New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones had plenty of skeptics when he was selected with the sixth overall pick back in April’s NFL Draft. Many fans and media members said it was the worst draft pick they had ever seen. A barrage of negativity on Twitter was directed at Jones and the man responsible for making the pick — Giants general manager Dave Gettleman. Both men — especially the QB who was only 21 years old at the time — elected to take the high road in spite of the cheap shots.
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield was one of those critics. Mayfield voiced his amazement with the Jones selection in an interview with GQ Magazine that was published in August. “I cannot believe the Giants took Daniel Jones,” Mayfield said. “Blows my mind. Some people overthink it. That’s where people go wrong. They forget you’ve gotta win. Either you have a history of winning and being that guy for your team or you don’t.”
I’d love to know how much better Mayfield would’ve fared at Duke without any NFL talent surrounding him. Mayfield was one of 12 Oklahoma players selected in the NFL Draft over the past two years. Meanwhile, Jones was the only guy selected out of Duke in the past four drafts combined. Yet Mayfield doubted Jones for having a 17-19 record in college? Kansas City Chiefs quarterback and reigning NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes had a 13-15 record as a starter at Texas Tech. I guess he stinks too. Solid take, Baker.
A funny thing happened on Sunday despite the emphatic criticisms of Jones; he played great in his first career NFL start. Jones lit up the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by completing 23 of 36 passes for 336 yards with two touchdown passes and two more rushing TDs. Oh, and one of his four touchdowns was a dramatic scamper on 4th and 5 that turned out to be the game-winning score. Not too shabby.
It sure is odd how hard it is to find those same critics of Daniel Jones now. Most of them have gone scurrying under a fridge like a bunch of cockroaches. We shouldn’t trade one overreaction on draft day for another by acting like Jones is destined for the Hall of Fame now. However, we know that he isn’t the complete disaster of a quarterback that many people made him out to be. For as loud as those people were on draft night, it’s mighty weak of them to go into the Witness Hot Take Protection Program.
This is an important lesson for a sports radio host. One of the most valuable tools that hosts can possess is the ability to admit when they are wrong. We love to gloat about being right. Don’t forget to own up to your mistakes and admit when you are wrong too. I understand a host isn’t going to be excited about admitting how wrong their opinion or prediction turned out to be. You might not shout as loudly about being wrong as the times when you’re right, but it needs to be said — even if it’s whispered reluctantly.
Sports radio hosts are competitive. Admitting that they’re wrong is sometimes viewed like an admission of defeat. That’s the wrong way to look at it. There is something disarming about a person who admits they’re wrong. It’s humanizing. The opposite is true when someone refuses to ever admit they got it wrong. It can anger and insight others. There’s a tendency to lose respect for someone who simply avoids admitting they were wrong at all cost.
Baker Mayfield — yet again — is a good example of what not to do. After his criticisms of Jones were published in the GQ article, he didn’t take ownership of his comments. He blamed a number of things other than himself. “Just things taken out of context,” Mayfield said. “That’s the problem with today’s day and age. You don’t read the whole thing. You don’t put two and two together. You just kind of read scripts and then people combined sentences from different conversations.”
Oh, boy. Lots to unpack here. Mayfield blamed today’s day and age, people not reading the whole thing, the ever-popular things being taken out of context, and — my personal favorite — people combining sentences from different conversations. Yeah, as if GQ took “blows my mind” when Baker was talking about Dairy Queen’s Blizzard of the Month, and “they forget you’ve gotta win” when Baker was referring to the latest Price Is Right Showcase Showdown, then connivingly placed these statements around positive things Mayfield said about Jones. That’s what we’re supposed to believe? Does this make you respect Mayfield for pointing the finger at many things except at himself? Me either.
If you’re too proud to admit you were wrong in a relationship, may God have mercy on your poor soul. You’re going to get hit with a frying pan or a 2 x 4 at some point if all you do is point the finger at the other person. The same is true for hundreds of other situations in life — as a manager, host, sibling, husband, wife, friend, athlete, head coach, etc. — you will lose the respect of many people if you never admit when you’re at fault.
Making a mistake sometimes isn’t as bad as avoiding the reality that you made one. The loudmouths that trashed the Daniel Jones draft pick look really bad after he showed his mobility and passing skills while erasing an 18-point deficit against Tampa. It isn’t the end of the world though. The only thing worse than a horrid prediction is avoiding ownership of it. Just admit it, own it, and move on. There are three very important words that can benefit you in life and sports radio. Don’t treat these three words like an enemy. Think of them as your friend. The three words are — I was wrong.
Brian Noe is a columnist for BSM and an on-air host heard nationwide on FOX Sports Radio’s Countdown To Kickoff. Previous roles include stops in Portland, OR, Albany, NY and Fresno, CA. You can follow him on Twitter @TheNoeShow or email him at bnoe@premierenetworks.com.
