E-Mail Reveals LaCanfora to be Gibbs Hater

[70Chip]

(70Chip) sent the following message on or about August 23, 2007:

Of course Kendall will start. We all know Joe is just covering for his guys. Don't take it so personally. He yelled at Steve Buckhants one time. It's all affectation. I would encourage you to get some Redskins employees to talk to you so you don't have to hunt down people from other teams. That way would be more "Insiderly.

LaCanfora responds:

Gibbs treats people like they are morons, so I am calling him out on it. Don't insult that same fanbase you try to stroke all the time after you go 5-11.
trust me, i have no lack of people talking to me on this team, way more than gibbs can stomach. he can't stand the fact that i get the straight dope and don't write his dopish version of the truth in many instances (their crappy left side of the line a perfect case in point).
Thanks for reading.
Cheers.


Well, I let it ferment for a whole year and am releasing it now because he's been getting on my nerves. Remember this was at the exact same time he was claiming he had no personal animosity towards the Coach. Also, I've met Coach Gibbs. I know other people who have met Coach Gibbs and neither I or nor they have ever been treated like "morons". So La Canfora really shouldn't generalise based on his own experience. I would suggest that Gibbs treats people exactly the way they deserve to be treated. And lastly, "straight dope"? Does he really talk like that? It sounds like a bad James Cagney impersonation.

[Lady Brave]

He used the word "dope". Twice even. That made me giggle.

[redsk1]

I think he means that he treated several in the media like morons, i don't know though.

I'm not taking up for JLC, but JG's ran a pretty tight ship. He didn't want outside distractions (the media) to affect his team. For god sakes, we had to hear that Mark Brunell was fighting his guts out for over 2 years, when we all could see that he had lost it. I'm not faulting JG's b/c he did run a tight ship, but I'm sure the media gets frustrated w/ the same talk week to week. They want stories, drama.

[70Chip]

Originally Posted by redsk1

I think he means that he treated several in the media like morons, i don't know though.

I'm not taking up for JLC, but JG's ran a pretty tight ship. He didn't want outside distractions (the media) to affect his team. For god sakes, we had to hear that Mark Brunell was fighting his guts out for over 2 years, when we all could see that he had lost it. I'm not faulting JG's b/c he did run a tight ship, but I'm sure the media gets frustrated w/ the same talk week to week. They want stories, drama.

They want easy stories that write themselves, so they won't have to. Writers with a stronger work ethic and a more patient outlook were often able to get great stories from Gibbs. To wit:

washingtonpost.com: Gibbs's Small Talk Always Got Message Across

"From Gibbs there would be no headlines. He had turned such interviews into something of an art form. Years later, he joked about all the times "I tried to say something while saying nothing." This time, he rocked on his heels but opted for complete silence.
But a few hours later, I was alone at Redskins Park when he left a meeting to refill his coffee cup at a machine just off the press room. Seeing it was only the two of us, he stopped by for a bit of small talk."

This is called reporting.

[dmek25]

70 good read. its almost like im waiting for the movie to come out.

[irish]

I think the word moron might be a bit strong but I agree that Gibbs didnt tell anyone anything and didnt want anyone (media included) changing his message. I find it interesting that everyone is now saying how open and honest Zorn is, heck anyone would seem open and honest after Gibbs.

[firstdown]

So this is what has been bothering you for the past year?

[SkinzzFan]

LaConfora is a bitter little boy and that comes across in his reporting. He even looks like a kid (a Campbell soup kid). I wonder if he's ever even played football. Gibbs II was NOT what everyone had envisioned when he was brought back but he didn't have much to work with to begin with. I don't want to turn this into a "defend Coach Gibbs" thing, but he brought the Skins back to relevance and that is HUGE. 2 playoff appearances in 4 years is a helluva lot better than the 12 year stalemate while he was gone. Spurrier set the team back by 5 years. Gibbs made things right and Zorn will be the beneficiary. (For the record, I love the hiring of Jim Zorn)

HAIL TO COACH GIBBS!

[WaldSkins]

He did put us in the playoffs twice, but we had to make 2 dramatic turn around's for that even to be possible. I Think we could of went a lot farther last year and we gave to many games away. Im not saying SB champs but we could of at least made it there. All i'm saying Hail Zorn.!!!!

