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

[Low Positive]

2 minutes ago, Einstein said:

Why do people think Dunne asked for credentials? He is a National NFL writer. Why would he ask for a Bills credential?

I don't think Adam Schefter has a Bills credential either...

Dunne was very close with Doug Whaley and Isiah Mckenzie, two people who McDermott essentially fired. I don't think that he's being professional here. And here's his tweet from 6 hours ago on Bills' press credentials. He implies here that he got them taken away when he left B/R to write on his own with no editorial control.

 

[billieve420]

This article changes nothing for me. McDermott's seat should be warm right now. Team needs to pull it together and go on a run or fold. If team collapses Pegula should take long hard look at replacing the coach. Will he is a different question. 

[RoscoeParrish]

Just now, SectionC3 said:

It’s one thing to say it and another to mean it. 

The bogus hack job of an article repeatedly claims our narcissistic dictator of an HC has never apologized in his life. 

[Low Positive]

Just now, billieve420 said:

This article changes nothing for me. McDermott's seat should be warm right now. Team needs to pull it together and go on a run or fold. If team collapses Pegula should take long hard look at replacing the coach. Will he is a different question. 

This story and the Von Miller situation are such huge distractions that there is no way that this team will pull it together. I can hear them taking sides in the locker room from here in Cincinnati. 

[Malazan]

5 minutes ago, Einstein said:

Ahh, you're playing the semantic game. 

Ok, ill rephrase.

The fact that he could find 25 coaches, players, personnel men and other team sources that were willing to say such damning things about a coach who has only been a head coach for 6 years... that speaks volumes by itself.

 

Yes, I know how you hate accuracy.

Edited December 7, 2023 by Malazan

[Nihilarian]

IDGAF what anyone says...This HC is the very best since Marv Levy (1997) and his story is unfinished as he could get to and win an SB. With the Buffalo Bills or the next. Should he get fired because of all the ruckus by the fans and he takes Beane with him...this franchise is screwed. 

 

I have no idea why so many previously win-starved Bills fans want to see this man leave. 

 

What are the odds that any new hire as HC would do as well or better than McD? Have someone in mind?

 

https://www.milehighreport.com/2022/2/1/22910382/nfl-head-coaching-carousel#:~:text=The average winning percentage for,Bill Peterson at 5.3 percent.

 

As of the last few seasons, the biggest roadblock to Buffalo getting to an SB has been the Kansas City Chiefs who have been to 3 of the last 4 SBs and won 2 of them.

 

For some reason, the Chiefs and Mahomes are faltering this season.  

 

[Mikie2times]

2 minutes ago, RoscoeParrish said:

How many times has McD started a presser with:

 

“We have to be better and that starts with me” 

 

I lost count on presser #53.  

Tyler Dunne wants clicks. 

Do you believe people are accepting responsibility when they say broadly "I accept responsibility" or when they talk specifically about what they're accepting responsibility for?  

[PBF81]

3 minutes ago, Governor said:

This is getting sad and putting the players in a terrible position. I think Terry should step in right now and fire McD. Each day this is going to get worse. 

 

It's definiltely something new that makes his situation more untenable by the week now.  

 

It's just a matter of time at this point.  

 

Our performance on the field is hardly irrelevant also.  

 

 

[thenorthremembers]

3 minutes ago, Einstein said:

Ahh, you're playing the semantic game. 

Ok, ill rephrase.

The fact that he could find 25 coaches, players, personnel men and other team sources that were willing to say such damning things about a coach who has only been a head coach for 6 years... that speaks volumes by itself.

They cut 40 players a year and he's fired multiple coaches.  Without going back and looking at how many players they've brought back that's roughly 200 people who could have said something bad about the guy.  The fact a little over 10% of the people he's fired have something bad to say about the guy isn't surprising in the least.  It says more about those people than it does Sean.

[Einstein]

2 minutes ago, Low Positive said:

Dunne was very close with Doug Whaley and Isiah Mckenzie, two people who McDermott essentially fired. I don't think that he's being professional here. And here's his tweet from 6 hours ago on Bills' press credentials. He implies here that he got them taken away when he left B/R to write on his own with no editorial control.

 

That makes sense. Organizations are credentialed (and therefore the employees). Not individual writers. For example, if Joe Buscaglia left The Athletic, he would lose his credentials and have to re-credential with whatever organization he went to.

