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Originally Posted by Tarhog
Joe - we met while covering minicamp this Summer. I enjoyed chatting with you, and believe you're a good guy. I understand your bitterness here (and I don't use that as a loaded word, just an honest one). You have no doubt done a great job over the years covering all things Redskins. By the same token, the staff at extreme (of which I'm obviously one) have been hard at it for 5+ years as well, funding a growing site out of our own pockets, and like you, spending countless hours to provide a quality place for Redskins fans to hang. This was the chance of a lifetime for us, and after a lot of careful consideration, we jumped at it, as we believe any of you would have.
There are a lot of half-truths in play here. First of all, we are not employees of the Redskins. Period. Although its likely we could have gotten a 'payday' from the team, we chose instead to bargain for access, because it was something we could share with our members. The team does not tell us what members can and cannot say. They let us run the site as we always have. Thats a fact.
The article in question is misleading. We have never, ever pretended to be reporters. We are fans. And its that reference point that drives everything we do. Have we cheered in the pressbox? Yes. For a sum total of 5-10 seconds during the stunning Redskins comeback in Dallas, two of our staff made some noise. I think most fans understand losing control in an emotional moment like that and would hardly characterize that as somehow ominous or terrible. I've personally covered 3 of the 5 games, and haven't uttered a peep. Not once. The vast majority of our time (probably > 95%) has been spent on the field, not even in the pressbox. We have done our job professionally, politely, and unobtrusively. The idea that we've been a distraction to members of the media in the pressbox is worse than insinuation - its an outright lie, and one I sincerely believe you would not want to perpetuate.
Finally, if we're part of a Redskins anti-media conspiracy, someone forgot to invite me to the planning sessions. We bash the skins right along with our regular members on whats now the offical messageboard. No one from the Redskins has said a peep to us about it. Not once. Extremeskins is not much different than it ever was. Personally, I have nothing but respect for the pro media guys. I've said so repeatedly and publically, and in person when I've had the chance to meet class acts like Bram Weinstein, Nunyo, Jason C., others.
I like what you produce, as I've told you before - I just think maybe you're getting some bad information along the way. Nothing but respect for you and the Warpath. But give the 'other guys' some credit. We didn't get where we are by being mindless idiots.
Best of luck!
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Anybody think they'll be a another article explaining the other side of the story as Tarhog as explained it? I bet not...
I read the article again and it is obviously a hack job. The entire thing is full of loaded terms like 'bashing', 'anti-media', 'venom', etc... I could name 10 others.
Joe brings up obviously valid points. Cheering in the press box by journalists should be unacceptable. The question is should the exteremskins reps be treated as equals to the other journalists? Should they be held to the same standards and abide by the same rules? Well to me it seems obvious that the main stream media types don't consider them peers. So why is it that they seem to want them to abide by their rules? Is there no room for different types of 'journalism' here? I would totally and unabashedly agree with Joe if everyone was presenting the extremeskins guys as fair and balanced 'journalists' but no one has said this. They are reporting for a fan site. A fan site by defention means the readers by and large are supporters and tend to see the team through colored glasses. The reporting by association will be colored and everyone knows it and accepts it. Heck they expect it.
I think the real question needs to be should they be allowed in the press box? It seems this is the crux of the discussion regarding the media v. exteremskins. I say yes because to me mainstram media has done such a poor job of doing the job of reporting facts, being fair and offering a clear and honest representation of the entire story so many times I have lost respect for much of them. They do not in my opinion have the right to their own quiet little lair where they can't be trusted to be honest. If they could act in a true professional manner which did not impune their own integrity then I'd be willing to respect them a little more and give them a chance to do their job in peace but until then they get no such respect and have no right in my eyes to complain about anything.
as an aside:
Why is it that so many reporters seem to feel they always have the right to whatever they want (always in the name of a story) but never feel they need to answer for what they do (when they are often so wrong and/or biased)?