CFL News @CFL_News · 4h

#Esks closing their locker room to media this season is going to go over about as well as a lead balloon can fly. #CFL

 

Dave Campbell @Dave_CHED · 2h

@TheCityOfChamps Closing the room won't make the Eskimos any better this year. We in the media are not problem.

 

 

Dave Campbell @Dave_CHED · 2h

Jones on closing LR to media: "Players LR is their sanctuary. They confide in each other and they don't have to worry about who's in there."

 

 

Bob Irving @BobIrvingCJOB · 2h Eskimos close locker room--CFL needs to be very careful about stuff like this--CFL needs to cultivate not alienate media

 

 

 

 

A la Vegas

 

What happens in the locker room…stays in the locker room.

 

 

Rubbish.

I dunno...even as a media member I don't see why the need to be upset over this. Is it really THAT important to be in THAT room? You can talk to them whenever and wherever else. Give them the one thing. But no...the second you try telling em they can't do something they scream bloody murder.

I think it's a poor decision that will alienate the media and that's something you really don't want to do when your team isn't a powerhouse.  

 

I thought the league dictated who had access to the locker room, but I guess not.  Grab the popcorn and lets see how this plays out.

Control the message. Where have I seen this before...

I thought the Bombers do this have media availability to a couple players each day on the field after practice. Its not like they are banned from speaking to players.

Ed Hervey is the new Joe Mack

I just don't understand why the need to be in the one specific room? Are you really going to get something special there that you can't get elsewhere, if you're a reporter?? It just seems like they don't like being told what they can and can't do...like a spoiled kid.

I don't think it's a big deal. They'll still have all their media availability to create their standard articles. Most of the stories are "Player X wants to have an impact this year" or "Player Y hopes to make impression".

Being in the locker room doesn't do much for increasing the quality of their work and it's probably nice for the players to not have them in there asking the same standard questions over and over.

I think the media may be more upset with not having access to the locker room after games than at other times.

Oh that's absolutely what it is. They want their half hour immediately after the game when the players are most honest because they haven't cooled off after the game. I think there's just been too many negative stories from players saying the wrong thing following a loss, and that's what caused this. This lets the players calm down and not necessarily say something stupid in the heat of the moment immediately after a loss...

Maybe they should educate their players on media relations.

Well, here's what I think. You're out all day, running around, doing whatever. You get home, and you got some cramping. So, you go to the bathroom. How would you like it if you had an audience in there watching you and asking you questions? I, personally, never liked the 'locker room' thing. I think it's an invasion of privacy. Football players are human beings, just like us, and as such they deserve to have some place of 'sanctuary', whether it's to blow off steam, settle a disagreement with another player, or just sit quietly and comtemplate without having someone in your face. That's why they invented and they have 'media' rooms. That's why, at home, we have 'great rooms, Kitchens, etc. 

 

I wish all sports teams would take this stand. Only time I want to see inside the 'room' is when you're with them celebrating a 'championship'. Otherwise, wait in the 'media' room. 

 

I would like a 'time limit' though. In other words - 30 minutes after a game there must be someone in the media room to address the media. Coach for sure, and a list of players, provided by the 'media', whom they'd like to speak with (so the coaches can't censor the message).

 

That, I believe, would be 'fair' to all involved. The media still gets their quotes, and the players get their 'sanctuary'. A win/win 

While they should teach the players the do's and don'ts in interviews, i really see no problems with a team mandating when and where the media get to talk to players n such..

I mean, the media are essentially there because of the team and not the other way around... The story IS the team... So, i kinda wonder where they get off with demands and being butt hurt about rules like this...

Media has deadlines for stories so I can see why they're upset. They have a job to do as well.

The media always end up ganging up on this kind of crap. Good luck, Edmonton.

I foresee that there will be consequences to this decision

I agree with Westwood for once on this.  The league should mandate a league-wide policy on this.

 

Then the media can all whine about the league, instead of this high school-level ganging up on whatever GM is foolish enough to try this every couple years. It's annoying to read about every single CFL reporter making the same complaints every time it comes up. Newsflash media: No one actually cares about how "difficult" your job is.

 

I mean, for all their super-important access I still get the best and most reliable info from a few regular fans on here that somehow have better connections than all the reporters in town. And as an added bonus, they even know the rules to CFL game.

What I've seen is that the media will still be allowed in the room after games, just not after practices. It's also the same practice followed by 7 (counting Esks) of 9 teams in the league.

 

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2014/06/22/eyes-and-ears-get-blinders-and-earmuffs-the-eskimos-locker-room-is-closed/

"This doesn’t mean that access to players and coaches has been fully revoked. We’ll get our interviews on field after practices and I assume that the locker-room will be open post-games. And I know that six other teams in the league already employ this practice..."

 

 

IMO, this is such a big deal b/c of the Esks recent history. Reed & Hervey have been media disasters, & apparently Jones has blown off both rights holders & half-time & post game interviews. He's also coming in with a bad rep after blowing the media off at the Grey Cup two years ago. He's showing potential to be a Mike Kelly level media disaster.

Wait, what? They're changing to the same policy that the vast majority of CFL teams already follow?

 

If that is true then all the media commenting and complaining on Twitter are either badly misinformed or have decided to pile on and be outraged without bothering to find out the facts. That is... not surprising at all.

no surprise.

 

how many interviews with Chris Jones do you remember over the prior 2 years in Toronto? the man would ban media from the property if he could.

What I've seen is that the media will still be allowed in the room after games, just not after practices. It's also the same practice followed by 7 (counting Esks) of 9 teams in the league.

 

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/2014/06/22/eyes-and-ears-get-blinders-and-earmuffs-the-eskimos-locker-room-is-closed/

"This doesn’t mean that access to players and coaches has been fully revoked. We’ll get our interviews on field after practices and I assume that the locker-room will be open post-games. And I know that six other teams in the league already employ this practice..."

 

 

IMO, this is such a big deal b/c of the Esks recent history. Reed & Hervey have been media disasters, & apparently Jones has blown off both rights holders & half-time & post game interviews. He's also coming in with a bad rep after blowing the media off at the Grey Cup two years ago. He's showing potential to be a Mike Kelly level media disaster.

 

Some harsh words from Mr O'Leary... especially his closing

 

 "left Sunday’s availability shaking my head, saying the three words that I’ve regrettably been married to for the last two years in dealing, or attempting to deal with this organization.

What a joke."

media act like entitled jackasses, news at 11. Just ridiculous how they expect teams to treat them like ******* royalty.

For the first time ever, I agreed with something Adam Wazny said/thought, when he tweeted "The only people who care about closed locker room are other media"... Indeed, sir. Self-entitled whiners.

Again, I don't understand how the roles have somehow flipped.. Media is not the big dog in this fight.. The cfl teams are. The media get by because of the cfl team (when it pertains to cfl coverage obviously) and not the other way around.. If the SUN, for instance made a huge stink about this and demanded access, couldn't the shmoes just ban them outright and only own freepress or Harald or whatever paper publishers are out there..