Bad Religion rules!

This media bias against our great organization makes me sick to my stomach.

kent.somers@arizonarepublic.com; Garceau@wmar.com; mgaughan@buffnews.com; cchandler@charlotteobserver.com; dpompei@tribune.com; cludwig@daytondailynews.com; tgrossi@plaind.com; rgosselin@dallasnews.com; sports@RockyMountainNews.com; cchristl@journalsentinel.com; john.mcclain@chron.com; mike.chappell@indystar.com; skouvari@wjxt.com; epope@herald.com; sports@startribune.com; borges@globe.com; pfinney@timespicayune.com; sports@northjersey.com; FCooney@sportsxchange.com; pdomo@aol.com; ebouchette@post-gazette.com; ngay@sfchronicle.com; clarefarnsworth@seattlepi.com; ikaufman@tampatrib.com; dclimer@tennessean.com; HBalzer@sportsxchange.com; jbell@usatoday.com; dgoldberg@ap.org; imiller@sportsxchange.com; Badgerlen@hotmail.com; vito.stellino@jacksonville.com; jim.trotter@uniontrib.com; cjwilliams@star-telegram.com

In response to absurdity,

Shannon Sharp was NOT a wide receiver and he revolutionized the tight end position. Whoever believes he should be considered a WR has an agenda that isn’t about voting in the best players of all-time a skill positions. Should we vote on Deion Sanders as a WR since he played WR once or twice? Absurd! You’ve already made a mistake letting Randy Gradishar fall through the cracks…the only TE even close to Shannon Sharpe’s level is Tony Gonzalez. Is Tony going to have to wait too??? Absurd!

~An Angry Bronco Fan Who Is Mad As Hell And Isn’t Going To Take It Anymore!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_qgVn-Op7Q&feature=related

Yay! I apologized for sending the blind rant and commended her for her intelligent choice…or something like that. :)

All Bronco fans must get involved to ensure Sharpe gets in on the first ballot as he should. If we had done this for guys like Little or Gardishar we would have gotten those guys in before they went to the veteran’s committee. Let’s not make the same mistake again…let’s not let our apathy be the cause of our Bronco greats demise in the Hall of Fame.

they didn’t arbitrarily change Elway’s position to RB, since he had a decent amount of rushing yardage… =/

Any post that recognizes the Norwich Bulletin makes me feel at home. Very well written post. Thanks for the great work.

Connecticut rocks!!

I voted for “Bartlett has finally lost his mind, all the way, this time” but I wanted to add “and I love it” at the end! Id on’t much care for the HoF or any of the major accolades in the sports that I follow because the gatekeepers of those institutions are far too often not worthy of polishing the shoes of the men they wantonly keep out. That said, Sharpe being denied his rightful place among the first-ballot inductees would be one travesty too many in my book. Perhaps his platform as a broadcaster now and his popularity as a player ever so recently will put the spotlight on the process that refuses to acknowledge his achievements. I think even non-Broncos fans will be perplex and probably annoyed if he’s not in.

On a bit of an off-topic tangent to the original post, I’d like to say a few things about Mile High Report. I’ve been a member for some time now and I’m grateful for this place. I like looking down at the list of the management here and thinking to myself that I absolutely love reading everything you all have to say about anything. MHR is blessed with an exceptional staff and amazing community (in both quantity and quality) of which I’m proud to consider myself a member. Thanks for everything, guys and gals. Go Broncos!

And by far the best. Whether it’s JohnnyB’s blunt but rational insight (He always knows exactly the right thing to say), HT’s incredible football wisdom, Styg’s mastery of prose, Zappa’s… contributions (Sorry, I mean Zappa’s excellent insights and level-headed, thought-provoking, gentlemanly discourse with other teams’ fans), Broncobear’s impeccable ability to tell a story that is both entertaining and relevant, Ted’s passion and groundedness (I’m pretty sure I just made up a word. What i mean is that he’s grounded in reality and not in LaLaLand), Mdierk’s subtle hints and wisdom, or nickt’s excellent regression analysis, we have a little piece of insight for everyone. The only thing we’re missing is a teenager (still waiting on that one, Guru. lol)

I think our staff could easily go toe-to-toe with anything the BSM could throw at it. Not only are our facts straight, our insight well-crafted, and our stories entertaining and meaningful, but it is presented in a way that is refreshing and never leaves one jaded. I say it all the time, but every time I mean it: you truly have done an incredible job here, JohnnyB.

truth & humor Ted Bartlett writes with is all.
Great Post Ted
What so ever—-msn, or traditonal——-its a dying breed
recd

Time to open up a can of whoop-ass!

