Does Anyone Else Dislike Mike Sando's Coverage?
by DJ C-Raig on Oct 22, 2009 8:09 PM PDT
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PrintI don't know what it is, I used to like his work a lot, but within the past few months I've just gotten to the point where I can't stand the majority of what he writes or says. His comments used to strike me as pertinent and insightful, now they seem catty and snide. This, coupled with the generally annoying people who comment on his posts, has spoiled my opinion of his material.
I would like to hear other people's take on his products, to see if I'm off base or there are others seeing the same thing.
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Disagree on Sando itself.
Still like him a lot, coverage is great.
For the latter topic, the commenters, this shouldn’t be an issue. Comments on most sites are beyond fucking terrible, just ignore them. Don’t even scroll down. Most are trolls trying to incite reaction.
I'm actually a pretty big fan of Sando.
Many of the writers come across as arrogant and biased. I’ve never felt that way reading Sando.
I think he's still the best guy doing Seahawks beat coverage
despite covering three additional teams. I don’t agree with all of his opinions or methods, but for Seahawks news, Sando is still up to date and comprehensive.
I made a point of only commenting on Sando's work
because as a person I think Sando is a good guy. I agree his articles are up-to-date, and I like the way he breaks down different facets of the game (Plays called, formations, etc.) but for whatever reason I feel like he is dismissive when discussing the ’Hawks.
I realize that this may just be the loyalty/protectiveness when reading negative articles about my team, hence the reason I was trying to see if anyone else was sensing it.
God, please make the Ospreys awesome again.
I pretty much feel how you do
but I still like him a lot. I think last year, he was still the same as at TNT. This year, he’s probably more right about us than you & I want to concede, but he’s clearly looking at us from more of a macro view now. Because of the quadrupled scope of coverage, yes, but I think this is ESPN’s approach in general anyway, and I think that has to factor.
I am left a little unsatisfied with his work this year, and while like you I just want to believe otherwise, I am certain that it’s not just because of that, but also because his assessments don’t entail the granular detail they once did, but like I said mostly macro-level stuff. Which, I clearly understand largely dictates more about football and life than great amalgamations of micro-level stuff, but the difference is stark, from TNT/last year Sando and this year, and while I can’t say he’s wrong or going about it the wrong way, it simply results in a different read, a different experience, which has resulted in my essentially taking root on this blog far and away from everything else online.
by jacobstevens on Oct 23, 2009 10:45 AM PDT up reply actions
If I had to write about the NFC West for ESPN, I'd become snide also.
I always have liked him. I get defensive reading negative things about the Hawks too though. It’s like a family member or a friend. I can talk shit but someone that’s not part of my family better not.
I actually bought a Betancourt t-shirt.
I'm not Sando's biggest fan
because it seems that sometimes he is unduly harsh on Seattle, probably because he is scared that if he says too many positive things, he’ll be called a homer. I try to keep in mind that behind his lame ESPN facade, he’s probably a big Hawks fan.
It's Great to be a Florida Gator!
Next year's notable Ex-Seahawks:
Walter Jones, Patrick Kerney, Seneca Wallace, Jordan Babineaux, Kelly Jennings
How can you be both?
They are big rivals!
by Brendan Scolari on Oct 23, 2009 2:17 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't need details
But it seems pretty odd to be a fan of both teams…
by Brendan Scolari on Oct 23, 2009 3:24 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm a Seahawks fan but grew up as a 49ers fan
so I’m a little more ambivalent when they come to town.
--Shrug
Field Gulls - The SBN Seattle Seahawks Blog
Close,
But he was actually a Rams fan that became a raiders fan (Jack Youngblood was his favorite player). He actually had Raiders season tickets up until he got the job covering the seahawks. Now he claims that he has no fan loyalties.
by Mind of no mind on Oct 28, 2009 12:27 PM PDT up reply actions
I don't beleive in changing your allegiances.
Sando will never get another read from my eyes now that I know he use to be a Raiders fan and Rams for that matter. ICK.
I ROCK out with my HAWK out, therefore I am....
Aw, what's the biggie
Some people become fans of players more than team. When the player’s gone, the team is just different. I know old 49er fans, who were jilted by their treatment of Montana at the end, who went and picked other teams.
