Following the New York Giants’ win over the Green Bay Packers on Monday Night Football, Tommy DeVito-mania is running wild.
And as previously covered here, one reporter took the fever for New York’s new hometown hero too far, as he attempted to ask Giants head coach Brian Daboll to compare “Tommy Cutlets” to Tom Brady.
“We’re four games in,” Daboll said, cutting off the reporter’s question.
Unsurprisingly, the exchange — which the reporter set up by noting that Daboll was on the New England Patriots’ staff when they drafted Brady — made its way to Philadelphia. And while the SportsRadio 94WIP midday show was more than happy to laugh at the overexcitement surrounding the rival Giants, it also led to some actual insight from co-host Hugh Douglas.
“He’s an idiot, but that’s what we do,” the former Philadelphia Eagles defensive end said of the reporter. “Shoutout to Coach Daboll, because his tolerance level for that question was not very, very high.
“Reporters are fans and when they see certain things they get excited. And he wanted to know that. It’s a legit question, I guess. But it’s one that’s a little bit premature — a lot premature. But that’s what people do. Like reporters do it, fans do it. I mean, it happens. So you just have to take it with a grain of salt, man, and just try to give him grace and answer the best way you can. But that’s a lot. That is a lot.”
Calling the reporter an “idiot” aside, Douglas makes an interesting point. While many reporters attempt to separate themselves from their fanhood in an attempt to remain objective, the reality is that sports media isn’t an industry you usually get into unless you are a massive fan in some form.
Sure, some — but certainly not all — reporters are better informed about the teams and sports that they cover than the average fan. But there’s also something to be said about speaking for the fanbase that is ultimately your audience.
And when it comes to DeVito’s rapid rise, there are surely at least some Giants fans wondering whether their franchise just stumbled into an all-time great. So yeah, the question might have gotten the reporter cut off by Daboll and called an “idiot” in Philadelphia. But ultimately, there’s no one specific way to do the job and you never know what might result in a good answer.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.