Loomis Presser Set for Jan 13th (1 Viewer)

[St. Widge]

Tone was set during the Payton era - ask tough questions or turn yourself into a media heel, and there will be, um, “professional consequences.”

Right or wrong, if you want to maintain your access, don’t make yourself a pain to deal with or create distractions for our environment. And definitely, without question, ever ask about player injuries, because you won’t like my answer.

SP has literally personally called reporters after press conferences or the day after games to scold them about questions they asked.

This is how all professional sports franchises operate now. It's big business and they want to try to control the narrative.

The truth is that the "tough questions" are very seldom going to get answered and if they are answered they are never going to be answered truthfully or to our satisfaction. What fans really want is reporters to express their frustration and extract a pound of flesh by being an butt crevasse to the coach and GM. But that's never going to get the information we want and it's going to cut off access to the people who do have that information. If you lose credentials, you don't have the ability to talk to players, assistant coaches, staff, equipment guys, etc. who might tell you things that he head coach and GM are never going to tell you. Reporters have to have credentials to access that information and they aren't going to get the answers we want from a head coach or a GM.

Basically, reporters are doing the job the best way it can be done but people constantly birch about it.

Of course, there is nothing Loomis could possibly say that would placate this fanbase at this point other than getting up there saying he is resigning because he's a idiot and forked up while introducing Howie Roseman or Brad Holmes as the new GM and committing ritual seppuku live on camera to atone for his sins.

 

[St. Widge]

Yep. Baffles my mind that some fans don’t see that.

Definitely wasn’t the case back in the Mora days. They ticked him off daily and he told em about it lol.

It baffles me that fans don't know how being a reporter works and how these guys get information. It also baffles me that fans think the guys covering the team are supposed to be the voice of the fans when interviewing coaches, the front office, or players. And we knew nothing about what went on in the locker room in the Mora days. We have vastly more knowledge now.

People just want editorial and hot takes now. ESPN has poisoned the mind of sports fans. They just want their rage expressed to those who caused it.

 

[Nolan]

You sure? I sure don’t seem to see quite as many press conference squabbles as I once did. Used to be almost every other week we saw some headline grabbing press conference outburst. Seems like most reporters are playing nice these days.

We have instant access to these things too now, so if they were happening, we’d know about it quickly. It just doesn’t seem to happen anymore.

While there's certainly some causation from outbursts and reporters asking a tough question, they aren't always paired together. I don't think it's a matter of playing nice or not. But professionally, tough questions can and should be asked, and they do get asked in most markets. Coaches are used to it. The outbreaks typically come from a short-fused coach, an antagonizing reporter, or a combo of both.

 

[Hubig]

Loomis should be asked point blank, assuming he doesn't say he's stepping away as to why he's the right guy to lead a multi-year rebuild after several bad drafts and a miss on the last hire. He gets credit for the Payton/Brees years, you can't just not count those but one would expect that you've also learned something during those years of success.

I'm hoping he steps away. This years presser is a week earlier than last years, maybe thats something or nothing. For me, he's the number 1 problem on airline drive with the Saints.

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Loomis should be asked point blank, assuming he doesn't say he's stepping away as to why he's the right guy to lead a multi-year rebuild after several bad drafts and a miss on the last hire. He gets credit for the Payton/Brees years, you can't just not count those but one would expect that you've also learned something during those years of success.

I'm hoping he steps away. This years presser is a week earlier than last years, maybe thats something or nothing. For me, he's the number 1 problem on airline drive with the Saints.

I've seen some speculation online among some accounts I generally trust that there seems to be some 'movement' around Loomis and his position, and questions about how involved he has been in the current interviews. It would not shock me if announces he's taking a new role as Gayle's executive vice president of [whatever] and they promote Khai Harley or maybe Ireland to GM. We'll see.

 

[Domeination]

Well, it’s not on a Friday, so at least Loomis has that going for him.

