Wiecek's Article

[Super Duper Negatron]

Thought this deserved its own thread, because his article this morning is beyond explanation. For those without a subscription, here is a synopsis:

Mike O'Shea never takes responsibility for anything, is the most hated coach in Winnipeg sports history (more hated than Kelly, Burke or Berry), and is the sole reason we have 25K at our games instead of 32K.

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/football/bombers/the-crowds-at-igf-are-shrinking-so-why-is-mike-oshea-smirking-437107983.html

And I didn't even exaggerate any of those points! What a complete and utter tool bag.

I think it might be time to save $30/month.

[rebusrankin]

Wiecek is a prime example of why print media is dying.

[Noeller]

an idiotic piece, but the thing I saw that is even worse than this....there's a lady who I believe is a former print media person, who now writes some kind of blog that is well respected within the Winnipeg media community, and she wrote this big piece backing up Wiecek talking about why he's completely correct. It was PAINFUL to read....

[MTA]

can we have that link to that blog

[do or die]

Wiecek has assumed the ole Paul Friesen role as the snarky, edgy, hatchet holder. 

Except that the last 2 pieces he wrote on MOS, were far more insulting and petulant, than anything Paul ever managed.   Lousy writing style to boot.  

Turd.

Edited July 28, 2017 by do or die

[Noeller]

I think it's called The Winnipeg Rag, but don't quote me....it showed up on Twitter earlier this week, so I read it.....painful. I'm trying to find it online now...

[blue_gold_84]

11 minutes ago, MTA said:

can we have that link to that blog

https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/football/bombers/the-crowds-at-igf-are-shrinking-so-why-is-mike-oshea-smirking-437107983.html

And for those of us who have to deal with that craptastic paywall, here's the sad-sack diatribe in all its pathetic glory:

Quote

We already knew Mike O’Shea has all too often been part of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers problems on the field.

But what emerged this week — amid all the angst generated by O’Shea’s inexplicable fake punt call that precipitated last week’s loss to the B.C. Lions  — is that the Bombers’ head coach has also become a part of the Bombers problems off the field.

On an absolutely perfect night for football, a lot of empty seats were masquerading as fans at Investors Group Field Thursday as the Bombers snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a thrilling 41-40 comeback.

It was a glorious, gutsy, crowd-pleasing win. But unfortunately, there wasn’t much of a crowd on hand to actually see it.

After a decent opening night crowd of 30,165, the Bombers have now played their last two home games in front of crowds of 25,085 two weeks ago against Toronto and 25,931 Thursday night against Montreal.

And, sadly for them, the majority of fans who did turn out Thursday night were long gone by the time the Bombers mustered 13 points in the final two minutes to turn a 12-point deficit into a huge, potentially character-defining one-point win.

Keep drawing crowds like the last couple to a stadium that holds 33,000-plus and 2017 will continue an unenviable streak that has seen attendance at IGF decline every year since the stadium opened in 2013.

The one common link through the past four seasons? Mike O’Shea. And, increasingly, Bombers fans say those two things aren’t a coincidence.

Never have I written a column on the Bombers that has generated the kind of email response I got this week to my column last week in which I made the case O’Shea’s fake punt call against the Lions was symptomatic of a head coach who continues to make far too many mistakes and not learn from any of them.

And what emerged from that avalanche of email is that O’Shea has, for an alarming number of fans, become the smirking face of everything that is wrong with a franchise that has tormented its fanbase for over a quarter-century now.

"He’s had enough time — no more excuses. He simply does not have what it takes to be a head coach," wrote one reader.

"I gave up my season tickets (2 on the 50 yard line row 8 behind Bomber bench) two years ago because of the way (Wade) Miller manages & O’Shea coaches," wrote another.

And on and on and on it went:

"I said a few years ago that as long as Drew Willy is our QB and O’Shea is our head coach we are going nowhere: half the problem is solved, the other half still remains."

"I’m still waiting to see the smirk replaced with some of the engagement I see from Buono, Jones or Trestman. Doubt I’ll ever see it and I doubt we’ll ever hear this guy take responsibility for anything that goes wrong…"

And then there was this: "If Miller really is concerned about home game attendance, then he needs to have a long conversation with himself about O’Shea."