I can’t send to http sites, but I emailed all the rest of those clowns.

Schreiber’s on her way out.

Great post Ted. The rants never get old.

i will start my own sports programming network better than espn with no east coast bias or brett favre bs…..just what is happening now…….everyteam will get its fair share of coverage so fans of all teams big or small shall be heard…….
also there will be futbol channels to go with it for the european soccer fans
an english premier league channell/ la liga channel/ serie a channel/ and budesliga channel

the sports channels in this country need to take a step up to the next level

I’m sure this sounds stupid, but I’d be more comfortable with Hall of Fame players/coaches being the ones making these determinations, with perhaps a smaller contingent of writers. I think players would be less biased than half the names I just read on that list.

Is that they know more about the sport than the average fan, whatever this may mean.

I deleted a bit from an earlier post, but it pertains here. This is, in great part, an issue of access. Other than JohnnyB, I believe, we don’t really have any press credentials. As such, we don’t have access to interview the players, the coaches and so forth. That has been understandable in the past. The deluge of questions would overwhelm the players, coaches and staff.

However, as the media evolves, newspapers shutter and fewer and fewer people write, much of it taken from one and superficially repackaged by the next, there is a two part, rising issue:

First, how can those who spend so much of their time on the sport, those like JohnnyB and HT, Ted and bradley, who often know more than the writers whose materials they read, have a legitimate say in the hof voting and issues of this nature?

Secondly – Who does watch the watchers? If you can show, and we apparently can easily do so, that certain teams are shamelessly under-represented and have been for decades, how can we first influence change with regard to this process? Clearly, a rising up of the fans has created an increased awareness on the part of the MSM, and yes, right now, there is an MSM, so articles like this are necessary.

And last – the response of Rosenthal is indicative of the hostility that sometimes exists, to the fan base and the blogosphere in general by the people that currently have the power to vote. That’s quite understandable – their jobs are on the line, their mistakes exposed in excruciating detail, and the fans are often angry. Sometimes with good reason, and, to be fair, sometimes not. As this process unfolds, the names and circumstances of those who hold that access will inevitably experience change; there will be some anger on both sides, and some small, at first begrudging cooperation. Eventually a new form of communication of ideas and ‘news’ will come about as that unfolds. It’s wondrous, in a way, to consider to forms that it may take. We are all, as Ted pointed out, a part of that, and we have a voice, now, in a far greater way.

Here is my email I sent out:

To all those listed in this email,

It has come to my attention that many of you are considering Shannon Sharpe induction based on him playing WR and not TE in the NFL. Apparently the vast majority of you have no knowledge of the game called professional football or the people that you are supposed to judging for induction into the pro-football hall of fame. Shannon Sharpe helped change the position of TE and arguably was one if not the greatest to every play the position. He retired as the all time leader in receptions for a TE and TD catches, he helped three teams win super bowls, went to multiple pro-bowls, and was the best TE playing during his career. Prior to Mike Shanahan arrival in Denver as a head coach, Shannon Sharpe was one if not the only viable receiving target for John Elway.

The fact that you have routinely kept great players like Randy Gradishar, Floyd Little, Terrell Davis, Louis Wright, Karl Mecklenberg, and others out of the Hall of Fame based on your ignorance of the Denver Broncos is crime in itself, don’t discredit whatever semblance of football intelligence that you claim to have by voting for Shanon Sharpe as a WR. He played TE, was listed as a TE, and was one of the greatest TE ever. If he is not voted in based on some preconceived notion that he played WR, then you obviously don’t belong on a Hall of Fame voting committee to begin with and you should resign as such. Do the right thing and vote Shanon Sharpe in, and then do the right thing and start going down that list and realizing the Broncos did not begin and end with John Elway, and start recognizing the other great players that have played for the Broncos.

