11/21/24
October 12, 2009
Washington's NFL Team Orders Newspaper to Remove Negative Photos: Washington's NFL team has found a new way to deal with negative publicity. The Washington Post removed photographs of disgruntled fans at FedEx Field posted by Dan Steinberg, a blogger for the paper, after the team said it was a violation of its stadium policies. "The R------- said he was in violation of his credentials for taking the photographs," sports editor Matt Vita told Washington City Paper. "We honored that request, because at the end of the day, they control access to their facility."
I hate my favorite football team.
posted by 86 at 11:19 AM on October 12, 2009
This is the epitome of horseshit. And the Post are a bunch of pussies.
What's the end game here? Is it a secret that the team sucks and the fans are upset? What a bunch of crap.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 11:38 AM on October 12, 2009
As far as the fans... stop going to the games - a coordinated fan strike is the only way to motivate the owner to change things.
As far as the WaPo... bread & circuses! And they wonder why people don't read newspapers any more.
posted by kokaku at 11:39 AM on October 12, 2009
As hated as some owners are, is anyone picking up steam like Dan Snyder is? I feel like it's been one media disaster after another this season.
posted by dfleming at 11:42 AM on October 12, 2009
"violation of his credentials ...?" Has he had past photos on the Web site? If so, then the Redskins, the Post's sports editor and the Post's supervisors (I presume he did not make this decision without consultation) are total hypocrites! My journalism background is in sports, and is this balanced reporting -- NOT!
posted by jjzucal at 11:56 AM on October 12, 2009
If anyone at the Post had a spine, they would have printed the photos regardless of the repercussions from Snyder. Then, if the team chose to limit access for Post reporters, just quit covering them. Think of the negative attention Snyder would have on his hands if that happened!
posted by curlyelk at 11:57 AM on October 12, 2009
As hated as some owners are, is anyone picking up steam like Dan Snyder is?
From the day he purchased the club and fired 50 (?) long time R----- employees, this nasty little prick has been the worst owner in football.
posted by cjets at 12:07 PM on October 12, 2009
The Redskins are dicks, but the WaPo has with this move shown why newspapers are shrinking and in some cases closing their doors. The WaPo is completely useless! If they can't even take a stand over perfectly valid sports pictures- and if they threaten to remove access, then print the pictures anyway and report on that, you idiots- then why should we believe anything they write about the important stuff?
Disgusting, disgusting actions on the part of the Post.
posted by hincandenza at 12:20 PM on October 12, 2009
I've always thought that it was the duty of newspapers to report the truth...?
I agree with hincandenza that this spineless act by the Post explains why newspapers are a dying breed. People can say that the internet is what's killing newpapers but not printing the truth and being more worried about whether or not the Washington Derogatory name for Native Americans will limit access for reporters from the Post is more or less the problem.
Dan Snyder has shown that he is not a smart or capable owner at all. The only thing it seems that he does if a problem surfaces is to throw money at it (or threaten not to) and expect it to all work out in his favor in the long run (how was that panned out?).
Obviously, he hasn't come to terms that having tons of money does not make him brilliant? It just makes him look like a complete idiot with a bottomless bank account and that's not good business.
First he sues season ticket owners that weren't able to afford the season tickets anymore because they lost their jobs and now this? The fans will support the team but if that loyalty isn't being reciprocated, then they have every reason to feel betrayed.
Shame on you Dan Snyder, for you sir are not only a lousy NFL owner but a poor excuse for a human being and for the Washington Post, you should know better.
posted by BornIcon at 03:18 PM on October 12, 2009
What scares me about this is that the Washington Post is widely regarded as one of the best newspapers in the nation. If they can't flex their muscles a bit, what are some lesser-regarded papers going to do?
posted by tahoemoj at 03:42 PM on October 12, 2009
BI hit this one through the uprights.
posted by irunfromclones at 04:24 PM on October 12, 2009
hey guys, don't go off on wapo, you should be thanking them. if they hadn't pulled the pictures this story might not have come to light like it did. now it has legs. think about it, a simple blog at wapo compared to a national story. which do you think makes little richie rich look worse. and with any luck, it might make "countdown" tonight, which will be a million more people that hasn't seen or heard about the story.
posted by hlfpaul at 05:10 PM on October 12, 2009
Is this the same Washington Post that brought down Nixon? Where have you gone Ben Bradlee?
posted by dappi at 05:54 PM on October 12, 2009
On the plus side, they've officially given themselves a new unofficial name now:
The Washington National Embarrassments.
This is good because it brings their Football Team's name in line with their Baseball Team's.
posted by Joey Michaels at 06:12 PM on October 12, 2009
hlfpaul, while I see your point, I think that if wapo fights this, and makes a big deal about while doing so, they create a larger story.
By folding to Synder they bring their journalistic integrity into question. Why do that? Take the high road when it's handed to you on a silver platter. The Redskins coverage probably doesn't sell alot of papers anyway...most of us sport fan types get our news on the web. If the Dallas paper stood up to Jones and said that if he tried to censor their pictures they would stop all Cowboy coverage, they'd be heros. and, they for sure would get intense national coverage, which I'm sure the owner wouldn't want.
A jerk of an owner, and a bunch of weak-ass media personnel.
posted by dviking at 06:15 PM on October 12, 2009
Hlfpaul, we have to wait to tomorrow night -- Letterman was off tonight. Given his sports background, I would be shocked (shocked, I say) if he didn't have this ass of an owner on his list.
If Rush and Checketts buy the Rams and pulled the same stunts on newspapers and Web sites, there would be no photos to show. (It'll be a llllllong several years, Rush!)
And I always thought Jerry Jones was the standard by which all despot owners are measured. Guess I'm wrong, but I still hate him!
posted by jjzucal at 11:59 PM on October 12, 2009
The Redskins coverage probably doesn't sell alot of papers anyway ...
When I worked at newspapers in DFW, the pro sports coverage was a huge circulation draw. The Post needs the R-------, but I can't believe they'd sacrifice their journalistic integrity so openly like this.
posted by rcade at 06:51 AM on October 13, 2009
Roll over ... play dead, Washington Post!
posted by jjzucal at 06:07 PM on October 13, 2009
The NFL has long tentacles- so this is not surprising.
To me, this is more frightening: you can't even say the words "Super Bowl" if you are advertising something related to the game unless you pay a licensing or sponsorship fee to the NFL.
You actually have to dance around "Super Bowl" and say ridiculously lame things like "the big game in Miami in January".
posted by The_Special_Juan at 01:49 PM on October 14, 2009
Is it accurate to call Matt Vita a sports editor, given his paper's response to this ridiculous demand? He's a sports publicist.