Anyone know what happened to Czaban on Sportsnet?

[Beemnseven]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

Sorry but I'm not interested in questions that I already know the answer to. His questioning of Brunell had one intention, to piss him off. Mission accomplished I guess. That's not professional journalism in my opinion.

What some may think of as being hard hitting or shocking I think it's just immature.

The thing is, Czaban himself would probably tell you he's not trying to be a "professional journalist". That likely was never his intention. When a team in this position plays like this, there aren't many questions that won't "piss them off."

I like him. As someone else said, the kool-aid drinkers and apologists who regurgitate the company line are obviously offended by him. He's not a lockstep Gibbs defender, he doesn't bow at the alter of Dan Snyder's Media Empire, and he plays the role that many fans want to see -- the naysayer, the guy who's pissed off at his team who says what he really thinks, and who, at fan websites gets people to talk and write about him in threads just like this.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by Beemnseven

The thing is, Czaban himself would probably tell you he's not trying to be a "professional journalist". That likely was never his intention. When a team in this position plays like this, there aren't many questions that won't "piss them off."

I like him. As someone else said, the kool-aid drinkers and apologists who regurgitate the company line are obviously offended by him. He's not a lockstep Gibbs defender, he doesn't bow at the alter of Dan Snyder's Media Empire, and he plays the role that many fans want to see -- the naysayer, the guy who's pissed off at his team who says what he really thinks, and who, at fan websites gets people to talk and write about him in threads just like this.

Why does it always have to be black and white? It's always the apologists vs. the naysayers.

I'd say there's a lot of gray area there that the majority of people fall into.

Personally I'm not into hearing someone towing the company line, because of that I rarely visit Redskins.com and when I do I take everything I read there with a grain of salt, but at the same time I'm not in favor of some idiot trying to rile up players in interviews or fans up in the press box getting on the case of national sports writers.

In the end neither extreme accomplishes anything.

[irish]

I dont believe Czab considers himself a journalist (him and Andy have discussed this many times on their radio show) he considers himself, like NYCSkins says, an entertainer or sports talk show host not a journalist. Bram Weinstein & Jason LaConfora are a couple of the journalists that cover the skins. They have a totally different job than Czab.

[FRPLG]

I agree the question was meant to irk Brunell but considering the state of media openess the Skins have maybe ruffling feathers and stirring things up needs to happen more. I am sick and tired of the same old "blah blah blah blah not really saying anything at all blah blah blah" BS from the Skins. I love my man Gibbs but he says nothing and the players follow right along." And Snyder's paranoid control of Wash media is totlly self serving and does nothing to actually help the team. Just freaking tired ouf it.

[Hog1]

In all seriousness, I think many fans are looking for retribution for a bad team. They want "justice" in the form of an admission from the team that affirms the team has wronged them by playing like sh... They want to be compensated in some way for giving there "fan devotion" to the team, and recieving betrayal in return. I don't think that is going to happen.

I think if the team could figure out the problem, they would. I think they know the answers and will rectify it. However, it may not be easy? We'll see. If you start calling out the problems by position, and player, you get a T.O. situation.

[Rock Your Face]

So what's the problem from the 'Skins' eyes with having a "fan", ie Czabe, ask questions to Brunell? They have 3 of the biggest fans calling their games.

I think the bigger isssue here is not whether Czabe is a journalist or not (I really do not think he is), but how the 'Skins attempt to, and succeed, in crushing anyone that is crtitical of the team.

[70Chip]

I don't buy Czaban as "the voice of the fans". He has never said anything that represents my views. Though, I guess the fans who don't know anything about the game need someone to speak for them as well. Czaban is a moronic jackass. He was trying to play the role of Barney Badass and he found out who has the real power. I love seeing dimwits like that get put in their place. Good for Comcast. I think they should put Tony Mcgee on that show. He rules.

[SouperMeister]

Originally Posted by 70Chip

I don't buy Czaban as "the voice of the fans". He has never said anything that represents my views. Though, I guess the fans who don't know anything about the game need someone to speak for them as well. Czaban is a moronic jackass. He was trying to play the role of Barney Badass and he found out who has the real power. I love seeing dimwits like that get put in their place. Good for Comcast. I think they should put Tony Mcgee on that show. He rules.