Wow — imagine how much fans in this town would hate O’Shea if the Bombers had a losing record right now, instead of the 3-2 season record they do have? The mind boggles.

Now, it’d be a dubious proposition to suggest CFL fans head out to the ballpark on a summer night to watch the head coach work.

Even in a transient league like the CFL, where teams often rely on the head coach to be the face of the franchise because the players change so frequently, I’m not sure anyone has ever bought a ticket just to watch hugely popular (and successful) former coaches like John Hufnagel or Wally Buono work the sidelines.

But I’m also pretty confident that no one in Calgary or B.C. has ever not bought a ticket either, just because of Hufnagel or Buono.

And that’s the part that should be alarming not just to Bombers management, but also every taxpayer in this province with a financial stake in the shiny new stadium in which the Bombers play: the idea that people are staying away from Bombers games — and even cancelling their season tickets — because they loathe the head coach that much.

I’ve covered a lot of head coaches in this town over the years — and all of them, sooner or later, wore out their welcome.

But I cannot recall another head coach in any pro sport in this town who generated, even in their darkest days, the kind of visceral loathing so many people have felt towards O’Shea from the moment he showed up on the sidelines in 2014 not wearing any pants.

Jeff Reinbold drove people crazy, to be sure, but I don’t recall anyone hating him.

Doug Berry was hard to love, but equally hard to hate.

Claude Noel? A lovable loser.

The train wreck that was Tim Burke? You just felt sorry for the guy.

Lapo? Meh.

Mike Kelly? At least he was entertaining.

And then there’s current Jets head coach Paul Maurice, who has led the Winnipeg Jets to one playoff appearance and zero playoff victories in three-plus seasons, just like O’Shea.

If I’d have written a gloves-off column on Maurice this week like I did on O’Shea, I’d have needed a wig, hat and sunglasses just to shop at Safeway.

So what is it about Maurice that local fans are willing to extend him an infinite amount of patience while at the same time refusing to be even seen in the same building as O’Shea?

Having covered both men, I think it’s a few things, none of which have anything to do with the fact Maurice wears pants to Jets games.

In my opinion, the smartest thing Paul Maurice ever did in Winnipeg was understand that this is an exceptionally intelligent sports town and to speak to the fans as equals. While you might not always like his answers, I don’t think anyone could ever accuse Maurice of talking down to the fans.

If the power-play sucks — and, Lord knows, it usually does under Maurice — Maurice will give fans a brutally honest assessment and always, always, always, put the blame on himself.

And O’Shea? Take all the above — and make it the opposite. This is a man who has condescended to fans since the day he arrived in Winnipeg.

He seems genetically incapable of stating even the most obvious of hard truths and the only party he holds less accountable than his players is himself — at least publicly.

If you’ve been paying attention to O’Shea for the last three years, I don’t see how you could conclude anything other than that the man thinks we’re all really stupid.

Little wonder his act has worn thin, particularly when the man marries all that hubris with a team that has consistently underperformed since he arrived, save for that glorious 7-0 respite last season.

Winnipeg’s record since that 7-0 run in 2016? With Thursday’s win over the Als, it’s now 6-5.

The more things change, the more they stay exactly the same under Mike O’Shea.

After years of dysfunction and a revolving door of head coaches and front office personnel, the Bombers have decided continuity is the way forward and O’Shea is the face of that continuity.

For better and worse — sometimes, like Thursday, in the same night — the smirk is going nowhere. But a disturbing number of fans are — they’re headed for the exits.

Paul Wiecek is a plug.

[HardCoreBlue]

4 minutes ago, do or die said:

Wiecek has assumed the ole Paul Friesen role as the snarky, edgy, hatchet holder. 

Except that the last 2 pieces he wrote on MOS, were far more insulting and petulant, than anything Paul ever managed.   Lousy writing style to boot.  

Turd.

He's blaming the attendance drop on MOS?

Not living in Winnipeg, is there any merit to that? 'I'm not going to the game because of MOS 'type argument?

He's quoted some subscribers to back up his claim. 

I've always found PW to be someone who thinks he's clever but really isn't.

[Taynted_Fayth]

this is laughable. 25K in the dead middle of summer on a hot night and against an east team is a pretty good turn out.

