Dear PFWA membership:
Another year, another season
Since the last newsletter, we have seen Peter King awarded the McCann Award at the Hall of Fame dinner. Congrats again to Peter, whose mother, Phyllis King, got him started writing when he was in the fifth grade. Peter is beginning his 26th season covering the NFL...
Dear PFWA membership:
Another year, another season
Since the last newsletter, we have seen Peter King awarded the McCann Award at the Hall of Fame dinner. Congrats again to Peter, whose mother, Phyllis King, got him started writing when he was in the fifth grade. Peter is beginning his 26th season covering the NFL.
There have been a few complaints, most of which have been worked out, and a lot more praise for the PR staffs. I'd again like to thank Roger Goodell, Joe Browne, Greg Aiello, Michael Signora, Randall Liu and Corry Rush for all they do to help us. I think we all know how fortunate we are to have a commissioner who understands the jobs we do, listens to us and steps in when we need his assistance to make coaches follow the rules. I've talked to him a couple of times since training camp started, and he's been helpful to our cause.
Sean Jensen has done a great job working on our membership. He has some great ideas that we're working on that will benefit PFWA members. We also have opened up membership to radio, Internet and TV folks if they meet our membership criteria and are approved by our membership board. Please encourage folks in your market to join. We need all the help we can get.
WORTHY OF PRAISE
Thanks to Stacey James, the Patriots VP of media relations, for sending out full NFL stats at the end of each preseason and again after the regular season. I still use my 2008 regular-season stats he sent in January. As Alex Marvez said, "It's a great service for all of us."
Bob Glauber sent along a couple of kudos: First to the Jets for their first training camp in 40 years not held at Hofstra University. Bruce Speight, Jared Winley, Dave Tratner, Megan Gilmore and the rest of the staff did a bangup job at upstate New York's Cortland University, a Division III school that hosted its first NFL training camp. The logistics were just about perfect, and it certainly helped that a media-friendly coach like Rex Ryan provided plenty of material for the writers and his players were very accessible. All in all, a seamless transition. Second to the Redskins -- Zack Bolno, Michael Pehanich and Matt Taylor. Of his training camp trip there, Glauber said: "I was able to talk one-on-one with the following: the head coach, the $100 million free agent defensive tackle, the starting quarterback, the rookie first-round draft pick, starting cornerback and All-Quote team member (DeAngelo Hall), and the loquacious tight end. Due to a miscommunication on my end, Zack actually thought I was coming on a Wednesday, when it was actually a Monday. No problem. We knocked out all the interviews I was looking for and then some.
I'd like to send my own kudos to the Cowboys. If you haven't been to San Antonio for training camp, it is the greatest setup ever in NFL training camp history. The press box is old school -- still on the 50-yard line, down low -- so you can work while you watch practice. Or watch practice while you work. That comes in handy during the second practice on two-a-day practices. Rich Dalrymple, Scott Agulnek and Jancy Briles did a great job getting the players to talk. Every player, including those (Marion Barber and Jay Ratliff) who don't like talking much, talked several times during camp.
Alex Marvez sent along props to the Eagles' staff on the handling of the Michael Vick signing. Alex reports that Derek Boyko and Co. made sure there was ample access to all key figures involved in the process.
Charles Robinson sent along his appreciation to the Ravens PR department. He reports that "after helping to get all of my interview requests after the morning practice during my visit, Derrick Mason's return to the team later that day rendered 80-percent of my interviews useless. I was in a bind, but Ravens PR head Chad Steele went out of his way to help me salvage my piece, helping track down additional interviews later that day. Chad and the Ravens PR department really came through, and I have to applaud the effort."
Lots of praise for Derek Boyko and the Eagles for installing a "blogging" trailer adjacent to the training camp practice fields at Lehigh University. It was used immediately after practice for blogging.
Jason Cole praised the Ravens and the Titans for their handling of Steve McNair's death: "Both responded quickly on Saturday and followed up through the week. In particular, Marisol Renner from the Ravens returned calls quickly as I put together my column."
CUTS
I had a few complaints about some teams waiting until as late as 9 p.m. the day of the final cutdown to announce their cuts. If you had problems, please let me know. We'd obviously hope that we could get something put into the rules, so we're not waiting until three hours or more after they have to make their cuts to get official word about who they cut.
CONFERENCE CALLS
We have had a couple of problems in Week 1 getting requested players for conference calls. Just a reminder that this is the rule for conference calls: "All NFL players are, upon request, required to participate in weekly conference calls with the media from the opposing team's city. While a player is encouraged to be available for this call every time he is requested, no player is required to do more than five such opposing team/media conference calls each regular season." Special thanks to those players who last year did more than the five required. Tony Romo did almost every conference call for the Cowboys, and Kurt Warner did 17 of the 19 for the Cardinals.