Thank you,

Here is what I got back from Vito:

what is this, an urban legend? i’ve got several emails saying sharpe’s being considered
as a WR. In our handbook on players it says, shannon sharpe, tight end.
of course, you could argue he was more of a WR than a TE because he rarely blocked, but
he’s listed as a tight end.
vito stellino

Here’s my reply:

Your fellow HOF voter John Clayton is reporting this! Was on Mike and Mike this morning telling that Shannon Sharpe was not going to get elected because he and his “fellow” HOF voters were going to look at Sharpe as a WR, so I am guessing he has talked to more than a few of you before he would report something like this.

The major response from at least two MSM writers is that the official site says Sharpe is a TE. They fail to respond to Clayton’s admission that the inside horsetrading going on the smoke filled back rooms is to quietly consider Sharpe a WR to let someone else get in first.

This is a beautiful picture of why the MSM is uninformed, biased, and quickly losing the respect of the American people. Rosenthal and Stellino are perfect examples of “journalists” who don’t fully do their homework before they open their mouths (or put something to print).

The only problem with the story is the poll. To many choices that say the same thing. My vote is for all of the choices that list the situation as a travesty, but to vote for any one of them splits the opinion.

I heard Clayton live that morning, and while I get the fact that Shannon Sharpe was a pass-catching TE(moreso than, say, Mike Ditka) the Broncos ran for more yards than anyone during Shanny’s 15 years, many of those with Sharpe. TE’s and WR’s HAVE TO BLOCK to get on the field for Mike Shanahan. Sharpe’s stories about this are legendary.

I would love to get some of these guy’s and gal’s thoughts about Tony Gonzalez. I’,m sure they all feel TG is a first-ballot HOF’er. Of course, TG has yet to sniff a title while Sharpe has 3 rings, but that only matter when it is a Bronco like Randy Gradishar that didn’t win a Championship.

The only thing I hate more than blatant bias is hypocrisy!

I’ve been hoping for awhile to drum up a campaign on TD’s behalf, so I did some research last year and found a few addresses to supplement the ones on the Art Monk site…

Ron Borges – info@ronborges.com
John Czarnecki – http://msn.foxsports.com/writer/John-Czarnecki-FOXSports.com-Senior-NFL-Writer?authorId=211
Vinny DiTrani – ditrani@northjersey.com
David Elfin – http://www.washtimes.com/staff/david-elfin/contact/
Bob Gretz – info@bobgretz.com
Jeff Legwold – legwoldj@rockymountainnews.com
Bernie Miklasz – bjmiklasz@post-dispatch.com

And a great read. I only have one bone to pick, and it (of course) is your first sentence. I appreciate that you are so convicted in your support of Mr. Nowell, but you’re ignoring some far more influential musicians. We can debate all night and day about talent, but if you are going to put Nowell above Kurt Cobain, Beck and Thom Yorke, you’re being something far beyond narrow-sighted.

Then MHR takes me to the woodshed with a fantastic piece like this one.

not all of the voters are created equal. Many of the writers qua writers on the list of voters are very talented writers. They can be very persuasive and read their audience well. This isn’t limited to their writing ability, and no doubt the ones with the most experience and tenure on the committee can sway the group as a whole one way or the other for any reason, including agendas.

It is very likely that a number of the voters aren’t “in on” the Sharpe horsetrading, but their vote will still get swept up by the key figures around them, making them irrelevant.

There is only one solution: transparency. We know what the data is and we see a mangled product at the end of the process, but the process itself is shrouded in mystery. Without devolving into the psychologizing of what voter thinks what, consider that it is very likely that the few influence the many, based on their debating skills and rumors of horsetrading, lying and even threats (your guy won’t get in EVER unless I get a concession). Consider also that there are several individual voters who have had no problem in the past talking about their votes. Yet NONE of them advocate transparency. Odd combination? You bet it is.

