Re: Local reactions?

[Theresa Lee <tjoyce@mit.edu>]

I listened to some WEEI (AM-850) last night and a lot of it is Patriots
talk since training camp just opened (you know, the running back question).
The rest of the calls were about Walker and the Boston media. One guy who
just moved to Boston accused the Boston media of being "in bed" with the
management of our local sports teams. The talk radio guys pointed out that
Michael Gee  and others slam the mangement on a regular basis.  Another
good point made is the Boston sports owners/management can't just let a guy
go (Clemens, Vaughn, Walker) if they are not interested in keeping them.
Instead, they have to drag their names through the mud and insinuate that
there is something wrong with these guys ahead of time, so that when they
are traded, let go, etc. the fans blame the athlete.

There were pros and cons for Bob Ryan...keeping the athletes honest vs
arrogance of the media vs being a mangement lackey, that kind of thing.
Most people were FOR keeping Walker.

Personally I think it's like getting in the middle of and taking a side in
a marital dispute. Eventually the two sides make up and forget their
differences, but you are still seething, having had no one to officially
"make up with." This will work itself out and one should always take with a
large grain of salt the writings of the media. Not that they are trying to
be innacurate, but with print media, the written word cannot always convey
the nuances of the spoken word... a la our little list here.

TJL

>Hi List:
>
>For some of us foreign list-subscribers, could someone living in the New
>England area (like Tony Alberghini, Alex or Theresa etc) describe the
>general public reaction regarding Antoine Walker on local Boston sports
>talk radio shows? What about the views of individual talk show hosts?
>Thanks very much.