[freddyg12]

I'll always defend Joe Gibbs, but at the same time I do have some empathy for the media. People like to blame them for a lot, ironically just as people will blame coaches for a lot. Yet, it's fans like us that fuel the media & read every Skins insider column, and also watch the team faithfully, buy tickets, gear, etc. The media wouldn't have much to report if no one was reading & listening 24/7. But the fact is, we are.

That said, JLC does a great job, but I think at some point he was soured by the treatment he got from Danny & Vinny, and now it appears from Gibbs himself. I don't make too much of the statement he made in the email, it kinda translates as: "everybody knows Gibbs won't give you a straight up answer." We all know that, but that doesn't mean he lied to the media or anyone else, he just wanted to keep things in house. Again, we all know this, and there's nothing wrong with it! If by treating you like a "moron" you mean he doesn't give you much detail, well then consider yourself a moron!

If JLC was trying to show how Gibbs did something wrong, I'd say he pointed out a sin that amounts to less than being caught w/a hand in the cookie jar.

[freddyg12]

Originally Posted by WaldSkins

He did put us in the playoffs twice, but we had to make 2 dramatic turn around's for that even to be possible. I Think we could of went a lot farther last year and we gave to many games away. Im not saying SB champs but we could of at least made it there. All i'm saying Hail Zorn.!!!!

Yes, 2 dramatic runs, which he coached the team to after periods of losing. Great coaches coach their best in december & january, Gibbs did that his WHOLE career.

Yes, we lost close games, but he built the team into what it is today. You have to take the bad along w/the good. I think he left a team in much better shape than what he inherited.

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by freddyg12

Yes, 2 dramatic runs, which he coached the team to after periods of losing. Great coaches coach their best in december & january, Gibbs did that his WHOLE career.

Yes, we lost close games, but he built the team into what it is today. You have to take the bad along w/the good. I think he left a team in much better shape than what he inherited.

Well I think I could have left the team better off then what Gibbs inherited.

[JWsleep]

Well, needless to say, JZ is way more media-friendly than JG. Gibbs famously never trusted the media, and was relatively paranoid (as are many HCs in the NFL) about giving something away. My impression is that JG is pretty straight with his players and sees the media as an opposing team. Not a surprise to hear the media bitching.

But for all that, I think JLac does a good job. He blogs constantly and says what he thinks. But you can't say he's not a hard worker and that he's just phoning it in from a distance. So he's not a homer and sometimes, especially near the end of JGII, he let his annoyance with being treated like a cub reporter from some opposing team get the best of him. These guys are human--not everyone is a Boswell or a Povitch. But he's clearly pro-Zorn, as well as pro-Blatche, so I don't think that will be an issue now.

He applauds the team and the FO when the get it right and he does (on his blog at least) admit to errors, or so it seems to me. Not sure what else he's supposed to do.

If JG I had not happened, how many of us would have reacted like JLac to JG II (some on this site did!)? I think JG is one of the greatest coaches to ever lead a team in the NFL. But JG II was a bumpy ride, no doubt!

It's over, anyway. Can't change the past! We're in the Zorn era now. Let's hope the love-fest (and the wins!!!) continue.

[Hog1]

EXPOSE'.......awesome!

[redsk1]

Originally Posted by freddyg12

I'll always defend Joe Gibbs, but at the same time I do have some empathy for the media. People like to blame them for a lot, ironically just as people will blame coaches for a lot. Yet, it's fans like us that fuel the media & read every Skins insider column, and also watch the team faithfully, buy tickets, gear, etc. The media wouldn't have much to report if no one was reading & listening 24/7. But the fact is, we are.

That said, JLC does a great job, but I think at some point he was soured by the treatment he got from Danny & Vinny, and now it appears from Gibbs himself. I don't make too much of the statement he made in the email, it kinda translates as: "everybody knows Gibbs won't give you a straight up answer." We all know that, but that doesn't mean he lied to the media or anyone else, he just wanted to keep things in house. Again, we all know this, and there's nothing wrong with it! If by treating you like a "moron" you mean he doesn't give you much detail, well then consider yourself a moron!

If JLC was trying to show how Gibbs did something wrong, I'd say he pointed out a sin that amounts to less than being caught w/a hand in the cookie jar.

Good post. Some want to criticize JLC everytime he sais anything less than positive about the team. We haven't exactly been the model franchise in the last 15 years. I don't think he's overly negative. Sally Jenkins..overly negative and that's annoying.