CHICAGO WIRELESS
For writers traveling to Chicago, wireless Internet access is $35 per game at Soldier Field. Writers were able to access free wireless service during the 2008 season because Soldier Field hosted a number of international soccer events and its governing body purchased wireless access for the press box for the duration of those events. That access was never turned off, even on Bears game days.
GOOD GUY AWARD
Arizona Republic beat writer Kent Somers presented Kurt Warner with the PFWA's Good Guy Award before the Cardinals' preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. The two taped the award presentation before the game and had it presented on the stadium Jumbotron (which wasn't hit by any punts) in the first quarter of the game. Kent commented that Kurt is so good with us that we should "name the award after him."
Here is a link to Mike Sando's blog about Warner getting the award from Somers with a photo of the occasion: http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/4504/doors-always-open-with-cardinals-warner.
CAROLINA'S GOOD GUY AWARD
Tom Berry, the long-time columnist for the High Point (NC) Enterprise, died from leukemia Aug. 30. He had written columns on the Panthers for years. Berry, 48, is survived by his wife, Sandy, and their daughters, Ashlyn, Rachel and Leah.
In his memory, the Panthers' writers have voted to rename the Panthers' Good Guy Award the "Tom Berry Good Guy Award." The Panthers will pay for the plaque to be presented to the player most helpful to the media each season. Tom will be missed.
"The name 'Tom Berry' and the phrase 'good guy' are synonymous," said PFWA NFC South chairman Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com.
"Tom was well-liked and well-respected by all the writers who cover the Panthers and by the players in the locker room and the entire organization. We felt this was a perfect way to carry on his memory."
Officials with the Carolina Panthers held a moment of silence in Berry's memory in the Bank of America Stadium press box prior to last Thursday's preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Berry covered nearly every Panthers home game since the team began play in 1995.
PFWA RELIEF FUND UPDATE
Just a reminder that we are accepting donations to our emergency relief fund. Please make checks payable to the PFWA and send them to Mike Sando at 16908 13th Ave. CT E, Spanaway, WA 98387. His email is mikejsando@gmail.com. As you probably know, Brian Allee-Walsh of the New Orleans Times-Picayune was instrumental in starting this fund for us last fall. It is designed to help members affected by natural disasters.
THIS AND THAT
Dave Goldberg retired from the Associated Press on July 24. The AP cut its staff by 10 percent and made Dave an offer he couldn't refuse. The day after he retired, Dave was hired by AOL's FanHouse. He will write periodically on the NFL, not full time and not much travel, and he also will continue to do some work part time for the AP. Dave's personal email is Dave.Goldberg84@gmail.com.
We're glad to have Mike O'Hara back on the Lions' beat
part time anyway. He will be working for the Detroit News this fall, doing some Lions' stories among other things.
It's nice to see Len Pasquarelli back on the road. Len, we're glad you're doing well.
Condolences to Dave Tratner, the Jets director of public and media relations, on the recent death of his father.
Congratulations to Mike Reiss, who has left the Boston Globe to cover the Patriots for ESPNBoston. The site will launch Sept. 14.
Congratulations to Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud of the St. Pete Times on the birth of his daughter Natasha. Mother and daughter, who was 7 lbs., 12 oz., are doing well. Dad reports that he might have to get a second job. "Hide the wallet; they're going shopping!" Stroud said.
Jane McManus left The Journal News after the paper cut the Jets and Giants beats. Jane is looking for freelance work, so if you're in need of a stringer for a Jets or Giants game, contact her at janesports@hotmail.com.
Lou Pintek of the Connecticut Post also is looking for stringing work. He was the Giants beat writer for the paper for 10 years until his position was eliminated a year ago. He said he can string anything for the Giants or Jets. Please contact him on his cell at 203-556-7507.
Ashley Fox of the Philadelphia Inquirer is back at work after delivering her son Austin on June 22.
Jason Wilde has left the Wisconsin State Journal for ESPNMilwaukee.com and ESPNMadison.com. He will continue covering the Packers.
MEDIA GUIDES
Sorry, Vito, but the memory sticks have been a big hit. The NFL conceived of and funded the memory stick project, which for the first time contained all 32 team media guides, the NFL Record & Fact Book, the NFL Kickoff Information Guide, the NFL Black Book, the NFL Rule Book, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame Information Guide on one, easy-to-use device. The Texans, Giants and Eagles did not publish media guides this year, and like teams in every other professional sport, we can expect more clubs to follow suit in 2010.
If you have questions about the memory stick, contact Jared Cooper at jared.cooper@nfl.com. The NFL also requests feedback on the usefulness of the new product.
Regards,
Charean Williams
PFWA president
