"Dealing with the Media" Archive

Okay…is Kap really dating Sanaa Lathan or is she getting pub for her new movie??? I’m suspicious! Either way she’s gorgeous and I want to see Best Man Holiday.

Women aren’t the only one writing San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick letters. Reporters are doing it too. An SF Gate reporter has penned an open letter to Kap saying that he’s a jerk to the media and that his coach Jim Harbaugh seems to be encouraging it.

It begins:

Dear Colin,

Stop acting like a jerk.

Your press conferences are an embarrassment. If you’re uncomfortable or shy, that’s one thing. That’s not how you come across. You sound dismissive, combative, and rude. There’s no excuse for rude.

The reporter than compares Kaepernick’s behavior to that of a 12 year old and goes on to say:

It’s your job: The NFL is a multi-billion-dollar business. Players are required to appear in public. Those press conferences aren’t going away just because you don’t like doing them. The league and the 49ers are selling tickets, jerseys and, frankly, you. This is how your salary is paid. You will have media availability after every single game. You’ll probably have one, and likely more than one, press conference during the week. Those are facts. Deal with it.

I think you get the picture.

I was a little surprised at this open letter just because thus far I hadn’t seen anyone complain about Kaepernick’s attitude. Usually, there’s at least some indication that there’s an issue before people head to the compose box and publish something this scathing. Like last year, with Cam Newton, there were grumbles first and then reporters really let him have it. But last I heard about Kaepernick and media is that they were all fawning over how thoughtful he was for ordering them pizzas on media day. Things sure do change fast. 

They’re changing fast for RG3 too who was recently bashed in ESPN magazine for being “inauthentic” and succumbing to over branding. The headline, as trolley as can be, accused RG3 of being “more commercial than competitor.” DC sports bog rightfully pointed out that ESPN is the main outlet that brought us the over sell of RG3 in the first place. As you can see, managing an image is a tough thing to do in a 24 hour media environment. One minute you’re chosen, next minute you’re told to have a seat.

But back to Kap, I think he’s a bit…full of himself and it often comes across douchey. But it doesn’t bother me at all. Of course, I don’t cover his team either.  Besides that, I think that the NFL has an OBSCENE amount of mandatory press conferences and interviews and some of the questions reporters ask are downright foolish. Quite frankly, even as a blogger who contributes to this problem, I have to admit there’s more writers and commentators than there is news. And that can make for a prickly relationship between media and players cause everyone has to publish SOMETHING even when there is NOTHING left to say.

It’s not that I mind the reporter addressing Kap’s behavior, but I thought his piece should have contained some examples of him 1. trying to correct the issue with the 49ers organization prior to writing about it and 2. being a victim of Kap’s jerky behavior. It’s hard to take a reporter’s side when they don’t lay out any kind of case. It’s not like Kap has hit any reporters with the Russell Westbrook “no more questions for you, bro.” That was embarrassing!

Also, the piece mentions Kaepernick and the whole “favoriting negative tweets” thing which to me took away from the reporter’s point. Kap was interviewed by NFL network after the 49ers beat the Rams and after gently handling 3 questions from the guys about the twitter thing he finally said he didn’t get why people were asking him and he thought it was silly. Maybe that came off rude to some people but sometimes you have to draw a line in the sand when it comes to the stupid stuff.