Andy Reid Is Not A Fan Of Your Reporting Stories Without Getting The News From Him

My sincerest apologies in being so late on this story, but aside from being in 25 places at once, quite many times I found myself quoting Glenn Beck in the past few days. God, I'm such a paranoid douchebag.

Enough about me, though, and on to this hilarious story. With the news of Stewart Bradley being out for the season (a huge loss, if you ask me), a very interesting story came with the reporting of it. Little known fact of reporting: all reporters must confirm all reports with the coach before that story is reported. Well, at least that's how Andy Reid sees things. From a very pissed off Ray Didinger of CSN Philly that sums up both the story and his feelings.

The Eagles coach was livid because several reporters actually did some reporting without his permission. They tried to find out what happened to middle linebacker Stewart Bradley in Sunday’s Flight Night practice at Lincoln Financial Field. That, Reid said, is a violation of the rules.

Gee, I thought it was just a couple of reporters doing their job. I’m so out of touch.

According to Reid, a pact was breached. Funny, but I don’t recall signing a pact with the Eagles. I guess I’d better look into this before I violate some rule and the coach has me pushing a blocking sled down the field like poor George Hegemin. I mean, that has to be next, doesn’t it?

Football coaches are all about control, I understand that. And the Eagles are all about controlling the message. I get that, too. But Reid’s handling of the Bradley injury was outrageous. It was more than arrogant, it was unprofessional.

By now you know the details. Bradley, the Eagles starting middle linebacker, left the field early in Sunday’s practice and headed to the locker room. It was reported he would undergo an MRI on Monday. That’s what is called a “big story.”

Several reporters placed calls to Bradley’s cell phone to learn what was going on. By the time the Eagles went on the practice field at Lehigh, the news had leaked out that Bradley suffered a torn ACL and was likely lost for the season. That’s what is called a really big story.

The media gathered in the interview tent after practice, waiting for Reid to address the situation. The coach who typically begins every press conference by saying, “Injuries…” this time said, “We won’t talk about injuries today…”

Huh? Why?

“Some of your colleagues here decided that they would go to the players and/or other personnel here and ask about injuries,” Reid said, beginning his lecture. “I made a pact with you guys when I first got here that I would disclose to you the injuries, that you just stay away from the players, stay away from the other personnel in the organization and I would take care of you with that.

“That part was breached, so we’ll get on with the Flight Night part of things…”

With that, Reid began talking about what a great night it was, yada, yada, while the reporters looked at each other in disbelief. Did the coach really intend to not address Bradley’s injury? Would he clarify Bradley’s status at all?

“He did not practice today,” Reid said.

Thanks, Coach, but we already knew that. We did watch practice and there was no No. 55. Could you tell us a little more? Like, what did the MRI show? Are the reports about the ACL tear accurate?

Reid would not elaborate. He was going to teach us all a lesson. He gave us a good rap across the knuckles.

Asked when he might disclose more information regarding injuries, he said: “When I decide that people can abide by the rules.”

Andy’s rules are these: He is the only person in the organization who is allowed to talk about injuries. On the rare occasion, they will bring the trainer Rick Burkholder into the auditorium at Nova Care to address, say, a Brian Westbrook surgery, but most of the time all that information comes from Reid. The doctors aren’t allowed to talk, even the injured player is ordered not to talk.

So when a few reporters tried to reach Bradley directly, Reid considered it a breach. No, Andy – they were doing their jobs. When the starting middle linebacker is hurt, reporters have a responsibility to find out what’s going on. They have a pact with their employers and their readers, not you.

Reid must think he’s proving a point, but it is hard to see just what it is. He won’t talk about a major injury and he won’t let anyone else talk about it. If there’s not a league rule against that kind of stonewalling, there certainly should be.

I've heard of and am well familiar with "Coach-speak" but for goodness sake, this is ridiculous. I definitley agree with Didinger in this piece. In this day and age with Twitter and Blackberries and what not where people break and receive news faster than ever before, we want the current information now and unlike in old times, the coach is not the only one to supply us with the information. I don't understand what the problem is with contacting Stewart Bradley about the injury. I mean, after all, he is the injured one, him (along with possibly Eagles trainer Rick Burkholder) would be the ones who know the most about the injury in the first place. And I have not even gotten into the arrogant way in which Reid declared that he would not talk about the injury.

Alas, this is just reason #598 why Andy Reid is not a competent coach in the NFL.