Quote:
Originally Posted by barrett
Do you really think the media is mad he used a British accent? What do you think they got more copy out of, his accent, or if he had played it straight and given rote answers? I have not heard anything from his previous 13 weeks of mandatory media sessions, but I've heard of this all over. Every reporter there had his story all but written for him that day. There was nothing combative or disrespectful about it.
I'd also argue that Foster is the hand that feeds the media more than the other way around. Fans can and do interact with athletes through social media without the mainstream media's help these days. Foster and the NFL could create about 99% of their revenue stream without any interaction with he Houston Chronicle and the other beat reporters. But those beat reporters and their employers would be seriously hurting without the players. The days when sportswriters were opinion formers who told the public what to think are gone. Traditional media is becoming obsolete and their standards and quality are plummeting as they dive into the fray attempting to draw eyeballs with click bait. There is no way every one of those reporters didn't post/blog/publish the British Accent story as soon as it happened. Not one of them thought "That Foster needs to learn to respect the media and take our sessions together more seriously."
As for you saying Foster's use of a British accent is ghetto, I think your word choice says far more about you that it does Foster. I can guarantee if Watt or any other white player used a British accent you would not call it "ghetto mentality".
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I thought Fosters British accent was kinda clever and entertaining. The problem I've had with Foster in the past re his PR was his lack of cooperation at times with the media, and I think the NFL still has a player policy that they are required to meet and provide interviews. And I recall the Seattle back was fined for not doing so, but I like to think that Arian is sharper than that individual. As far as the Houston media goes, no matter how bad you and Foster might think it is, it remains the local component for the NFL.
You know Arian came up the hard way in the sense that he was undrafted and therefor basically unknown, certainly unheralded. And some of the locals helped put Foster on the map, so it seems the least he could is make himself available so they can do their job. That's all I'm asking of Foster, besides it's good business for his career, whether or not he realizes it.