My aunt dated Tony Dorsett. I grew up a Cowboy fan. Was happy for them under Jimmy Johnson but I just didn’t hold the allegiance after Tony went to Denver. I liked to watch Elway, but I was never a Bronco fan. Moved to Seattle before anything else had a chance to grasp me, so what the hey, home team rooting. Now I don’t think I can change. But in some ways I am more a fan of football than I am of the Hawks.
I like to have a second team, from “the other” conference, to root for. When Seattle switched conferences, I had to find an AFC team, and with the Music City Miracle and the Longest Yard, Fisher and McNair, it was hard to not like the Titans a little. So they’ve been my other team, ever since. Eventually even Fisher will be gone. All my reasons for liking the Titans will be gone. The owner ain’t great. A likeable team, but when a great story comes along, I see nothing wrong with hoping that a certain, likeable set of guys find success. Seattle failing to make the playoffs, I hope to see the Saints win it all. Not a fan, but if Seattle can’t do it there’s no one else I hope gets to, more, in the NFC this year.
by jacobstevens on Oct 29, 2009 12:48 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm actually with you on this one Craig
I can call you Craig, right?
I have noticed a subtle change in his tone regarding the Seahawks. I’m not exactly to the “can’t stand him anymore” stage, but some of his comments have been grating on my nerves recently.
The demise of the Broncos in '09 is our future. Pray hard.
Mike Sando has started trolling his own blog
Pandering to the mental midgets who frequent the comments section of the blog. I’ve definitely noticed him posting intentionally inflammatory and sarcastic posts to rile up the flamers, such as a recent article entitled ‘questioning the Seahawks mental toughness’
I used to be a big fan of Sando’s dilligence and way with a spreadsheet. He’s turning into a shock jock. And it’s sad to watch.
Nailed it.
I don’t mind negativity or snark – and he used to have plenty of that at TNT. . But he was also fact-based and did a good job of confirming stories and printing quotes in context. Now he’s started doing a lot of the standard ESPN hype, rumor & innuendo. It’s not just the ‘Hawks – he’s putting stuff up there simply to incite a lot of the fanbases. Listening to 710am, a lot of those traits have belled over into his on-air personality as well.
I expected a change in his style, since he’s probably under editorial pressure from ESPN suits and he needs to tailor to his audience a bit. And now Sando seems to be blending in..
"I'm tired of chasing after my dreams. I'll just find out where they're going, and catch up later." - Hedberg
I think this the one thing that bothered me too.
I think it was that article, or it could have been a different one, but it was certainly aimed to take a shot at the Hawks, and someone even pointed out in the comments that he started a real flame war between the fans to which Sando responed in the comments something to the effect that he was “stiring up the pot” a bit. That kind of annoyed me. But there’s a good chance that his bosses at espn look at how many comments there are in a given period, so maybe he was trying to stir some up, kind of like cops with their supposed “ticket quota”. Either way, I still read his blog, but I don’t follow it as closely as before.
by Mind of no mind on Oct 28, 2009 12:35 PM PDT up reply actions
Ticket quotas. Heh.
I always recognized that that was simply spawned from collective bitterness of the convicted. But municipal budget woes are strikingly bad all over during this recession, and the motorcycle cops have been tagging drivers endlessly on northbound Hwy 99 from the tunnel to Wallingford since late Spring. I suppose that means the populace hasn’t learned to keep it at 40MPH there, yet, but the general flow of traffic sure seems to have been quelled long ago by it. I probably see 8 to 10 pullovers a week, up to 4 motorcycle cops a morning out there.
Now my observation and experience has been that citizen complains and civic surveying are the greatest sources for officers to use speed traps in a spot where the flow of traffic has gotten a little too far above the speed limit, and the deterrent kicks in within a couple weeks and the cops seem to move on to another spot. So this really does make me imagine, this one must be too juicy and the municipality too hurting right now for them to stop reeling them in.
by jacobstevens on Oct 28, 2009 12:49 PM PDT up reply actions
Sando is nothing compared to the professional troll that is Matt Mosely.
"Mayhap a hidden door lurks nigh. Let us search the environs."
by Fearless Frog on Oct 28, 2009 4:18 PM PDT up reply actions
Mosely is a professional NFC East asshole
Sando went to college and got his start in sports journalism in the great state of Washington.
"Its not that I can't read and write, its just that I don't like to read and write."
-Charlie
Mosely= Sando's greatest idol.
