Tim Graham Defends Mike Rodak. Says Bills Fans Treat Him Unfairly

[Benjamin Franklin]

9 minutes ago, Bill from NYC said:

I wish that she was still here.

 

Agreed. 

[oldmanfan]

Do organizations like the News, ESPN, the Athletic, etc. have rules that mandate their reporters be accessible via social media and/or email?  If not, maybe the solution for writers is to simply not participate on Twitter or provide email addresses for comments.  This of course does not excuse people being complete morons on social media, but if you are a reporter and open yourself to comments from readers you have to expect some negative comments back towards your writing.

[quinnearlysghost88]

We all didn't just come to the conclusion one day. A memo wasn't put out that we should hate Rodak. Just go look at his coverage. It's pretty easy to see. Maybe he's tried to steer to unbiased coverage recently, but for the last few years he made no bones about being a Pats homer. 

[Chuck Wagon]

Rodak is a Pats fan covering the Bills because ESPN could not care less about giving the Bills quality coverage, simple as that.

 

If he's "playing the troll" he's been doing it since day 1.  It's always seemed he believes covering the Bills is beneath him.

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

5 minutes ago, oldmanfan said:

Do organizations like the News, ESPN, the Athletic, etc. have rules that mandate their reporters be accessible via social media and/or email?  If not, maybe the solution for writers is to simply not participate on Twitter or provide email addresses for comments.  This of course does not excuse people being complete morons on social media, but if you are a reporter and open yourself to comments from readers you have to expect some negative comments back towards your writing. 

As a member of the media (behind the scenes), I can tell you this is a VERY important part of the job nowadays ...

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

we should lobby for Field Yates 

 

 

Field Yates, NFL analyst: Buffalo Bills. I love the approach the Bills have taken this offseason with a blend of significant investments (center Mitch Morsefor four years, for example) and one-year fliers to patch up roster holes and evaluate whether a player fits in long term (offensive lineman LaAdrian Waddle, for example). General manager Brandon Beane and coach Sean McDermott have preached patience and process, and we're seeing the team make major strides.

 

[ndirish1978]

Guys who post negative spins on everything seem to believe they are "speaking truth to power" and delude themselves into thinking they are doing something greater than collecting a paycheck. The issue I have with columnists like Sully and beat reporters like Rodak is that they don't actually break stories or add anything new to the discussion, they just repeat what was already reported by someone else with a negative spin and maybe pull a stat or two from a couple minutes of research. The one guy out there who I see actually taking this "no holds barred" reporting approach and actually putting issues of substance on the table, breaking stories and showing they actually have good inside sources is Manish Mehta that reports on the Jets.  

[oldmanfan]

13 minutes ago, AlCowlingsTaxiService said:

As a member of the media (behind the scenes), I can tell you this is a VERY important part of the job nowadays ...

Can you help explain then the experience many have had when they try to engage and are belittled by the reporter?

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

40 minutes ago, BillsVet said:

 

Another outstanding member of the forum driven away.

 

I cannot believe the loss of civility that's taken place here where even simple debate is practically impossible. 

 

I really think the board serves as a microcosm for where society is going, and it's not good.  Incessant arguing, an inability to listen, or the ability to agree to disagree.

 

Some people ultimately decide to leave and replaced with those who have never heard the word decorum.

 

I hear the distant sounds of pearls being clutched.

 

This board used to be MUCH less civil than it is today, and much less regulated. And it was better then than it is now.

 

Lori left of her own accord, because she couldn't handle the criticism of Precious Timmy...despite the fact that Timmy behaved like he truly believed he was precious. No one "drove her away."

 

 

[Rico]

Tim Graham was not afraid to call out Ralph and his stooges for being trash, and for that, he will always be appreciated by me. 

 

As for Rodak, I don’t really care one way or another, he’s JAG. He could be replaced by someone else tomorrow and I wouldn’t notice.

Edited March 19, 2019 by Rico

[dave mcbride]

9 minutes ago, Joe in Winslow said:

 

I hear the distant sounds of pearls being clutched.

 

This board used to be MUCH less civil than it is today, and much less regulated. And it was better then than it is now.

 

Lori left of her own accord, because she couldn't handle the criticism of Precious Timmy...despite the fact that Timmy behaved like he truly believed he was precious. No one "drove her away."

