Bradley interview on Boers and Bernstein
Here is the interview link
Judge for yourself but I found the question to be honest. We just need to get used to the fact that Milton is not a typical "fan friendly" Cubbie.
10 months ago
dmlichte
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Thank you...
No bating, just a reasonable question from Bernstein. I hope all goes well, but can you imagine his response to an actual tough question in that cramped clubhouse in the midst of a slump and/or Cubs losing streak this summer; it could get ugly.
Someday we'll go all the way...
by CubsBullsBears on Jan 8, 2009 6:06 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
eh it could have been phrased better
It is kind of a leading question, shouldnt have to baby him tho. Can understand he is a bit defensive about it. I mean other than the first question everything was basically, are you planning to or do you foresee yourself getting into any fights? You can tell from their tone they’re pretty skeptical. But justifiably so, and he brought it on himself. Hopefully he’ll just let his bat do the talking.
by reprisal on Jan 8, 2009 6:37 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
I would hope the Cubs are smart enough
to keep him off shows like this in the future. All he has to do is play, not go on stupid shows with morons.
by cubswin on Jan 8, 2009 6:43 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
He's going to get...
Tougher questions from beat writers and reporters all year long, this was nothing.
Someday we'll go all the way...
by CubsBullsBears on Jan 8, 2009 9:49 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Who gives a shit !!!
The beat reporters and drones on sports radio can pound sand. Milton Bradley is here to add intensity and to play like a man possessed on the baseball field. He is here to help this team win a friggin World Series.
by BLou on Jan 8, 2009 11:28 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I don't...
But people are stressing about his reaction to a lollipop question, I’m just waiting for the bomb to go off when he actually starts getting pressed by the media.
Someday we'll go all the way...
by CubsBullsBears on Jan 9, 2009 10:42 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
+1 for pound sand reference.
Ain’t nothin’ like the real thing, baby…
RIP Ron Asheton (1948-2009)
by dat cubfan daver on Jan 9, 2009 11:41 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
MIlton Bradley is here to play baseball games, period
I could care less if a player is “fan friendly” and all warm and fuzzy in fine Cubbie Luvable Loser tradition. In fact, I actually find it refreshing that Bradley doesn’t feel the need to suck up to the beat reporters and the talking heads on sports media.
Tell it like it is !!!! Actually get upset when a dumb reporter asks you an innane question like “how do you feel after strking out 4 times in the game.” Mix it up. Make intensity and getting the job done on the baseball field the focus. Not who gives the best friggin post-game interview to some douche bag on sports radio or a Paul Friggin Sullivan.
by BLou on Jan 8, 2009 11:27 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
Blou, you are my kind of fan! You are absolutely correct.
The media always tries to play “gotcha” which makes them feel superior to the talent on the field. Most of the media can barely tie their shoes, so tearing down an athelete makes them feel important. I hope Bradly ignores the dumb questions and just plays ball.
by cubswin on Jan 9, 2009 8:21 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Wow this is idiotic
Tearing down an athlete? He was asking Bradley an honest question about how he was going to deal with his manager who is known to be crotchety. Who is this a dumb question? Bradley has a history, like it or not, and if he doesn’t want to face them he should never go on a radio talk show. “Gotcha”? what the hell does that mean? And most of the media not only can tie their shoes, they went to very good universities and worked their way up in the minor leagues of the media industry.
by dmlichte on Jan 9, 2009 8:55 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
BS, most are lazy wannabes. I wasn't talking about yesterday. I was talking about
overall. The media feeds on controversy and if they can create it, they will. You sound like you either work for the score or wish you did. Either way, I don’t care much about the media and their opinions.
If they want to report, fine. But as to their thoughts, I really don’t care much.
by cubswin on Jan 9, 2009 9:04 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
You didn't listen the interview apparently
Dan Bernstein was attempting to be all clever and bait Milton Bradley. And bless Milton’s heart he would have none of it. Milton Bradley made Dan Bernstein come across as a sniveling weasel.
by BLou on Jan 9, 2009 10:22 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
how was he attempting to bait bradley?
Please… tell me.
Bernstein was being diplomatic and instead of coming out and saying “you have a really bad history for going nutso on managers who don’t protect you and massage you and as a result you are about to play on your 7th team in less than a decade and now you’re about to a really crotchety manager who anyone with a brain can see is a recipe for disaster…”
There was nothing cleaver or hidden. Bernstein was trying to ask a question that is legitimate and do it in a somewhat nice way. So please tell stupid me in small words and short sentences how Bernstein was attempting to bait him. Maybe to you he came across as a sniveling weasel. To me he came across as a sports reporter who isn’t drinking the koolade. He’s asking an honest question.
by dmlichte on Jan 9, 2009 10:54 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
+1000
Someday we'll go all the way...
by CubsBullsBears on Jan 9, 2009 11:36 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Making Bernstein come across as a sniveling weasel
is no more difficult than simply letting him speak. Same goes for that troglodyte co-host of his.