It's Great to be a Florida Gator!
Next year's notable Ex-Seahawks:
Walter Jones, Patrick Kerney, Seneca Wallace, Jordan Babineaux, Kelly Jennings
by Wayward Llama on Oct 29, 2009 10:47 AM PDT up reply actions
Didn't the NFC West blog start as an offshoot of Hashmarks
Mosely’s personal blog that moved to ESPN (like TrueHoop)?
"Its not that I can't read and write, its just that I don't like to read and write."
-Charlie
The entire divisional blog section was created as division of Hashmarks, yes.
"Mayhap a hidden door lurks nigh. Let us search the environs."
by Fearless Frog on Oct 29, 2009 3:40 PM PDT up reply actions
But what a lovable face!
"Mayhap a hidden door lurks nigh. Let us search the environs."
by Fearless Frog on Oct 29, 2009 8:14 PM PDT up reply actions
I've noticed it too.
But I like his work all the same.
Although I still find it hilarious that he wrote that big piece on how Josh Morgan was going to be the NFC West’s breakout player this season. Look how that turned out.
"Mayhap a hidden door lurks nigh. Let us search the environs."
Yep.
The demise of the Broncos in '09 is our future. Pray hard.
by Nick Andron on Oct 23, 2009 12:24 PM PDT up reply actions
He's actually been pretty good apart from one nasty drop against the Rams
Look at his DVOA and catch rate compared to Isaac Bruce (19.4% DVOA and 59% catch rate compared to -25.3% DVOA and 45% catch rate). It’s the guy throwing him the ball that’s keeping him from “breaking out”.
All bias aside, I think Crabtree and Morgan are going to be a pretty fun duo to watch if the Niners ever get a competent quarterback.
by Brendan Scolari on Oct 23, 2009 2:23 PM PDT up reply actions
He could become great,
but I found it laughable and premature that he thought a 6th round pick who barely saw any significant time his rookie season and with questionable separation skills on a run-first offense with Shaun Hill throwing him the football was going to become the entire division’s breakout player because he had a good preseason game once upon a time.
"Mayhap a hidden door lurks nigh. Let us search the environs."
by Fearless Frog on Oct 23, 2009 3:07 PM PDT up reply actions
Maybe
I think you’re selling Morgan a bit short though. He looked great in the preseason and made some great plays during the season but didn’t get enough opportunity because he was hurt. He’s not Marcus Colston, but I think he can be a pretty good player. Seeing as how most people didn’t know who he was and he was going into the season as arguably the Niners #1 WR, I don’t think it was such a bad pick.
Who would you have picked?
by Brendan Scolari on Oct 23, 2009 3:14 PM PDT up reply actions
Crabtree or Curry
Maybe LJ, Coffee, Laurinitis, Red, Mebane or Wells. There’s lot of good, young talent in the division.
"Its not that I can't read and write, its just that I don't like to read and write."
-Charlie
Would many of those guys have been better picks?
Cofffee and Wells haven’t done a thing this year, and both are backup running backs. Had Crabtree even signed when Sando made his pick? I personally hate Laurinitis as a player so I would never have picked him to have a good year, but some people like him. Mebane is alread pretty good, I don’t think he’s “breaking out” really. Red Bryant is a backup and is not really a great pick as a whole division’s “breakout player”. Curry would be a good pick I guess. Lo-Jack maybe too, but did a lot of people see that coming?
I don’t know, there’s lots of young talent but I don’t know that there were really a lot of better picks than an obscure guy who was going to be a #1 WR (note: play a lot, unlike Coffee, Wells, Bryant and also put up flashy stats unlike a defensive player). It hasn’t panned out so far but I don’t think it was a bad preseason pick.
by Brendan Scolari on Oct 24, 2009 12:18 AM PDT up reply actions
Any of those guys was as good a pick as Morgan
Red is a “backup” like Mebane was a “backup”. Lojack was banged up last year and underperformed his first year in—you could have expected a breakout year from him. Crabtree and Curry were both high picks in high-profile positions that could have produced in a big way.
I think Sando just picked Morgan because (1) he wanted to make a pick no one else would and (2) he wanted to pick a guy that wasn’t a Seahawk or a Card.
"Its not that I can't read and write, its just that I don't like to read and write."
-Charlie
(1) I agree was a factor
I don’t see why (2) would matter though.
