Report: Packers official tried to intimidate journalist over Letroy Guion story

[News Bot]

We noted last week that the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had uncovered a previously unreported allegation of domestic violence against Packers defensive lineman Letroy Guion. The Packers apparently weren’t happy with that report — not because their player has a checkered past, but because a journalist chose to report about it. The Journal Sentinel‘s Bob McGinn…

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Source: ProFootballTalk.com

 

[weeds]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...-journalist-over-letroy-guion-story/#comments

This is a funny commentary - not really journalism - I recognize a good number of people worship the very ground that McGinn walks on around here, but this is plain laughable. Let me put it this way, take a ruler and measure a foot (assuming Mr. Cohen or McGinn did) -- If Cohen were any kind of man, his response to Rob Davis would have been, "Rob, you don't want to become the story do you? Step back because I don't know where my shoes end and yours begin"

One of my degrees is in Journalism (Poly Sci and Econ also if you're interested) ... didn't have to resort to journalism as a career since I had student loans to pay ... if THAT is intimidation to this Cohen kid, he should probably be writing for the society pages or covering marathons versus covering a sport where he could end up surrounded by men who could draw and quarter him.

"Mr McGinn...oh, Mr. McGinn, the big man scared me." For cryin' out loud ... in college, I had politicians sticking their fingers right freegin' in my chest (that kinda hurts). While Guion is a piece o' sh*t that the Pack invested a good bit of money into and, Guion chose a profession that opens him to public scrutiny, the Journal-Sentinel and McGinn should just back the hell off and let the kid try to rebuild his shi**y life. See, now it's the Journal's corporate mission in life to uncover the dirt that the Pioneer-Press and Star Tribune didn't?. In my book, this is "by-line" packing that makes McGinn and Cohen look like bad ... and it's by their own keyboards .... well played boys...well played.

 

[weeds]

Here is McGinn editorial/commentary/column/moral barometer/whatever:
http://www.jsonline.com/sports/pack...ll-costs-mentality-b99604933z1-339139291.html

 

[JBlood]

I don't agree with everything McGinn writes, but I agree 100% with this quote from him: "Would I have offered Guion continued employment in Green Bay this spring knowing what I know now? Not a chance."

Cohen writes a story that the Packers don't like, most likely because it's true; and because it points out either the hypocrisy, or the flaws, in the Packers' program that MM is so proud of. "No comment" by the Packers would have been acceptable as a start. And Rob Davis apparently is a moron, even if he was ordered to harass the writer.

 

[DaveRoller]

McGinn's article comes off as peevish and a bit "gotcha" because his colleague's feelings got hurt.

That said, this article is really going to ruin the day for those diehards who really think there is something called "Packer People" or the "Packer Way."

 

[Mondio]

I appreciate your take on it because this is another link I won't be clicking just on principle. But I suspect these guys will be writing nothing but TMZ garbage type stuff to create drama and some readers. I doubt the staff or players are going to give them much at this point.

I didn't read what Davis apparently did, because it's one disgruntled journalists take on it. I'm sure it was completely unbiased in its presentation to the reader

Again, I think they're probably more upset with the timing of anything and running a story like this now. Long after any of it allegedly happened, with a different team, under different circumstances they find NOW the time, coming out of a bye week, going into the biggest game of the year he decides to pen a "story" that has little to do with what is happening now.

 

[Raptorman]

I appreciate your take on it because this is another link I won't be clicking just on principle. But I suspect these guys will be writing nothing but TMZ garbage type stuff to create drama and some readers. I doubt the staff or players are going to give them much at this point.

I didn't read what Davis apparently did, because it's one disgruntled journalists take on it. I'm sure it was completely unbiased in its presentation to the reader

Again, I think they're probably more upset with the timing of anything and running a story like this now. Long after any of it allegedly happened, with a different team, under different circumstances they find NOW the time, coming out of a bye week, going into the biggest game of the year he decides to pen a "story" that has little to do with what is happening now.

So basically because of it's age the story should have been buried? Reporters write stories when they find out about them. And if a Packer employee tried to intimidate a reporter, well, what would be your response if it was the Patriots? The same? If Guion has all these arrest's why has he not been paying the price like other players? If it's garbage like MM says, that means he either knew about it or doesn't believe it. Which is it? How much of what Vick did with dogs was in the past? Did you overlook that because it happened 3 years before he got caught?