It's a good thing were on the road next week, or all those at the lake for august long weekend will be due to Matt Nichols ridiculously gold shiney cleats

Edited July 28, 2017 by Taynted_Fayth

[blue_gold_84]

I wonder if he'd dump on Buono for the shoddy attendance numbers at BC Place if he were situated out in Vancouver.

The fact he uses the angry rants of his reader base really speaks to how much of a bitter turd he is. He basically has to resort to attacking O'Shea to frame his argument. It doesn't get more pathetic than that.

[JuranBoldenRules]

Just kind of speaks to what is wrong with this city.  Even when things are good all people can do is complain.  Fine to be critical, insane to basically sit around saying "the house is one degree too cold, I need to set it on fire."

13-5 last 18 games.  And how could you claim this team isn't entertaining?  If anything it's too damn entertaining.  Wiesel should be back at the horse track.  He doesn't know enough about real sports to put something forward worth discussing.

Edited July 28, 2017 by JuranBoldenRules

[Booch]

we average just over 27k a game so far...well above any league avaerage, and with Banjo Bowl a sell out and with some continued winning play on road obviously larger crowds and if we go on a nice run and are entertaining I see us averaging at least 28-29 k rest of the way

Weicek is just a turd..no basis for anything on his article.

I guess Huf in CGY too is just as guilty...whens the last time they actually sold out or came close to 95% capacity?

[Noeller]

some years back, the team actually went so far as to ban access to Paul Friesen because of some things he said. I wouldn't be averse to the club at least "limiting" Paul Wiecek....

[Jpan85]

This is what happens when you let personal feelings get in the way with your job. I bet Weicek does not like how MOS handles some of his truely idiotic comments during press conferences.

[Arnold_Palmer]

Utter and complete trash. According to CFL.ca Calgary got just over 24 thousand in attendance after getting 30 thousand their first game. Fans aren't interested time to fire Dickenson  he calls Winnipeg an intelligent sports town but quotes a guy that says O'shea smirks to much and  we need someone serious like Jones here (6-16 record in Saskachewan btw) just a terrible terrible article. 

[do or die]

14 minutes ago, Jpan85 said:

This is what happens when you let personal feelings get in the way with your job. I bet Weicek does not like how MOS handles some of his truely idiotic comments during press conferences.

You are getting warm.....MOS has always played shut-pan with the media, particularly with the more inane questions.  Some of the other lazy and entitled members, didn't like it either.

 

[Noeller]

https://pattitherivercityrenegade.wordpress.com/tag/paul-wiecek/

About Paul Wiecek feeling the wrath of the rabble…the Toronto-ization of the Winnipeg Sun…missing Kirk Penton’s work…and talking heads dreaming of Genie

I cannot survive in a 140-character world, so here are more tweets that grew up to be too big for Twitter…

It occurs to me that a large portion of the rabble consider Paul Wiecek to be a complete doofus.

Matter of fact, Wiecek might have supplanted Paul Friesen as resident rabble-rouser among River City jock journalists, essentially because the Winnipeg Free Press columnist has the bad manners to critique the local sporting heroes.

It’s always about the dark clouds with Wiecek, isn’t it? Never the silver linings. He’s grand poobah of the Royal Order of Negative Nellies, right?

Except, here’s the deal: The greatest percentage of Wiecek’s scribblings focus on a hockey outfit that has failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup derby five of six springs and has won exactly zero playoff matches, and a football team that has never failed to fail for more than a quarter century. The shinny side is coached by a smooth-talking man destined next winter to become the losingest bench boss in National Hockey League history, and the gridiron gang is coached by a blood-and-guts guy who, four years in, has a 25-34 record and still makes the boneheaded decisions of a Canadian Football League fledgling on training wheels.

And what? You expect glad tidings from Wiecek?

Look, when Mike O’Shea continues to cough up hair balls and then tells you that the cow did, in fact, jump over the moon and the dish really did run away with the spoon, you don’t look the other way and pretend it’s like a tree that falls in the forest. You call him on it. Which is what Wiecek does. Repeatedly. Because the Winnipeg Blue Bombers head coach repeatedly trips over his own feet and tells fairy tales.

