Buffalo Bills Impose Draconian, Borderline Paranoid Media Restrictions At OTAs
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Buffalo Bills tried to keep their beat reporters from drumming up too many stories from the first day of organized team activities. In the process, their media policy itself became the story.
ESPN Bills beat writer Mike Rodak tweeted the team's reporting policy that was given to him Tuesday as he and others prepared to cover OTAs for the first time of the 2016 season. He was surprised to see that not only were reporters asked not to report on injuries that were not relayed to them through head coach Rex Ryan, but they were also asked not to report anything regarding player personnel or the actual plays being run on the field.
"Reports pertaining to strategic and tactical information are strictly prohibited," the team's policy reads.
Rodak decided to have a little fun with the policy as he live-tweeted.
Rex Ryan later told Rodak, "Our media policy isn't something that I'm involved with." No surprise there. It would have been pretty rich for a coach as blustery as Rex, who's never seen a microphone he didn't like, to impose such draconian, borderline paranoid policies about coverage of his team. Not even the Patriots, who are notorious for being tight-lipped and restrictive with the local media, have gone to such absurd lengths to control the reporting surrounding the team.
Are the Bills worried that Ernie Adams is hiding out at Ralph Wilson Stadium? Do they think the Patriots have a mole inside the Bills media? Like many Patriots opponents who have beaten themselves with similar behavior, perhaps the Bills should worry about the team itself rather than what the media is saying about it.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
