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Wayne Arnold

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    Tyler Dunne story on McDermott - 3 parts, 25 interviews, one damning conclusion

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    8 minutes ago, mjt328 said:

     

    That is kind-of my point...

    A fair and balanced article would have included both.

     

    Bottom line, Dunne learned and reported about multiple embarrassing incidents that occurred in the Bills locker room regarding Sean McDermott (some of which happened 6-7 years ago).  These incidents were not previously known to the public.  That part was good journalism.

     

    It was HIS choice to only include feedback on these events from sources that clearly don't like McDermott, and none of whom were willing to let their identities known.  It was HIS choice not to even include the background context on these sources, making it unclear whether they are current or past members of the team.  It was HIS choice to include tons of his own opinionated language in the story, painting McDermott in a very negative way.  It was HIS choice to wait and release this article after the Eagles game, when the team was at it's lowest point in his entire tenure.

     

    Many people are dismissing Dunne's work as a classless hit-piece, with the goal of creating public pressure to get McDermott fired.  The fact that multiple players and staff members have spoken out on McDermott's behalf, says there was another side that he chose to ignore.  So if the article was taken the wrong way, it's really his own fault.

     

     

    Again - he didn't "ONLY" include feedback from sources who don't like McDermott. There were many positive comments from sources like Isaiah McKenzie, Patrick Dimarco, Lee Smith, etc.

     

    Just admit you didn't read it.

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    Tyler Dunne story on McDermott - 3 parts, 25 interviews, one damning conclusion

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    2 hours ago, mjt328 said:

     

    You said the goal of journalism is speaking TRUTH to power.  Reading this article, do you feel like Dunne's goal was to give a TRUTHFUL and ACCURATE portrayal of how McDermott is viewed by his players and the other coaches?  Several players spoke in McDermott's defense after the Chiefs game last night.  Why was he unable to find anyone beforehand who would speak something positive on behalf of the coach?

     

     

    To answer your first question - yes.

     

    To answer your second question - HE DID.

     

    I've noticed that the people most upset about Dunne's work are those who obviously didn't even read it.

     

    As for the rest of your post, it reminds me of the old saying "There is no truth or reality. Only perception." Dunne gave the public a perception of McDermott that people who worked with him have. Who are you to say that those perceptions are any less valid than the positive perceptions of McDermott?

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    Tyler Dunne story on McDermott - 3 parts, 25 interviews, one damning conclusion

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    29 minutes ago, boater said:

    So I wonder...how does Dunne feel about the KC victory?

     

    On one hand, I've heard he is supposedly a Bills fan. In which case he should feel pretty good.

     

    On the other hand, the Bills won despite Dunne's hatchet job. The McDermott expose proved to be a non-factor to the players. The four year old 9/11 quote and other interview gotchas didn't sway the needle. Even the resulting Saturday Night Live hit on McDermott was met with meh response. (that show has sucked for decades--since Farley and Spade left)

     

    Dunne.. I wonder how many new subscribers he got.

     

    How can you say it was a non-factor? You could see how motivated they all were.

     

    The conspiracy theorist in me thinks maybe Beane paid Dunne to put this out there to unite the team.

    • Haha (+1) 2

    Tyler Dunne story on McDermott - 3 parts, 25 interviews, one damning conclusion

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    9 hours ago, folz said:

     

    I pointed this out earlier in the thread, but thought it might need repeating:

     

    I just think you need to read the article a little more critically (take off your "I think McD should be fired" glasses for just a moment and think about it as if this article were written about you or a family member). The reason I believe it to be a "hit" piece is not because Dunne shared a couple of embarrassing stories from former players (big deal), and its not because he used actual quotes from his sources that may not be flattering for McDermott, which of course just shows that Dunne is cherry-picking stories and quotes from disgruntled people to try to paint a particular narrative (already not the most noble endeavor for an "honest" journalist)...

