1. And now there is controversy over the controversial report.
As you know, on the afternoon of Round 1 of the NFL draft last week, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Aaron Rodgers wanted out of Green Bay.
Many people found it curious that Schefter dropped this bomb a few hours before the start of the draft.
On his radio show Thursday, Dan Patrick asked Schefter how the timing of the report came about. Here is Schefter’s answer:
“You know Dan, the funny thing is, I heard people say, ‘Oh, Aaron Rodgers wanted that before the draft.’ I can assure you that Aaron Rodgers didn’t want that before the draft. I’ve had people say, ‘The Green Bay Packers they planted that. It was a very professional Packers story. ”I can assure you, the Green Bay Packers didn’t plant that.
“When people guess where the stories come from, most of the time, they are wrong. And in this case, they are wrong. This was an accumulation.
“All during the offseason, just listening to people talk. And watching. If we go back to the NFC championship game that the Green Bay Packers lost at home, don’t we hear Aaron Rodgers after that game talk about his level? Unhappiness Uncertainty for the future Go back and listen to that press conference and it sounds almost like you’re saying goodbye to Green Bay.
“And so your antenna is on. And I’m just telling you that over the course of the offseason, rarely did a week go by that I didn’t hear from Aaron Rodgers. And on draft day, there’s a report that morning by Paul Allen. In Minneapolis that the 49ers made a draft offer, they didn’t make a draft offer, they never made an offer. And other people said the 49ers called and I said, ‘How long until he gets here? What does Aaron Rodgers want out of? from Green Bay? Will it be next week? Will it be when he doesn’t show up for OTAs? … It’s going out. What does it matter if it comes out now or next week or next month? “
So, Schefter told Patrick that his report was based on an “accumulation” of information. It was based on a tip or leak he received last Thursday afternoon.
Schefter made it clear to Patrick again, saying: “There was nothing that morning he came in. Nobody told me, ‘Yes, he wants to go out; you should report this.’ More conversations, and now Aaron Rodgers is starting to talk and I was like, ‘You know what? This isn’t going to wait much longer.’ And it turned out to be draft day. “
Now I can understand why some people think Schefter’s actions were shady.
But here’s the reality: Schefter did nothing wrong. Fans may be mad at Schefter. Fans, and even people in the NFL, may think Schefter lost some credibility. But his report was accurate. Rodgers confirmed this at the Kentucky Derby on Saturday when he told NBC’s Mike Tirico that he was upset that his break with the Packers came out publicly.
You may not like the timing of Schefter’s report, but he didn’t make it up. He didn’t just throw it away and hope it would stay. He had information and that information was correct.
And if you think it was bullshit, he decided to drop that report hours before the draft, that doesn’t really matter to Schefter because you can certainly bet ESPN was beyond excited about what he did on draft day.
On a totally different topic, some of those people who were mad at Schefter came up with some creative tweets.
two. This week SI Media Podcast presents two interviews. The show kicks off with Ryen Russillo from The ringer. I recapped a meaty part of what we discussed in Thursday’s Traina Thoughts. Other topics covered include moving from ESPN to The Ringer, deciding to stick to sports, do you ever get tired of podcasts? Pam Beesly is “wicked”, can we get some joy out of this NBA season and more?
Following Russillo, Brian Baumgartner, who played Kevin Malone in The office, joined the podcast. Baumgartner talks about hosting The Office Deep Immersion Podcast, what kind of style Dunder Mifflin has, the anniversary of his famous chili scene, and how he feels about the media editing scenes from The office. Baumgartner, who is good friends with Rodgers, also shares his thoughts on the Packers’ quarterback’s discontent with the team.
You can listen to the podcast below or download it at Apple, Spotify Y Stapler.
You can also see the SI Media Podcast in Youtube.
3. Charles Barkley trying to explain the concept of the NBA playoff play-in format is as good as you’d expect.
Four. I would do anything to see an MLB player do this.
5. I’m not an NHL guy, so this might be a terrible shot, but just as an outside observer without a dog in the fight, it seems like the NHL is dirtying the Rangers. The league did not suspend Tom Wilson from the Capitals after he punched a New York player in the face while on the ice. It’s okay. But then, when the Rangers release one of the biggest statements in sports history, the league fined the team $ 250,000. Ridiculous.
6. If you have a lot of free time this weekend, you should listen to the SI Media Podcast. If you have even more time after that, read this oral history from The Sopranos‘famous episode of “Pine Barrens” from The ringer.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: My old school Hot Clicks readers already know this, but I just want to remind everyone that this is still the biggest news mistake of all time.
Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and look at the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast Presented by Jimmy Traina at Apple, Spotify or Stapler. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter Y Instagram.
www.si.com
Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.