The most recent example of Wiecek’s slicing and dicing was delivered in the wake of a ghastly blunder by O’Shea in the Bombers’ 45-42 loss to the B.C. Lions on Friday night in Vancouver. At the most inopportune time, Coach D’oh thought it a swell idea to give his kicker, Justin Medlock, the green light to hurl a pass instead of punting the football, a gob-smacking decision that Wiecek described as “a monumentally stupid play call.” I thought he was being kind.

Paul Wiecek

But what’s the first reader comment under the article?

“Give it a rest Wiecek.”

Others showed Wiecek some love. This time. In general, the fangirlz and boyz who live in a rose-colored tea room usually skewer him when he pokes and prods their sacred cows in cleats or on skates. He’s “bitter” and “garbage” and “stupid” and “a pillar of negativity” and “anti-Jets” and “sour grapes” and “meaningless” and “Jekyll and Hyde” and he should “just go write for the National Enquirer.”

Look, I don’t always agree with what Wiecek writes. I thought he was terribly unfair in his commentary about Jacob Trouba when the young Winnipeg Jets defenceman went AWOL during the club’s training camp last autumn and bailed on the first month of the season. The criticism seemed creepily personal, which is never a good thing. He appears to harbour a peculiar mania for the matter of pro sports franchises limiting access to mainstream media and, instead, delivering their propaganda via in-house flacks, a number of whom have fled the falling house of cards that is the rag trade for the security of a gig with an NHL or CFL club (hello Ed Tait, Tim Campbell and Gary Lawless, all late of the Freep). And describing talented scribes like Tait and George Johnson as “hacks” because they went to the other side was hopelessly ignorant.

Wade Miller

Overall, though, Wiecek does solid work and, should the mood and need strike, he’s not shy about tossing scud missiles in the direction of movers and shakers in ivory towers, like Puck Pontiff Mark Chipman and Bombers CEO Wade Miller, who seems to have built himself a nice, little fiefdom in the club’s bunker at Football Follies Field in Fort Garry.

More than once, Chipman and Miller have declined interview requests from Wiecek, which, of course, only makes them come across as petty little men and tells me he’s doing his job.

I like his work (mostly) and I doubt the slings and arrows from the rabble cause him a moment of shuteye at night, nor do I think they have any influence on the way he goes about his business. If the Jets and Bombers insist on stinking, he has no choice but to say they stink.

It’s a shame what the Postmedia chain has done to Winnipeg Sun sports. I swear there are days when I’m convinced I’m reading the Toronto Sun, because there’s more Republic of Tranna tripe than local content. This morning, for example, I called up the Sun and there were six articles on the Toronto Blue Jays, two on Toronto FC, and one on the Toronto Raptors on the sports front. Meanwhile, I thought Paul Friesen was the main sports columnist, but apparently he’s not. It seems to be the Tranna-centric, Argonauts tub-thumping Steve Simmons, whose shtick is crapping on everyone and everything that has nothing to do with Winnipeg. It’s not just a shame, it’s a sham.

I used to enjoy the weekly CFL Blitz feature in the Sun. Kirk Penton did a boffo job. The article was full of anecdotal insight, insider tidbits and biting, caustic commentary from coaches and executives across the land. Alas, Kirk has decided to give another side of life a try and, since his departure, CFL Blitz has basically become a collection of items that induce yawns.

Much fawning on display in the Republic of Tranna on Tuesday, with struggling tennis player Genie Bouchard in the 416 for some face time with the talking heads on The Fan 590 and Sportsnet’s Tim and Sid. Genie, of course, has more glam than game, which no doubt explains why Elliotte Friedman was swooning. I thought he was actually going to ask her for a date. Tim and Sid were captivated by Her Long-Leggedness, as well, and spent precious little time talking about Genie’s tennis, which is not good. She’s been a first-round loser in eight of 11 events since leaving Australia, she’s beaten just two world top-20 players, and her season record is 11-14. But, hey, she’s pretty, so why let the facts get in the way of all that long, blonde hair and those smoky eyes?

Patti Dawn Swansson has been scribbling mostly about Winnipeg sports for 47 years, which means she’s old and probably should think about getting a life.

 

[M.O.A.B.]

Maybe MOS kicked Wiecek in the butt before. This article is more like Wiecek personal attack to MOS

 

 

Edited July 28, 2017 by M.O.A.B.