[Peter]

Whether you like McClappy or don't like McClappy, he has confirmed the 9/11 speech. This and other bits of TD's article are all over X/Twitter. McClappy has completely embarrassed the Buffalo Bills.

 

No owner of a franchise wants to be embarrassed and this is particularly embarrassing especially given what happened on October 7.

 

Using an analogy that I referenced in another post, this likely is McD's Waterloo.  He is an embarrassment and a fraud. If I were Terry Pegula, I would be thinking I don't need this BS - especially with talent we have on our team and the new stadium (not to mention what happened with Kim).

 

McClappy needs to go.

 

By the way, the team that we have would be very desirable for an outstanding coach.

[Einstein]

4 minutes ago, Mikie2times said:

In addition, if this article is such a grave injustice we should hear about it

If you listen closely, you can hear the faint echo of all the players/coaches sticking up for McDermott and stating that the article is full of falsehoods.

[Nephilim17]

11 minutes ago, WEATHER DOT COM said:

 

McDermott going along with the made up story?

 

 

In the video he first says he "lost a good family friend" but then in the end he says it was "multiple family friends."

 

Kind of an odd thing to revise. If you lost mulitple friends, you'd say that from the get-go, am I wrong?

[Mikie2times]

Just now, thenorthremembers said:

They cut 40 players a year and he's fired multiple coaches.  Without going back and looking at how many players they've brought back that's roughly 200 people who could have said something bad about the guy.  The fact a little over 10% of the people he's fired have something bad to say about the guy isn't surprising in the least.  It says more about those people than it does Sean.

So the assumption is he interviewed 200 people and went with the 25 that has something bad to say. Got it. 

[Malazan]

34 minutes ago, PBF81 said:

How would I know.  

 

So you're insinuating that he really hasn't then?   

If you were a journalist and relied upon confidentiality for your sources, you're saying you'd violate those unwritten agreements and tell the world who told you what?  

 

Come on ... that's a ridiculous question and you know it.  

 

I didn't say that. You made most of that up in your own head.

 

I have worked as a journalist and no editor would ever allow 25 anonymous sources.

 

The way it's supposed to work is that you work hard to get your sources to let you attribute them as closely as possible and have to be willing to not publish people if they won't agree to a level that is sufficient. For example, a former coach says he doesn't want you to use his name, you suggest to use, "a former coach on the Bill's defense" or something like "former positional coach from Carolina". That's not what is done here. 

 

The entry level guy who cuts film can be referred to as a coach.. the person selling pretzels can be a team source that passed through one bills drive (oh, every single coach who has ever entered the stadium could also be a coach who has passed through one bills drive.. opponent, interviewee for a position someone who visited the stadium) so you can see why journalists would want to be as specific as possible. 

 

That's always been loose in sports writing, but this is egregious. The big reason for this is to allow the reader to gauge how reliable the source is and second.. to examine why the source is sharing this information. In this case, it's sort of odd that it happened a couple years ago and we never heard a peep about it. 

 

As you can easily see, I have thought McDermott needs to go for awhile now due to the amount of drama around this team, but I have a strong opinion about responsible journalism and I'm not willing to unhinge myself and forgive bad journalism because it advance my own agenda. 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2023 by Malazan

[Warcodered]

2 hours ago, dave mcbride said:

From the recent BN story about Frazier, LF seems to still have a tight relationship with McDermott, and it seemed genuine from the piece. 

I mean it was the most polite firing I've ever seen.

1 hour ago, Ray Stonada said:

 

🤦‍♂️

 

So he actually said it, the fact that he also said it in 2021, what a nice sentiment for players right before September and the 20th anniversary.

[Goin Breakdown]

All of this should serve well in the locker room. 

[thenorthremembers]

Just now, Mikie2times said:

So the assumption is he interviewed 200 people and went with the 25 that has something bad to say. Got it. 

No the assumption is he knew 25 people who had something bad to say about the coach.   He wasn't weeding though people.  He was going directly to people who had an axe.to grind.  My point if you actually read it, is given the amount of people he's interacted with over his 7 years here its not surprising they could find a small subset of those people who didn't like him.

[Simon]

Just now, Goin Breakdown said:

All of this should serve well in the locker room. 

 

These guys are playing for each other, not a coach.

[dgr81]

1 minute ago, Nephilim17 said:

In the video he first says he "lost a good family friend" but then in the end he says it was "multiple family friends."

