Sely Gallery: EDUCATE US JOHN MCCLAIN

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

EDUCATE US JOHN MCCLAIN

Written By: Lamont Mann

1-06-2011

JOHN McCLAIN DEFINE YOURSELF

John McClain is a staple in Houston Sports Media. It was a point in my life before the age of the Internet, John was my source of football information. Nothing John McClain could have said would have been perceived as wrong in my opinion.

Over the years I have become one of the General's biggest critics. Strangely, this attraction proving the General wrong is like Mike In Da's "Flubs of the day". I ask myself daily where has "sports talk" come when Mike questions any and everything thing these hosts say. Most people will take what the host say "with the grain of salt" and assume it's the gospel but if Mike were to hear you say a 45 degree angle was an obtuse angle he will let you know "you are wrong, it's acute". What has driven him to the pointing out these "FLUBS"? It's simple, he has heard so much inaccurate information uttered over the airways, that he's compel to research everything they say.

John McClain is the Houston Texans "Beat Writer" in addition to being a local radio personality and Hollywood Celebrity. I have met John multiple times and he is a very nice person as is everyone I have met in media but I frequently accuse him of being the Texans "Water Boy" because he is always defending them.

DEFINE YOURSELF

One day Craig and I was talking about John and it was laid out perfect. It's Craig's belief that John is managing multiple roles and those roles occasionally overlap. During our conversation, Craig laid out a theory, what if the Texans purposely fed John the information about Reggie Bush while knowing they were not going in that direction. This is very important because it was that draft where I first begin to doubt John.

I believe if John McClain were to come out and define his role as a "Beat Wrtiter" and "Radio Personality" he would not take as much heat. He is selling himself short by assuming that most people know the difference of what he do on air versus what he do in print. Example: Alot of radio hosts assume their audience know what 3/4 , 4/3, 4/6 defense is, instead of educating them. Many misconceptions and a constant circulation of inaccurate information is the reason the Houston listening audience is wrong, how better would it be if personalities took the time to educate their audience.

If John were to come out and say "As a Beat Writer, I am privileged to information and my job is to report information and as a radio personality, I am opinionated", people like myself wouldn't rag on him. That would be nice in theory but in reality I hear John being opinionated in his reporting. It's not as obvious as him making a recommendation but it's definitely visible. What am I to think when I hear John, constantly knock the defense (Frank Bush) but elevate Kubiak in regards to the offense when Kubiak made the Bush hire?

All in all, I do not agree with everything John McClain writes or say but I respect him. I understand he has multiple roles to fulfill and therefore they do merge from time to time which makes it hard to tell if this is a journalist disseminating information or if this is opinion. A couple weeks ago, I thought Matt Jackson and Adam Wexler (790) did a damn good job in explaining the "report" of Cowher to Houston. A reporter expressed his opinion as a blurb that he felt that Cowher wanted to come to Houston. After that note went through the rigors of media, it became like the Gospel for callers. One morning Matt and Adam took the time to explain that it was a journalist making an opinion and it was not to be taken as a primary source.

Although this article was my plea for John to explain his roles, the bi-product was educating this listening base as a hole. I can't tell you how frustrated I get when I hear the definition of a 3/4 defense "3 D linemen and 4 LBs". Well DUH, I only learned that in the 10th grade, can you go a little more in depth please? What's the triangle offense? You are mad because Schaub threw the interception and Kubiak should have ran the rock in overtime against the Ravens but what play/formation Kubiak should have ran, what hole, where was the strength? Lance Zierlein (1560) made mention once, he wonders where the audience get so much inaccurate information from. I look at the media in terms of the mirror effect, your audience will tell you how competent your market is as a whole, what you guys collectively put out, will come back.

I must admit, I was very pleased in the job John McClain did with the Texans Report Card this season in addition to his coverage of Texans "end of year" whoas. John has been out there busting ass and taking names. During a radio exchange with Larry N Stafford, Larry was confronting John of being a "pigeon" for the Texans when John stopped Larry and told him, he has to go on record with his predictions and thoughts. I took it as, "everyone can sit in the background and critique my information but until they are ever in a position to actually make a prediction based upon the information given then they can't say shit". John knows I can't end this article by taking a mild jab at him. It's official, Frank Bush is out and Wade is in, after Frank Bush was released we have heard Bob McNair say Frank Bush is gave the go ahead for the secondary personnel ie "going young". I will act like I didn't hear him say "allowing the new Defensive Coordinator to pick the defensive players would be unprecedented". So we have heard the owner say Frank pretty much gave the Texans the go ahead for the secondary and then backdoor it with the new DC will be allowed to do something unprecedented. In short, that's fishy so as a journalist, I would guess that should be something to peak your interest to get Frank Bush's side of the story? I was told that Frank Bush wouldn't comment on that because it would be coaching suicide but I argue, an organization making you out to be the the reason for the historical worse defense is equally career suicide. We want to know what Frank Bush has to say about the remarks made by Bob McNair.