I wish you would call the MSM on their lack of accountability. How can an industry that continues to propagate myths, long after the facts have disproved them, accuse you or MHR of a lack of accountability. Whether it’s Williamson and his Raiders/Chiefs/Broncos mis-information-superhighway, or Mike Klis and his idle speculations masquerading as reporting, or the endless stream of mindless media parrots who continue to talk about the Broncos trying to trade Cutler long after it has become clear that they were actually approached and merely listened to offers, the MSM, at least when it comes to sports, have no accountability and very little credibility left. That’s why they are dying!

are what make MHR special. I put more faith in what I read here than in anything from the msm. It is also the reason that I don’t make many fanposts – I don’t have the level of knowledge and insight that the MHR staff do and I don’t want to drop this site to the level of some others. There is rarely a post that is based purely on conjecture or for the sake of starting a rumor here. Yet again I don’t care what the msm has to say about this issue.

Stealing content from blogs like this and without citation seems to be “Journalism” 101 these days.

“Journalists” seem to have made the leap in logic that since bloggers aren’t paid for their work, then it’s free, and they don’t need to be respected nor cited like “real professionals”. This is hardly limited to the sports world, of course.

Funny, this kind of thing used to be called “plagiarism”. Guess it’s OK now because those bloggers aren’t “credible” or “accountable” like those pros are.

You know, “accountable” like when they predict something that turns out to be completely and totally wrong, how they deny they ever said such a thing. That’s what Clough means by “accountable”.

This site, by far, is the best site for Bronco news, BAR NONE.

Yaheard, “pros”?

Then if a “credible source” gets its hands on one of our pieces, we’ll file a lawsuit against them. jk. Wouldn’t that be awesome. I don’t even know why I watch ESPN anymore. All that they do is pretend that they know what they’re talking about. Thank goodness for MHR!!!

but you guys certainly deserve it. WELL DONE! i’ve noticed the same thing you’re pointing out here, Guru — MHR was easily the first to question the Bus Cook thing, and two weeks later, others are still following suit (um, you know who you are Mark Kisla).

“They discussed the piece on their show Friday, March 13. It was scoffed at, with comments about bloggers and our credibility being brought up. Upon hearing this, I contacted Sandy with my thoughts. In his reply, he mentioned the A word I talked about before – Accountability – for being a main difference between myself and "them”. I always find it fascinating when Radio hosts talk about accountability. While there are certain things they can’t say or do, their job is essentially to give their opinion, much like I do here. Oh well, the stigma of blogging."

Exactly spot-on. The people who often rail about “accountability” use that to mean, “I’m in the MSM so I can be lazy, show no accountability and yet be taken seriously simply because of who I am.” It reminds me of the whole Buzz Bissinger vs bloggers flare-up, where he basically read Deadspin and the comments there to prove that sports blogs are mean-spirited, cynical and poorly researched. Even if that’s not fair about DS per se, it’s even less fair about blogs in general because he didn’t take the time to read a lot of them.

As a film blogger (who does it professionally and have years of professional experience, if that matters) I saw the same kind of attack this weekend from Variety of all places, who used one snarky and infamous film blogger as proof that film blogs are X and Y. Talk about lazy — who’s being lazy and not showing accountability now?

Anyway, this kinda stuff fascinates me because of my field but also because of my love of sports and being aware that there are smart ones out there — and sure, there are tons of terrible ones, full of vitriol and stupidity in the comments — but this isn’t one of those.

And AM radio hosts scoffing about accountability, makes me snort with laughter. I guarantee you any one of us could run circles around them when it comes to knowledge of football and the Broncos. Yet because we don’t have access to the locker room makes us not worth listening to?

it was the only place I could find ACTUAL news about D Will. Guru you have done an excellent job making a site that has MORE credibility than the MSM. Everyone here is indeed fortunate to have you found this place for us. My opinions are at least given a brief instance of consideration now as opposed to laughed off. Thank you Guru and all others here whom I read all the time. your knowledge truly enhances mine.

and point out that in a time when interactivity with readership is proving to be the golden ticket— at all levels of journalism—-MHR has raised the bar tremendously in creating a forum for the kind of give and take that is at the heart of any great learning community. It goes without saying that MHR is not only a place where Bronco fans from anywhere can read informative pieces about their team, but also a place where they can express their opinions—often passionately, sometimes obsessively—and be held accountable for those opinions. Compare the quality of comments on this blog (from the expert and novice alike) with the quality of any comments on the MSM sites, and you’ll get a sense for what true accountability means. Guru and Styg and all the teachers at MHR engage with the faithful, defend their opinions, own their mistakes, learn along with us, and in doing so maintain this site’s—our site’s—worthy standard of respecting each other and holding each other accountable—while also building our knowledge about our favorite team. Compare this to the MSM’s standard of posting a hit-and-run opinion and leaving commentary to quickly slide into the abyss of the lowest common denominator. I sometimes wonder whether the journalists even read the comments their articles engender. And this is accountability?? To whom, one might ask….

