Jeff Duncan's take (4 Viewers)

[BayouSAINTJoe]

He’s still on the forum but occasionally reading threads. I seen him active on the SSF page not long ago in April or May.

His only posted activity was promoting his books about Payton/Brees and the Saints becoming a winning team after baghead era. Don’t see any arguments or back and forths. I’m not sure why there’s classless namecalling like turds or tools just because Duncan’s impartial as a writer about a football game. It’s way too safe to anonymously talk bad about someone over football

We're pack hunters

WWG1WGA <- Not in a political sense, probably too controversial to use in hindsight...but is relevant in how we behave...so I'm 50/50 on it.

 

[CowtownSaint]

used to care about Duncan’s takes but not in years. I find Ross Jackson on the locked in podcast to be really sharp and have great takes to be honest. Been enjoying him and his enthusiasm. Duncan can keep his negative takes to himself much better Saints folks out there these days.

 

[SonOfNOLA]

He sided strongly with the NFL/Goodell on bountygate.

I agree with you on the name calling. There’s no place for it. And Duncan has proven that his info can be solid (even if his opinions aren’t).

But that’s why there’s so much emotion whenever his name is brought up.

We're pack hunters

WWG1WGA <- Not in a political sense, probably too controversial to use in hindsight...but is relevant in how we behave...so I'm 50/50 on it.

Reading Duncan’s 2012 articles on bountygate, I can see why some feel a way towards him. Its journalism to give an unbiased perspective though. I see it as an accountability piece to make a necessary culture change for the team. It’s not like he called out the FO, city and fans.

I’m 50/50 on it also. Punishment was full of inconsistencies. But Williams, Vitt, and Payton shouldn’t have put themselves and the team in that position in the first place to interrupt a great run, mainly Williams and Vitt. Nobody to blame but WVP.

It’s not that deep for some to be classless towards Duncan over a columnist opinion like he was the one who caused bountygate or the punishment by writing about it after the decision

 

[DerrickB]

It’s hard to argue over an article behind a paywall. I refuse to pay a dinosaur company with a dinosaur business model a fee so that I can see two or three good articles per month mixed in with hundreds of AP feeds.

Not trying to be smart, but what is the better business model?

 

[Clintonrebel]

Not trying to be smart, but what is the better business model?

I would have kept paying for delivery of my local paper if they would have kept all the good writers and kept giving me great content. Or I would have paid for online access. Of course, I’m in a different market. My state/local paper is owned by Gannett. Case study of how to ruin a business. Every six months they laid off good writers and added more AP feeds or USA Today crap. Today, they charge $2.00 for a midweek edition that has zero local or state coverage. They exist ONLY for the legal ads.

 

[SaintsGold]

He sided strongly with the NFL/Goodell on bountygate.

I agree with you on the name calling. There’s no place for it. And Duncan has proven that his info can be solid (even if his opinions aren’t).

But that’s why there’s so much emotion whenever his name is brought up.

Beat me to it. It's exactly why many here don't like Duncan, especially and including me. He was unapologetically in Goodell's court during the bounty nonsense, and he opined that Mr. Benson should sell the Saints.

I took him to task for both on this forum several years ago, and I haven't changed my mind. Let's be clear: Sports journalists' opinions are not the same as sports journalism. Having an opinion doesn't make you a journalist, let alone a good one.

Writing a column is merely an attempt by the author to form an opinion. I think too often, we confuse opinions with objective game coverage or analysis. They're not the same.

But let's put the talking-head type aside for a minute. I see posters here talk quite a bit about sports journalism and what it is or what it should be.

I don't mention either here very often. But maybe I should. I've been a news journalist for 28 years, having started my career as a sports reporter covering high school and college athletics. At some publications, I was required to write weekly columns based on what I covered every day -- not just the games but athletes, coaches, athletic directors and parents.

Sometimes, those columns were my personal evaluation of what I was seeing in the sports communities in which I lived. Other times, maybe it was a feel-good piece about a player who had overcome injuries or personal issues to succeed on the court or field. But I can't remember a time, including when I covered college programs and athletes, that I approached my job with the same antagonistic attitude Duncan has toward the Saints.