Red Bryant is a rotational defensive tackle, how is that as good of a pick as a potential #1 WR?
Lojack maybe, i can see him as a pick. he has more of a pedigree than Morgan.
You could argue that rookies should never be listed as breakout players. The googled definition for breakout is “a sudden manifestation or increase”, and obviously rookies have no basis to increase from. Perhaps Sando was not counting rookies, otherwise I think Curry could have been a good choice.
I don’t see how Wells or Coffee would have been good picks, they simply don’t have the opportunity (barring injury) that Morgan does to make an impact. I think given the obscurity of Morgan it was a good pick that is a little more interesting than picking someone like Curry.
by Brendan Scolari on Oct 25, 2009 1:31 AM PDT up reply actions
What?
A WR on a Shaun Hill-QB’d team is would be the “breakout player” of the division but the rookie RB of a high-powered offense with ambitions to emphasize the run wouldn’t be?
And rookies in general should be disqualified from the running? So the only players that qualify are ones that sucked their first year and haven’t produced on the field yet? Do they also have to have first name for a last name in order to be eligible?
Sando was just being trying to be contrarian, picking an unlikely star from a team that wasn’t the Seahawks (don’t wan’t to show favoritism) or the Cards (their playoff run was a fluke and they aren’t really that good).
"Its not that I can't read and write, its just that I don't like to read and write."
-Charlie
Pretty much.
It wasn’t so much Morgan as much as it was that he was extremely unlikely to succeed. Jimmy Raye II, Shaun Hill, Frank Gore, Mike Singletary, Physical with an ’’F", etc…
"Mayhap a hidden door lurks nigh. Let us search the environs."
by Fearless Frog on Oct 25, 2009 10:02 AM PDT up reply actions
A #1 WR vs. a RB who gets 5-10 carries a game?
Uh, yes!!! Also, at this point it looks like it’s going to be an Alex Smith led team. ;-)
And rookies in general should be disqualified from the running? So the only players that qualify are ones that sucked their first year and haven’t produced on the field yet? Do they also have to have first name for a last name in order to be eligible?
I’m just saying maybe he didn’t want to go with a rookie, especially a high profile one like Curry or Crabtree (who looked great today btw). Saying Morgan sucked is completely unfair though.
No arguments on the fact he wanted to be contrarian, that’s usually what makes for interesting media.
by Brendan Scolari on Oct 25, 2009 9:40 PM PDT up reply actions
Beanie Wells was supposed to be the starting RB for the Cards
The Cards wanted to emphasize the run.
"Its not that I can't read and write, its just that I don't like to read and write."
-Charlie
And Morgan was going to be the #1 WR
on a team with Crabtree?
"Its not that I can't read and write, its just that I don't like to read and write."
-Charlie
Crabtree hadn't even signed yet
Morgan went into the season as the #1.
by Brendan Scolari on Oct 25, 2009 10:17 PM PDT up reply actions
Was there any expectation that he'd hold out?
Typically, draft picks sign with the team that drafts him.
"Its not that I can't read and write, its just that I don't like to read and write."
-Charlie
No
But he also was not expected to start full-time right away.
by Brendan Scolari on Oct 25, 2009 11:30 PM PDT up reply actions
And I hate to be the guy that writes multiple responses
but I never once said that Morgan would suck. I implied that he’d have a low ceiling (because he’d play on a team that wanted to emphasize the run with a lousy QB). It would be hard for anybody to have a “breakout” year under those circumstances.
"Its not that I can't read and write, its just that I don't like to read and write."
-Charlie
Yeah, this.
It’s not so much Morgan as it is any good receiver would have a drop-off in numbers on the 49ers.
"Mayhap a hidden door lurks nigh. Let us search the environs."
by Fearless Frog on Oct 25, 2009 10:14 PM PDT up reply actions
Oh no doubt
But I still think he could have potentially (and still could to some extent) put up some good numbers and be considered a breakout player. Not an 1000 yard season but 700-800 yards.
by Brendan Scolari on Oct 25, 2009 10:20 PM PDT up reply actions
You wrote this:
So the only players that qualify are ones that sucked their first year and haven’t produced on the field yet?
I assumed you were implying that was Morgan, but perhaps you weren’t.
by Brendan Scolari on Oct 25, 2009 10:19 PM PDT up reply actions
You said that some of the other young players
were too good their first year or two. I was wondering out loud how bad they would have to be to qualify.