It is so very obvious that they all stole their ideas from Styg’s article. I for one will be now making an effort NOT to support the MSM. It is unnecessary and corrupt. Blog on fellow Broncomaniacs!!!

Props to Styg and Guru for their work on this.

This seems similar to past and present Broncos being considered for Pro Bowls, HOF, et cetera.

Not getting credit for a job well done. Oh well.

We still Orange Crush anyway.

Go Broncos! All Ready!

The cream in my coffee
and
the fly in MSM’s ointment!!

I’m lovin it!

I might reasonably argue that traditional sources are motivated first and foremost by profit,

and that Profit and Truth don’t necessarily go hand and hand.

It is much more profitable to create excitement by stirring the pot and creating a tempest in a tea pot. Not exactly a falsehood but not exactly the trith either.

Blogs, and especially Mile High Report, are more motivated by getting as much information as possible about the subject and expressing opinions about that information. That is not to say that blogs are immune from stirring the pot, but rather that their primary motivation is not profit.

And as for “Accountability”, each site is judged. Each earns or loses the respect of its readership. We’ve talked about that often. MHR polices itself very well. If some one is way out in left field the others will respond. If some one goes too far, the managers of the site will strike the posting. In essence, MHR does a better job than mainstream media in that regard.

Love the post and the comments above, guys. Thought I’d just add that one reason I feel that MHR has established credibility is that it has become a real touchstone to Broncos history, the past. The fact that our “team leaders” are so well versed and generous in sharing their knowledge about who the Broncos actually are, and why we should care, and that so many avid fans consume that knowledge and use it as a well spring for their own articles on current issues, gives me every bit of confidence in our ability to parse truth where we find it.

But the chief complaint I’ve formed against the MSM sources is not so much that they aren’t accountable or credible (though those clearly are issues, and they should spend a little time looking in the mirror before complaining about bloggers).

 The trumping benefit to blogs for me is the plethora of perspectives. An AM radio show with two hosts offers two perspectives, and maybe a few more depending upon how many calls they take. So the scope of their opinions, like the reach of their signal, is an inherent design limitation. Blogs are just better at discussing issues in a meaningful way, with depth you can never get from talking heads or personality-driven columnists.

And anyone who doesn’t think there isn’t accountability on this site obviously hasn’t posted anything here. ; ) I have yet to see anyone here who is afraid to point out the slightest inaccuracy, and it’s usually done in the spirit of making us all more knowledgeable as writers and more informed as fans.

And I love that you guys (Guru, Styg, et al) understand that this is key to the success of MHR. Kudos again from your biggest Big Sky fan.

When I read a MSM piece, I often look at the comments section to see what kind of person reads and responds to the articles. The profanity and hate in those comments say a lot about the entity. At MHR though, one finds civil and intellectual discussion.

It’s like going to a restaurant. If the folks going in are swearing up a storm and slapping their wives around in the parking lot, I’m not going there with my family. MHR’s burger joint has valet parking out front, servers in black coats and ties, and kids are still welcome. We’ve got it all baby!

an island of reason, in a sea of nonsense.

an island of reason, in a sea of nonsense.

That smells like the Post marking their turf. Whew.

Well marking it and owning it are two different things, and on this subject the Post got owned. Don’t think for a minute they aren’t perfectly aware of this site.

And if they weren’t, they are now.

To me this is like Academia versus Wikipedia argument.

The old guard doesn’t like it because they don’t see it as a legitimate source of information, for fear of errors. Regardless if the vast majority of the information is right.

Much the same way the tradition media doesn’t see the blogger medium as a legitimate source of information, for fear or errors – accountability. Regardless if the information is thought provoking, or more importantly, right.

Until old guard academia and traditional media use Wikipedia and bloggers for that information.