 

Kind of an odd thing to revise. If you lost mulitple friends, you'd say that from the get-go, am I wrong?

McD is full of it.

 

I can't believe there are people on this forum still defending this man.
 

McD learned from Ron Rivera the biggest fraud in the NFL. Both will be out of jobs at the end of this year and the NFL will be a better place.

[Mr. WEO]

1 hour ago, SCBills said:

For all the jokes I find hilarious about this situation, I will admit that this comes across as a pretty dirty hit piece and while I would love a new coach next year … I don’t think McDermott deserves all this.  

 

what are the dirty parts?  I must have missed them...

[Mikie2times]

Just now, thenorthremembers said:

No the assumption is he knew 25 people who had something bad to say about the coach.   He wasn't weeding though people.  He was going directly to people who had an axe.to grind.  My point if you actually read it, is given the amount of people he's interacted with over his 7 years here its not surprising they could find a small subset of those people who didn't like him.

I did read it. I'm trying to wrap my head around the logic. So he knew all the people beforehand that had an "axe" to grind? So if that's true and he just used people who didn't like Sean than I imagine we should hear some people come out and support Sean right?

[Alphadawg7]

7 minutes ago, SectionC3 said:

a couple of additional thoughts:

 

1.  I bet Bills PR really regrets not credentialing Ty Dunne. 
 

2.  Ike McKenzie did a lil’ dirty on Mc D today.  Wow. 
 

3.  This is a far bigger PR catastrophe than the Doug Whaley presser.  It may follow McD forever. 

 

 

Personally I highly doubt they regret it.  There is a reason he wasn't credentialed and he has on multiple occasions validated that decision.  

 

Winning erases a lot of things and Losing magnifies them...Bills beat Chiefs and Cowboys next week and literally no one will be talking about this except the crowd that wanted McD gone before this article came out.  However, we lose to KC, especially if there are poor decisions made that contribute to the loss, and it will definitely help the story stick around longer and could weigh on his future here.

 

But ultimately, this won't follow McD outside of Buffalo once his time is over here.  He has a high % coaching record for an organization that was inept before he got here.  He is going to get another chance somewhere else once his time in Buffalo is done.

[Scott7975]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/bills-coach-sean-mcdermott-breaks-silence-on-disturbing-team-speech/ar-AA1lam2R?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=80a710107d594297b06725b62f7355d2&ei=14

 

 

There is more to the article if people want to read it, but I snipped McD's actual response.  It's just off MSN so no paywall.  

 

 

Quote

McDermott addressed the media on Wednesday, confirming he gave this speech. “My intent in the meeting that day was to discuss the importance of communication,” he said, per The Buffalo News’ Katherine Fitzgerald. “I regretted mentioning 9/11 in my message that day, and I immediately apologized to the team.”

 

 

[Turbo44]

3 minutes ago, dgr81 said:

McD is full of it.

 

I can't believe there are people on this forum still defending this man.
 

McD learned from Ron Rivera the biggest fraud in the NFL. Both will be out of jobs at the end of this year and the NFL will be a better place.

I will never forgive him for 13 seconds and his lack of explanation:accountability for it. this off the field stuff just makes it worse. They let the wrong guy go after 13 seconds

[Beck Water]

8 hours ago, Roundybout said:

https://www.golongtd.com/p/the-mcdermott-problem-part-i-blame?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
 

 

A very long read, and the other parts are only for paid subscribers, but his sources paint a picture of McD as a narcissistic control freak who won’t take accountability for anything. 
 

 

Do with this what you will. 

 

Back in the days when Ty Dunne was writing for TBN, I loved his work.  During his 4 years at Bleacher Report, I frequently enjoyed it.

 

Then, I got to hand it to him for nerve and verve - he decided to go out on his own to support himself by pulling in paid subscribers to an independent long-story 'blog' format, right at the time when bloggers and subscription newsletters seemed to be dying in favor of social media content by advert-supported 'influencers'.

 

But since then - I haven't admired a lot of content he put out.  I don't feel that he holds himself to a high standard for verifying sources.  He started out relying on disgruntled former Bills FO guys Jim Monos and Doug Whaley, who no one else in the NFL have wanted to hire.  He needs to draw in subscribers to make a living, and the way to do that is to generate controversy.

