Marinelli Reporter resigned (1 Viewer)

[Bri]

Lions: Detroit News columnist Rob Parker resigned, two weeks after he was criticized for asking coach Rod Marinelli if he had wished his daughter married a better defensive coordinator.

I can't find the original thread but (above) there's a followup

 

[SeniorVBDStudent]

Odds that he was given a choice: resign or be fired?

Near 100%, imo. The time that went by before the action was so the action could be vetted by the legal department upfront.

 

[Bri]

Odds that he was given a choice: resign or be fired?Near 100%, imo. The time that went by before the action was so the action could be vetted by the legal department upfront.

marinelli isn't employed by the Lions anymore so why the wait? what are ya thinking here? a 2 week sweep this under the rug period before announcing it?

 

[Grigs Allmoon]

Pretty sad if this was because of that comment.

 

[Unwrittenlaw]

Pretty sad if this was because of that comment.

No way. He's had past incidents. He went on the air and falsely stated that a QB from Michigan State was involved in a fight. The problem was this QB was with his family during this time frame.http://deadspin.com/5070391/a-detroit-colu...f-up-surely-not

Rob Parker's slander against Mich State Football: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bovNnHTSZIY

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

Rob Parker is one of the worst columnist in the history of detroit newspapers.

See ya

 

[Ozymandias]

The comment was out of line. The newspaper decided they didn't need him any more. Who knows, maybe this was the pretext they needed to get rid of a guy who was marginal. But I agree that the paper probably offered him the option. Go on your own, or we will went you.

 

[JohnnyU]

I don't understand what's so bad about his comment The world we live in today you can't say anything to anyone. Our country has turned into a joke.

 

[Unwrittenlaw]

I don't understand what's so bad about his comment The world we live in today you can't say anything to anyone. Our country has turned into a joke.

The Michigan State incident was worse. It occurred in October or so I think.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

I don't understand what's so bad about his comment The world we live in today you can't say anything to anyone. Our country has turned into a joke.

This was just the icing on the cake. I think the MSU thing was the driver. Newspapers cant report things like that and have them come back untrue

 

[Ozymandias]

I don't understand what's so bad about his comment The world we live in today you can't say anything to anyone. Our country has turned into a joke.

It's unprofessional. You don't make disparaging comments about someone's family in a professional setting. You can say what you like in a bar, or in a conversation between friends. But if you made the same kind of comment to your boss on the stage at a sales meeting, you'd probably get fired.

 

[Grigs Allmoon]

I don't understand what's so bad about his comment The world we live in today you can't say anything to anyone. Our country has turned into a joke.

It's unprofessional. You don't make disparaging comments about someone's family in a professional setting. You can say what you like in a bar, or in a conversation between friends. But if you made the same kind of comment to your boss on the stage at a sales meeting, you'd probably get fired.

Unprofessional? This wasn't a boss/subordinate thing. It's a press conference. The coaches are there to face the music. It's part of the business.

 

[Scooby1974]

I don't understand what's so bad about his comment The world we live in today you can't say anything to anyone. Our country has turned into a joke.

Can't say anything about anyone? Have you watched SNL/talk shows/late night TV? You can rip the most powerful man in the world on a daily basis with no repercussion. That reporter was an idiot with no integrity (not that he's the only one with a slant of some kind) its about time someone gets called on the carpet and held accountible for their nonsense.

 

[Ozymandias]

I don't understand what's so bad about his comment The world we live in today you can't say anything to anyone. Our country has turned into a joke.

It's unprofessional. You don't make disparaging comments about someone's family in a professional setting. You can say what you like in a bar, or in a conversation between friends. But if you made the same kind of comment to your boss on the stage at a sales meeting, you'd probably get fired.

Unprofessional? This wasn't a boss/subordinate thing. It's a press conference. The coaches are there to face the music. It's part of the business.

It is a professional setting; if you can't see the difference between that and a barroom conversation, that's too bad. Your father should have married someone who would have taught you a little better.

 

[Chase Stuart]

I don't understand what's so bad about his comment The world we live in today you can't say anything to anyone. Our country has turned into a joke.

It's unprofessional. You don't make disparaging comments about someone's family in a professional setting. You can say what you like in a bar, or in a conversation between friends. But if you made the same kind of comment to your boss on the stage at a sales meeting, you'd probably get fired.