The fact that Guion has all these arrests and we are now just finding out about it tells me more about the NFL's vetting process on players than anything else. Apparently, unless it make the news, it's overlooked.

 

[Notso]

My thoughts on this are many. At 55, I'm likely older than many here. That doesn't give any added weight to my words, it's just meant to show why my take(s) on this may be different than the take(s) of others.

1. Being older, I've always been a fan of "The Packer Way." It doesn't make me better, or more moral than anyone else, it's just something in which I grew up believing. I was actually a little shocked when they brought Jolly back, and maybe even slightly affronted. But then...

2. I ended up glad Jolly was back, not just for his play, but also for what McCarthy's take seemed to be. I came away with the sense that he was a man that believes in second chances, as do I. It's important to note that I believe one can believe in second chances without negating one's moral compass. Coach McCarthy gave me the impression that he believes much the same way. Believe it or not, this made me admire him even more. It can be difficult trying to live by such principles.

3. As has already been noted, McGinn's piece came off not as journalism by any stretch of the word but as an editorial; an editorial with a very clear agenda. If his goal was to induce ire, he did himself a disservice. I would have been much more upset with Davis' alleged actions if McGinn's piece wasn't such an obvious hatchet job. McGinn's piece was so obviously and horribly slanted that I'm left questioning whether Davis did anything wrong at all. I guess only time will tell.

4. At this point, I'm actually more interested in learning what McGinn's motives might be than learning more about Davis' interaction with Cohen. And again, let me stress that this feeling is brought about not by any twisted loyalty I feel for the Packers but by McGinn's very obvious ax to grind. Something is clearly rotten in Denmark...

 

[Raptorman]

I do notice that Davis bio is no longer on Packers.com.

 

[Notso]

I do notice that Davis bio is no longer on Packers.com.

Do you know offhand if it was there before?

 

[Mondio]

So basically because of it's age the story should have been buried? Reporters write stories when they find out about them. And if a Packer employee tried to intimidate a reporter, well, what would be your response if it was the Patriots? The same? If Guion has all these arrest's why has he not been paying the price like other players? If it's garbage like MM says, that means he either knew about it or doesn't believe it. Which is it? How much of what Vick did with dogs was in the past? Did you overlook that because it happened 3 years before he got caught?

The fact that Guion has all these arrests and we are now just finding out about it tells me more about the NFL's vetting process on players than anything else. Apparently, unless it make the news, it's overlooked.

Yeah, that's exactly what I was getting at...insert giant eye roll

 

[Raptorman]

Do you know offhand if it was there before?

It was. It was linked on another forum. Let me see if I can find that again.

 

[Notso]

It was. It was linked on another forum. Let me see if I can find that again.

No need. I was just curious.

 

[longtimefan]

Already posted

We have a program in place not sure why it didn't alert op there was a thread already

 

[TJV]

• I’ve never believed the Packers were markedly different than most teams in terms of talent acquisition and that “Packer People” is a somewhat naïve view that the Packers organization is morally superior to all others in that regard. It’s enough for me that the Packers are unique because of their ownership and history. I don't expect them to exclusively acquire choir boys and I don't want them to.

• McGinn’s piece on jsonline is obviously a commentary piece, not hard news. That’s obvious from the opening, “It made no difference to me…”.

• I read enough of the Cohen piece on Guion here to know I wasn’t going to read it. BTW, McGinn admits the Packers and the league may not have known about Guion’s domestic disputes and couldn’t check with the Vikings about his character since they are division rivals.

• I think McGinn is one of the best NFL beat writers in the country but I don’t worship the ground he, or anyone else walks on. He’s made mistakes but IMO his positives far outweigh his negatives. And those paying attention when he first started covering the Packers should know he brought a rare objective voice and league wide perspective to the Packers. The ‘worship the ground’ comment seems much more apt regarding some Packers fans who think the Packers can do no wrong.