With time the old guards will phase themselves out with the new blood finding that happy medium between the old and new.

Weren’t you invited to training camp last year? Then what will the MSM be able to hold over the site, other than hearsay reporting.

One of things I really like about MHR is that the reporting perspective is that of a fan of the team, where much of the MSM seems to be a fan of the story, sometimes any story.

Keep up the good work guys.

in the chat room, but, agree with you or not, I always give you credibility.

I can’t say that for many others, those “journalists,” whose comments I hear or read.

How much actual analysis and research has the MSM done on the Cutler story?

Most of the reporting I have seen has involved asking various football personalities what they think of the situation. We now know what John Elway, John Madden, Shannon Sharpe, Boomer Esiason, and many others think about the situation and whose “side” they are on. However, none of these people have anything to offer other than an opinion or perhaps some hearsay. However, “well, John Madden said that X,Y, and Z.” is credible whereas factual research not published by a major media outlet is not.

Curiously, it was the lack of accountability by the MSM and they running with a story which they hadn’t fact checked and vetted sources on, that caught me attention.

My hobby, and I won’t try to present it as more than that, is agnotology.

It may seem like a strange hobby to be looking up news reports with an eye towards ‘who’ and ‘why’ a particular bit of news is being spread, but I actually spend a lot of time on it.

This story, by whatever name you wish to give it, had serious problems from the beginning. Much of coverage ‘came off’ as extremely sloppy, but that assumes that reporters weren’t checking their facts and sources. Indeed, they may have been, but they were apparently relying on one particular source too much.

We haven’t seen anyone in MSM own up to what were apparently some very serious errors in their reporting, as of yet, so the accountability they’re claiming as their bona fide has yet to be demonstrated — it’s an empty and ironic claim. I’ll take the “accountability” claim seriously when they go back and cover ‘their’ coverage and show how elements of stories were driven by single source with a vested interest in spreading a particular questionable claim through his privileged access to the media.

I won’t try to sum up the entire issue, but one piece of evidence sums it up pretty well on it’s own — the shifting rationale for why Cutler is disgruntled. One, it was the ‘attempted’ trade. Two, it was the lying about the attempted trade. Three, it was Bowlen’s failure to honor assurances to keep offensive coaching staff in place.

It’s hard to see what Bus accomplished with this latest twist in the Cutler rationale, but he’s now invalidated the arguments he’s made regarding the trade story. The effects of previous coverage outlast their viability as arguments, so it will be interesting to see whether the MSM will come full circle and admit culpability on this issue and attempt to correct the record.

But I sent the Cutler/Cook article link to Sandy Clough. I’ve gone back and forth with him a couple of times on this issue in e-mails, one of which he used to fill half of his show on Saturday, March 7 (Obviously, he agreed with me on that one). When I sent him the article, plus my thoughts on the situation and that I tend to “side” with McDaniels, he responded with the “lack of accountability” angle, among other things pertaining to my thoughts on generally siding with McDaniels.

You mention the “old guard” in media – the problem with the old guard is that the “old guard” is what is being replaced throughout sports. Older coaches and older players are being replaced everywhere with guys whose ideas are young, innovative, and fresh. In this case, you have to throw the baby out with the bath water. The “old guard” media tactics don’t cut it anymore when the old guard in sports is going away, which takes credibility and accountability away from the media. I firmly believe that that is why you see people shying away from mass media these days.

One of my biggest pet peeves is this reporting of “a source close to the story”. That in and of itself takes away accountability. “Professional journalists” and “reporters” use that as a “don’t shoot the messenger” tactic. It also protects these “sources” from having their credibility ruined. Pardon me for perhaps being naive, but if you are willing to lay your thoughts out, but don’t want your name attached to them, aren’t you admitting that you have no credibility and your thoughts are nothing more than opinion? That is why I tend to gravitate toward blogs, and that is why I’m so thrilled to have discovered this site.

I applaud McDaniels for not taking his fight to the media. There are some quotes, but it’s nothing to fuel the fire. Guru, with your permission, I’ll likely send this post to Sandy Clough, simply because I want his thoughts, and I’ll gladly share them with you in an e-mail if you like. Sandy’s great about responding to e-mails, and his commentary is generally excellent. Thanks for posting this, and I look forward to hearing your response. I won’t send the link if you wish me not to. Also, I’m going to start moving my Broncos-related blogs away from FanNation and posting them here instead.

