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Boston Media: Sour Grapes and Pom Poms


By Mike Silva ~ December 30th, 2009. Filed under: Mike Silva.

The Boston sports media has long annoyed me. It probably dates back to my early days watching basketball and hearing Bob Ryan “wax poetic” about Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, and those pesky leprechauns. Nothing made me happier than my Knicks beating the Celtics on their home floor during the spring of 1990. Two years later, Patrick Ewing and company beat the Celtics at the Boston Garden for the first time in forever. The Knicks wouldn’t lose to the Celtics anywhere for a large part of the nineties. Yes, the Celtics couldn’t win one lousy game against the Knicks.

Somewhere along the way I softened for the city. Maybe it was the arrogance of the young Yankees fans during the nineties, plight of the Red Sox, or enjoying the town during a visit in the summer of 2000. Whatever it was the Red Sox, and Boston, became what is good in sports. It’s a city that, unlike New York, rallies around one team bringing the masses together in a positive way. The divide always seems so contentious in the tri state area. That is, until the Red Sox starting winning titles and the Celtics returned to greatness, the real provincial nature of the town reared its ugly head. Instead of the lovable, long suffering underdog they became the exact thing they hated. This is no more prevalent than with the Boston media.

In the summer of 2008 I was preparing for my show in the studios of 1240 AM WGBB. The host before me had Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe on the air. They, of course, were talking Red Sox/Yankees, but delved into the other division races. First, the knowledge of Shaughnessy about the National League was a joke. He talked about the league as if it was as far away and abstract as the Frontier League. When breaking down the NL East, he said it probably will come down to the Phillies and Marlins. Ironically, the Mets held first place on that very same day. No mention of the Mets, why they wouldn’t be in the race, or if they existed.

Fast forward to this winter and talk of Jason Bay joining the Mets. The minute it appeared that Bay desired another location outside of the 617 area code, rumors of Bay breaking down were rampant. Peter Gammons, another card carrying member of Red Sox nation, said Bay would rather play in Beirut than Flushing. Now today, this stroke of genius by Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald. He mocks the Mets, claiming they are the fourth best team in New York, and questions what soured Bay on Boston. Perhaps you should look in the mirror. It has been whispered around baseball circles that Bay and his family weren’t enthralled with Boston, but to date they have taken the high road and not said very much, thus making it all pure speculation. It’s not easy living in a town with a fickle media and, based on Buckley’s column, two World Series titles haven’t softened these guys one bit. It’s almost a “you are with us or against us” type of mentality.

I have nothing but respect for the mainstream media. They work hard for an employer that exploits them, and has put their careers in jeopardy thanks to a myopic approach to the industry. What annoys me is how many will cast the first stone at sites like this, when in reality, we give a more fair and balanced view of the sport than they do. I know there are tons of good writers in Boston, Peter Abraham is the first that comes to mind, but listening to Shaughnessy’s ignorance about the NL, Buckley’s sour grapes about Bay, and Nick Cafardo trying to find a way to steal David Wright is a bit much. Regardless of the paper, or writer, there is this underlying bias that seems to infiltrate some in the Boston media. It’s something that you never see in New York, where I think the coverage is fair and balanced. For whatever reason, it appears from the outside the media in Boston gets more emotionally involved with the teams. I never get that feeling from the local guys in New York.

We will never know if Bay left for the money, or if rumors of dislike for the town are true. The history of Jason Bay tells you he is too classy to take a shot at his former team. Reports of him going back to the Sox indicate that money can cure all ills, even in a town that he may not have liked. In the end that is not the point. What is disturbing is seeing a bunch of mainstream media members do their best to push a star player to the home team, and when it fails, trash his new employer. The Mets may deserve much of their bad reputation, but the characterization by Buckley is way over the top. Maybe it’s time to put away the pom poms and cut the sour grapes so the next Jason Bay might stick around. Maybe Boston, not New York, is the real nightmare Mr. Buckley.