[blue_gold_84]

Apparently, Patti and Paul are cut from the same cloth: a dirty, rancid, stinky rag, the likes of which not even Jabba the Hutt would use to clean his muddy bunghole.

[Nash00]

Yeah, Wade Miller has done a godawful job of resurrecting this team from the steaming pile of garbage he inherited it in. When does Wiecek accept his Pulitzer for this masterpiece?

[WBBFanWest]

I know I'm going to get roasted for this, but here goes...  I do see some truth in the way that Weicek describes O'Shea.  To me, he really does come across as "talking down" to people.  I get the impression that he feels that having to talk to people is beneath him or that, in order to protect the players, he needs to stand there and refuse to acknowledge the painfully obvious.  No, I'm not saying that he should get fired, but I'd really like someone, maybe Walters, to take him aside and explain that the media represent the fans and the fans are the ultimate boss because the fans pay the freight.  They deserve better than "everything's fine, don't worry yourself about it." even when reporters are asking dumb questions.

So it's ok to admit that someone had a bad night when everyone in the entire stadium can see that he did.  O'Shea doesn't have to throw anyone under the bus, but to say something like "Ya, Medlock struggled a bit tonight, but we know that he'll bounce back" acknowledges reality, nothing more, nothing less.  Or to say something like, "Ya, my decision to gamble on 3rd and 15 is one I'd like to have back.  It wasn't a smart decision and I'm disappointed in myself." would demonstrate just a bit of humility.  When his QB is willing to step up and do that I'm surprised that O'Shea can't recognize that Nichols is being a true leader and displaying a trait that most adults value: accountability.

It's a real ***** in his armour and if he really wants to become a top level coach, he needs to fix it.

[JuranBoldenRules]

26 minutes ago, Jpan85 said:

This is what happens when you let personal feelings get in the way with your job. I bet Weicek does not like how MOS handles some of his truely idiotic comments during press conferences.

That's exactly it.  I've never got the sense that O'Shea talks down to anyone.  He's actually pretty self-depricating usually in pressers and on the radio.  Just because he won't agree to some faulty premise presented by a media person or angry fans doesn't mean he's demeaning them.

[bearpants]

IMO opinion, the only thing, as fans, we are "entitled" to is the team showing up every week and giving 100% on every play... and that should be the coaches main responsibility... any other piece of news or info can stay in house for all I care... I just want my money's worth when the guys step on the field...

[Noeller]

4 minutes ago, WBBFanWest said:

take him aside and explain that the media represent the fans

Absolutely false....I have never understood this. There was a time, many many moons ago, when the media were the only link fans had to sports teams....that is so long gone, it's not even funny. Wiecek (and really nobody in the media that I can think of...) represents the fans voice....

[do or die]

3 minutes ago, WBBFanWest said:

I know I'm going to get roasted for this, but here goes...  I do see some truth in the way that Weicek describes O'Shea.  To me, he really does come across as "talking down" to people.  I get the impression that he feels that having to talk to people is beneath him or that, in order to protect the players, he needs to stand there and refuse to acknowledge the painfully obvious.  No, I'm not saying that he should get fired, but I'd really like someone, maybe Walters, to take him aside and explain that the media represent the fans and the fans are the ultimate boss because the fans pay the freight.  They deserve better than "everything's fine, don't worry yourself about it." even when reporters are asking dumb questions.

So it's ok to admit that someone had a bad night when everyone in the entire stadium can see that he did.  O'Shea doesn't have to throw anyone under the bus, but to say something like "Ya, Medlock struggled a bit tonight, but we know that he'll bounce back" acknowledges reality, nothing more, nothing less.  Or to say something like, "Ya, my decision to gamble on 3rd and 15 is one I'd like to have back.  It wasn't a smart decision and I'm disappointed in myself." would demonstrate just a bit of humility.  When his QB is willing to step up and do that I'm surprised that O'Shea can't recognize that Nichols is being a true leader and displaying a trait that most adults value: accountability.

It's a real ***** in his armour and if he really wants to become a top level coach, he needs to fix it.

No roasting.  
But even accounting for why some people would feel that way about MOS's style.........that piece from Weicek, in the main, was a total cheapshot.  Especially how "hated" MOS is, and the attendance thing.