Get a Fall Guy: Carter, Klemko & The Rookie Symposium

[Reverend]

Love the war analogy.

 
If I had a powerful twitter influence, I would use it to get all of my legions to retweet to Peter King's "I would have done the same thing": "We know."

 

[nighthob]

I have to admit, if I weren't a Patriots fan I would be enjoying Goodell & the NFL's unraveling this summer. Much like I enjoyed watching them flounder in the wake of the Ray Rice situation.

 

[JayMags71]

The AC might have been a little too high.

"Damn right, baby!"

 

[SeoulSoxFan]

Say whut?? TE Amaro & S Pryor say Carter was taken out of context:
 
http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/bob-glauber/only-fall-guy-in-this-scenario-is-you-cris-carter-1.10770949
 

"It was probably not the best way to set an example for the rookies, but at the same time, he does have a point, where maybe you have to have a backup plan," Jets tight end Jace Amaro, who sat through the symposium last year, said Monday. "You have to have that one guy that's going to take care of you, and that's the point he was trying to make."
 
But Amaro, as well as teammate Calvin Pryor, another second-year player who attended the symposium, defended Carter's intentions, if not his words.
 
"I know he said 'fall guy,' and it gives him a bad look and it gives the NFL a bad look, because we've had some guys that have gotten in trouble recently," Amaro said. "I think he had our best interests, though. I don't think he was just trying to give us a scapegoat or anything like that. I think he had our best interests and it was taken out of context."
 

Carter overcame substance abuse issues early in his career. "He's been through a lot," Pryor said. "He had a football career for a long time, and he had his problems early on. Some might misinterpret it and some might relate to it. Some people might think he was trying to be sarcastic, but others might think he was looking out for players."
 
Pryor falls into the latter category. Asked if he related to some of what Carter was saying, he said, "No doubt about it, because you go through college, you really don't have much. But once you reach the NFL, people think you have it all and people have their hands out . . . I can understand where he's coming from."

 

Carter Truthers unite!

 

[Papelbon's Poutine]

I thought they didn't repeat the remarks at the AFC portion of the seminar? 

 

[GeorgeCostanza]

The NFL is that Jon Lovitz character from SNL. It's compulsive at this point. They can't even help themselves.

 

[soxfan121]

Peter King has found the real victim in this ... it's Peter King! He's on a Twitter bender defending himself
 
Peter King ‏@SI_PeterKing  4h4 hours agoManhattan, NY
I stand 100% behind @RobertKlemko. Great young reporter who made a decision those on front line often have to make.
 
Peter King ‏@SI_PeterKing  3h3 hours ago
I would have made the same call.

 

 
If I had a powerful twitter influence, I would use it to get all of my legions to retweet to Peter King's "I would have done the same thing": "We know."

 

 
Peter King has no integrity. 
 

"I would never do . . . what I actually did . . . on tape."

 
I'm dying.

 

[pappymojo]

Just what this story needs ... Stephen A Smith
 

https://twitter.com/stephenasmith/status/635908475143520256

https://twitter.com/stephenasmith/status/635908475143520256

link to tweet
 
Roger Goodell have you no shame?

I live how SAS puts the blame for this at Goodells feet when the earlier reports were that this speech was put together by his good friend Troy Vincent.

 

[Byrdbrain]

I feel dirty for defending Troy Vincent but I don't think he had anything to do with the speech itself. He put together the event(probably a good idea) and invited these speakers(definitely a bad idea) but I'm pretty sure no one has stated he wrote the speech.

 

[Average Reds]

I don't think anyone is saying that Vincent wrote the speech. But if you organize the event, invite the speakers and have control over what you release, it's pretty inconceivable that you let this get out the way they did.

The NFL should not be killed for trying to suppress Carter's remarks. (His comments were idiotic.). They should be killed for not immediately moving to disavow the remarks and correct the impression that anything Carter or Sapp said was endorsed by the NFL. Instead, they went into cover up mode and tried to shoot any messenger they could not control, but forgot that they had posted evidence of the truth themselves.

In short, through their own ineptitude, they have confirmed that they are lying weasels who will say and do anything to protect their own asses. And since this was his event, Vincent (appropriately) gets the credit.

 

[mwonow]

I don't think anyone is saying that Vincent wrote the speech. But if you organize the event, invite the speakers and have control over what you release, it's pretty inconceivable that you let this get out the way they did.