13-3 Baby!!

came early on, when he stated that he didn’t know if Denver actually tried to trade Jay.

Admissions of this sort are posturing — it’s an attempt to seem reasonable by admitting to the truth, while at the same time, playing on the emotional angle by remaining offended despite saying that there may not be a reason for such a reaction.

We’re also missing the ‘tip-of-the-iceberg’ which consists of Cook’s behind the scenes interviews that undoubtedly occurred when reporters tapped him for the Cutler side of the story. Refusing to go on record is the informant’s ruse (see dramaturgy), which allows him to deliver key story elements, and I would expect that Denver’s contacts with New England after receiving offers from Tampa Bay and Detroit were played upon heavily in his performance during the off-the-record interviews.

We’re in phase now where the MSM is covering their tracks, so I don’t doubt the DP is subtly or not so subtly hinting that there may be problems with Cook’s side of the story. They don’t like to ever admit that they’ve been ‘had’ or were unbalanced in their coverage, instead, they do make-up calls. I suppose it doesn’t occur to people that “setting the record straight” is only needed because they ‘set the record wrong’ to begin with.

Yet must thou sail after knowledge, knowing less than drugged beasts.
pthengometha thasson
I’ve been using this as a sig line for the last couple weeks here on MHR. It’s a quote I wrote down years ago, in a book of quotes I keep. I’ve totally forgotten who pthengometha thasson is, or was (if I ever knew) so a few hours ago I decided to google the guy. Guess what? I got all these links to MHR! Every comment I’ve made the last couple weeks. Pretty fun, huh?

Once again you have nailed it Guru! If it weren,t for MHR I would be going crazy. The MSM has done everything all wrong. They still sat that McD tried to tade Cutler. Thanks and two thumbs up to all MHR bloggers!!!!!!!!!! It blows my mind how the fans here in SW colorado are reacting. All gloom and doom. I am trying to get the word out about MHR and the levelheaded reporting done on this site. It also opened my eyes as to how ignorant the msm are holy cow! Doesn’t everybody know what an exciting position the Broncos are in. I am working on an entry to explain, but I type so dang slow! Keep it going and keep it real. GO BRONCOS 13-3

I just got back from the Denver Post Message Boards.

Somebody put a shock collar on me, lest I get the fool idea to do that again. I think I dropped a couple IQ points on my way out, but I was in such a hurry I didn’t go back to get them. Those guys probably need ’em worse than I, anyhow… shudder

Pass the Koolaid please

13-3 BABY!

There are several good posts above so I don’t have much else to add. I know blogs have gotten a bad rap, however MHR is the exception to the rule. This site has proven time and time again that it is a solid source for breaking news on the Broncos. The MSM refuses to give bloggers credit because they just can’t fathom the fact that there are NFL fans out there who know what they are talking about.

Eleven stories on the Cook angle since Guru and Styg talked about it. WOW, that is insane. I bet those guys at 104.3 The Fan in Denver aren’t laughing now.

The mainstream media needs to learn that blogs are not out to destroy news papers, they just can say some things about players that they cannot. It’s easier for a blogger to say “so and so sucks” because they don’t have to talk to them. However, a newspaper reporter can do that too. Blogs and the mainstream media should work together hand in hand, not be so divisive. Hopefully this post can help people realize this.

I joined the blog simply so I could recommend this post. Stading O, Guru.

Every other reporting entity is Jealous! Check this from Wikipedia:

Jealousy typically refers to the negative thoughts and feelings of insecurity, fear, and anxiety that occur when a person believes an item of value (such as a relationship or skill) is being threatened (such as by a rival or by others’ different skill set). Jealousy often contains a mixture of emotions such as anger, sadness, and disgust. While jealousy and envy are similar, they differ in that jealousy is about something one has and is afraid of losing (like, thier job), while envy is about something one does not have and either wants to acquire or to prevent another from getting (like, thier insecure about losing thier job. Yes they may have the job but…..If the reporting on MHR is that much better then…).

Well then, based upon that description, I believe that the other “reporting networks” are also envious of MHR simply because they cannot find the kind of response network, ie., fan base comprised of resouresful individuals who will not stop until we all, collectively, FIND THE TRUTH!

Thanx again to the MHR family, and to the many contributors who make it all into the place that WE ALL want to be.

Recomended and buzzed. I’ve got to know, that this will never end, so………….PLEASE, keep it coming! GOOO BIG D!!!!