 

If you want to believe his shows, Isaiah McKenzie gets open all the time against zone and Josh Allen just inexplicably refused to throw him the football last season.

 

I don't know who this "former assistant coach" Dunne quotes might be and whether he has an 'ax to grind' on the way out the door. 

 

I do know that in the 6 games prior to him being 'relieved of his duties', the Ken Dorsey offense spearheaded by the "gift from the Football Gods", Josh Allen, was averaging 20.6 ppg (a point  BELOW league average 21.7 ppg) - this without any major injuries to key offensive personnel - and had given up 13 turnovers (more than 2 TO per game).  

 

In the same time period and despite all the turnovers, the injury-depleted defense, missing starters to season-ending IR at 2ndary, LB, and DL and down to the 3rd string at DB and LB on a game to game basis, has held opponents to 21.5 (slightly better than league average).

So call me Cray-Cray, but from my seat in a comfy chair, I kind of feel like where we are is the result of the offense not living up to what a "gift from the Football Gods"-led offense should be able to generate.
 

Do with this info what you will.

 

PS I'm pretty sure Sean McDermott has an ego.  I don't think anyone becomes a head football coach without having an ego.  But for the successful coaches, that's typically tempered by a good leaven of humility and willingness to listen and hear.   If McD is such an accountability-free egomaniac - well, it's harder to sustain winning year to year in this league than not.  It was said that Daboll wasn't happy working with McDermott.  Well, Daboll had a great first year with the Giants but the wheels have fallen off this season and Daboll has been seen screaming in Wink Martindale's face on the sidelines.  Do with this info what you will, also.

 

[Buffalo Super Fan]

1 minute ago, Simon said:

 

These guys are playing for each other, not a coach.

They need a competent coach not a coach that panics when he makes decisions. Then when the decision goes bad doesn’t take accountability in the locker room and blames others for his decisions. You can’t win a championship with coaches like that. I always felt Sean McDermott is a college head coach not a NFL head coach. Sean McDermott needs to be fired at the end of the season if the Buffalo Bills miss the playoffs that is unacceptable with the Bills talent level in my opinion. Go Bills! Let’s Go Buffalo 

[thenorthremembers]

Just now, Mikie2times said:

I did read it. I'm trying to wrap my head around the logic. So he knew all the people beforehand that had an "axe" to grind? So if that's true and he just used people who didn't like Sean than I imagine we should hear some people come out and support Sean right?

He's literally had those same people on his podcast.  Monos, Whaley, McKenzie.  He's done work with Quinton Spain.   That's just off the top of my head.   He could literally start with those 4 guys and ask "hey do know of anyone else who'd be willing to talk about this?"  

 

Football organizations are massive its not hard to find 25 people.   Have you missed people speaking well of Sean over the last 7 years?   The only difference is no one has written that piece or complied all the positive things because that's not what people want to read about.  It's not what sells subscriptions.

[PBF81]

6 minutes ago, Malazan said:

 

I didn't say that. You made most of that up in your own head.

 

I have worked as a journalist and no editor would ever allow 25 anonymous sources.

 

The way it's supposed to work is that you work hard to get your sources to let you attribute them as closely as possible and have to be willing to not publish people if they won't agree to a level that is sufficient. For example, a former coach says he doesn't want you to use his name, you suggest to use, "a former coach on the Bill's defense" or something like "former positional coach from Carolina". That's not what is done here. 

 

The entry level guy who cuts film can be referred to as a coach.. the person selling pretzels can be a team source that passed through one bills drive (oh, every single coach who has ever entered the stadium could also be a coach who has passed through one bills drive.. opponent, interviewee for a position someone who visited the stadium) so you can see why journalists would want to be as specific as possible. 

 

That's always been loose in sports writing, but this is egregious. The big reason for this is to allow the reader to gauge how reliable the source is and second.. to examine why the source is sharing this information. In this case, it's sort of odd that it happened a couple years ago and we never heard a peep about it. 

 

As you can easily see, I have thought McDermott needs to go for awhile now due to the amount of drama around this team, but I have a strong opinion about responsible journalism and I'm not willing to unhinge myself and forgive bad journalism because it advance my own agenda. 

 

 

 

Yeah, that's pretty much exactly what you implied.  

 

Let's end this please.  Who cares what I think.  

 

This situation isn't doing anything for team unity and it cannot possibly help for a game that's in three days.  

