The Jacksonville Jaguars

[pierre]

Many of us consider Jonathan Cyprien as a high point out of our previous draft... here is profootball focus analysis...

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2013/10/30/second-rounders-in-focus-week-8/

33. John Cyprien, FS, Jacksonville Jaguars
Grade: -19.4
Snaps: 552
Analysis: On the bright side he's played every snap for the team. On the downside, he's looked woefully out of his depth, with the game just too quick for him right now. He's our lowest-graded safety and the team has evidently taken the approach he'll be better for the lumps he takes this year.

He's been terrible, especially since the Seattle game. Getting beat is one thing. Those can be rookie mistakes.

The missed tackles are another. Not a good sign for the future.

[Wacca Pilatka]

  Personally I think he's wrong about the Jags moving, but I can't blame Joe Sixpack for thinking that Brunell might have some inside knowledge, and Mr. Sixpack might also question whether or not he wants to spend his hard-earned paycheck to watch a horrible team so that they can take that money and rebuild and move out of town right as they start getting good again. 

The Jaguars have a PR problem and the sooner they deal with this the better.  This is the like the New York Times correcting a front page error with one sentence on page G-23.  Not gonna cut it.

That's my biggest concern with the whole situation.  Brunell's comments gave credence to the people who fear that this is going to happen.  I think that other comment from Manuel in the Oehser column illustrated what you are saying.  I also think the national media's game all along (since they have a vested interest in getting a team to LA or London and have been acting vengeful toward Jacksonville ever since the '05 Super Bowl) has been to constantly push these stories about Jacksonville in the hope of making fans doubt the franchise's viability there and become reluctant to spend money on the team.

This is also why I have been saying that Brunell's localized apologies on TimTimXL and the like mean nothing when he did his damage on a national program (one that has a history of blurting out something about a pending move every time the Jaguars are mentioned, no less).

[Bridges]

The Jaguars have a PR problem and the sooner they deal with this the better.  This is the like the New York Times correcting a front page error with one sentence on page G-23.  Not gonna cut it. 

I disagree completely.  Since Lamping has been running the show there, the PR department has handled the situation on blackouts and moving perfectly.  Before they came along the blackouts were all anyone talked about, because it was a giant focus of the team.  Every week, "will we lift the black out" "will we ask for and extension" was a focus of the media.  Lamping and staff have removed that completely.  And, IMO, it has done wonders.  Sure you still get the lazy journalists or writers who talk about blackouts and tarps, but they didn't care enough to research before the story, they won't care much when you come addressing their every article. 

Same with the moving.  You can't go out and address every single time someone says something ignorant or over the top.  That's panicky and all it does is draw massive attention to it.  The best PR for the jags is to "show not tell", and they have done a wonderful job of that. 
-You show us you plan to stay by building the largest scoreboard in the land.
-You show us by investing monetarily in projects around town
-You show us by actually bringing the mayor and council President to London to promote Jacksonville like you said you would. 

This Jag regime has shown their commitment to Jacksonville at every step.  This is addressed every time someone asks Lamping a question in an interview about it.  I think we're winning this PR battle, but it would help a whole whole lot, if we started being competitive and winning on the field.

[Wacca Pilatka]

I agree that Lamping and the current regime have done everything right in handling the situation.  However, I am concerned about our being able to draw a segment of the fan base back in when we start winning, simply because they've been beaten down by these incessant rumors and harbor doubts about the team's commitment to the city (despite all the evidence Lamping, Khan, and co. have provided of their commitment).

[Ajax]

The Jaguars have a PR problem and the sooner they deal with this the better.  This is the like the New York Times correcting a front page error with one sentence on page G-23.  Not gonna cut it. 

I disagree completely.  Since Lamping has been running the show there, the PR department has handled the situation on blackouts and moving perfectly.  Before they came along the blackouts were all anyone talked about, because it was a giant focus of the team.  Every week, "will we lift the black out" "will we ask for and extension" was a focus of the media.  Lamping and staff have removed that completely.  And, IMO, it has done wonders.  Sure you still get the lazy journalists or writers who talk about blackouts and tarps, but they didn't care enough to research before the story, they won't care much when you come addressing their every article. 