 

 

She's a good person and should be remembered as such. 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Just now, dave mcbride said:

She's a good person and should be remembered as such. 

 

Did I say she wasn't? I like Lori. I'm just stating the truth about the situation. She left because people had the GALL to criticize Timmy.

 

[dave mcbride]

1 minute ago, Joe in Winslow said:

 

Did I say she wasn't? I like Lori. I'm just stating the truth about the situation. She left because people had the GALL to criticize Timmy.

 

I think it was a little more complicated than that, if I recall correctly. Obviously, though, Graham was a key part of it. It is the case, though, that a couple of the anti-Graham people became full-scale crusaders about the issue, which was not only annoying, but also a pretty lame way to live one's online life. I myself had no dog in that fight. 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

1 minute ago, dave mcbride said:

I think it was a little more complicated than that, if I recall correctly. Obviously, though, Graham was a key part of it. It is the case, though, that a couple of the anti-Graham people became full-scale crusaders about the issue, which was not only annoying, but also a pretty lame way to live one's online life. I myself had no dog in that fight. 

 

Neither did I, really. Wasn't a fan of Graham and still am not. Think he's an insufferable bag of feminine hygiene product, much in the same vein as Mike Schopp. But didn't care enough about him to crusade over him.

[Fan in Chicago]

1 hour ago, Bill from NYC said:

I wish that she was still here.

Absolutely. I used to find TG"s rants in here mildly amusing. When he left, the biggest loss to this board was that if Lori. As good a poster as she was, I wish she wasn't so stubborn and loyal to leave this place for good due to the treatment some gave TG. 

[Bill from NYC]

34 minutes ago, Fan in Chicago said:

Absolutely. I used to find TG"s rants in here mildly amusing. When he left, the biggest loss to this board was that if Lori. As good a poster as she was, I wish she wasn't so stubborn and loyal to leave this place for good due to the treatment some gave TG. 

The pregame posts that she wrote were the best I have ever seen in any type of media outlet.

 

She had stats, including those of previous matchups dating back for years. Her posts were perfectly written and she studied both teams.

 

Lori was also able to incorporate her pleasant personality as well as humor into her posts which is not always easy to do. I tailgated with her many times and can tell you that she is a wonderful person as well.

Edited March 19, 2019 by Bill from NYC

[HiddenInLight]

Rodak is disliked and treated like an annoying little trash writer because that is what he is.  Hes never even tried to change that perception by doing anything even remotely insightful in an article.  While it's not cool to tell somebody to kill themselves, he reaps what he sews.

[SlimShady'sSpaceForce]

1 hour ago, Joe in Winslow said:

 

I hear the distant sounds of pearls being clutched.

 

This board used to be MUCH less civil than it is today, and much less regulated. And it was better then than it is now.

 

Lori left of her own accord, because she couldn't handle the criticism of Precious Timmy...despite the fact that Timmy behaved like he truly believed he was precious. No one "drove her away."

 

 

 

Less inciteful these past 3 months   

[billieve420]

Rodak has mellowed out in my opinion from when he first started on the job. How can you hate a guy like this.

 

[ndirish1978]

1 minute ago, billieve420 said:

Rodak has mellowed out in my opinion from when he first started on the job. How can you hate a guy like this.

 

 

Aw crap, now I like him a bit more...

[zow2]

Tim Graham is strange.  As a matter of fact, I liked it better back in the day when sports writers were rarely seen or heard.  We just read their columns in the newspaper.  Now with social media, we see their real personalities and most are grouchy and thin skinned as he!!.

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

5 minutes ago, zow2 said:

Tim Graham is strange.  As a matter of fact, I liked it better back in the day when sports writers were rarely seen or heard.  We just read their columns in the newspaper.  Now with social media, we see their real personalities and most are grouchy and thin skinned as he!!.

 

Graham is a very angry dude.  At least Rodak mostly ignores the trolls.

[LabattBlue]

The best question would be...why does anyone read or listen to Graham?

[DuckyBoys]

Rodak I think simply likes to torment Bills fans.  If they do something good , he's always there to remind the readers of past history.  He's really good at trolling the fans in a understated way .Graham's pessimism probably stems from covering the team for so long through some very very bad years.