Would your boss get fired if he made the same kind of comment to his subordinate at the sales meeting?

 

[Anthony Borbely]

Rob Parker is one of the worst columnist in the history of detroit newspapers. See ya

 

[Ozymandias]

I don't understand what's so bad about his comment The world we live in today you can't say anything to anyone. Our country has turned into a joke.

It's unprofessional. You don't make disparaging comments about someone's family in a professional setting. You can say what you like in a bar, or in a conversation between friends. But if you made the same kind of comment to your boss on the stage at a sales meeting, you'd probably get fired.

Would your boss get fired if he made the same kind of comment to his subordinate at the sales meeting?

Probably not; but he'd lose a lot of respect. RHIP.

 

[puckalicious]

I don't understand what's so bad about his comment The world we live in today you can't say anything to anyone. Our country has turned into a joke.

From what I heard on local radio, it was more about the tone and body language that made it so unprofessional. Either way really it is completely unprofessional. Talking about kicking a man when he's down (regarding the question asked to Marinelli). I think maybe the reporters that cover the Lions got sick of asking the same questions every week and getting the same canned answers every week so one of them tried to get himself noticed in the national media. It worked, good riddance. I'm sure ESPN will find room for him somewhere in their expansive "know-nothing moron" department that seems to grow bigger every year.

 

[Da Guru]

I have met Rob Parker on one more than one occasion at sports banquets. In person Parker is very personable and engaging, loves to talk sports with anyone. Try saying anything to Mitch (Napolean) Albom.

Parker was correct in a way, there is no other DC that would have lasted over 2 years with the teams defense being last in every defensive stat and the team winless. Lets not forget the Lions were leading in 4-5 games this year in the fourth quarter, but never could stop anyone. Opposing QBs set an NFL record for rating against the Lions defense at over 109.0, RBs had career days against the Lion run defense. I highly doubt that any other NFL team qwould have kept their DC for two years of that.

As far as Marinelli saying that Parker attacked his daughter, I disagree. Can Parker be a tool..yes, but you see in the PC that he sais on a lighter note. Listen right at the end Marinell says yes to the question.

Parker did say he was sorry.

 

[bcr8f]

Pretty sad if this was because of that comment.

No kidding.

 

[puckalicious]

I have met Rob Parker on one more than one occasion at sports banquets. In person Parker is very personable and engaging, loves to talk sports with anyone. Try saying anything to Mitch (Napolean) Albom.

Parker was correct in a way, there is no other DC that would have lasted over 2 years with the teams defense being last in every defensive stat and the team winless. Lets not forget the Lions were leading in 4-5 games this year in the fourth quarter, but never could stop anyone. Opposing QBs set an NFL record for rating against the Lions defense at over 109.0, RBs had career days against the Lion run defense. I highly doubt that any other NFL team qwould have kept their DC for two years of that.

As far as Marinelli saying that Parker attacked his daughter, I disagree. Can Parker be a tool..yes, but you see in the PC that he sais on a lighter note. Listen right at the end Marinell says yes to the question.

Parker did say he was sorry.

Yeah but Parker was in attack mode the whole time, he can't just say "but on a lighter note" and expect people to laugh it off like it was not meant as an attack.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

Pretty sad if this was because of that comment.

No kidding.

It wasnt. just the last straw

 

[Da Guru]

I have met Rob Parker on one more than one occasion at sports banquets. In person Parker is very personable and engaging, loves to talk sports with anyone. Try saying anything to Mitch (Napolean) Albom.

Parker was correct in a way, there is no other DC that would have lasted over 2 years with the teams defense being last in every defensive stat and the team winless. Lets not forget the Lions were leading in 4-5 games this year in the fourth quarter, but never could stop anyone. Opposing QBs set an NFL record for rating against the Lions defense at over 109.0, RBs had career days against the Lion run defense. I highly doubt that any other NFL team qwould have kept their DC for two years of that.

As far as Marinelli saying that Parker attacked his daughter, I disagree. Can Parker be a tool..yes, but you see in the PC that he sais on a lighter note. Listen right at the end Marinell says yes to the question.

Parker did say he was sorry.