The NFL should not be killed for trying to suppress Carter's remarks. (His comments were idiotic.). They should be killed for not immediately moving to disavow the remarks and correct the impression that anything Carter or Sapp said was endorsed by the NFL. Instead, they went into cover up mode and tried to shoot any messenger they could not control, but forgot that they had posted evidence of the truth themselves.

In short, through their own ineptitude, they have confirmed that they are lying weasels who will say and do anything to protect their own asses. And since this was his event, Vincent (appropriately) gets the credit.

 
True - it's a current manifestation of a recurring theme...

 

[natpastime162]

Steve Czaben made a good point in saying Klemko made the right call.  The NFL would respond by saying Klemko mischaracterized Carter's words and the message being conveyed.  They would show you, but the video got lost, recorded over, deleted, misplaced, etc., so it's their word against the his.  The NFL goes on business as usual.  Klemko loses access, sources, and sleep.
 
Also this:
 
https://youtu.be/soXMCkoWfQo

 

[DJnVa]

But that's not actually the right call because Klemko wasn't the one that brought this back to light. He became a bystander in it.
 
So, in effect, he's saying Klemko made the right call to protect himself, not report on what he was covering.

 

[Average Reds]

But that's not actually the right call because Klemko wasn't the one that brought this back to light. He became a bystander in it.
 
So, in effect, he's saying Klemko made the right call to protect himself, not report on what he was covering.

 
That is exactly what he's saying. 
 
It's a reflection of the state of the NFL and of the "reporters" who cover the league with less of a taste for criticism than Pravda used to bring in their coverage of the Kremlin.

 

[joe dokes]

Steve Czaben made a good point in saying Klemko made the right call.  The NFL would respond by saying Klemko mischaracterized Carter's words and the message being conveyed.  They would show you, but the video got lost, recorded over, deleted, misplaced, etc., so it's their word against the his.  The NFL goes on business as usual.  Klemko loses access, sources, and sleep.
 
 

But that's part of being a grown-up reporter.  When accused of getting it wrong, Klemko responds by sticking to his guns and contacting the hundreds of witnesses in the room.  Eventually he'll stumble onto Borland.  He did not do that.
 
There are two basic routes to take covering the NFL  Stenographer (the Peter King Highway) or try to be straight-shooter (Reiss, the League of Denial crew).  Klemko is obviously working for the right guy.   I understand why he did what he did. And its not a capital offense. But no one should pretend that it isn't a symptom of something unfortunate in the coverage of the NFL.

 

[PBDWake]

How long did it take the NFL to put the video online? Was it the first one they did? You can just wait for the video to come out and report on it. It's a BS excuse.

 

[edmunddantes]

I think they tried this with Schefter on the time limit thing for Brady's appeal. Schefter was smart enough to have a copy of the thing he was reporting on. He knew someone would try to ratf**k him. They tried, but he blew them out of the water. 
 
The smart thing would have been Klemko had some backup to his assertion than reported> just reporting it > choosing not to report it all> report on event but omit offending part. That is the descending scale of right thing to do. (Of course with some steps in there depending on how you want to break it out)

 

[Shelterdog]

How long did it take the NFL to put the video online? Was it the first one they did? You can just wait for the video to come out and report on it. It's a BS excuse.

 
The NFL had had the video online for a while, but apparently nobody had noticed (or had at least reported on this) until Borland discussed the incident without naming the player.

 

[soxfan121]

I find it highly unlikely Klemko wasn't recording the event for audio/quotes as part of his assigned story. So even if the NFL scrubbed the video and denied it, he'd have his own tape and the hundreds of witnesses. 
 
He didn't think it was newsworthy enough to risk his access. As has been said, it's not a capital offense but it's enough for me discount what he reports from now on. 

 

[OnWisc]

He didn't think it was newsworthy enough to risk his access. 

Which, between the original comment and the NFL's request that he he kinda not mention it, is pretty unbelievable.

If any disgruntled NFL employees have concrete details of deflateglate improprieties or other massive league scandals, I also hope they have good html skills because the overwhelming majority of the mainstream sports media seems pretty reticent to run anything without the tacit approval of the league.

Or refrain from running anything leaked by the league, regardless of whether they believe it or not.