Morgan had 300 yards receiving on 12 games played, in a pass-happy offense. While he didn’t suck, the raw numbers don’t suggest to me a superstar in the making.
"Its not that I can't read and write, its just that I don't like to read and write."
-Charlie
No, your misunderstanding
I wasn’t implying that someone like Carlson is too good to be a breakout player. I was saying that his numbers won’t be that much better than they were last year, so he wouldn’t be “breaking out”.
by Brendan Scolari on Oct 25, 2009 11:31 PM PDT up reply actions
Red Bryant was drafted initially to be a rotational DT
But the hope is that he would become a starting caliber DT
Sam Bradford, future Seattle Seahawk.
by Carl Shinyama on Oct 25, 2009 12:09 PM PDT up reply actions
Carlson, Curry, Willis, Mebane, Wells, among others that I'm probably forgetting.
Crabtree, even, if he didn’t hold out so long. Morgan was probably the worst pick he could have made and yet he still did it.
"Mayhap a hidden door lurks nigh. Let us search the environs."
by Fearless Frog on Oct 23, 2009 4:43 PM PDT up reply actions
Vernon Davis
"Mayhap a hidden door lurks nigh. Let us search the environs."
by Fearless Frog on Oct 23, 2009 4:43 PM PDT up reply actions
That would have looked good in hindsight.
by Brendan Scolari on Oct 24, 2009 12:08 AM PDT up reply actions
6 TDs already, holy crap.
Pro-Bowl?
"Mayhap a hidden door lurks nigh. Let us search the environs."
by Fearless Frog on Oct 26, 2009 2:56 PM PDT up reply actions
See my response to ninjasocks
Willis is already a stud he’s not a breakout player. Carlson is marginally better this year but again, he’s not a breakout player. Mebane is in the same category as Carlson. Wells is a backup and has done a lot less than Morgan has this year, he can barely get on the field.
I don’t think your looking at it the right way. Sando had a chance to really make a great pick going with Morgan if he had put up 800-900 yards and 5 TD’s this year. Picking Carlson and watching him go from 600 yards last year to 700 this year is a boring pick and not the definition of a breakout player anyway. I still don’t see what was so bad about it.
by Brendan Scolari on Oct 24, 2009 12:23 AM PDT up reply actions
I think Sando is responding to a lot of accusations of pro-Seahawks bias
by being a dick about the Seahawks. He belittles their successes and exaggerates their failures.
"Its not that I can't read and write, its just that I don't like to read and write."
-Charlie
I ratted y'all out
Emailed Sando to tell him you guys were talking junk. He said he would sic Golic on you.
by John Morgan on Oct 23, 2009 4:47 PM PDT reply actions 2 recs
Mixed feelings
I liked him better at TNT, but I think that’s just because he was devoted full-time to the Hawks. Now we only get him 1/4 time, and he has to come across as unbiased, which makes him feel more distant / less Hawk-friendly to me on the whole.
I have to say also that I can’t stand all the hypey crap that he uses to add filler to the blog — MVP Watch, and “Fearless Predictions”, and “Gridiron Challenges”, and who knows what else. When he’s focusing on pure data, he’s the best. I’m just bummed that we don’t get nearly as much of that coverage as we used to.
While this conversation has already run its course
I think it’s not difficult to either project, or for fans to detect, objectivity in coverage. I’d go so far as to say Clare Farnsworth still sounds as objective as when he was with the PI, and more objective since taking the inside job than Sando has, at the Worldwide Leader. When he’s on the KJR roundtable, I should add. The Seahawks.com blog is fine, but is toned more like news than a blog. But on KJR, it’s the same old Clare.
And Sando didn’t acquire the high regard that he earned at TNT by being Hawk-friendly or subjective. It was the quality of coverage, the calm, even-toned voice that drew from advanced stats that around here took beat reporting objectivity to a new level. So I couldn’t say everyone’s feelings are all a result of his now covering the division rivals. There’s an undeniable, noticeable difference.
by jacobstevens on Oct 26, 2009 1:05 PM PDT up reply actions
Sando's not always right
but I like his coverage. He tells it as he sees it.
He tries to be fair
But I find myself more interested in other blog entries on ESPN. That surprises me. I like Yasinkas (sp?) the most.
It is what it is...
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