[rquoter] Arthur (Boston) Daryl Morey has said he is only looking to make a small move at the trade deadline. Any inkling as to what it might be? I know HOU has a big hole in at the 4... Chad Ford (1:24 PM) Take it all with a grain of salt. Rockets have been very action. I've done more than a decade of trade deadlines. What GMs say publicly has no root in reality. I've had GMs tell me they were shopping a player off the record, I write it, and then they publicly deny it the next hour. It's a game. Most of the trade talk that happens will never actually end in a trade. But most GMs are working the phone furiously this time of the year and virtually every player in the league can be had for the right price. [/rquoter] http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/47006
Patterson is showing flashes of what he could be, if he continues to put in effort he can be a very good PF in the league.
That's what these guys do. GMs know these guys are gonna go write what they tell them. Otherwise, why tell them? GMs use them, they let themselves get used, they get more hits on their blogs and twitter and whatnot, and we NBA fans eat it up like a hot fudge sundae off a Rockets' Power Dancer's belly.
No GM is going to think "off the record" keeps it out of the press. They do that to generate interest in a subtile rumor sort of way.
exactly. why else would he/she be telling a journalist some information unless he wanted it reported? 'off the record' (in this case) just means don't attribute it to him/her.
Huh? Record is the press. Ford has no credibility so I assume GM is using him if he didn't fabricate whole thing.
Yes it is regardless of whether the source is quoted or not. Off-the-record remarks are not meant for publication, they are supposed to be used by journalists to inform decisions and/or help find sources that will go on the record ala "on background." I believe you're mixing up the journalistic terms of unattributable quotes and off-the-record quotes. Unattributable quotes are quotes that can be published as long as the source isn't named, whereas off-the-record means the information given is not for publication. That being said, it is murky and bit of a grey area in journalism as the interpretation of off the record can be malleable depending on the parties. But yeah, that's why he's a dick.
Your contention is a GM is telling a journalist his trade deadline plans so that the journalist can then go find someone else to confirm these plans and report them? What would be the GM's incentive to do this exactly? Your view makes no sense to me. The GM just meant don't attribute the quote to him. Which Ford didn't.
Why tell anything to a journalist "off-the-record" then? I think you are picking nits like crazy here. Nobody is going to say "unattributable sources" when they are referring to an anonymous source....they'll just say "I was told off-the-record". GMs and journalists have a very concrete relationship in that GMs use writers as mouthpieces, and journalists use GMs as a way to generate conversation amongst fans. It's symbiotic. Nobody is a dick....unless you're talking about Skip Bayless, who is uninformed, has no sources, and talks out of his ass.
Yeah maybe you're right. But, from what I learnt from J-School is that there is a difference between when someone says "hey here's some information, but it didn't come from me" and "this is off the record." But yeah, like I said the term can be malleable depending on the parties, as the term has sort of changed (like the word terrific). I don't really know much about the GM-reporter relationship, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a mouthpiece type deal. Getting reporters to put out rumours for GM negotiations and strategies. If this is the case then I'd agree he's not a dick.
I listened to the interview and came away with the impression that DM was in discussion with Boston. The section begins at around the 20 min mark. If you listen it seems that MJ and AW try to very carefully get DM to discuss what Boston might be doing now that Rondo is hurt. Matt: "from what you understand do you think they are going to try to break of the team (Boston) given Rondo's injury?...do you think they'll ride this thing (Rondo's injury) out?" DM: I don't think I can address that. I mean I...I...do know them..they're gonna make whatevers best decision for them...I don't have any special insight into what they're doing." Put it through the decoder and it means: "we've had Boston on speed dial waiting for this opportunity and I'm cashing in some karma chips with my friends in Boston."
