Wiecek's Article

[WBBFanWest]

22 minutes ago, Super Duper Negatron said:

In Paul's case he represents the paper, and his only duty is to sell more of them. He writes this crap because it gets a reaction. He all but admitted last week in a column that he doesn't bother writing stuff anymore that he knows won't get as many page views.

 

16 minutes ago, Noeller said:

they're arrogantly THINKING they represent the fans.....but they're clueless. It's just not true anymore. With Twitter, and the club's own direct interaction with the fans, journalists no longer are the voice.....it hasn't been that way in AGES......the internet changes everything. "Reporters" (more accureately, columnists) are only representing themselves...

If that's the case, then why would the Bombers bother with press stuff at all?  If the only point of the interview is to sell papers/advertising, why would the Bombers be obligated to help out the Free Press or any other media outlet that they do not hold some sort of partnership with?  The answer, to me at least, is because what you are proposing is not really true.  The team knows that fans connect with them via the media, and it is therefore in the teams best interests to do these interviews, as painful as they might be.  

And I have to admit that I don't read or listen to every interview that O'Hea does, I've heard nothing beyond platitudes when it comes to problems with the team.  For example, the only thing I've heard about in regards to the 3rd and 15 fiasco is justifications.  Or lamentations that things didn't work out exactly as hoped.  I've not heard O'Shea even hint that maybe, just maybe, that was a real dumb decision made at the worst possible moment.

Look, I do think that Weicek's article was by and large, unfair.  You can always go out and find people that are willing to complain about any given thing/person.  Nor are comments about O'Shea's facial expressions or wardrobe choices anything more than petty.   Likewise, pinning attendance on O'Shea directly.  But there are some parts of the article that, for me at least, seem to ring true.  As I said, I don't think that O'Shea is a bad coach, but there are blindspots.  Weicek does seem to have an agenda, but that doesn't mean that everything he writes is automatically wrong because of it. 

[SPuDS]

9 minutes ago, Noeller said:

100% this.....Tait and Irving can DEFINITELY be critical, but they're not looking for a negative before all else.

this.. exactly to a tee.  Its fine to point out flaws.  its fine to be critical when it is apparent and warranted..  to embellish the negatives, ignore any positives and purposely slag the team, coaches and management like these last few articles have done is beyond dumb.  I get it, shock and awe sells papers but I can definitely say these 2 idiots dont represent me or any of the fans I know..

 

the vendetta that they have towards the bombers is astounding.   I don't care what happened to her when she was a he but lets try and be a little more neutral and actually write about truth and things that are happening, not "this fan says this.. and that fan says that.. so everyone must think it so!"

 

 

Edited July 28, 2017 by SPuDS

[do or die]

I hate agendas....either online or in print.

[Mr Dee]

I consider this article to be an unusually bitter, personal attack on MOS. It's based on unfounded guesswork and a surprising lack of insight and research. 

For shame Wiecek, it's really poor piecework designed to fan the flames of ignorance amongst those fans who know no better. It's pathetic really, and for one who is critiquing another so ruthlessly, you are embarrassing. And you will be considered that among your peers. Such a low brow column really doesn't deserve any consideration whatsoever and if you were only half the man MOS is, you'd still be considered a pathetic writer..

[ediger]

ask stupid questions, get shitty answers. That's part of Paul's problem. He's never going to get an engaging answer out of a guy a) to whom he routinely asks questions everyone knows the answer to and b ) has routinely put down in public. Part of me also gets the feeling that he's a bit jelly over all his colleagues getting sweet gigs with job security with pro sports teams while he's stuck (probably forever) in the same deadend job.

[17to85]

3 hours ago, Noeller said:

100% this.....Tait and Irving can DEFINITELY be critical, but they're not looking for a negative before all else.

The key is that Tait and Irving know a hell of a lot about football and the CFL and the Bombers in general so when they have something critical to say it's usually well founded in reality. Guys like Wiecek though have very little to no knowledge about football or the CFL so they can be critical but it holds no weight because they don't know what they're actually talking about. Which is why Mike O'Shea smirking is some how a problem. 

[rebusrankin]

It would help if Wiecek actually paid attention at practice instead of playing on his phone but I'm not a trained journalist, so what do I know?

[Noeller]

15 minutes ago, 17to85 said:

The key is that Tait and Irving know a hell of a lot about football and the CFL and the Bombers in general so when they have something critical to say it's usually well founded in reality. Guys like Wiecek though have very little to no knowledge about football or the CFL so they can be critical but it holds no weight because they don't know what they're actually talking about. Which is why Mike O'Shea smirking is some how a problem. 

it's WHY Mike OShea is smirking and being condescending in the first place.....people who have played sports can tell within seconds of talking to someone whether or not they've been there in the trenches and know what the hell they're talking about. 

[17to85]

It's one of the reasons I am such a big fan of MOS. You can tell when he thinks a guy is dumber than a sack of hammers and treats them as such. 

[Guest J5V]

9 hours ago, Super Duper Negatron said:

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.

What! Sheesh, and I thought I was critical of MOS. This is a whole new level. 

[Goalie]

I read the headline of the article then proceeded to use it to start a bon fire. It was either that or wipe my ass with.. But i had some TP left and i feel my ass is 2 good for Wicek. 

