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Joe Girardi rips into Joel Sherman

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Versatile, Sep 10, 2012.

  1. Versatile

    Versatile Active Member

    http://deadspin.com/5941683/joe-girardi-and-joel-sherman-had-themselves-a-good-old-fashioned-bitchfest-last-night

    Basic facts: Sherman, the New York Post's baseball columnist who has covered the Yankees since before Girardi even played for them, asked a question late in Girardi's news conference Saturday night, after a controversial loss to the Orioles. Girardi had answered the question (about CC Sabathia's health) already and thought Sherman was suggesting he was lying. Girardi snaps at Sherman, who fires back that it's his job to ask and Girardi's job to answer. Girardi then asks to speak with Sherman in a closed-off room, where yelling was heard by reporters and players in the locker room. The following morning, Girardi and Sherman met and smoothed things over.

    Now, many reporters mentioned the outburst in their stories and tweeted about it as it happened. No video or audio is available, to my knowledge. The Post's George A. King III included a brief summary of the altercation in his game story. Sherman never wrote a word about it, including on Twitter. Sherman did rip the Yankees in his postgame column, though.

    In this ever-changing world in which we live in, should Sherman have addressed the altercation head-on?

    Should he not have ripped the Yankees without mentioning the altercation?

    Did Girardi have a point for his anger?

    Should other reporters have been taking down quotes from the one-on-one that everyone heard? Audio?
     
  2. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    I have not been in a locker room in a long, long time, so I can't talk about taking down video with a cell phone. Beyond my experience.

    I'd say in most places that kind of stuff stays away from the paper. As people point out on here, "Fans don't care about the reporters."

    New York is a different beast, though. This is "Bronx Zoo" stuff, and New York thrives on that. And when the wheels come off the bus with the Yankees, and reporters are in the thick of it, there is A LOT of interest. See Henry Hecht during the whole meltdown during 1978 (not that I want to disparage Joel Sherman in any way by making a Henry Hecht comparison. They are CLEARLY different in their styles, and in fact, I thought Sherman did a decent job of keeping the heated emotions out of his column).

    I can argue for what he should have done both ways. I'd love to hear from people who have covered a beat, because I would trust their judgments better than mine. On the one hand, his altercation is pretty material, and as much as you want to keep yourself out of it, it was A MAJOR STORYLINE for the game. So you can argue he should have acknowledged it.

    On the other hand, I understand the instinct to not make it about yourself. And he did a fine job of that. If he was going to go that way, I thought he was fair in his treatment.
     
  3. Tarheel316

    Tarheel316 Well-Known Member

    But should Sherman have yelled at Girardi? To me, he's making himself part of the story by doing that.
     
  4. typefitter

    typefitter Well-Known Member

    If another man yells at you in public, I would say that you have the right to yell back. You don't have to, of course. But I don't think you have to just sit there and take it, especially if you feel like it's unjust.
     
  5. Azrael

    Azrael Well-Known Member

    Unique in big league sports is baseball and the intimacy and constancy of the clubhouse. Which also mean that the beats and the players and the managers are together every day month after month after month. And talking and talking and talking. Baseball runs on talk, and sometimes that talk gets heated, and it's safe to assume that the Girardi/Sherman thing was part of an ongoing conversation that began around the time pitchers and catchers reported for spring training.
     
  6. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    You have to figure that Sherman and Giradi have talked for maybe for 16 years so they certainly know each other well.

    Maybe Joe was not expecting Sherman to put him on the spot due to their relationship.

    Whatever, but Girardi is clearly showing signs of cracking under the pressure of this race.
     
  7. SixToe

    SixToe Well-Known Member

    Why would Sherman not defend himself or yell back? Just because "the coach" or "the manager" yells at you in his clubhouse or office, you're supposed to defer? Bullshit. Good for Sherman.

    I'm glad they got things smoothed over, too. Sometimes you get crossways with a source, do what you do and then make up (or not) and move on.
     
  8. Riptide

    Riptide Well-Known Member

    Athletes, coaches, managers ... these people are not gods. It's not our business to provoke a fight, but we're not there to worship anyone, either. Events of the past few decades support that point.

    Kiss Girardi's ring just because he's with a baseball team? Nope.
     
  9. As a beat reporter, I've been called out a handful of times (we're talking over 30 years) by coaches. Twice I responded angrily, because I thought the coach crossed the line and got personal. In general, if you lose your cool, it weakens your position. I'm not saying sit back and take it -- stand up for yourself, in no uncertain terms. And don't make yourself the story. The readers don't care, and the fanbois will take the coach's side anyway.
     
  10. Tarheel316

    Tarheel316 Well-Known Member

    That's what I'm talking about Lonestar. You said it very well.
     
  11. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    Is it possible that Sherman already knew the answer to his question, having asked it in private and then put Girardi on spot by asking in public.
     
  12. slc10

    slc10 Member

    I heard that the noise in the interview area made it tough to hear questions and/or answers. The other writers could have taken notes if they wanted but I guess they chose not to go that way. Sherman took the high road by not going after Girardi in his column. There could have been consequences.
     
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