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Dennis Dodd interview tantrum

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!, Mar 29, 2015.

  1. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    Uh-oh. Romo and Garrett are there for Duke. Those hangers-on better check with press row about who matters deep in the heart of Texas.
     
  2. Alma

    Alma Well-Known Member

    I find that tweet far less endearing, to be honest. Dodd's apoplexy wasn't a good look, but Aaron Rodgers wasn't "classy" for God's sakes. Classy is you cheer, you walk out of the building and you go home like every other fan who isn't a parent. Just being down there draws attention away from him and toward them. Like Bo Ryan and Wisconsin's players gave a shit, if he was there.
     
  3. Ice9

    Ice9 Active Member

    What the hell would Rodgers have said of substance anyways? This is a guy who fiercely defended Ryan Braun and then turtled when the shit hit the fan.

    Not for nothing, but I thought Rodgers' tweet was unnecessary. Take the high road, don't resort to name-calling like a 10-year-old.
     
  4. Bubbler

    Bubbler Well-Known Member

    Speaking as a Wisconsin native, I can guarantee you Wisconsin's players gave a shit he was there. It was probably a huge thrill for them.

    As for Dodd? Butthurt journalist vs. MVP quarterback on social media is an unwinnable battle. No need to go public with that at all. Really, no need to be aggrieved period.
     
  5. LongTimeListener

    LongTimeListener Well-Known Member

    This was Sam Dekker after the Sweet 16 win:

    “He was talking to me this morning, saying he wants a good show (against UNC),” Dekker said of Rodgers. “He’s been so supportive all year. He’s really behind our backs and reaching out to me if I’m playing well or not playing well and just staying behind me as a good friend. When you have the MVP of the NFL doing that for you, it’s pretty cool.”

    Yeah. They don't care nothin' about no Aaron Rodgers.
     
  6. Alma

    Alma Well-Known Member

    You know what? You're right. I'm sure it added to their enjoyment.

    What I should've written is: They wouldn't have given a shit if he wasn't there. They wouldn't have given it a second thought, they wouldn't have missed somebody who's a sudden celebrity fan. Because he's not part of the program in the way that, say, Magic is a part of Michigan State.

    The real point is: of course rodgers drew attention to himself by being down there. He may be so self-absorbed not to realize that, but if you're going to go down there, it's not "classy" to straddle a weird line between "I'm Aaron Rodgers and I'm down here" and "but please, no interviews." It may be a neutral event, but it's not the mark of sophistication

    Dodd's fundamentally right. But such is life. Twitter is a useless vehicle for that complaint. And he makes himself a target, too, because it's fashionable to hate reporters.
     
  7. Riptide

    Riptide Well-Known Member

    It's the offseason. And it's a basketball game.
    If Rodgers doesn't want to comment, respect that and move on.
     
  8. Rhody31

    Rhody31 Well-Known Member

    How is he "fundamentally right?"
    Rodgers wasn't trying to draw attention. From the reports, he's become friendly with the players so he's going on court to congratulate them. How can that be construed as "I'm Aaron Rodgers and I'm down here?" Is he not allowed to be friendly with fellow high-profile athletes?
    Dodd got sensitive and thought people would be on his side. He found out quickly he was wrong.
     
  9. Roscablo

    Roscablo Well-Known Member

    I don't think he's fundamentally right either. Wisconsin can have who they want down there as long as they aren't breaking any booster rules or whatever. I mean, I'm sure he doesn't care that family or other friends were down there. He is just mad that he didn't get an interview and felt Rodgers' access was better than his. It says a lot that the NCAA already backed Wisconsin on it.

    It rarely turns out well when media, which has much greater access than the average Joe, whines about their access.
     
  10. Riptide

    Riptide Well-Known Member

    "Storyteller. Not story."
    Adage rears head again.
     
  11. old_tony

    old_tony Well-Known Member

    Rodgers also attends a decent number of Milwaukee Bucks games. He's a basketball fan and he's been incredibly supportive of his adopted home state. Rodgers sat with and did some high-fiving with Andy North, a Madison native and huge UW supporter. Dodd didn't seem upset that North had access to the floor.

    Dodd can be upset that Rodgers didn't do an interview, but then to bitch that he was -- so to speak -- inside the ropes is just excessive whining.
     
  12. Alma

    Alma Well-Known Member

    Sigh. As is often the case on this site, we're going to turn a minor point into a full-blown rights debate.

    I'm not writing Aaron Rodgers isn't allowed to do or not do anything. And I'm not writing it was wise to tweet anything. It wasn't, especially i/r/t Aaron Rodgers, whose skin for criticism is tissue thin and always has been. But now that it's been written -- which, again, wasn't a wise thing to do -- Dodd's instinct is more or less correct, IMO. You have a celebrity athlete and his famous actress girlfriend going down to the court while the team that he's more or less adopted cuts down nets and, yeah, it's going to draw attention. It's pretty natural for any reporter taking in that scene to want to know why the hell you're there and what you think of things.

    Sort of like Magic Johnson and Michigan State.

    Can I understand Dodd's point? Yes, I can. Call it middlebrow, call it moralistic, call it whatever, call it horrible.
     
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