If you work in sports media, especially if you’re on the opinion and commentary side of the industry, you open yourself up to some harsh criticism. Sometimes, that feedback crosses the line into insults. So it’s understandable that columnists, reporters, and sports radio hosts block those who attack them on Twitter.
But how often does someone in the media block a colleague for criticism or good-natured mocking?
On Monday, Doug Gottlieb revealed that fellow Fox Sports Radio host Rob Parker blocked him on Twitter. Did Gottlieb direct a personal insult at Parker? Did he take some negative feedback too far?
No, Gottlieb was pushing back on Parker’s years-long narrative of Matthew Stafford being an overrated quarterback who compiled many throwing yards while trying to rally bad Detroit Lions teams from behind. “Pad Statford” was the nickname Parker gave him. Funny! And true.
But Gottlieb didn’t go at Parker with Stafford’s career stats or attempt to make an argument that he would’ve received more acclaim throughout his career if he hadn’t played for the Lions. All Gottlieb did was give a little elbow.
“Someone check on Rob Parker,” Gottlieb tweeted. That’s it. A playful poke at Parker’s anti-Stafford hot take. He didn’t say Parker was outright wrong. (Though he did so on the air, as you can hear in the clip above.) He didn’t insult him. Nope. This was just good-natured teasing.
However, that — along with taking issue with Parker’s contention that Tom Brady has been lucky throughout his career — was apparently all Parker could stand and he couldn’t stand anymore. He blocked Gottlieb.
Gottlieb was surprised, but tried to see it from Parker’s point of view. Maybe Parker believes that colleagues at the same company shouldn’t criticize one another. So Gottlieb texted him to ask why he’d been blocked. Parker’s response, which he later directed at everyone, was that if you can’t compliment him when he’s right, don’t criticize him when he’s wrong.
It seems remarkably oversensitive. But Parker has taken a lot of fire in his years as a columnist in Cincinnati, Detroit, and New York, and later as a sports radio host and TV personality. This is how he’s chosen to deal with the feedback he receives. Standing your ground and not backing down from an opinion is how approaches his job.
Parker isn’t easing off his Stafford take now that he’s won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Rams. In his view, the Rams would’ve won with any top 15 quarterback in the league running that offense. Stafford isn’t special.
Gottlieb put it to the rest of his crew, asking if it was strange that Parker blocked him for something rather harmless. Everyone tried to give Parker the benefit of the doubt, even trying to rationalize that this was being playful. Yet all agreed that this seemed rather extreme.
So for those offering vinegar to Rob Parker, make sure it also comes with some sugar. Otherwise, he’ll block you. He even does it with his co-workers!
Ian Casselberry is a sports media columnist for BSM. He has previously written and edited for Awful Announcing, The Comeback, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation. You can find him on Twitter @iancass or reach him by email at iancass@gmail.com.