 

McD has difficulty enough preparing under normal circumstances, this is going to be an interesting game.  

 

 

[Billschinatown]

Just now, Turbo44 said:

I will never forgive him for 13 seconds and his lack of explanation:accountability for it. this off the field stuff just makes it worse. They let the wrong guy go after 13 seconds

Dude be cool. You need to move on and practice forgiveness. Remember when the allies let Hitler take Poland? Figure out how they worked as a team to accomplish the goal of forgiveness. 

[transplantbillsfan]

6 minutes ago, Goin Breakdown said:

All of this should serve well in the locker room. 

 

5 minutes ago, Simon said:

 

These guys are playing for each other, not a coach.

 

I don't know... the players on the whole might really like McDermott as a coach and view this as a hit job.  They might also believe he's a very good man (which he seems to be) and be even more offended by an article that gets incredibly personal in its attacks of him.

 

It'll be interesting how the team responds.

[Malazan]

1 minute ago, Mikie2times said:

I did read it. I'm trying to wrap my head around the logic. So he knew all the people beforehand that had an "axe" to grind? So if that's true and he just used people who didn't like Sean than I imagine we should hear some people come out and support Sean right?

 

Journalist's often interview many more people than the number they use in their article. 

[Jerboski]

Wow talk about not understanding the room or importance/sadness of that day…. Just sickening Sean, cannot happen 

[PatsFanNH]

Just now, Billschinatown said:

Dude be cool. You need to move on and practice forgiveness. Remember when the allies let Hitler take Poland? Figure out how they worked as a team to accomplish the goal of forgiveness. 

Huh? Dude the Allies declared war when Hitler invaded Poland! They didn’t let him take that country.. him and Russia split it. 

[Dick_Cheney]

I can’t believe how viral this story has gone. So many Bills topics are trending on Twitter right now. 

[Billschinatown]

1 minute ago, PatsFanNH said:

Huh? Dude the Allies declared war when Hitler invaded Poland! They didn’t let him take that country.. him and Russia split it. 

Couldn’t stick the landing of my joke, pulled a McDermott

[TheFunPolice]

It has to be tough to know that so many people that worked or played here see McDermott as a well meaning awkward doofus.

 

Definitely not the calm, detail oriented leader he wants to portray.

 

That's almost the worst part. 

Edited December 7, 2023 by TheFunPolice

[RunTheBall]

I was off the McD train. Now I’m about to jump back on because this is some bush league BS. I don’t like the whole feel of it and I’m sure there’s some truth buried in the article somewhere.

 

The only reason to release this at this time was 1) Make $$ off people buying the article at the height of the anti-McD rhetoric going around 2) Hurt McD who he has an obvious bias against and 3) Hurt the Bills right before the most important game of the season so far.

 

Between Dunne and Fairburn, who’s more butt hurt about McD? Hard to tell as they probably circle jerk each other while spitting on a McD voodoo doll. It’s blatantly biased journalism

 

I’ve got a lot of McD issues, but I sincerely hope the team CIRCLES THE WAGONS and goes on a run because this feels oily. It’s slimy. Not because there may be some truth behind it but because it was released at a time to do maximum damaged and earn maximum bucks by a guy who has a maximum beef with McD and the Bills.

 

 

 

Edited December 8, 2023 by RunTheBall

[Alphadawg7]

42 minutes ago, PBF81 said:

 

 

Let's just call this.  

 

 

 

21 minutes ago, PBF81 said:

@Alphadawg7 

 

Don't eyeroll it, answer it.  

 

It's a simple question, yes or no.  The definition can't possibly be long. 

 

 

 

This you above?  LOL, and I had already called this before you said "Let's just call this."  Then you proceed to follow that up with trying to go back into the discussion?  LOL

 

The definition of "complimentary football" is also utterly irrelevant.  You are trying to paint a skewed definition about it to deflect any Dorsey blame regarding the offense and make it all the fault of only McD because that serves your overall agenda against McD.  

 

You are only interested in finding confirmation bias for your theories, you are not actually interested in discussing the points.  So any further discussion on the matter with you is futile.  Doesn't matter how I or anyone will define it, you have already made up your own mind about what it means and you have already decided that no possible definition other than your own personal interpretation and theory are correct. 

[billsfan714]

I hate that we never knew what happened in watergate because they used an unnamed source.  😀