     

    It is a hit piece because the article is riddled with personal attacks from Dunne (not his sources) directed at McDermott. Tell me if the following phrases (none of which came from his sources, these are Dunne's own words) sound like good, honest journalism or just personal attacks. Dunne wrote the following things about McDermott (and this is just a small sample):

     

    he's "tangibly nervous"

    "He's quick to blame"

    "he put Dorsey's head on a stick"

    "the honeymoon is over" with players (i.e. he's lost the locker room)

    he's always "pointing a finger at his breadwinning quarterback"

    he "finds a way to deflect blame"

    he's "a coaching relic routinely paralyzed by fear"

    he's "forever horrified of what could go wrong"

    he's "Oblivious to reality"

    "the head coach...administers mass lobotomies on his team."

     

    Is that someone just reporting what his sources told him, or is that someone with an agenda?

     

    Do you not see how Dunne is using very emotional language to influence, that he blurs the line between what is his opinion and what are the opinions of the 25 interviewees. I mean, not one of those people said that McDermott was "a coaching relic" or "oblivious to reality", etc. None of the above are source quotes. But Dunne  makes you think that all 25 people he talked to basically concur with all of his final conclusions, which seem to just be a lot of personal attacks. How would you feel if someone wrote an article about you basically calling you a nervous, fearful, coward who is so clueless that he actually makes those around him stupid, and then intimate that you basically have 25 people to back that up, and the next thing you know you are being lampooned on a national comedy show. Would you still feel that this was just a truthful writer doing his job? This is the coach of a .500 win football team, not some presidential candidate with dirty laundry. Just because someone is in the public eye doesn't mean they are fair game to personal attacks. You can criticize the job they are doing, etc. but leave the name calling on the playground with the kiddies.

     

    In the world of logic, grammar, and rhetoric, one only uses fallacies, such as ad hominem (personal) attacks, when they know their argument isn't actually that strong, and/or when they just want to destroy someone (revenge). I don't know if Dunne has a beef or is just trying to get subs, but this article is not just some honest journalist looking out for the good people of western New York who deserve to know the truth because they spend their hard earned money on this product. 

     

    It's an opinion piece with evidence to support his opinion. We all have them but most don't have access to 25 former players/coaches. So I appreciate Dunne's work. You may not. I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.

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    Tyler Dunne story on McDermott - 3 parts, 25 interviews, one damning conclusion

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    12 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

     

    I see your point.


    What I've been saying is that sport is entertainment.  It's not politics.  Political reporting will always be brutal.  Sports reporting doesn't need to be.


    But I haven't been saying Dunne shouldn't have written an article about McD or sat on the fruits of his research.   But I do think he could have contextualized them much better by, for one, providing counterbalancing views.   Ed Oliver said McD is a "great man" (and called the article "bullsh*t").  Micah Hyde professed his support for McD (and rightly pointed out the article does no good).  Mitch Morse said he'd do anything for McD.  Josh reportedly said he loved McD both as a coach and a human.  And so on.  Why is there is so little of that in the article?  

     

    Attacking a man's character and reputation is serious business.  If Dunne wants to publish the negative comments, fine.  But he should have researched the positive as thoroughly as he researched the negative.    

     

    There was plenty of positive comments in it. There were more negative comments because the point of the piece was to show that we may not have the right head coach leading the franchise.

     

     

    • Like (+1) 1

    One of my most amusing moments ever as a Bills fan... The Trateral

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    31 minutes ago, Simon said:

    Anybody else experience it like this? 

     

    > The slot is clearly lined up offside in front of 20 million people so you know its coming back anyways

    > Kelce makes one of the most stunningly brilliant plays you'll ever see, but you're laughing because you know it doesn't even count

    > Then you realize "OK, maybe that wouldn't have been the worst TD" with that much time on the clock and JA having the ball last

    > Then the "Damn, should I wish they would have scored right there?" moment

    > Then the realization that only a fvcking Bills fan could have that kind of internal debate during that moment in a game.

     

     

     

    This is absolutely perfect.

     

    jamie-fraser-outlander.gif

    Tyler Dunne story on McDermott - 3 parts, 25 interviews, one damning conclusion

    in The Stadium Wall

    Posted

    5 minutes ago, ToGoGo said:

    On the bright side, this is McDermotts greatest quality since he showed up here in 2017. 
     

    Nobody comes back from having his back against the wall like McDermott. 

     

    Yes I like how he managed to force Toney to line up Offside with mind control.

     

    I keed I keed. I'm all about feeling good after this win and hoping McDermott can prove me wrong and they can rally behind each other and go on a tear.

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