Mike Silva is a freelance writer and radio host since March of 2007. This website is his own personal "digest" of New York Baseball He's also hosts NYBD Radio on Blog Talk Radio and 1240 AM WGBB. Check out his sports media commentary at www.sportsmediawatchdog.com. Check out his official website, www.mikesilvamedia.com
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27 Responses to Boston Media: Sour Grapes and Pom Poms

  1. Mike
    December 30th, 2009 at 4:12 pm

    I know exactly what you’re saying. Why can’t the Boston media be as professional and classy as the New York medi…er, forget it.

  2. Nick S.
    December 30th, 2009 at 5:17 pm

    Could have not said it better, thank you!

  3. Mitchell
    December 30th, 2009 at 5:53 pm

    The difference is that when the new york media dogs attack something, they attack people; when the boston media dogs attack they attack not only people but locations, especially if it happens to be new york city.

    Bostonians, it turns out are geograhpy bigots – any place other than boston is polpulated by cretins and, according to the boston bigots, there is no place more infested with cretins than new york city.

  4. gfd
    December 30th, 2009 at 6:18 pm

    Bay wanted to leave the heathen rabid fanbase, and scid tongued “mediots” (media idiots) that write their bash and hit pieces on the players. Jayson wanted out of the cesspool.

  5. gfd
    December 30th, 2009 at 6:19 pm

    Edit: scid for Acid

  6. Fernando
    December 30th, 2009 at 6:49 pm

    Please present one shred of information that indicates Bay was in any way unhappy with playing in Boston. Even a sentence. Even a rumor. Anything.

    Quite the contrary, he said many times in 2009 how pleased he was with the environment in Boston and how much he enjoyed the fans. Several of their beat writers took note of the fact that he was the “go-to guy” for the press there.

    The Mets offered Bay a chance to earn $80 million over five years. The Red Sox offered him four years and $60 million. He took more money, which 99 percent of the time is what free agents do.

    Case closed. To suggest that Bay signed with the Mets because he disliked Boston cannot be substantiated.

    Ripping the Boston media for ripping Bay is an exercise in circular illogic. How are you any different?

  7. R U Kidding
    December 30th, 2009 at 6:59 pm

    Sort of the pot calling the kettle

  8. alan
    December 30th, 2009 at 7:53 pm

    Behind the bag!
    Knight scores and the Mets win!!!!
    Hahahahahahaha!!!!!

  9. Tucker
    December 30th, 2009 at 11:17 pm

    Mike: Watch your use of then – than. Three times you wrote then when than was the proper word. Tuck

  10. Mike Silva
    December 31st, 2009 at 6:22 am

    Tucker

    Thanks, no idea why my spell and grammer checker didn’t pick it up – good catch.

  11. Mike Silva
    December 31st, 2009 at 6:28 am

    Fernando

    Deep down the rumblings were that Bay wanted to go to the West Coast. Unfortunately, there was no offer out there. If SF or Seattle wanted Bay, they probably could have landed him by matching the Mets offer (my opinion not fact). As I pointed out “rumblings” in the industry indicated as such, and I reached out to a writer who covered Bay to see if he agreed – he did. This would have been another John Olerud situation if the Mets weren’t the only offer. If he wanted to play for Boston, why not take their early offseason offer? He seemed content playing fast and loose in a tough market.

    I think the Boston media should be careful to call NY a nightmare, because playing and living there isn’t so great for every athlete.

  12. Jeezumcrow
    December 31st, 2009 at 8:41 am

    I though the Phillies won the World Series in 2008. Wonder how Shaunessy knw the Mets weree going to fold?

  13. Joseph Geer
    December 31st, 2009 at 8:53 am

    Being a Red Sox fan, I have to admit that I am at a loss as to why Jason Bay opted for free agency and then later signed with the Mets. The choice was his to make, and his alone.

    Do I feel going to the Mets was a bad idea, or for that matter leaving Boston at all? What difference does my response make?

    Well, it matters not one iota. The only one that truly has to be happy with his decision is… Jason Bay. I’ll miss him here in Boston, but he has to be happy with the decision, and nobody else.

