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It wasn’t exactly what I thought . . .
I have to backtrack on something I wrote yesterday.
I questioned why the Jets would set-up interviews between Sam Darnold and selective beat writers yesterday. They didn’t set up these interviews. They had nothing to do with them.
First off, Darnold met the coach for a few minutes on Facetime, so it’s not like he knows much about him. He’s never met him in person.
Secondly, the team’s own website didn’t get an interview with him, but the New York Post, ESPN and the dying Daily News did?
Before I continue, I want to make it clear, I had no interest in doing an interview with Darnold about a coach he doesn’t even know, so there is zero sour grapes related to this story.
But what happened is very odd, and has some with the team are perplexed.
Why would the team’s starting QB, do interviews, not sanctioned by the team, about a coach, who hasn’t been officially hired yet? Now the CAA people have leaked out to “the insiders” that it’s definitely going to happen (and the team made it official Friday night).
I asked a team official why Darnold did these interviews, and the person responded, “You will have to ask him that.”
Hey, I know why he did it.
The Gase hiring hasn’t been received well by a lot of fans, so CAA (Creative Artists Agency), which represents both Gase and Darnold, was trying to do some spin control.
So they had the QB do some interviews raving about the coach.
Look, I’m not questioning Darnold enthusiasm about working with a guy who has a good reputation as a QB-guru and as an offensive play-caller.
But at this point, he hardly knows him, so why do these interviews? He was clearly helping out Jimmy Sexton and the gang at CAA.
Honestly, he was probably out of line, but I don’t think he even realizes that. He was just doing CAA a favor.
But if you are the Jets’ PR department and front office, how do you feel about your starting QB doing interviews about a coach who hadn’t even been announced as the coach yet?
And if you are the Jets PR department and front office, how do you feel about CAA setting up interviews with your franchise QB without your approval, to talk about such an important team matter? This kind of things wouldn’t fly in New England.
There is also another big problem. His agency picked winners and losers here. They picked the media outlets they felt had the most reach, and left out papers like the Newsday, the Newark Star-Ledger and the Bergen Record, along with the AP.
Is it a good idea for the team’s QB to leave out reporters who cover him daily?
You don’t think some of these people will remember that if he starts to struggle. We all know media cooperation can sometimes help a player avoid harsh criticism during rough times. Buster Skrine is a perfect example of that.
Look, I understand it’s tedious for a player to do a ton of one-on-one with every beat writer who covers the team. That is why I hear Mike Maccagnan doesn’t want to give out his number and have to respond to eight or nine guys every time something happens.
Hey, this PR initiative might have worked with some Jets fans, hearing that their franchise QB loves the new hire. I’m sure there are some people who changed their mind a little bit.
But overall, this probably wasn’t a good idea.
Darnold ticked off half the beat writers, and some people in the building.
However, CAA is so big and powerful, they probably don’t care.
January 11, 2019
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