In the wake of yesterday’s release of (part time) Offensive Tackle Eugene Monroe, the Ravens, per protocol, released a statement via the teams website.
The statement in itself was exactly what you’d expect (paraphrased): He was here. We paid him like a boss. He spent the majority of his time injured & petitioning for the league to lift the ban on marijuana. No trade partners. He gone.
Of course, we’d be foolish to believe the big dogs in the sports media world would simply let this be a cut and dry…cut.
Instead, ProFootballTalk (PFT) lifted a simple quote from Ryan Mink’s article, including a John Harbaugh quote, and twisted their words to fit their usual Ravens-bashing agenda.
Per the release statement on the team’s website:
Monroe had surgery to repair a torn labrum (shoulder) this offseason, and used the time off to become the first active NFL player to openly campaign for the use of medical marijuana. The Ravens did not rally behind the cause.
“I promise you, he does not speak for the organization,” Head Coach John Harbaugh said this offseason.
Fairly run of the mill, right?
And yet…
The Ravens cut Eugene Monroe, and the team website noted that John Harbaugh didn't agree with his marijuana advocacy https://t.co/mdCw7uejg0
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) June 15, 2016
Where do I even start…
For what it’s worth, I was actually shocked that this particular PFT article wasn’t the typical anti-Ravens rantings of Mike Florio (FYI- he’s a Pittsburgh guy. Literally posted a ton of ‘Go Pens’ garbage on the PFT Twitter during NHL playoffs because he enjoys alienating a large percentage of his readers I suppose). This one was by Michael David Smith so, in theory, I’m assuming Florio has something in the contract of his writers that says “bash the Ravens at any cost.”
Clicking on the link, I found the article hard to read…mostly because it’s difficult to focus on the screen while rolling my eyes and shaking my head in disbelief. But when I finally settled in, I realized that the article is nothing but tinfoil hat-wearing, conspiracy theorist drivel. M.D. Smith questions the Ravens’ motives for releasing Monroe, drops the above quote from the team’s website, crams Monroe’s salary, injuries, and replacement into a glossed over blurb, then jumps right back on the Raven-shaming bandwagon that is PFT.
MDS concludes his article with this gem:
If it is a part of the reason Monroe lost his job, that’s a shame. Players should be free to speak their minds on matters of public policy, and just because they’re not speaking for the organization, that doesn’t mean it should cost them their position within the organization.
So…the Ravens don’t actually say Monroe was cut because of his stance on medical marijuana, nor have they ever said anything other than “Monroe’s views don’t reflect the entire organization,” but because the website mentioned his advocacy in their release statement, you simply assume this to be the case? Or maybe it was Harbaugh’s quote. You know, the quote that the Ravens article mentions was “earlier this offseason” and not a statement taken as of Monroe’s release (a detail neglected in PFT’s version of the story).
And how about that headline? The Twitter feed reads “The Ravens cut Eugene Monroe, and the team website noted John Harbaugh didn’t agree with his marijuana advocacy.”
That sentence right there had literally nothing to do with the actual article in the link, other than the one-sentence Harbs quote.
What’s worse, and turns this into completely irresponsible journalism, PFT claims “Harbaugh didn’t agree” with Monroe’s advocacy… yet his quote states Monroe “does not speak for the organization.”
Unless Harbaugh is suddenly the head coach, GM, owner, the entire front office and every player on the field in purple and black? I’m pretty sure the two are not synonymous in any way, shape or form.
And just how out of whack is the perspective of this steaming PFT pile? How badly are they clamoring for clicks instead of providing the whole story?
They actually made Deadspin look like educated sports analysts!
Of course, Monroe’s advocacy could have nothing to do with the Ravens’ decision. The team considers Stanley to be a starter already, and the 29-year-old Monroe has missed 15 games over the past two seasons due to injuries, including a concussion in last year’s season opener. And if a team has an opportunity to lose an off-the-field distraction, it will take it. Fellow Ravens lineman John Urschel’s interest outside of football is math, and it’s a big part of his life, but the NFL’s not suspending any players for studying vector calculus.
You see, Michael David Smith, THAT is what it’s all about. Relaying actual information, and if you plan on speculating? At least offer a counterpoint based on facts instead of mere unjustifiable clickbait.