I personally don’t care about transparency, because I don’t care about salvaging the system. In political philosophy I care about one concept above all others: objectivity. I will admit that a system for objectifying sports personalities would be difficult to construct, but it is a responsibility that falls on the shoulders of, in Ted’s phrasing, the unpaid, devoted, intelligent, and unapologetically enraptured fans of the sport, whose energy threatens legitimate industries like the MSM (and they do it without any sense of intent either, they simply can’t do otherwise). Even with the best possible voters in place, the current system will always be the victim of subjectivity and it should be phased out, over the course of decades. It has one value at this time, which is righting its past wrongs, but even that task should be made secondary to the process being revolutionized. I would envision a system that spends time NOW collecting the data for hall enshrinement, and objectifying the standards of enshrinement, and not in the minds of sportswriters, but by a dedicated staff of researchers only, with no bosses to please, no deadlines and no audiences to consider except posterity. This system would be supplemented by something similar to the Senior’s committee, that dealt with all the snubs that have built up over the years, and it wouldn’t be a pretty process getting that sorted out. But it wouldn’t be the central process anymore, and it wouldn’t be taking away from the current players.

Actually, that is the unspoken and unspeakable crime of the current hof voters (as it applies): their subjectivity is the equivalent of a threat to current players posterity. Who knows what standards a player must meet to have a great career, and who knows what the definition of success is? Certainly no players do, they just blindly hope. They do however have the sneaking suspicion, caught like motion at the periphery of their vision, yet escaping them if they try to focus on the idea, that they need to please the media to be successful in their career. The HOF voting process is the final incarnation of the idea of profootball success, and it is deeply contradictory, hypocritical and flawed.

Now, after all that, I will say that nothing needs to change. The world will go on and I will continue to love and enjoy Broncos football and the spectacle of the NFL regardless of what happens with the h.o.f. The hall is, after all, not incomparable to a marketing arm of the NFL, and it can’t be doubted that one of its goals is to “make the fans happy,” and thus add value to their product. (Of course, given the state of modern ethics, they buy completely into the idea that if the “majority” is happy, then that is the best standard you can aim for).

But I can’t help but think how much more elite and incomparable of a product the NFL would have if it were to actively pursue the highest standard in cataloging and honoring its history and greatness, and how much it would mean to its market base to have a system in place that they could be proud of and that was an example to all who would attempt to define human greatness, in any genre….

Rec’d and buzzed, Ted!!!

uninvited from the HOF voter list… lol. Whoops, sorry, J-Clay!!!

At the very least, I guess we won’t get as much insider reports from him next year, regarding the HOF voting process.

because he rarely blocked. THAT is an urban legend to me…Sharpe was a great blocking TE dammit!

johnclayton@clearchannel.com

I suppose that you might be the only one with a brain, but I do have a doctorate and a brain. That comment was uncalled for, unprofessional and contributes to why people treat you with disrespect. You might get back what you give.

“The Writers” I’m one of them. My perspective is often different – people here don’t tolerate differences, they celebrate them.

If you had approached us with any politeness at all, people would have been glad to listen, including myself. There is a lot, obviously, on both sides. You chose to come in with pop-guns blazing. And, yes, some fans complain a lot, others don’t. Don’t like the job? Quit. Don’t like the fans? That’s really not your call, sir. If I didn’t like my patients I was welcome to close the clinic – you have a similar option. I wonder if you just don’t like that your profession is losing people to those who do this out of love of the game. You’d come here if there were fewer voices? That’s not an option, which was one of the points of Ted’s piece. But you do think that people don’t have the attitudes and opinions that you would support.

Odd. That’s the perspective of many of the folks you don’t like – about you, and many others in your profession. People now have a choice of where they get their information and the freedom to express themselves. You may not like it, but that’s not a choice that should concern the members of this site.

You do have a choice of how you interact with people and whether you show any professionalism. Your statement was deliberately insulting and your attitude was pointless.