if it was announced 4 hours before a thread was made?

Oh, Cam. He's never been the wordsmith he may think he is. But with a bigger platform on the ultimate sports clickbait, hot-take network (what was once the worldwide leader in sports), this will likely only be the first of many instances.

Dan Patrick is beyond washed. He needs to go in the laundry basket.

Say he jumps on that loose ball. Yay! It's 4th and 17 for an offense that couldn't convert 2nd and 4 the whole game.

Cam did more with less.