[BillsVet]

2 hours ago, HiddenInLight said:

Rodak is disliked and treated like an annoying little trash writer because that is what he is.  Hes never even tried to change that perception by doing anything even remotely insightful in an article.  While it's not cool to tell somebody to kill themselves, he reaps what he sews.

 

Pot meet kettle. 

[mob16151]

17 hours ago, Virgil said:

Tim is shockingly sensitive considering what his job requires of him to the public eye. 

 

I didn’t even know where Rodak was from, but all of his articles came off like Pats propaganda and the Bills were a waste of his time.  His Bills coverage was never more insightful than what you’d read on a ticker. 

 

Neither are missed for me. 

Pepperidge farms and I remember TG's meltdown on this board.

[eball]

4 hours ago, Gugny said:

 

My knock on Rodak is that everything he writes is either garbage or "no ****, Sherlock," material.  He offers literally nothing.  Zero.

 

My knock on Timmy G., is that he's an arrogant a-hole who doesn't like to be challenged - even in a professional/respectful manner.  Classic douche, really.  The place is better without him and his ridiculous little cult who followed him like lost puppies.

 

This is pretty spot on.  I've never read something from Rodak and said, "hey, I never thought about it that way."  Nothing special about him at all.

 

Graham, while an excellent writer, is indeed a douche unless you've navigated your way into his protected circle.

[ndirish1978]

Tim is a good writer who absolutely loves being a troll. He had a ridiculous and protracted back and forth with some 80s hair band lead singer's wife some some reason or another that turned me off of defending him. Some funny quips in that exchange, but at the end of the day, are you really spending your day publicly taking shots at someone's missus, that's a good use of your time?

[Hapless Bills Fan]

6 hours ago, BillsVet said:

 

Another outstanding member of the forum driven away.

I cannot believe the loss of civility that's taken place here where even simple debate is practically impossible. 

I really think the board serves as a microcosm for where society is going, and it's not good.  Incessant arguing, an inability to listen, or the ability to agree to disagree.

Some people ultimately decide to leave and replaced with those who have never heard the word decorum.

 

I'll speak up here.   First off, as a user, I typically manage to have quite civil debate here.  I managed for years before I became a mod.  Sometimes things get a little testy but usually folks respond pretty well to "wait a minute, how about quit with the ad-hominems and help me understand why you think that?  because here's why I think what I do."

 

Second, as one of those charged with helping to keep this a civil place where debate continues to be possible, I would like to respectfully direct your attention to the "report" function, which should not be overused, no, but which is at your service should you encounter someone lacking in decorum or civility.

 

I miss Lori, but ultimately each of us has to decide what they get from participating anyplace they spend their time and whether it suits their needs or no.  And no one place will suit everyone's needs.

[The Red King]

Mike Rodak, this guy, right?  With this preseason article? http://www.espn.com/blog/buffalo-bills/post/_/id/28518/bills-set-up-tyrod-taylor-to-fail-blow-up-2017-season-with-shocking-trades , with the headline "Bills set up Tyrod Taylor to fail, blowing up 2017 season with shocking trades" and opens with this wonderfully ironic line "BUFFALO -- Turn out the lights on the Buffalo Bills' 2017 season, because it is over before it started."?  This kind of deep, insightful take?  The season the Bills broke a seventeen year playoff drought was over before it started?  ?

 

As stated by multiple posters prior, Rodak is disliked because all of his Bills' coverage is negative.  Even in the Bills' brightest moments, he finds any spot of tarnish, real of imagined to throw shade at the team.  Compare this to his coverage of the Patriots, where everything is positive, even if it's negative.  If his reporting style was consistant with both teams, most people would be fine.  Yes, there would be a lot more positive pieces about the Pats for obvious reasons, but it's fair and well-deserved.  But actually take a look and you will see day in and day out, article to article that according to Rodak New England can do nothing at all wrong, and Buffalo can't do anything, nothing at all right.  And that...is why he's disliked among many here.

Edited March 19, 2019 by The Red King

[Hapless Bills Fan]

6 hours ago, Gugny said:

 

My knock on Rodak is that everything he writes is either garbage or "no ****, Sherlock," material.  He offers literally nothing.  Zero.

 

My knock on Timmy G., is that he's an arrogant a-hole who doesn't like to be challenged - even in a professional/respectful manner.  Classic douche, really.  The place is better without him and his ridiculous little cult who followed him like lost puppies.