    Will Jason Bay be happy in Flushing? Well, only time will tell. One thing I will say though…

    Dan Shaughnessy, Bob Ryan and Nick Cafardo are three voices of Boston Sports Media that I personally have no use for. I feel that they are a group of self-perpetuating “nincompoops” that should not be allowed to voice their opinions in print, let alone on the airwaves. But, this is America… and freedom of expression is part of their rights. It is also my right to turn off the TV or radio when they speak (which is something I do fairly regularly).

    Don’t condemn the Boston press for the “Three Un-wise Men” of the New England Sports Media.

    For me, in New England… I trust Peter Gammons. This is a very knowledgeable writer and sports commentator.

    But, as for Jason Bay… Thank you for your time here in Boston, and good luck for the future. I wish you well, and hope you are happy.

    That’s the main thing.

  14. Donna
    December 31st, 2009 at 9:05 am

    GFD really knows it all. Yup. However, he can’t even spell “Jayson”. What a dope.

  15. Mike Silva
    December 31st, 2009 at 9:23 am

    Joseph you are correct

    I am nothing against the aforementioned trio, but they just seem to, including Gammons, report with their Red Sox Nation card. I am a Mets fan, and get accused of bias on my show and site, but, if anything, I believe I am pretty fair to both sides (let those that disagree speak now).

    Peter Abraham is a former Yankees beat writer that you guys will certainly appreciate. I hated bashing the Boston media, but this column really annoyed me.

    I don’t buy that Cameron/Scutaro’s balance on defense vs. offense will make up for losing Bay. The Sox are a bat short IMO and will be forever trying to replace Bay, which they got lucky replaced Manny Ramirez.

  16. Jim
    December 31st, 2009 at 10:08 am

    Mr. Bay took the money and ran, like so many other free agents before him. Few non-players will ever understand the reasoning behind that. I’m a Boston fan. I’ve watched Jason play left field his entire stay here. Was he a gold glove winner? Nah. Could he be if that voting were a little more legit? Nope. Was he servicable? Yeah. Will the defense in left field be better with either Ellsbury or Cameron out there? Sure. Will there be as many home runs? Not in this or any other lifetime. But will Jason hit as many in Citi Field? From everything I’ve read, it’s highly unlikely he will, which leads to the question- How will the NY media respond? After all, he is making 15+ million a year, not that far from the first baseman for the other NY team. Yes, some of the writers in Boston need to spend a year or so in Butte Montana or some other isolated place to realize that it isn’t so bad here, but please remember…. those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

  17. Rick
    December 31st, 2009 at 10:20 am

    What are you comparing the Boston media to? According to Max Kellerman … Melky Cabrera is a better Cf than Jacoby Ellsbury .. and that New York is the Center of the Universe! With that kind of media coverage to start out with … Boston can’t be all that bad! Hey .. I guess they are using the NY media as an example! Which by the way .. you are a part of! Maybe you should be speaking out more about the ass that MAx is instead of the Boston media … where’s your article on that?

  18. Tidewater
    December 31st, 2009 at 10:22 am

    Wasn’t Dan Shaughnessy right? Didn’t 2008 come down to the Phillies winning and the Marlins eliminating the Mets?

  19. CMG
    December 31st, 2009 at 11:41 am

    Jim, where are you getting your CitiField information from? It is incredibly hard to judge the first year of a ballpark, especially one where half the team was injured. The Mets preferred Bay to Holliday because the graphs of his home runs were out of CitiField whereas that was not the case with Holliday.

    Shaughnessy is a joke. The hilarious part is I know a lot of Red Sox and Yankees fans like that regarding the NL.

    Nick Cafardo is a bigger joke, even Red Sox fans hate him.

    I personally never had time for Peter Abraham. He is good for the team he follows and their fans but he is generally a spitball thrower toward the given opponent. When he was the Yankees writer it was the Mets and Red Sox but I am still waiting for him to actually rip the Yanks.

  20. roberto
    December 31st, 2009 at 11:48 am

    Mike a few points from an admitted (born into it) long time Boston fan:

    1. I believe that many readers here in New England are sick of Shaughnessy and the like. Having said that, I have read countless biased articles from NY-biased journalists (I can’t name them because I don’t follow them) over the years. We have our share of idiot fans too, but don’t paint us all with the same brush please.