 

[Domeination]

they better ask him the though questions

OK, here’s one:

Even though you hired Payton, what recommends you hiring DA’s replacement given you also hired DA as HC?

 

[St. Widge]

Loomis should be asked point blank, assuming he doesn't say he's stepping away as to why he's the right guy to lead a multi-year rebuild after several bad drafts and a miss on the last hire.

What do you think a question like that achieves? He's never going to answer it to your satisfaction and it's only going to make him spew bullshirt, get defensive, and not answer better questions. Asking that is like asking Loomis, "why do You blow so bad?"

There are ways to ask for the same information without making it an accusation of incompetence. Again, reporters aren't there to be the voice of the fans.

The questions you ask are things like "what are you doing different this time to ensure that you are going to hire the right guy for the HC position?" "What is the organization doing different to make sure this is an impactful draft like the 2017 draft?"

 

[St. Widge]

I've seen some speculation online among some accounts I generally trust that there seems to be some 'movement' around Loomis and his position, and questions about how involved he has been in the current interviews. It would not shock me if announces he's taking a new role as Gayle's executive vice president of [whatever] and they promote Khai Harley or maybe Ireland to GM. We'll see.

I will say that I think it's a bit odd how long he has waited to have his year end press conference. I think it's usually earlier than this. So maybe there is fire under that smoke.

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

It baffles me that fans don't know how being a reporter works and how these guys get information. It also baffles me that fans think the guys covering the team are supposed to be the voice of the fans when interviewing coaches, the front office, or players. And we knew nothing about what went on in the locker room in the Mora days. We have vastly more knowledge now.

People just want editorial and hot takes now. ESPN has poisoned the mind of sports fans. They just want their rage expressed to those who caused it.

I don’t watch ESPN, at all. Nor do I have any rage, especially pertaining to football. That would be asinine.

I do disagree with you but I don’t have to do it without any grace.

Have a nice day.

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

I'm guessing that this year's crazy historical analogy will be a laundry list of stats comparing Derek Carr to John Elway, Joe Montana, and Johnny Unitas.

Yep. Also that we’re all dumb peasants who have no clue.

 

[SigFreudianSlip]

I've seen some speculation online among some accounts I generally trust that there seems to be some 'movement' around Loomis and his position, and questions about how involved he has been in the current interviews. It would not shock me if announces he's taking a new role as Gayle's executive vice president of [whatever] and they promote Khai Harley or maybe Ireland to GM. We'll see.

We can hope. I’m thankful for what he’s done, and I do not dislike him, it’s just time for new blood thru and thru imo.

Having said that, I don’t think he’s going anywhere. Is what it is either way.

 

[JackDiesel]

I've seen some speculation online among some accounts I generally trust that there seems to be some 'movement' around Loomis and his position, and questions about how involved he has been in the current interviews. It would not shock me if announces he's taking a new role as Gayle's executive vice president of [whatever] and they promote Khai Harley or maybe Ireland to GM. We'll see.

Let's keep our fingers crossed. It doesn't make much sense to have a 69/70 year old spearheading a 3-5 year rebuild.

 

[RJ in Lafayette]

Widge, I am not sure whether we agree or do not agree. The reporters in a sense do represent the fans--they are trying to get the information that the fans want to have. They have a professional obligation to ask at times hard questions. But they also have a professional obligation to ask those questions in a professional manner--that is, there is a difference between hard questions that in substance and tone convey some level of respect and questions that are confrontational. I agree that nobody should be putting on a show because the fans would like to see someone vent or be angry.

I would not ask Loomis why he still has a job. But I do think legitimate questions are whether the team's salary-cap status makes the Saints head-coach position less attractive, when the organization expects to have a salary-cap level comparable with that of most of the other teams in the league, and what are the realistic expectations for this team in 2025.

I do not think the team can simply pull credentials or deny access to reporters from established media outlets whom it does not like. The league certainly has rules regarding reporter access.

Sparkle, I hope you're right, but it seems there would be more smoke if Loomis has decided to vacate the GM position.