To be fair, it's no sports journalist's job to be a cheerleader for the teams they cover. But it's also not their job to actively and publicly root against them. All things being equal, Duncan seems to do the latter with an almost-hatred of the organization.

And I can't stand for that. I was born in New Orleans and love this team. I think the Bensons have been incredible for and to the region and our fans, and they'll always have my respect.

As far as Duncan's legitimacy as a decent journalist, I'm not questioning that. But I'll say now as I said a few years ago when I criticized the New Orleans Times-Picayune for failing its readers and advertisers: I can walk into that building tomorrow and do a far better job of covering anything in New Orleans, including the Saints, than Duncan.

 

[David Robbins]

I remember Jeff Duncan from back in the day, and he used to be good. I respected his writing. Something happened to him. His take here is a good example.

Ross Jackson is a good example of being a good reporter, while also showing enthusiasm for the team. You can tell he's a fan, while also being honest about what he's seeing.

 

[Jesse Custer]

Duncan used to be my go-to for info on the Saints. But during Bountygate, something really changed with him that seemed to take away all enthusiasm he had for the team.

 

[sfidc3]

Reading Duncan’s 2012 articles on bountygate, I can see why some feel a way towards him. Its journalism to give an unbiased perspective though. I see it as an accountability piece to make a necessary culture change for the team. It’s not like he called out the FO, city and fans.

I’m 50/50 on it also. Punishment was full of inconsistencies. But Williams, Vitt, and Payton shouldn’t have put themselves and the team in that position in the first place to interrupt a great run, mainly Williams and Vitt. Nobody to blame but WVP.

It’s not that deep for some to be classless towards Duncan over a columnist opinion like he was the one who caused bountygate or the punishment by writing about it after the decision

I think most of the vitriol has to do with the popular opinion that Duncan was using Bountygate and hope to please the NFL with his take to boost his career.

I was never convinced that was the case but I understand the POV. I think he is just ok as a writer, he's not what I would call a football expert and a lot of his stuff is rather simple and obvious.....

 

[David Robbins]

Jeff is @ it again. Now he's saying we should trade Will Lutz. What is it with him. Will is a proven commodity. Grupe is an unknown.

Kicking in practice, and pre-season games is not the same as in big games that count. The pressure is greater.

Lutz had a down year coming off injury, but he is showing that he is back. Why would we want to trade him.

 

[Consigliere]

Personally, I don’t put much stock in the first preseason game.

Personally, I don't put much stock in Jeff Duncan.

 

[SaintsMan209]

He’s Sean Payton mouth piece

 

[saint_drago]

He sided strongly with the NFL/Goodell on bountygate.

I agree with you on the name calling. There’s no place for it. And Duncan has proven that his info can be solid (even if his opinions aren’t).

But that’s why there’s so much emotion whenever his name is brought up.

This. A lot of fans forgot about it, didn't care, or didn't take it personal. Some of us didn't forget. Some of us cared. Some of us took it personal. What people like Duncan and Peter King did during that debacle was unforgivable in my opinion. They helped Roger Goodell push the big lie. They were part of the pearl clutching, pious media spreading Goodell's message.

They said things like, "There is no place for this kind of thing in football", knowing damn good and well that locker room pools have been part of the NFL since the beginning. They continue to be part of the game. Players have openly talked about it since then. But Goodell, Peter King, Duncan, ESPN, etc. tried to convince the world that the Saints invented player pools and they were the only ones to ever do it.

Mike Florio was one of the few people in the media that stood up to Goodell and challenged the narrative. He was one of the few who dared to be honest about it.

 

[EGLSShin]

Still have to say it, most of our local reporters don't break big Saints news, Underhill is probably the only one these days who really breaks stories from the local beat. The fact its always national folks breaking the majority of the big Saints news speaks badly about our local reporters IMO.

 

[AgnesT]

Personally, I don’t put much stock in the first preseason game, but I think I would rather be less optimistic, then over optimistic. easier that way

I don't put much stock in Jeff Duncan.