    2. Jason Bay, like most professional athletes, left for a better deal. who can really blame him for that? where is your unbiased evidence that he was disappointed with Boston? if he was so disappointed with Boston, why did his agent come back looking for another offer before he signed, as has been widely reported?

    3. As for Shaughnessy’s remarks on the 2008 race, the Phils won the division. How does that make him ignorant. The Marlins were 3 games out at the end. maybe he felt the Mets would collapse. Are you sure it’s not your own bias getting in the way that made you feel annoyed by this?

    4. To suggest that it is the press that drove Bay out of Boston is ridiulous. How about a 25% longer contract for 33% more money? Where’s your creditbility on that one?

    5. You say ” I believe I am pretty fair to both sides ” I don’t read your stuff, but in my expereince, writers who have to bring this up about themselves usually aren’t objective. If you want to be fair and balanced, then pick only on the individuals you don’t appprove of, and don’t post a sensational headline like “Boston Media: Sour Grapes and Pom Poms”.

    perhaps it is you who should dust off his mirror.

  21. jon
    December 31st, 2009 at 1:26 pm

    I also am not a big fan of the Boston media, but I think that you are no better. The 2008 Mets did not win the NL East. i seem to recall Mr’ Shaughnessy’s Phillies raising the trophy. I also can’t believe you spent so much time bragging that the 90′s Knicks could beat the Celtics, many pick up teams on local playgrounds could have beat those Celtics. How many times have you seen the Knicks win a title, or for that matter even come close to winning a title. I count one win, and two near misses in my memory and I suspect that I go as far back as you do. It seems to me that you carry a lot of the same annoying qualities of arrogance and self importance as those Boston media guys that you love to hate.

  22. Anonymous
    December 31st, 2009 at 5:37 pm

    listen to some of these people talking to you, YOU’RE BIASED!
    the phils won, not your crappy folding mets, again and again.
    get a life dude!
    we all rip on our enemies, but don’t be a hipocrit about it, you’re the worst kind of fan, at least we can admit we get excited about our team, but any fan should!
    did you even do any homework on this piece?
    or did your dog eat your original report?
    the dog probably choked on that too though! you waste of space!

  23. sam
    December 31st, 2009 at 5:41 pm

    NY SUX!
    just like their reporters!
    and way to pick on a celtic team that had a death in lenny bias, and reggie lewis, you’re a real classey guy, NOT!

  24. mungk
    December 31st, 2009 at 7:36 pm

    I am from CT. I root from teams from both Boston and NY. Get both Ny and Boston tv stations, and I must say that the Boston media and current Fan culture is shameful. I go to Stankway and get threatened with violence for wearing my Mets jersey. I go to Msg wearing a Celtics jersey and the Knick fans are cool. Boston is right now a bandwagon sports city.

  25. haha
    January 1st, 2010 at 12:18 am

    The Celtics beat the Knicks plenty in the 90′s you might wanna go back and look it up.

    You are just jealous. I hate the Boston media as much as anyone but NY is more biased then any other state in the Country when it comes to praising their Yankees and Mets even when they tank yet another season.

    Bay REALLY didn’t want to play in NY but you were his ONLY choice. When his agent called the Sox the Sox said they weren’t interested. All Bay cared about was money and that is why he chose NY because NO ONE else wanted him.

  26. haha
    January 1st, 2010 at 12:21 am

    mungk,
    You are a liar. I was at Fenway for all 3 games and the Mets fans were walking up the aisle’s screaming the red sox suck and no one said a word. You are just a liar and the fact you can’t support your own team says it all. CT and NJ are jokes.

  27. mungk
    January 1st, 2010 at 10:37 am

    Support my own Team? Didn’t know Ct had a baseball team. Liar? how many people fit in fenway? You were with me all the time I was there? I think this just proves Silva’s point that Boston fans became what they hated in the Yankees, arrogant, brash and unable to admit wrong.

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