• If what he reported about Davis and Cohen is true, IMO Davis comes off much worse than Cohen. If Davis invaded Cohen's personal space instead of cowering or backing off, he extended his hand to introduce himself to someone he hadn’t met. And if it’s true Davis told McGinn he mistook Cohen for a reporter Davis has known for 20 years, that’s chickensh!t on Davis’ part IMO. And again if true, of course Davis was attempting to intimidate or show his displeasure with the Cohen piece on Guion.

 

[longtimefan]

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[longtimefan]

Well our program worked, it altered me to a already created thread... Please people just dbl check

 

[JK64]

It's not like this is the first time beat reporters were intimidated in an NFL locker room. If a reporter chooses to write bad things about someone's personal past then why whine when he gets some negative feedback.

 

[GreenBaySlacker]

I think it's funny when those huge dudes do that. Little reality check there. Lol he could squish you into a little ball. You better respect that!

 

[Raptorman]

It's not like this is the first time beat reporters were intimidated in an NFL locker room. If a reporter chooses to write bad things about someone's personal past then why whine when he gets some negative feedback.

Feel the same about Hardy and Rice. Peterson? Second, it wasn't in the locker room, it was on the practice field. If members of the Packers organization can't take the heat from the truth, then maybe they should not be part of the organization.

 

[Shawnsta3]

I know some posters are supportive of him here; but IMO there's nothing McGinn enjoys more than "poking the bear" of the Packers organization.

 

[Sky King]

I'm sorry about the long missive below but the two news stories -- Cohen's article and McGinn's pleading in defense of it -- have now evolved into being the much bigger stories than the original. Personally, I did not find much enlightenment in the timing and content of Cohen's article itself. It's credibility is also in question because of bias. And I'm truly fascinated by it's hypocrisy.

McGinn questioned whether the Packers, Vikings and NFL as a whole knew all about Guion's past in his quasi-editorial that seems like it's directed more at Gannet, the new parent company, than to us fans. The implication is that none of them may have been fully aware of every misdeed Guion has been alleged to have committed. It's clear that the JS was also not aware, for that matter, due to the timing of Cohen's article. Apparently, they did not see the need to vet Guion back when he was signed, either. It's certainly not stopping McGinn and his editor from claiming some sort of moral high-ground at this moment in time. In that case all parties must share in the embarrassment, including the JS.

It's only a left-handedly a current news event because somebody must have dropped a dime on Guion very recently -- possibly somebody from a Florida law enforcement agency or their DA's office, frustrated because they could not get convictions in the past despite the multitude of allegations made against him. Or maybe Guion's ex-girlfriend or her (now) ex-boyfriend (or his attorney) are trying to get an edge in the pending lawsuit. The way Cohen's article is written I tend to favor that the source of this information being law enforcement. They are trying to keep the money and truck they seized from him, after all, and they'll need to justify it.

I doubt it was one of those unnamed front office sources and scouts that we read a lot about since it has been implied that they did not fully know about his past anymore than the Packers front office did. If they had we would have known about these allegations a long time ago. McGinn would likely have been fed with this info early-on or shortly after his arrest months ago, especially from his sources with the Vikings.

Consider this: Just maybe the information used for this article is prejudiced. Nowhere in Cohen's article was Guion given an opportunity to address the allegations made against him by Cohen's sources. Journalists ask tough questions of everyone usually, including the accused -- especially when they have free access to them as he does. Cohen's version of journalism is strangely imbalanced regarding the input from ALL the principle parties involved. You better believe that if Cohen had asked Guion for a response he would have reported the response whether it had come from Guion himself or from his attorney or other designated spokesman.

So what was the purpose of the original article written by Cohen? To embarass the Packers, Vikings and NFL? IMHO he erred badly as did the JS and his editor in particular. This was information to archive until Guion screws-up big again, if ever, and hopefully never. Nobody from the team would have a ***** under that circumstance. Then, the JS could actually be accused of committing journalism. The best they can hope to salvage something out of this mis-timed, mis-judged and imbalanced "expose" is that Guion will screw-up again so they can eventually write, "I told you so."

Did not the JS write articles about Jolly's contrition? Yet, now they use his name in vain to argue that the Packers are the ones that are being hypocrites. There seems to be plenty of that to go around. Physician, heal thyself.

