That's not what he said, though (those are your quote marks, not his). I'm merely speculating as to why he might not be in a position to say what he knows, or has heard. I'll leave the jumping judgments on "good journalistic practice" to others. [edit - sorry moderator, your intervention came too late to prevent the above. Sounds like an interesting thread. Anyone got a link?]
Why wouldn't they say what every other journalist in this country says. "I can't reveal my source." It's working well for Robert Novak and he probably helped someone commit a crime.
Fair point. I suppose there are different reasons for protecting sources. In high profile stories it's often a matter of life and death, but that would unlikely be the case with a soccer club, say (at least not in this country, yet). But as a hack I think you have to be selective about the number of stories you put out without sourcing them - put out too many and you'll lose credibility.
You're correct here, but I don't neccesarily think it's a particularly good journalism to go on a public message board and post that you know something going on behind the scenes, and you're not going to tell other people. (Note: I'm not belittling Mr. Chop's effort or work, I think most of us appreciate it, but if you post something like he did about a fairly important topic when it comes to the team, you'll get a response.)
Look, it’s no secret that there are two factions within the club’s power brokers. On one hand, you’ve got the smaller, but more vocal group that consists of Ray and Trask and the people they’ve hired (the trainer, etc..) Then you’ve got Payne and the people he’s installed as caretakers and watchdogs like Zack and Kasper. Payne even has the team’s traveling secretary, who is left over from the Arena/Rongen days, sitting on the bench during games to give him a first hand report. On no other team do the administrators sit on the bench and that’s got to cheese Ray and Trask off. As a result, there’s a power struggle. We all know this and you don’t need to be “close to the team in a journalistic fashion” (Chris’ words for it) or a media “freeloader” (Goff’s word) to figure it out. When you have two factions, there are going to be conflicts. Obviously Ray and Trask have a vision for the club, a direction they’d like to take it. It’s also obvious that their hands have been tied somewhat in going the direction they want, presumably by Payne either directly or indirectly through the lapdogs he’s but in place as his surrogates. (Acting like Zack and Kasper have authority to do things Payne doesn’t approve of is silly – they don’t do anything if puts his foot down.) Payne’s a passionate, confident guy with a big ego. So is Ray. I’m sure Ray’s comments that seem like he’s wavering about coming back are directly related, and contingent upon, the amount of control he’ll have. And, I’m just as sure that Payne would like to limit the amount of control he gives away. And, if he happens to be unhappy with Ray’s coaching job or just wants to win the power struggle this is good way to get rid of Ray. If Payne denies Ray the control he wants, Ray might quit and Payne gets to replace him with someone who won’t be so demanding but Payne doesn’t have to look like he fired a coach who the media loves and who just got the team to the playoffs despite a huge amount of obstacles (some of Ray’s making, some of Payne’s, many neither’s fault). I think this is all pretty obvious to those of us zealots who follow the team closely. I bring it up because it is germane to the issue about reporting the issues here. So, if that is what Chris knows, BFD. He doesn’t really know more than most of us hardcore fans, credential or not. So, it doesn’t do any good to imply you know more as it only opens you up for criticism. Or, Chris knows more. More of the details and specifics of the conflict between the two camps. In that case, he should say what he knows as that is why he’s given the access he has: to report what he learns. This is the future of the club we’re talking about, here. This power struggle, while it may seem petty, is going to shape the direction the club goes in, next year and the years after. It’s relevant and we, as paying customers, deserve to know why a coach who just guided his team to the playoffs for the first time in four years and who claims he loves the job and the team is dancing around the issue of whether he’ll be back next season. Now, I recognize the validity of Imp’s point about protecting sources and what not. But, the Bob Novak point is also a valid one. C’mon guys, we live in Washington – sources are a way of life in this town. And, it’s not just the politicos who use them. The Post sportswriters, including the esteemed Mr. Goff, use sources all the time and no one question’s their credibility as a result. So, if Chris knows something but doesn’t want to reveal whom he learned it from, he should just “source it” and tell us what he knows or shut the *#*#*#*#*#*# up and stop acting like he knows more than he does or more than he’s willing to share. And, if that’s what he’s gonna do, he – and the club – should question why he has media access at all.