Yeah but Parker was in attack mode the whole time, he can't just say "but on a lighter note" and expect people to laugh it off like it was not meant as an attack.

It was coming off a game that a road team did not punt all day, and was 11-11 in third down conversions. To me the Lions do not deserve any slack.

 

[Liquid Tension]

I have met Rob Parker on one more than one occasion at sports banquets. In person Parker is very personable and engaging, loves to talk sports with anyone. Try saying anything to Mitch (Napolean) Albom.

Parker was correct in a way, there is no other DC that would have lasted over 2 years with the teams defense being last in every defensive stat and the team winless. Lets not forget the Lions were leading in 4-5 games this year in the fourth quarter, but never could stop anyone. Opposing QBs set an NFL record for rating against the Lions defense at over 109.0, RBs had career days against the Lion run defense. I highly doubt that any other NFL team qwould have kept their DC for two years of that.

As far as Marinelli saying that Parker attacked his daughter, I disagree. Can Parker be a tool..yes, but you see in the PC that he sais on a lighter note. Listen right at the end Marinell says yes to the question.

Parker did say he was sorry.

Yeah but Parker was in attack mode the whole time, he can't just say "but on a lighter note" and expect people to laugh it off like it was not meant as an attack.

I agree. he asked a question and got an answer. He then framed the question again 2 more times. He went overboard (and badgered) with the last comment; no matter how he framed it was out of line. Bringing the man daughter into the media is out of line and he is also questioning Marinelli's integrity.I think he should have been fired because if every reporter acted like that, there wouldn't be press conferences. The only reason there are press conferences is because the NFL demands they take place to help keep the news about football.

 

[identikit]

To sum it up:

Marinelli--nice guy but has shown a legacy of losing. Plus hiring his son-in-law was an unwise choice (because of both nepotism and the fact that he too has also shown a legacy losing thus far).

Parker-- tool, with many more than just this instance to prove the point.

Parker playing the daughter card in his comment-- classless, in the first degree.

Marinelli's reaction to is--much more tame then many, many other coaches would have done.

Can you imagine what Ditka or Parcells would have done?

 

[chitlins3]

Isn't Parker the columnist that called Hank Aaron a coward (with regard to how Aaron was handling Bonds breaking his HR record last year)?

 

[Da Guru]

To sum it up:Marinelli--nice guy but has shown a legacy of losing. Plus hiring his son-in-law was an unwise choice (because of both nepotism and the fact that he too has also shown a legacy losing thus far).Parker-- tool, with many more than just this instance to prove the point.Parker playing the daughter card in his comment-- classless, in the first degree.Marinelli's reaction to is--much more tame then many, many other coaches would have done.Can you imagine what Ditka or Parcells would have done?

I highly doubt that Ditka or Parcells would be 0-15 and lost 23 out of 24 at the time of the question.People who do not live in the Metro-Detroit area have no idea the depths of disgust and hatred towards the Lion organization.

 

[puckalicious]

People who do not live in the Metro-Detroit area have no idea the deepths of disgust and hatred towards the Lion organization.

I don't know if this is a good thing, but my disgust/hatred is turning into indifference. I'm becoming "Lions free" as Boudini (I think its him) says.

 

[massraider]

I have met Rob Parker on one more than one occasion at sports banquets. In person Parker is very personable and engaging, loves to talk sports with anyone. Try saying anything to Mitch (Napolean) Albom.

Parker was correct in a way, there is no other DC that would have lasted over 2 years with the teams defense being last in every defensive stat and the team winless. Lets not forget the Lions were leading in 4-5 games this year in the fourth quarter, but never could stop anyone. Opposing QBs set an NFL record for rating against the Lions defense at over 109.0, RBs had career days against the Lion run defense. I highly doubt that any other NFL team qwould have kept their DC for two years of that.

As far as Marinelli saying that Parker attacked his daughter, I disagree. Can Parker be a tool..yes, but you see in the PC that he sais on a lighter note. Listen right at the end Marinell says yes to the question.

Parker did say he was sorry.

Yeah but Parker was in attack mode the whole time, he can't just say "but on a lighter note" and expect people to laugh it off like it was not meant as an attack.

It was coming off a game that a road team did not punt all day, and was 11-11 in third down conversions. To me the Lions do not deserve any slack.

