A question for/about Michael Silver in light of his latest (excellent) piece

Here's the article:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/michael_silver/05/02/patriots/index.html

This is a very good article basically saying that "The Patriot Way," in lieu of New England's signing Randy Moss (and several others), is no longer an applicable phrase for the team about which the term was coined. That is, how can you say you are about 'character guys,' etc. when you're employing a Randy Moss?

Silver also says that Moss is being rewarded, basically, for being a punk.

I agree with both of these points by Silver, although I don't have as much anger as he seems to about Moss' 'being rewarded' by the Patriots.

Anyway, this brings me to my question for/about Silver. It is well-known that Silver made his reputation covering the dynastic 49ers of the 1980's-1994. That outfit's motto was 'Winning with Class.' With former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo subsequently becoming a felon, his losing the franchise under inauspicious circumstances, and the 49ers being hit with both monetary fines and draft choice docks as a result of their having been found to have, um, 'circumvented' the NFL salary cap, has Silver had a similar 'Come to Jesus' moment about those dynastic, DeBartolo-era 49ers being as unable to claim the 'Winning with Class' mantra as he has with New England being unable to lay claim to 'The Patriot Way?'

I hope so. Because IMO, both franchises deserve a rebuke. New England now, and the 49ers retroactively.

I may have missed Silver coming clean on the 49ers', and their previous owner's, dubiousness, so I ask this question sincerely. I am skeptical, however, as Silver was fairly recently (last summer, I believe) writing columns celebrating the dynastic 49ers and looking to help pave the way for the felonious DeBartolo to re-enter the NFL.

If anyone can help me out on this one, I'm all ears. If someone can provide me a link(s) where Silver comes down with the rhetorical ruler to the 49ers' collective 'Winning with Class' knuckles, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

 

Is this the Michael Silver that wrote the "hangin' with Dennis Rodman" piece?
If so, he should shut up.

 

You mean ``in light of.'' ``In lieu of'' means ``instead of.''

The rest of it made my head hurt.

 

Yep, you're correct. I knew I should have kept it that way before I modified it. Oh, well. I guess I'll have to be more scrupulous with my message board posts. If you also do spell checking, let me know. I could use a good, free spelling editor for my posts.

Sorry about that. Maybe these will help:



If you have a link to any of Silver's stuff which goes to the substance of my headache-inducing post, feel free to throw that in on your next round of gratuitous message board edits. Thanks.

No matter what anyone says, stay diligent with your internet editing. One never knows when a post might be copied verbatim in a periodical of record, so one must stay vigilant.

 

"Put it this way, homies"?
Well, he's certainly down with the youth, I can say that.
Reads to me like Silver bought what the Patriots were selling and now feels a bit foolish.

 

Why should Silver have to "come clean" about anything? He's done nothing wrong... The owner of a team he covered was dirty, what the fuck does that have to do with Silver or any of the beat writers who covered that team?

 

I'm not certain, FB, but likely so.

And I believe MS picked up the whole "Ridin' with" style and title from Jemele Hill. I could be wrong about that, but I believe that is what I read.

Mizzou - Silver doesn't have to come clean about anything to anyone. I'm just pointing out that it seems inconsistent to criticize one team's mantra when you made your rep off of another team whose team slogan seemed about as hypocritical as you could get following the series of events which befell DeBartolo and the team. I think that it could hurt Silver's credibility, at least in my eyes, if he can rip one team and not the other. That's why I asked the question.

If I write a series of pieces pumping up Corporation A and then decide to rip Corporation B, I'd expect my readers to think I would hold Corporation A to the same standard I'm holding Corporation A. Silver is talking about "truth in team slogans," so it's kind of difficult for me to take him seriously about the Pats if he hasn't (and I don't know if he has, that's why I asked, but I also added I am skeptical in light of recent articles on the 49ers and DeBartolo) applied the same standard to other teams, including the 'Niners. I'm not into selective persecution, even against a team I personally dislike as much as the Pats.

To me, it's a question of consistency and credibility. It's hard for me to take Ric Bucher seriously when it comes to Kobe. Is the same true for Silver and the 49ers/DeBartolo? I hope not, but I fear so. But before I come to that conclusion, I wanted to ask this question and see if someone can help dissuade me from that conclusion.

 

Made his rep? Silver covered the team as a journalist. It's not like he built the team as a GM. He made it to SI because he covered NFL and the 49ers better than anyone out there at the time, not because the 49ers were successful. I seriously doubt he "made his rep" by praising them to the high heavens. And to suggest that, now that he has an internet column for SI.com, he has to retroactively go back and re-examine all his coverage FOR A DIFFERENT PUBLICATION and rip the 49ers if he wants to rip the Patriots, is a bit silly.

What's flawed is Silver's belief that the Patriots ever had the moral high ground or a soul to lose. It's a fricken business -- a business run by a Machiavellian slob who managed to luck his way into the greatest quarterback of this generation thanks to a barely legal hit by Mo Lewis. The idea that New England was the classy brunette with a degree from Mt. Holyoke in a club full of strippers and whores is a joke. Ask Ted Johnson how classy the Patriots are. Acquiring Randy Moss makes them no better, and no worse, than 31 other NFL teams.

 

I agree with your first point. He was the best of a bunch of people covering the dynasty 49ers. That's a good point, DD.

The reason I bring up the 49ers is in light of some writings by Silver last year regarding those teams and DeBartolo. Look, I understand that if those teams and that owner weren't around, Silver might not have made the big time, but, IMO, the ring-kissing should be well behind MS now. But to see him extol DeBartolo's virtues and attempt to minimize his felony was rather uncomfortable to read. I believe one of the pieces was written because those 49ers dynasty teams had a reunion, and DeBartolo attended. That would be an appropriate time to put the "Winning with Class" motto in perspective, IMO. And perhaps Silver did. I need to find that article and re-read it. But that is not the impression which remains with me from that piece. And I am quite certain what the general feeling the reader was being led to in the piece (pieces?) on DeBartolo. Yet the Patriots are the guys undeserving of their motto? Ok...

This I completely agree with. I couldn't agree more, both about the Pats and many other (if not all) NFL teams. I never liked BS team slogans, be they "Winning with Class" or "The Patriot Way." I much prefer a team like the Radiers who, IMO, is much more honest about liking thugs, etc. than this 'more moral than you' crap that the Pats, and the 'Niners before them, peddle.

I prefer truth to PR bunk, be it about MJ, Kobe, the Pats, the 'Niners, or any other organization or player.