If I were Cohen I would be circulating my resume immediately. With the purchase of the JS by Gannet there now becomes a surplus of writers for the Packers beat by a single media outlet. The sellers did not sell because the newspaper business as a whole is in fiscal good health. Something has to give. Cutting staff is a given. If I'm the new boss I choose to retain writers who will actually stand a reasonable chance at getting interviews with the team we're covering in the future. Cohen's article makes it easier for me to make personnel decisions regarding the efficacy of my writers (and editors) for retention post the anticipated reorganization that will occur. Controversy cause by sloppy journalism and poor judgment would not make me choose their media outlet.

Even the survey question posed by the JS today on the Internet site was meant to pit the Packers versus the fans, regardless of the outcome. They should have asked readers whether the article represented fair and unbiased journalism.

My "statement" to the JS is that I will boycott their media outlet for the next full week, starting today -- including the Silverstein game blog this evening (and I really like participating there). Journalists claim that they give us what we want. Cohen's version of journalism and McGinn's defense of it is not what I want, and in a very small way I will make that known to the JS, Gannet and their advertisers through my boycott of the JS site.

 

[TJV]

While I was watching the Bears blow an opportunity to help the Packers in the division, I took a look at the Cohen & John Diedrich article on Guion. So I’ve edited my previous post.

Consider this: Just maybe the information used for this article is prejudiced. Nowhere in Cohen's article was Guion given an opportunity to address the allegations made against him by Cohen's sources.

That is not true. From the article:

Guion, McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson all declined to comment for this story through a team spokesman. Seth Katz, Guion's agent, also declined to be interviewed. A spokesman for the NFL said the league had no comment.

So he was given the opportunity to respond and chose not to. And Guion’s attorney, Robert Rush, throughout the article challenges the information presented, so Guion's point of view was represented.

As for the source of the information, there’s no need to speculate:

A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel review of more than 300 pages of court documents and police reports dating back six years, along with interviews of Florida attorneys, prosecutors and experts, show a high-profile athlete entangled by years of legal issues that at times have threatened his professional football career.

I’m surprised you didn’t mention any of this in your post.

I have some honest questions (not questions to make a point) regarding the other aspects of your post:
• What do you see as the author’s bias in writing the Guion story?

• What makes you think McGinn’s editorial was aimed at Gannet?

• Why should journalists share in the blame or embarrassment for not vetting an NFL player? And it was after all, the JS that uncovered the story. With regard to the responsibility of the media, do you blame Woodward and Bernstein for not exposing the Watergate scandal earlier? Do they share responsibility for Nixon’s reelection? (Offered as an analogy only: That was obviously a hugely more important story.)

• How does the fact the JS reported on the Jolly story – both the detail of his crimes and his contrition – make them hypocritical in mentioning him along with Lyerla as an example of the Packers’ willingness to acquire players not in the “Packers people” mold?

• The bottom line for me when evaluating journalists is are they reporting facts and representing both points of view if possible? It looks to me like Cohen and Diedrich did just that. My only problem with the article remains its timing.

BTW, one of the more disturbing things about that article appeared in the beginning. Outside the police station in the hours after his son’s arrest:

Letroy Guion Sr. was greeted by two of the officers, who recognized him based on past dealings with the department. That included a string of seven cocaine convictions, most of them for dealing. He asked the officers about the charges being brought against his son, a defensive lineman for the Green Bay Packers. They explained that Guion, 28, was facing two felonies for marijuana possession and a gun charge. Guion Sr. laughed and, according to an arrest report, said: "Well, I'll be honest, every time he comes down he always brings the best weed you ever smoked in your life."

 

[Croak]

OK, I'm going to go on record here as saying I had serious doubts about Guion when he came from the Vikings. I mean, seriously, I knew back then that he had problems. A Vikings player who already has problems coming to the Packers? The mere fact that he wore purple gave me the *******. Then the fact that he had problems? That's a real head scratcher. I was especially critical of the Williams brothers who ignored the rules when they played for the Vikings. Now the Packers have an ex-Viking derelict and we take it out on a reporter???

 

[GreenBaySlacker]

Guion is fine.