Marinelli's daughter had nothing to do with that game. And Rod Marinelli is still a father. Insulting jokes about your daughter on televised press conferences, after a loss, don't really deserve any slack either.He may have said it on a lighter note, but it was after rapid fire tough questions. And really, a 'light-hearted' joke like that, doesn't leave a place for Marinelli to go. If after all the tough questions, he had said, "Rod, do you wish you had just stayed in bed today?", then Rod could have sort of laughed and made a funny little comment, but really, what's the clever response to what Parker asked?? There isn't one, there's no harmless answer that doesn't convey that Rod is going along with the jokw, without personally insulting his family.

And Parker's apology was crap. It was basically, "Hey, sorry you can't take a joke...." By the way, no one else in that room full of people laughed either.

 

[fatness]

People who do not live in the Metro-Detroit area have no idea the deepths of disgust and hatred towards the Lion organization.

I feel sorry for Lions fans for sure. But it's tough to sell the idea that disgust or hatred justifies insulting public jokes about someone's daughter.

 

[Limp Ditka]

I bet his father-in-law wishes his daughter married a better reporter.

 

[identikit]

To sum it up:

Marinelli--nice guy but has shown a legacy of losing. Plus hiring his son-in-law was an unwise choice (because of both nepotism and the fact that he too has also shown a legacy losing thus far).

Parker-- tool, with many more than just this instance to prove the point.

Parker playing the daughter card in his comment-- classless, in the first degree.

Marinelli's reaction to is--much more tame then many, many other coaches would have done.

Can you imagine what Ditka or Parcells would have done?

I highly doubt that Ditka or Parcells would be 0-15 and lost 23 out of 24 at the time of the question.People who do not live in the Metro-Detroit area have no idea the deepths of disgust and hatred towards the Lion organization.

Probably not, but the point here is that tools like Parker don't make a classless comment like this to someone that would most likely respond in the same (or worse) measure.No amount of losing excuses Turner's behavior.

 

[gump]

I love seeing some accountability for the media...for once.

 

[Pots]

I have met Rob Parker on one more than one occasion at sports banquets. In person Parker is very personable and engaging, loves to talk sports with anyone. Try saying anything to Mitch (Napolean) Albom.

Parker was correct in a way, there is no other DC that would have lasted over 2 years with the teams defense being last in every defensive stat and the team winless. Lets not forget the Lions were leading in 4-5 games this year in the fourth quarter, but never could stop anyone. Opposing QBs set an NFL record for rating against the Lions defense at over 109.0, RBs had career days against the Lion run defense. I highly doubt that any other NFL team qwould have kept their DC for two years of that.

As far as Marinelli saying that Parker attacked his daughter, I disagree. Can Parker be a tool..yes, but you see in the PC that he sais on a lighter note. Listen right at the end Marinell says yes to the question.

Parker did say he was sorry.

Yeah but Parker was in attack mode the whole time, he can't just say "but on a lighter note" and expect people to laugh it off like it was not meant as an attack.

It was coming off a game that a road team did not punt all day, and was 11-11 in third down conversions. To me the Lions do not deserve any slack.

Marinelli's daughter had nothing to do with that game. And Rod Marinelli is still a father. Insulting jokes about your daughter on televised press conferences, after a loss, don't really deserve any slack either.He may have said it on a lighter note, but it was after rapid fire tough questions. And really, a 'light-hearted' joke like that, doesn't leave a place for Marinelli to go. If after all the tough questions, he had said, "Rod, do you wish you had just stayed in bed today?", then Rod could have sort of laughed and made a funny little comment, but really, what's the clever response to what Parker asked?? There isn't one, there's no harmless answer that doesn't convey that Rod is going along with the jokw, without personally insulting his family.

And Parker's apology was crap. It was basically, "Hey, sorry you can't take a joke...." By the way, no one else in that room full of people laughed either.

If you feel Marinelli's daughter being married to the D Coord had nothing to do with his hiring, you're flat wrong.If you feel the D Coord has nothing to do with the Lions possibly worst defence ever, you're dead wrong.

Other factors apply to both situations, but when you hire your son and law as the D Coord of a team and he fails more miserably than possibly any D Coord in NFL history on the way to losing every single game of the year, you are open to attack and tough questions. You deserve them, you've earned them. He may be a nice guy, but the team he had a proffessional responsibility for disgraced the NFL as a league this season.