"They say we live and learn. Often what we learn is what damn fools we have been." ~Thomas Sowell
by Goodie1969 on Jan 9, 2009 5:02 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Big fan, are ya?
RIP Ron Asheton (1948-2009)
by dat cubfan daver on Jan 9, 2009 5:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Sadly, I've had to listen to form this opinion
so I guess they’ve done their job, eh? :)
I was kind of meh about the Bradley signing until I heard this interview. Now I can’t wait to see the self-important Chicago media get slapped around a little bit. The fact that he can hit a baseball is my primary interest in him, but this is a nice perk.
"They say we live and learn. Often what we learn is what damn fools we have been." ~Thomas Sowell
by Goodie1969 on Jan 9, 2009 5:21 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
so...
… its Bradley’s job to slap around the media? The media that serves as the conduit between players and fans… the media that gives these guys more exposure which leads to endorsements, notoriety and ultimately bigger contracts. You do realize that these absent the media as a whole baseball players would still be working odd jobs in the offseason.
by dmlichte on Jan 9, 2009 5:46 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Utter nonsense. You media lovers think they are sooo important.
The product is on the field, and the so called “analysis” by radio show hosts is basically not that important, especially the two clowns that seem to be your heroes. Face it, more people attend a game at Wrigley than listen to them.
At $10 mil a year, endorsements are less important. Little Danny can’t make or break anyone.
by cubswin on Jan 9, 2009 6:33 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
do you comprehend...
… how little of a percentage of overall revenue tickets sold is? Broadcasting rights not only dwarf that, but broadcasting is what allows teams the ability to charge as much as they do for tickets but it also leads to tens of millions of dollars in advertising, naming rights, and so on.
Of course you blustering about “my two heros” may make your argument sound stronger but its as hollow as can be.
by dmlichte on Jan 9, 2009 10:24 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
once again you display how little you understand.
3 million tickets sold @ ave $42= $126,000,000 in revenues. Broadcasting rights don’t even come close.
by cubswin on Jan 10, 2009 9:44 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
you do realize...
… that there are 30 teams in MLB. Most don’t come close to the Cubs in ticket prices and tickets sold. The Cubs are an exception. And the fact of the matter is that it is in large part the ever evolving role of media in sports that has ratcheted up what teams are able to charge for tickets. Without media, this all is a very different picture.
by dmlichte on Jan 10, 2009 1:59 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
you sure are straying away from the discussion
about Bradley and his view on the media. You sure over rate the value of sports talk shows in the world. Contracts to broadcast games really isn’t because of players appearing on local talk radio., it’s because people LIKE to watch games. You do realize that sports talk radio has very limited appeal to most people, just look at the ratings.
Just admit you are wrong about the dollars for the Cubs and we will call it even.
by cubswin on Jan 10, 2009 2:21 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Media doesnt just equal sports radio
look at the bigger picture. Sports radio is just one part of it. Bradley’s view of the media is that its a scourge and he has no clue that it is in large part the reason he’s making the money he is. You are no seeing the forest for the trees here.
by dmlichte on Jan 10, 2009 2:35 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
you are misquoting what he said
He thinks that the media is too negative and I happen to think he’s right. Just use Chicago sports radio as a prime example.
Do you work in media? Simple question, looking for an honest answer.
by cubswin on Jan 10, 2009 2:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I do work in media.
I think they’re doing their job, for the most part. In the case of sports talk radio, their job is to stir things up, and in some cases, that’s why they are so “negative”.
The players should understand this and just ignore it. I think most of them do. It’s something Bradley will have to learn to deal with.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Jan 10, 2009 3:55 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I agree Al
but the media shouldn’t then get upset if a player ignores them. I know if I ran the team, Bradley would only go on a few shows. I thought he did well on TV the other night on Comcast.
by cubswin on Jan 10, 2009 4:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Oh, I'm not disagreeing with you on that.
It works both ways.
"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx
by Al on Jan 11, 2009 4:28 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
It's not his job
to do so, but he appears willing to call them on stupid questions. I understand the symbiotic relationship between broadcasters and players, between visual and radio media and the sport, but I’m afraid you’ve got it the other way about.
Without the huge popularity of the sport, the talking heads (I am excluding here Len, Bob, Pat, and Ron, who simply call the action) would have nothing to talk about. I doubt very much whether anything Dan Bernstein or Paul Sullivan or Rick Morrissey says really enhances anyone’s enjoyment of the sport. Do you think Albert Pujols would have received fewer endorsements from advertisers if media types didn’t blab on and on about him? His play on the field creates his popularity, which in turn fuels endorsement opportunities.
People have an insatiable hunger for sport, a desire to watch it, think of it, talk about it. It is everywhere. This popularity creates a niche for talk shows and opinion columns. They are barnacles clinging to the hull of an mighty ship.
