Over the past couple of days,
The Plain Dealer has provided a textbook illustration of how a media outlet can spin a story in the direction of controversy and then watch as the rest of the media fans it into a full blown firestorm. I'm referring to the paper's coverage of remarks that Romeo Crennel made concerning Derek Anderson's future with the Browns, and how those comments have morphed into widespread media speculation that Anderson is on the trading block.
According to
The Plain Dealer, Coach Crennel's Monday press conference was highlighted by his comments that the team might listen to offers for Derek Anderson.
The Plain Dealer quotes Crennel as saying that "If anybody's interested in him, we'll just have to see how it goes.... Sometimes people can make you an offer and you can say, 'No, I think I'm going to stick with what I've got.' Sometimes they make you an offer and you say, 'Oooh!' So we'll see how it goes." Based on that comment, the
story in yesterday's sports section breathlessly announced that "Browns will listen to offers for DA."
Given the economics and egos involved, I don't think anyone has ever doubted that an offseason trade of Anderson is a possibility, but the funny thing is,
The Plain Dealer was the only paper in Northeast Ohio to spin Crennel's remarks in a way that suggests that a trade is in the offing. Most of the other reporters at the press conference reached the conclusion that Crennel wants Anderson to stay, and that Anderson is his starting QB going into camp next year.
The stories those papers published reflect this conclusion. For example,
The Akron Beacon Journal's story on the press conference was headlined "Crennel Resisting Changes at the Helm," and observed that "more emphatically than ever, Browns coach Romeo Crennel said Monday he wants Derek Anderson as his starting quarterback."
The Warren Tribune-Chronicle said pretty much the same thing,
as did columnist Jeff Schudel in
The Lorain Morning Journal and
The Lake County News-Herald. As usual, the most thoughtful assessment of the Browns' QB situation was
provided by Steve Doerschuk of
The Canton Repository, but the story that has captured the attention of the national media is the one that appeared in
The Plain Dealer. ESPN
picked up on
The Plain Dealer's take, as
did The Associated Press. Now, the story is pretty much everywhere.
In fairness to the media, the fact that a team is looking to trade a guy who just won 10 games and was named an alternate to the Pro Bowl is news -- the thing is, it's pretty clear from Crennel's remarks that the Browns aren't exactly
looking to do that. In fact, it's fair to ask whether Romeo Crennel actually said anything new about Anderson's situation that should foster a view that the Browns are shopping him? Given all the
speculation that has already taken place about Anderson's future with the club, isn't the real news to come out of the press conference the fact that the Browns organization's preference would be to stand pat on the QB front?
While that may be the real news, I guess the real news doesn't sell papers. Controversy does, and I guess the lesson is that if the team doesn't give the media enough controversy, the media will create it for them. No wonder Romeo Crennel
reportedly ended the questioning on the QB situation at his press conference by telling the reporters present that "you guys are killing me."
Romeo, I've got a suspicion that you ain't seen nothin' yet.