 

TBH, some of the people who were engaging with Tim G were over the top and way out of line IMHO.  I also dunno about cult, and puppies are always good regardless.

But it's also true that TG did "go off" in a taunting/troll like manner, even on people who were simply asking questions or otherwise behaving appropriately.  That's simply not compatible with an open forum on the internet.  Ijits can be ignored, but you will be expected to explain or defend what you say, and if that's not comfortable it's the wrong place for ya.

[John from Riverside]

17 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

I'll speak up here.   First off, as a user, I typically manage to have quite civil debate here.  I managed for years before I became a mod.  Sometimes things get a little testy but usually folks respond pretty well to "wait a minute, how about quit with the ad-hominems and help me understand why you think that?  because here's why I think what I do."

 

Second, as one of those charged with helping to keep this a civil place where debate continues to be possible, I would like to respectfully direct your attention to the "report" function, which should not be overused, no, but which is at your service should you encounter someone lacking in decorum or civility.

 

I miss Lori, but ultimately each of us has to decide what they get from participating anyplace they spend their time and whether it suits their needs or no.  And no one place will suit everyone's needs.

I will say that of late the board has been MUCH better then in the past as far as civility between posters

 

An effort is being made.

[Kelly the Dog]

Rodak is not a great writer, not original, dynamic, entertaining, a two-source old school reporter, he doesn't break stories, ask biting questions, not creative, not funny, not a deep researcher, he doesn't seem to have deep contacts, he's not prolific, and lacks flair. I love that guy!

[17years&waiting]

I think Rodak has improved a bit as the years have gone by.  He has written a few articles that I found genuinely interesting: for example, one was an article detailing the Bills food service for their players.  It was interesting because it had interviews with players, coaches, and staff, contained behind-the-scenes info that regular fans don't have access to, and was a change of pace from debating Tyrod Taylor or whether or not the Bills should re-sign Stephen Gilmore (or whatever over talked about issue was at the fore front).  In other words, it was actually good reporting.  Rodak has probably written less than 5 articles like this.  His snark is improving, but if the Bills take the next step in 2019, it will be interesting to see how he phrases articles.

 

I grew up in Rochester.  I enjoy/miss the reporting that Sal Maiorana, Leo Roth, and Scott Pitoniak did in the D&C -- I know Sal Maiorana gets crap here, but I think his takes are honest.  It's a good contrast to Rodak: Maiorana will write both positive, fluff pieces and will also write negative stories.  He calls it like he sees it, whereas Rodak, Sully, and I'll even add Mike Schopp like to take a snarky, mean-spirited negative spin to generate controversy.  One I can respect, the other is grating and annoying.

[Bing Bong]

Given all the whining I see here about what beat writers aren't saying what TBD wants to hear I'm inclined to agree.

 

I never pay attention to beat writers and these other radio dudes. Get with podcasts y'all. Locked on Bills is great. Cover 2 is great.

Edited March 19, 2019 by BarkleyForGOATBackupPT5P

[Real McClappy]

17 hours ago, ndirish1978 said:

I don't enjoy Rodak very much, but people shouldn't make those types of personal attacks on anyone just because they don't appreciate their work. That said, if you want to troll, expect the hate.

Is forming a one sentence line and popping it on Twitter really working though?

 

Rodak is a tool that I flat out ignore.

[mcdamit]

The Buffalo News did a fantastic job cleaning out dull , unimaginative and snarky group.   They now how a real sport section.   I wish wgr would do the same.  

Joe b went after Murph today is was great radio.   

5 hours ago, ndirish1978 said:

 

Aw crap, now I like him a bit more...

i agree he was extremely snarky.  he is better now .    

[Captain Murica]

3 hours ago, mob16151 said:

Pepperidge farms and I remember TG's meltdown on this board.

Oh, shucks I wish I was able to witness this. How did that turn out? 

[ndirish1978]

10 minutes ago, mcdamit said:

Joe b went after Murph today is was great radio.   

 

 

What was said?

[mcdamit]

1 hour ago, ndirish1978 said:

 

What was said?

they were arguing over weather the Bills tanked.   Murph said Joe b was wrong, Joe said you can say you disagree ,but to say i am wrong is condescending .  

Murpjh shot back well your wrong and they went to commercial .