Well.... Goff already reported over a week ago Hudson may not come back, and provided specifics... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A46603-2003Oct18.html Cweed reported just about the same thing, but w/out any specifics.... So I take it CWeed isn't providing any additional information to the fans from having match press credentials? Hmmmmmm...........a regular fan's RFK cold hot dog for thought!
- Chris is not obligated to tell us everything he finds out about the team. We aren't paying for his food and drinks, the team is. - Do you people think S. Goff publishes everything he knows about the back office goings-on of the team? If you do then you're woefully naive. - To a certain extent the back office goings-on really aren't our business. This might come as a shock to some of you but buying tickets to matches doesn't give us the right to know everything that there is to know about the team. - It's obnoxious for people to go around saying they have a secret and then being unwilling to divulge it. I doubt Chris will make that mistake again but I'm also pretty sure he didn't mean to sound the way he sounded. - Calling Chris a freeloader is unfair. He participates in a weekly radio show and he doesn't get paid squat for it. This show regularly features interviews with Hudson, Rongen and other luminaries It's is worth tuning into if just for the opporunity to heckle Diceson. - I'm defending Chris even though he never got me the media guide he was supposed to get me after I gave mine to Thamlin.
Following along w/ Sandon's comments...it's bound to be another turbulent offseason if things pan out on the Freddy Adu "lottery" as a number of folks have posited. If DC gets Freddy, does it want Ray, who doesn't exactly have a good rep for nurturing young talent? Not that this is the only consideration, but given all the variables that seem to be out there---Ray's health, subpar efforts from the team, the Etch effect, etc.----I'd venture to guess that unless we win the cup this year, you won't see Ray Hudson on the sidelines next season.
If nurturing Freddy Adu is so important to the league (which it should be) will the league step in and tell DCU whom it should have for a coach so that they'll allocate him to us? or at least a shortlist of acceptables?
Actually, I didn't know any of that, though I've suspected a lot of what Sand suggests. I think all Chris was doing was saying, "Yeah, you're right, there's stuff going on behind the scenes." I really don't see what's wrong with that. After all, if all this stuff is well known and/or clear as crystal, which is more pointless, a three-line post saying "Yeah, you're right" or a sixty-some-line post telling us stuff that "we all know," that's "no secret," or that's "pretty obvious"?
I, for one, have had enough beating up on the journalists. To get back to the topic of the thread, his was the second post, and it hasn't been answered. Since I didn't get to hear the broadcast, I wonder if anyone who did would tell us whether the question was asked and, if so, what Ray said.
Here is another fan's opinion. I don't know half of the office politics in the office I work in. I have no desire to know and as a computer tech I have access to all different areas of the business. By the same token, as long as it does not affect the teams preformance on the field I don't want to know about the drama behind closed doors their either. That is only for me as for anyone else they are welcome to whatever information they can get.
Fair enough points... I'm basically new at this and learning the ropes as I go.. I apologize if I offended anyone's sensibilities on this issue.. I have a full-time job and what I do on the radio show and online at www.Unitedmania.com I do on my own time and for free.. With all due respect to Mr. Goff, he is a professional at what he does and has the time and resources to do his job, which he does very very well.. Again, if I upset anyone with what I come up with in my few short hours per week, then I apologize..
I don't see how I could be taken to have surmised the situation as I was pretty damned vague. I offered no specifics whatsoever. But you seem to have specifics. It's the fact that you seem to admit this but won't divulge anything that's getting people all upset. So c'mon Weedman. Spill the beans. We won't tell anyone. We promise.
Sorry Knave... Us freeloaders aren't worthy of breathing oxygen in the presence of journalistic greatness..
Thanks again!! I hope you guys don't forget however that I'm the premier investigative journalist on these boards. Don't make me bring up that "Convey the Player" thread again.
I did attempt to go back and edit my post to mention that you didn't get much financially out of it, but I managed to botch that. FWIW, I didn't really take offense to it, nor did I think you meant to offend anyone.
Here's some news for ya: The president of my company got caught in the fitness room hot tub with his secretary after hours.