Same with the moving.  You can't go out and address every single time someone says something ignorant or over the top.  That's panicky and all it does is draw massive attention to it.  The best PR for the jags is to "show not tell", and they have done a wonderful job of that. 
-You show us you plan to stay by building the largest scoreboard in the land.
-You show us by investing monetarily in projects around town
-You show us by actually bringing the mayor and council President to London to promote Jacksonville like you said you would. 

This Jag regime has shown their commitment to Jacksonville at every step.  This is addressed every time someone asks Lamping a question in an interview about it.  I think we're winning this PR battle, but it would help a whole whole lot, if we started being competitive and winning on the field.

I agree that Lamping, et al have done a great job with the PR battle, and that Khan has shown a huge commitment.  So we're on the same page there.  I also agree that they can't keep addressing every jerk that says that Jags are moving.  However, any time an insider or prominent employee (I think Brunell qualifies) says "all indications are that we're headed that way" then I think the Jags need to control that damage quickly. 

[Wacca Pilatka]

The Brunell apology tour begins.  This is not nearly sufficient to undo what he did, so hopefully this tour has many more stops and reaches national audiences.

http://www.bigcatcountry.com/2013/10/30/5046994/mark-brunell-apologizes-for-london-comments

[duvaldude08]

Many of us consider Jonathan Cyprien as a high point out of our previous draft... here is profootball focus analysis...

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2013/10/30/second-rounders-in-focus-week-8/

33. John Cyprien, FS, Jacksonville Jaguars
Grade: -19.4
Snaps: 552
Analysis: On the bright side he's played every snap for the team. On the downside, he's looked woefully out of his depth, with the game just too quick for him right now. He's our lowest-graded safety and the team has evidently taken the approach he'll be better for the lumps he takes this year.

He's been terrible, especially since the Seattle game. Getting beat is one thing. Those can be rookie mistakes.

The missed tackles are another. Not a good sign for the future.

Your right. He's been terrible. Lets go ahead and get rid of him now. I mean he's only played eight games right? That definately for tells the future 

[KenFSU]

Here's Brunell's quote from this morning:

"I caused quite a stir and upset a lot of Jaguars fans. Let me tell you guys, I regret those comments, it was a poor choice of words. I had an opportunity up there to speak to all that Shad Khan has done in this community, his investments, his plans and all the great things that are going on with the Jacksonville Jaguars and I didn't do it. That certainly will not happen again."

"I'm the last guy, obviously all of us want the Jaguars to stay in Jacksonville, I do not want this team to leave. I love this team, I love this franchise, I love the direction it's headed in, I love this community. I think I got caught up a little bit."

"My quote was 'All indications are that the team is headed in that direction' toward London. Really those comments were based on what's being said and what the perspective is outside this community. Inside this community, we all know what's going on with stadium renovations and all that."

"So it was a poor choice of words, I regret it, I'd love to have it back, I upset a lot of people and that was certainly not my intention. I feel terrible about it and I wish I could do it all over again. It's unfortunate."

"I can certainly sympathize with the fans. We have a great fan base and this team is very important to this community. I had an opportunity, I will get more opportunities, of which I'm looking forward to, to defend Jacksonville. I really do believe that I represent this city and I did not do a good job of that yesterday on Mike & Mike. Going forward, there will be more opportunities and I will correct the mistakes I made."

Personally, I'm willing to give the guy his one free pass and move on. He sounds sincere enough, and I doubt he'll be saying anything like this again.

[Bridges]

I just really don't see this as being hugely damaging.  It wasn't plastered all over ESPN or national news outlets.  I know it was on Mike and Mike, but it hasn't really gained much traction.  Even Florio picked it up from our local media and then still backed off the comments. 

Really, this is a lot of hand wringing from the Jags fans.  The only real damage done is the perceived betrayal by one of our own.  But, this has not helped further promote a Jags move kind of thing.   

[Ajax]

I just really don't see this as being hugely damaging.  It wasn't plastered all over ESPN or national news outlets.  I know it was on Mike and Mike, but it hasn't really gained much traction.  Even Florio picked it up from our local media and then still backed off the comments. 

