Real Sports on Jay Glazer

Hope this isn't a D_B but I am surprised there isn't any comment on the Glazer piece on Real Sports.

He reminds me of a journalistic Nevin Shapiro the way he jumps around. Both seemed like little mascots that players tolerated for their own benefit.

 

I know Jay a little and like him a lot, but he's a walking conflict of interest these days...

 

David Thorpe is the same way for ESPN's basketball coverage. He trains young players then has a tendency to grade them slightly more favorably in his Rookie Watch or boost their draft stock. In both cases, I think the men are striving for some degree of professionalism but can't escape the natural conflicts of interest involved in their dual lives.

 

Watched the piece. It poses an interesting question in the social media age: Where's the line between professionalism and personality?

I couldn't help but think that all these guys who are bro hugging and yukking it up with him probably wouldn't hesitate to freeze him out if they decided they didn't want him to know something. He thinks they're his friends, but will they come through when he's about to go on the air and he needs info? Or will they go into hiding because, ultimately, he's still "the media" to them.

The other thing that struck me is that the average fan sees that story and thinks, "damn, it must be so cool to be a sports journalist, you get to hang with the players and have them be your friends ... that must be so cool." It's so unrealistic, but it's the average fan's perception.

 

Journalistic Nevin Shaprio? That's a way below the belt shot at Glazer.

Jay Glazer is what he is - a guy who is passionate about football and MMA. He's the type of guy most viewers would love listen to tell stories about either subject. He's the bizzaro Jay Marriotti. Glazer likes his job, the people he deals with and the sports he covers.

Big fan of Jay Glazer.

 

Breaks a ton of stories, doesn't he?

 

BTW - I think the Real Sports piece was very interesting. Ended up watching it twice. I admit I was distracted by Bryant Gumbel's man-boobs though.

 

Well, when you're training players in the offseason you damn well better be.

As Mizzou said, Glazer is a poster boy for conflicts of interest.

 

I had Glazer in our "Breaks NFL Lockout ending story" pool.

It must have been extremely frustrating for everyone else to be camped out in NYC in front of the NFL offices, reporting on whatever minor development was taking place on any given day, knowing Glazer was just going to get a text from one of his boys telling him "it's over and we're going back to work" while he's practicing his MMA stuff and not sweating in a suit outside league headquarters.

 

I couldn't tell if that was snark or not. When I worked with him, he broke the biggest story we had that year.

I like Jay, too; he's far from a "journalist" in the sense most of us think of, but he's the dreaded "is what he is."

 

Elliotte, there's a difference between trading on relationships and actually working as an offseason coach for a player.

I don't have a problem with him hanging out in the clubs with the players. But I do think he shouldn't be leading workouts for them.