When you have a group of 50+ players, coaches, management, maintenance people and etc, it is very difficult to be universally loved.
Russell Wilson won a Super Bowl and anonymous players were complaining about him, so there isn’t any doubt in my mind there are probably some people who don’t like RG3, but did they orchestrate this according to ESPN?
When Griffin began addressing the media in the locker room on Friday for the first time since dislocating his left ankle in Week 2, about 15 teammates began shouting. It was so loud and distracting, the franchise quarterback — and reporters — had to leave the locker room so Griffin could speak someplace where he could be heard. That’s when the cheering got even more boisterous.
A source familiar with the incident told ESPN’s Britt McHenry that Griffin has “alienated himself” from the locker room.
This is not the first “source” to say RG3 isn’t liked, but in regard to this particular incident the media who were in the locker room strongly disagree with this assessment.
Re: ESPN locker room report: Grossly misinterpreted. The noise, yelling over intrvw was not directed at RGIII, but at Redskins PR.
— Mike Jones (@MikeJonesWaPo) November 2, 2014
Is Griffin loved by every member of the team? No. who is? Not even russell Wilson. The noise was not related to players upset RGIII was back
— Mike Jones (@MikeJonesWaPo) November 2, 2014
I was in #Redskins locker room Friday. That player outburst that forced reporters from room – obnoxious as it was – not directed at RGIII
— Brian McNally (@bmcnally14) November 2, 2014
Redskins players & coaches have reached out this morning to refute the report that RG3 has been alienated. "Its a lie. He's the leader."
— Dianna Marie Russini (@NBCdianna) November 2, 2014
Also, I was in the locker room when "guys were yelling" along with other reporters. It wasn't about RG3. They were messing w/ Tony Wyllie
— Dianna Marie Russini (@NBCdianna) November 2, 2014
That established, the immaturity in the locker room had more to do with dislike of the media than it had to do with Robert.
— Jason Reid (@JReidPost) November 2, 2014
Players were upset because media was inside locker room for so long.. it got ugly but did not have to do with RG3.. #RedskinsTalk
— Rob Carlin (@RobCarlinCSN) November 2, 2014
Jay Gruden had strong words for ESPN.
“I saw those,” the coach said when asked about the pregame reports. “It was an amateurish report. It was totally not true. And for anybody who reads that to believe that, they’re an amateur. Anybody who reports that’s an amateur. It’s totally false. And just something else that you have to deal with up here at a press conference, that Robert has to deal with, that the players have to deal with, that they’re going to write about and ask about.
“But we are in D.C., and it is Robert Griffin, and they’re always going to try to tear him down and tear us down for whatever reason,” Gruden went on. “But we’re going to stay united as a locker room, and that’s that. We’re not going to let anybody get to us. That’s some small-time reporter reporting fiction.”
ESPN had an extended segment on this, but it appears to be untrue, will they admit they made a mistake? I don’t think it was done intentionally, but once you find out you were wrong, you should admit your mistake and clarify your report.
H/T Washington Post