I couldn't disagree more. Czaban's ouster for asking legit questions ranks up there with Peter Angelos running the great Jon Miller out of Baltimore for being deservedly critical of the Orioles after their shoddy play against the Yanks in the '96 ALDS. When team ownership tries to force a filter on all opinion regarding the team, we get a one-sided view. Let's just say that the Comcast post-game was far less interesting without Czaban last week.

[hooskins]

Originally Posted by SouperMeister

I couldn't disagree more. Czaban's ouster for asking legit questions ranks up there with Peter Angelos running the great Jon Miller out of Baltimore for being deservedly critical of the Orioles after their shoddy play against the Yanks in the '96 ALDS. When team ownership tries to force a filter on all opinion regarding the team, we get a one-sided view. Let's just say that the Comcast post-game was far less interesting without Czaban last week.

I agree too, someone from the Redskins organization must have contacted Comcast and threathened to decrease connections with CSN. So Comcast suspended him as an example.

I hate when that happens, I am very much opposed to filtering. Regardless if he was a jackass, he was just speaking his mind. IMO all opinions should be tolerated, even if they are radical. Every fan has a right to hear any opinion, and then make an educated decision about what they feel is correct. Czaban's opinion is so crazy sometimes, it helps me realize the validity of my position. If anything, his crazy opinions help you realize your opinion is right.

I hate the Redskins(or Comcast, if they truely did it on their own, which I doubt) for shutting down an opinion. It just makes the organization sound weak and desperate to me. They are running around trying to purge those with differing opinions.

What the hell is this, the Soviet Union??

[irish]

I'll take the rile up slant every time. At least if an interviewer says something that gets a player going the fan may get some nugget of truth or insight that they might not otherwise get. And rile up does not always have to mean bad, it could be when things are going great and a question gets a player riled up with excitement.

I am just wondering if there are any cities out there that dont have fans of teams in the press box. My guess is there are none. I suspect every one of those people were interested in getting the job because they are fans. Why else would they want the job? Having fans in the booth makes the game more fun and interesting. You get the good, bad & ugly. Unfortunately for the skins there has been too much bad & ugly lately. This will be reflected by the announcer fan in the booth. I'd rather listen to announcer fans in the press box do the game than a disconnected national announcer.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by irish

I'll take the rile up slant every time. At least if an interviewer says something that gets a player going the fan may get some nugget of truth or insight that they might not otherwise get. And rile up does not always have to mean bad, it could be when things are going great and a question gets a player riled up with excitement.

I am just wondering if there are any cities out there that dont have fans of teams in the press box. My guess is there are none. I suspect every one of those people were interested in getting the job because they are fans. Why else would they want the job? Having fans in the booth makes the game more fun and interesting. You get the good, bad & ugly. Unfortunately for the skins there has been too much bad & ugly lately. This will be reflected by the announcer fan in the booth. I'd rather listen to announcer fans in the press box do the game than a disconnected national announcer.

What other teams allow fans in the pressbox?? Outside of the Skins I've never heard of such a thing.

[irish]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

What other teams allow fans in the pressbox?? Outside of the Skins I've never heard of such a thing.

Pittsburgh, Tampa, Cleveland, Cinncy, Balt. Those are just the ones I know.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

What other teams allow fans in the pressbox?? Outside of the Skins I've never heard of such a thing.

I think he means the sports writers are by in large fans. But i don't really agree with that. Sports writers for major papers like the Post don't take the job because they are fans of a certain team. They take a job because it furthers their career. In fact they often take jobs in spite of being a fan and have to work to surpress that fandom.

[irish]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

I think he means the sports writers are by in large fans. But i don't really agree with that. Sports writers for major papers like the Post don't take the job because they are fans of a certain team. They take a job because it furthers their career. In fact they often take jobs in spite of being a fan and have to work to surpress that fandom.

I agree about writers for the Post , etc. They are writers and took the job for the writing not because they are fans.

He means guys like Czab that are not writers or journalists but rather sports talk show hosts (more of an entertainer) that have pre & post game shows where they may or may not get to directly ask a player or coach a question.

[Daseal]

Watching the post game press conference makes me sick every week. Not a single person in that room had the balls to ask about Brunell. They tried to get to it in a round about fashion, making the question even easier for Gibbs to dodge.

The point is, the media should hold little to no allegiance to the team and should be working for the fans. We want to know why we have a floundering QB in there when the season is over. We want to know why our defense can't stop anyone, we want to know why we can't find a running game.

But when the headcoach and owner of the team own the media, everyone loses.