Really, this is a lot of hand wringing from the Jags fans.  The only real damage done is the perceived betrayal by one of our own.  But, this has not helped further promote a Jags move kind of thing.   

It probably wasn't damaging at all.  I'll admit I'm overly sensitive about it.  I finally got past having to hear all the blackout crap, and thank God that's died down.  But I remember feeling pretty bad for Brunell when his business deals went bad and he had to file bankruptcy, and I was happy for him when he got hired at Episcopal and I was really happy for him when he got hired at ESPN.  I'm not normally a hand-wringer, but I think you hit it on the head when you said it feels like a betrayal.  It's probably dumb for a grown man like me to get all emotional about an athlete, but hey, if I didn't then they probably wouldn't be able to convince me to pay so much money for the tickets, right? 

[Wacca Pilatka]

Even if this story gained no national traction (and I'm glad it appears not to have done so), I respectfully disagree with the notion that our reaction is mere oversensitivity.

There is a segment of people in Jacksonville who won't get behind the team not because of performance but because they believe that there must be something to all the worthless rumors the national media has been floating for years.  When someone like Brunell, who is perceived as a representative of the franchise and the city, goes on a national broadcast and inexplicably acts like the rumors have credibility, he's just furthering the media goal of depressing fan support in Jacksonville and trying to create a self-fulfilling prophecy, whether they act on it or not.

As usual, First Coast News and some other local outlets who pander to the "I want the Jaguars to move because they didn't sign Tebow!" crowd jumped all over this story, which fans the flames among those who don't trust the idea that Khan & co. are committed to Jacksonville.  I'm astonished that TimTimXL actually came to the organization's defense this time.

There's absolutely no excuse for what he did, and his local apologies are worthless when he did damage to the city's and fan base's images on a national platform.  Let him go on a national platofrm and correct the mistake he made, and then I'll forgive him.  I'm not emotional about an athlete here; I'm emotional about the constant misrepresentation of this city and fan base.

[Rynjny]

When Brunell got the Job at ESPN, I were so happy for him and us Jags fans. I thought finally Jags fans have a voice on the National stage and Brunell would help us get the words out that we do have a great fan base. Right now I'm just disappointed. Probably it's caused by my own expectation.

[Ajax]

I just really don't see this as being hugely damaging.  It wasn't plastered all over ESPN or national news outlets.  I know it was on Mike and Mike, but it hasn't really gained much traction.  Even Florio picked it up from our local media and then still backed off the comments. 

Really, this is a lot of hand wringing from the Jags fans.  The only real damage done is the perceived betrayal by one of our own.  But, this has not helped further promote a Jags move kind of thing.   

It probably wasn't damaging at all.  I'll admit I'm overly sensitive about it.  I finally got past having to hear all the blackout crap, and thank God that's died down.  But I remember feeling pretty bad for Brunell when his business deals went bad and he had to file bankruptcy, and I was happy for him when he got hired at Episcopal and I was really happy for him when he got hired at ESPN.  I'm not normally a hand-wringer, but I think you hit it on the head when you said it feels like a betrayal.  It's probably dumb for a grown man like me to get all emotional about an athlete, but hey, if I didn't then they probably wouldn't be able to convince me to pay so much money for the tickets, right?

One more comment and then I'll try to leave this alone.  Brunell did some preseason games as an announcer for the Jaguars and appears on a weekly radio show for the Jags.  Presumably he got his job at ESPN in part because of the opportunity that the Jaguars gave him.  His bosses (Khan and Lamping) have been out there busting their asses trying to tell anyone that will listen that they are committed to Jacksonville.  I doubt Brunell was trying to call those guys liars, but if I was Khan or Lamping I'm not sure how else I'd take it. 

[Rynjny]

http://deadspin.com/sources-some-jaguars-players-got-beat-up-in-london-aft-1453759429?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

Uh oh...please tell me deadspin's sources are untrustworthy

[mtraininjax]

Brunell apologized, I hope he uses his ESPN presence to promote the Jags and this motivates him appropriately. WE shall see. He is right in my world and I was off the chart upset!

"Best way to make the story go away is to just ignore it."

If that was the case, we would not need the Metro Jacksonville board!