Parker may be a jerk, I don't know the guy and don't follow his work, but this specific comment was NOT out of line in my oppinion.

 

[skillz]

I don't understand what's so bad about his comment The world we live in today you can't say anything to anyone. Our country has turned into a joke.

The Michigan State incident was worse. It occurred in October or so I think.

I think his completely false report on Cousins combined with the smart ### comments he made at the Marinelli press conference finally caused the Detroit News to say enough. He must have gotten a pretty good severance though b/c knowing Rob I am very surprised he didn't try to make his depature a racial issue.

 

[GregR_2]

I don't understand what's so bad about his comment The world we live in today you can't say anything to anyone. Our country has turned into a joke.

I think the Fox NFL pregame team summed it up pretty well:

Terry Bradshaw: You know, Rob, you're an idiot. You're just a flat idiot. Why you want to pursue a guy like Rod, and pursue him on something after going 0-15. You have disgraced your profession my friend and they ought to kick your butt out of that locker room. You are a total idiot.Strahan: No, they should kick his butt out of the newspaper period. He shouldn't be a reporter, he should be an ex-reporter. That is unnecessary. They are 0-15, they lost. Being his son-in-law had nothing to do with the record. He said I'm in there, I'm in control, I run it. Obviously it made no sense.Jimmy: He answered his question the first time. He didn't need to keep badgering. And like you said, the guy is a jerk. In every profession you got people that are professional, that are good whatever, and then you got jerks like that that you have to deal with, unfortunately.Howie Long: Rod Marinelli... it hasn't gone well in Detroit. You can question whether he is in fact a legitimate head coach in the NFL. The record certainly indicates that's not the case. I think he's a heck of a coach, I've watched him down in Tampa Bay, heck of a coach, and someone is going to get a heck of a coach. But the last thing you can say, Rod Marinelli through all of this, through good and bad, has handled himself with class. I don't think that reporter can make that statement.Kirk: Yeah, there's a difference between asking tough questions and getting personal, which it certainly turned into.

 

[Grigs Allmoon]

I don't understand what's so bad about his comment The world we live in today you can't say anything to anyone. Our country has turned into a joke.

I think the Fox NFL pregame team summed it up pretty well:

Terry Bradshaw: You know, Rob, you're an idiot. You're just a flat idiot. Why you want to pursue a guy like Rod, and pursue him on something after going 0-15. You have disgraced your profession my friend and they ought to kick your butt out of that locker room. You are a total idiot.Strahan: No, they should kick his butt out of the newspaper period. He shouldn't be a reporter, he should be an ex-reporter. That is unnecessary. They are 0-15, they lost. Being his son-in-law had nothing to do with the record. He said I'm in there, I'm in control, I run it. Obviously it made no sense.Jimmy: He answered his question the first time. He didn't need to keep badgering. And like you said, the guy is a jerk. In every profession you got people that are professional, that are good whatever, and then you got jerks like that that you have to deal with, unfortunately.Howie Long: Rod Marinelli... it hasn't gone well in Detroit. You can question whether he is in fact a legitimate head coach in the NFL. The record certainly indicates that's not the case. I think he's a heck of a coach, I've watched him down in Tampa Bay, heck of a coach, and someone is going to get a heck of a coach. But the last thing you can say, Rod Marinelli through all of this, through good and bad, has handled himself with class. I don't think that reporter can make that statement.Kirk: Yeah, there's a difference between asking tough questions and getting personal, which it certainly turned into.

Sports show personalities are always sticking up for the coaches though. It's more than sticking up for them actually... One thing that drives me nuts is at the end of every year when a few coaches get fired, and they are always talking about how sad it is. "These guys have families." "It's sad to see someone lose their job." Boo-hoo. He just made millions of dollars for a couple years' work. Cry me a river. When people with real jobs get fired or laid off that is unfortunate, but not these millionaires.</rant>

 

[ScottyFargo]

Clearly it touched a nerve because it brought up the man's daughter, but I think that being criticized for making an incorrect hire based on nepotism should definitely be called out 100% of the time. It was rude and obviously you're kicking a guy when he's down already, but if the question was "Do you think you were right to hire your son in law?" (which may have already been asked, I don't know) then it's a valid question. The reporter here just tried to get cute and lost his job because of it. I think the underlying question is still valid.