"They say we live and learn. Often what we learn is what damn fools we have been." ~Thomas Sowell
by Goodie1969 on Jan 10, 2009 8:49 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
"a" mighty ship
"They say we live and learn. Often what we learn is what damn fools we have been." ~Thomas Sowell
by Goodie1969 on Jan 10, 2009 8:55 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I'll say this right now...I bet the ranch Milton Bradley becomes one of Sweet Lou's favorites
Sweet Lou can be a crotchety cuss. It’s that attitude and intensity that helped him be a big part of the New York Yankees winning 2 World Series in the late 70’s, and to him managing a surprising 1990 Cincinnati Reds team to World Series glory.
Milton Bradley shares a lot of similarities with Piniella. Like Piniella, Bradley doesn’t seem like a guy who suffers fools lightly . Like Piniella, Bradley wants to give 100% and win baseball games. And if ANYTHING gets in the way of that then he is going to get downright ornery and nasty. That’s a good thing. A desperately needed good thing on a Cub team that has forever been laid back and embraced the Luvable Loser excuse for everything.
by BLou on Jan 9, 2009 10:20 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I think it was a fair question.
Look, I’m no huge fan of Bernstein (or Boers for that matter), but I think he went out of his way to ask the question about Lou as delicately as possible. And I think it’s a fair question. What we need to keep in mind here is that Lou came to the Cubs under much the same cloud of suspicion as Milton Bradley is currently standing beneath. Here was a guy (Lou) who put up great numbers (as a manager) but had quite the well-publicized history of on-field meltdowns.
So I think many fans are understandably concerned that putting these two guys in the same dugout – and in a boss/employee relationship, no less – could negatively affect the team. Therefore, I get why Bernstein asked the question. And the end result was far less combative than I expected. Bradley did choose to interpret the query as disrespectful, which is certainly his prerogative, but he voiced his disapproval in a pretty balanced, rational way, and the interview moved on. No harm, no foul.
RIP Ron Asheton (1948-2009)
by dat cubfan daver on Jan 9, 2009 12:03 PM CST reply actions 0 recs
yup
and I welcome Bradley to the Cubs. I think we, as Cub fans, need to be conscious that we have a different type of guy on the team now. It is very possible that he may not take well to the Wrigley Field pressure cooker.
by dmlichte on Jan 9, 2009 1:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Or it's possible that he helps a certain baby bear grow some sharper teeth.
Let’s hope it’s the latter.
Bleed Cubbie Blue: Like Drāno for your internet tubes.
by znohitter on Jan 9, 2009 2:22 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
I think its both
And I do believe that the Cubs could really use the edge that Bradley brings.
I just think that Cub fans need to be conscious of the pressure they put on their players and that its possible that Bradley is going to react in a different way than some fan favorites from recent years have.
by dmlichte on Jan 9, 2009 2:27 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Disagree
A pressure cooker in sports is Yankee Stadium. A pressure cooker in sports is Cameron Indoor Arena. A pressure cooker in sports is The Swamp in Gainesville Florida.
Wrigley Field a pressure cooker? How? I’ve been going to Wrigley since 1977 and it has NEVER been a pressure cooker. These days its hangout for carefree young people who want to hang out and have a rousing party and the well-heeled who can afford the price of a ticket, beer and all the merchandise they can stuff in the family SUV for the ride home.
Perhaps you meant to say instead “how will Milton Bradley handle the a-hole fan quotient at Wrigley?” You know, those fans who shouted racial taunts at Jacque Jones. And those other fellas who think it cool to guzzle beers and then tie on a Japanese headband while screaming Samurai phrases they learned from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie thriller they say when they were 11 years old.
by BLou on Jan 9, 2009 3:05 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Nice rant.
As for whether Chicago is a pressure cooker on par with Philly or New York, the man with playing experience in 6, soon to be 7 cities will be the best judge.
I would cite traffic at team blogs in the offseason to tally whether the fan base and city is a pressure cooker. Based on what I read around here, things don’t look so cuddly.
by N Oakley on Jan 9, 2009 3:55 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
pressure cooker
Its the pressure of dealing with Cub fans who project their angst of 100 years without a World Series on the current team. Listen to the players… many have opined how playing for the Cubs comes with a lot of baggage. The attitude of Cubs fans has been ratcheted up in recent years as expectations have gone up and we’ve approached and now passed 100 years without a title.
by dmlichte on Jan 9, 2009 4:03 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Maybe not so much a pressure cooker as...
…a stove that won’t light. We thought we had the pilot on last season, but a stiff wind blew through the kitchen in October and it went out.
RIP Ron Asheton (1948-2009)
by dat cubfan daver on Jan 9, 2009 4:26 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Well
I think it has been proven that Cub players don’t concern themselves a flying leap with the 100 year plus record of failure that is pinned to the franchise. They are the present age of Cub ballplayers and had nothing to do with history. Or at least that’s how I see these latest Cubbie teams treating the subject. Probably a good and bad thing.
by BLou on Jan 9, 2009 9:38 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs
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