Hate to say it and im now part of it.. But starting this topic and it now being 3 pages... Yup... Wicek for the Win... Cuz thats all its about... Its about getting people talking... As for those who say the media speaks for the fans? LOL... Not for about 20 years now. 

There's this thing called twitter now.. You can ask a question and if it isnt assinine they do respond. They wont tell you the ins and outs cuz quite frankly... We as fans dont need or even deserve to know but u ask the bombers a question.. They respond most times. 

For the Record... Paul Maurice talks to Wicek like a 5 year old also so both pro coaches do it... The problem isnt Oshea or Maurice... Its Wicek... Hes a disrespectful ******* moron. 

If Wicek showed respect... He'd get respect.. He doesn't tho.. He's a smug arrogant prick who thinks he actually knows more. Hence why both Osh and Mo treat him like hes 5 because he acts like a 5 year old. 

Edited July 29, 2017 by Goalie

[SpeedFlex27]

Well, the bottom financially is that O'Shea is signed thru the 2019 season so he's going nowhere unless the Bombers absolutely tank. Wiecek knows that, too. So, the point of the article therefore was what?

[the watcher]

Even the boys on the Big Show were hard on him for it.Westwood in particular was on him for it.It takes alot for the local media to turn on someone.I actually enjoy most of our local sports people.Wicek is the exception. Seems to me to be a very bitter man.He has probably been left far behind his peers as they have moved on and he sit and rots for writing crap like that.

[JuranBoldenRules]

14 minutes ago, the watcher said:

Even the boys on the Big Show were hard on him for it.Westwood in particular was on him for it.It takes alot for the local media to turn on someone.I actually enjoy most of our local sports people.Wicek is the exception. Seems to me to be a very bitter man.He has probably been left far behind his peers as they have moved on and he sit and rots for writing crap like that.

It crosses a pretty big line towards personal, which is absurd for someone writing about sports.  Like call a guy out for a fake punt, but labeling the guy "hated," saying he doesn't hold himself accountable for his work and calling him "the smirk?"  Really makes you wonder what's wrong in his life.

[Eternal optimist]

10 hours ago, Taynted_Fayth said:

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

On top of that the game was on a weekday...

[LeBird]

Some people do not have the capacity to assess the message but are required to supply something by the employer. They will use the current sentiments of the most vacal readers to frame an article what will resonate with them.   So being unwilling to write about the message they attack the messenger.  Reading the article  he is really light on substance. A smirk?  He might be more comfortable in the ET environment.  If we were 5-0 he would be totally different. Cost of the WFP cutting expenses.

[The Classic]

Thanks for beating the firewall for us but I can't help but feel we'd be better off if you'd said "Weicek screamed 'I hate Mike O'Shea' into his pillow for an hour, yelled at his mom to leave him alone when he cries but he needs a Sunny D, and his speech to text app created this article."

I was just commenting to a rider fan today about how nice it is with O'Shea being a classy, steady captain of the ship. No more messy garbage spilling into the media. No more dramatics. No gong show. Weicek misses the old days where it was easy to write a football article that didn't require football knowledge and read more like a gossip column. 

[Fatty Liver]

Weicek is just bitter that Tait and Lawless picked up plum jobs in the big leagues and he will never be given that opportunity.

[SPuDS]

On 7/28/2017 at 10:32 PM, The Classic said:

Thanks for beating the firewall for us but I can't help but feel we'd be better off if you'd said "Weicek screamed 'I hate Mike O'Shea' into his pillow for an hour, yelled at his mom to leave him alone when he cries but he needs a Sunny D, and his speech to text app created this article."

I was just commenting to a rider fan today about how nice it is with O'Shea being a classy, steady captain of the ship. No more messy garbage spilling into the media. No more dramatics. No gong show. Weicek misses the old days where it was easy to write a football article that didn't require football knowledge and read more like a gossip column. 

thats it.  thats totally what it is.   Our coaches don't give them material anymore so they have to manufacture it.  can't believe I didn't notice this before.   we used to have controversy coming out of our ears but since Miller, Walters and O'shea have become the management trifecta, its been respectful and pretty even keeled.    Wiecek is creating stories to fluff up his numbers essentially. 

 

what a piece of dirt.

[Jpan85]

It was funny the Browns put a video of a Wylie after practice interview session. It was night a day between what he had to deal with up here. A lot of really good questions and he was more than happy to answer and explain in detail.

[rebusrankin]

We are averaging over 27,000 per game which is 4th in the CFL, slightly behind Calgary. You'd think we we pulling in 18,000 to IGF.

[Tracker]

3 hours ago, rebusrankin said:

We are averaging over 27,000 per game which is 4th in the CFL, slightly behind Calgary. You'd think we we pulling in 18,000 to IGF.

Can you imagine what the attendance would be if we had a lot of games like the last one?

[17to85]

On 29/07/2017 at 0:07 AM, Throw Long Bannatyne said:

Weicek is just bitter

FTFY

[do or die]

MOS should just start wearing black shirts and cool sunglasses, on the sidelines......perhaps that might improve Weicek's opinion of him.....

[Atomic]

It wasn't a conscious decision but I realized have completely stopped consuming the traditional local media for sports coverage.  It just adds nothing beyond what you can get from the team's social media and website.  I can watch full press conferences rather than reading 400 words based around 2 or 3 quotes.  I can watch highlights and game recaps on demand.  

I liked to read Kirk Penton's work but once he left the Sun, there was really nothing worth reading anymore.