 

[bicycle_seat_sniffer]

I bet his father-in-law wishes his daughter married a better reporter.

this would be funny but Im pretty sure parker isnt married.

 

[ScottyFargo]

I don't understand what's so bad about his comment The world we live in today you can't say anything to anyone. Our country has turned into a joke.

I think the Fox NFL pregame team summed it up pretty well:

Terry Bradshaw: You know, Rob, you're an idiot. You're just a flat idiot. Why you want to pursue a guy like Rod, and pursue him on something after going 0-15. You have disgraced your profession my friend and they ought to kick your butt out of that locker room. You are a total idiot.Strahan: No, they should kick his butt out of the newspaper period. He shouldn't be a reporter, he should be an ex-reporter. That is unnecessary. They are 0-15, they lost. Being his son-in-law had nothing to do with the record. He said I'm in there, I'm in control, I run it. Obviously it made no sense.Jimmy: He answered his question the first time. He didn't need to keep badgering. And like you said, the guy is a jerk. In every profession you got people that are professional, that are good whatever, and then you got jerks like that that you have to deal with, unfortunately.Howie Long: Rod Marinelli... it hasn't gone well in Detroit. You can question whether he is in fact a legitimate head coach in the NFL. The record certainly indicates that's not the case. I think he's a heck of a coach, I've watched him down in Tampa Bay, heck of a coach, and someone is going to get a heck of a coach. But the last thing you can say, Rod Marinelli through all of this, through good and bad, has handled himself with class. I don't think that reporter can make that statement.Kirk: Yeah, there's a difference between asking tough questions and getting personal, which it certainly turned into.

Sports show personalities are always sticking up for the coaches though. It's more than sticking up for them actually... One thing that drives me nuts is at the end of every year when a few coaches get fired, and they are always talking about how sad it is. "These guys have families." "It's sad to see someone lose their job." Boo-hoo. He just made millions of dollars for a couple years' work. Cry me a river. When people with real jobs get fired or laid off that is unfortunate, but not these millionaires.</rant>

Yeah it's tough to feel too bad for these guys. Especially when I heard something like this on NBC last week:"And up next here's Matt Millen to dissect the Cardinal's defense!"

 

[TwinTurbo]

I'm glad he got fired. I'm sick of the sports media constantly trying to create the news instead of report the news. ESPN does it all the time which is why I don't watch it anymore. Parker was completely unprofessional and crossed a line. I definitely do not have a problem with any reporter raising the issue of nepotism but there is a professional way to do it. You don't give a guy a cheap shot about his daughter during a press conference. The only reason he did it was to create some news and get noticed and it backfired.

 

[duece2626]

Isn't Parker the guy who fills in on ESPN First Take sometimes?

 

[GregR_2]

Clearly it touched a nerve because it brought up the man's daughter, but I think that being criticized for making an incorrect hire based on nepotism should definitely be called out 100% of the time. It was rude and obviously you're kicking a guy when he's down already, but if the question was "Do you think you were right to hire your son in law?" (which may have already been asked, I don't know) then it's a valid question. The reporter here just tried to get cute and lost his job because of it. I think the underlying question is still valid.

You really should go listen to the press conference yourself before giving the reporter the benefit of the doubt on this one.

 

[massraider]

I have met Rob Parker on one more than one occasion at sports banquets. In person Parker is very personable and engaging, loves to talk sports with anyone. Try saying anything to Mitch (Napolean) Albom.

Parker was correct in a way, there is no other DC that would have lasted over 2 years with the teams defense being last in every defensive stat and the team winless. Lets not forget the Lions were leading in 4-5 games this year in the fourth quarter, but never could stop anyone. Opposing QBs set an NFL record for rating against the Lions defense at over 109.0, RBs had career days against the Lion run defense. I highly doubt that any other NFL team qwould have kept their DC for two years of that.

As far as Marinelli saying that Parker attacked his daughter, I disagree. Can Parker be a tool..yes, but you see in the PC that he sais on a lighter note. Listen right at the end Marinell says yes to the question.

Parker did say he was sorry.

Yeah but Parker was in attack mode the whole time, he can't just say "but on a lighter note" and expect people to laugh it off like it was not meant as an attack.

It was coming off a game that a road team did not punt all day, and was 11-11 in third down conversions. To me the Lions do not deserve any slack.

Marinelli's daughter had nothing to do with that game. And Rod Marinelli is still a father. Insulting jokes about your daughter on televised press conferences, after a loss, don't really deserve any slack either.He may have said it on a lighter note, but it was after rapid fire tough questions. And really, a 'light-hearted' joke like that, doesn't leave a place for Marinelli to go. If after all the tough questions, he had said, "Rod, do you wish you had just stayed in bed today?", then Rod could have sort of laughed and made a funny little comment, but really, what's the clever response to what Parker asked?? There isn't one, there's no harmless answer that doesn't convey that Rod is going along with the jokw, without personally insulting his family.

And Parker's apology was crap. It was basically, "Hey, sorry you can't take a joke...." By the way, no one else in that room full of people laughed either.

If you feel Marinelli's daughter being married to the D Coord had nothing to do with his hiring, you're flat wrong.If you feel the D Coord has nothing to do with the Lions possibly worst defence ever, you're dead wrong.

Other factors apply to both situations, but when you hire your son and law as the D Coord of a team and he fails more miserably than possibly any D Coord in NFL history on the way to losing every single game of the year, you are open to attack and tough questions. You deserve them, you've earned them. He may be a nice guy, but the team he had a proffessional responsibility for disgraced the NFL as a league this season.

Parker may be a jerk, I don't know the guy and don't follow his work, but this specific comment was NOT out of line in my oppinion.

Yeah, it was. Any derogatory shot at his daughter, at a televised press conference, is out of line.If Parker wants to ask tough comments of Marinelli, about second-guessing the hiring of his son-in-law, that's fine. He can eve ask questions about nepotism. More than fair.

But he dragged his daughter in to it. "Hey, Rod, do you wish your daughter had married a better coach?" That was not a football question? Frankly, he's lucky Rod didn't chase him out of the room.

The guy is a bad football coach. That's it. Being a bad football coach doesn't mean any shot that is taken at you is fair game. People may think that, but it's not the case.

I love that people are sounding the cry that we are too sensitive, and can't say anything (not directed at you, Pots). I'd love someone to point out any time in history when the fans and media have ever had more freedom. EVER. Every single part of players' and coaches life is under the microscope, at all times, and discussed in countless forums, blogs, and TV talking heads have never been more vicious in their attacks. And there are that many more taking their shots. Ever listen to sports talk radio??

 

[skillz]

Isn't Parker the guy who fills in on ESPN First Take sometimes?

 

[ScottyFargo]

Clearly it touched a nerve because it brought up the man's daughter, but I think that being criticized for making an incorrect hire based on nepotism should definitely be called out 100% of the time. It was rude and obviously you're kicking a guy when he's down already, but if the question was "Do you think you were right to hire your son in law?" (which may have already been asked, I don't know) then it's a valid question. The reporter here just tried to get cute and lost his job because of it. I think the underlying question is still valid.

You really should go listen to the press conference yourself before giving the reporter the benefit of the doubt on this one.

I saw it the day after it came out. Saying this is a comment about his daughter is wrong, it has little to do with his daughter and more to do with the fact that he hired his SOL to do a job that didn't get done. I don't agree with the way he went about it, but at the end of the day we're talking about possibly the worst coached team in the history of football...and part of the reason it ended up that way was because of nepotism. That deserves to be questioned, at the very least.

 

[Tom Servo]

Clearly it touched a nerve because it brought up the man's daughter, but I think that being criticized for making an incorrect hire based on nepotism should definitely be called out 100% of the time. It was rude and obviously you're kicking a guy when he's down already, but if the question was "Do you think you were right to hire your son in law?" (which may have already been asked, I don't know) then it's a valid question. The reporter here just tried to get cute and lost his job because of it. I think the underlying question is still valid.

You really should go listen to the press conference yourself before giving the reporter the benefit of the doubt on this one.

I saw it the day after it came out. Saying this is a comment about his daughter is wrong, it has little to do with his daughter and more to do with the fact that he hired his SOL to do a job that didn't get done. I don't agree with the way he went about it, but at the end of the day we're talking about possibly the worst coached team in the history of football...and part of the reason it ended up that way was because of nepotism. That deserves to be questioned, at the very least.

So, how'd you like to answer a few questions about your family? You shouldn't object, since you believe bringing in relatives is fair game, even if they're not germane to the discussion at hand.

 

[massraider]

I don't agree with the way he went about it, but at the end of the day we're talking about possibly the worst coached team in the history of football...and part of the reason it ended up that way was because of nepotism. That deserves to be questioned, at the very least.

The right to ask the question was never in doubt. If he had asked Marinelli that question, he'd still have a job. But he didn't ask that, he got personal, in public, at a very bad time. The team's record is irrelevant, by the way. That question wasn't professional, period.

 

[chris1969]

Being a Brown's fan, I have a deep respect for what the Lions fans are going through. I also know that the media will capitalize on their distress. If I were a HC for an 0-15 team and a badgering reporter, in a nationalized press conference, started a question off with "Your daughter...", he wouldn't have lived to finish the question.

Last straw or first straw, bringing up anybody's family in that situation is over the line.

A lot of you younger guys may think that sort of thing is OK, but it's not. The guy now has to face his daughter and her husband and explain that he's not a blubbering idiot that was only hired because he married the daughter. If you look at their roster, they are just short talent. Nobody can turn a roster of stiffs into a roster of studs.

Now, I listened to the guy's apology, to give him the benefit of the doubt, and he's still attacking the coach while apologizing!

I don't know the reporter, but it took me about 30 secs to figure out he's trash. He deserves more than losing his job. I'll bet he gets it later on in life too!

 

[GregR_2]

Clearly it touched a nerve because it brought up the man's daughter, but I think that being criticized for making an incorrect hire based on nepotism should definitely be called out 100% of the time. It was rude and obviously you're kicking a guy when he's down already, but if the question was "Do you think you were right to hire your son in law?" (which may have already been asked, I don't know) then it's a valid question. The reporter here just tried to get cute and lost his job because of it. I think the underlying question is still valid.

You really should go listen to the press conference yourself before giving the reporter the benefit of the doubt on this one.

I saw it the day after it came out. Saying this is a comment about his daughter is wrong, it has little to do with his daughter and more to do with the fact that he hired his SOL to do a job that didn't get done. I don't agree with the way he went about it, but at the end of the day we're talking about possibly the worst coached team in the history of football...and part of the reason it ended up that way was because of nepotism. That deserves to be questioned, at the very least.

You keep saying "...part of the reason it ended up that way was because of nepotism. That deserves to be questioned..."My point is that if you watched the press conference you'd know that the topic was questioned by this same reporter long before he crossed way over the line. To wit:

Reporter: "Can you fairly evaluate... with your son in law as family... can you fairly evaluate is there no way there is a circumstance you would fire him because he's your son in law?"Marinelli answers that his being his son in law doesn't have anything to do with it and he has worked with them for years and knows what they are about.Reporter: "I want to ask you about Joe Barry, not about you, I want you to talk about his job and what he's done as defensive coordinator"Marinelli answers that it starts with him (Marinelli) and that he's gotten from them what he wants.Reporter: "I don't want to know about anyone else, I want to ask you about him. You have the worst rated defense. Why is Joe Barry still employed as defensive coordinator. Why is he still employed. Give me the reason why."Marinelli again doesn't throw his coaches under the bus and says he's gotten from them the game plans that he wants.Then the reporter asks his ####### question about if he wishes his daughter had married a defensive coordinator.

You said "but if the question was "Do you think you were right to hire your son in law?" (which may have already been asked, I don't know) then it's a valid question. The reporter here just tried to get cute and lost his job because of it. I think the underlying question is still valid."As I said, before you give the reporter any benefit of the doubt that he just got cute in how he asked a legitimate question, you need to hear the press conference for yourself. He already asked and was answered that underlying question, and it was only when Marinelli wouldn't throw his coaching staff under a bus as the reporter kept goading him to do, that the reporter decided to get really offensive. At that point the reporter deserves no credit or benefit of the doubt that he was pursuing a legitimate line of questioning rather than just making an insulting statement about a man's family.