MrCrowesGarden wrote:It could be speculation, but maybe I don't see it as "wild" speculation, if that makes sense. He's been around Matheny for a long time and would certainly know his personality. He's had, I would venture, more than just a passing interaction with Fowler the past two seasons.
I certainly know the importance of clicks/likes/etc., but I've not sure I've ever met someone in all my media experience who's exaggerated or fabricated to do so. I've seen it from the national media-- which I have no experience with-- but not local, like Bernie.
I think your speculation vs. wild speculation thing is the most likely scenario. I think that's totally fair. I kind of question how well he knows Fowler, but I don't think it'd be totally baseless.
The thing about Bernie, too, is that he is sort of national. He's kind of the go-to guy when national folks need a hot take from a STL sports personality. Now... he's not 100% national or anything. But he does make a lot of appearances nationally. (I say all of this with the caveat that I have a lot of respect for Bernie... I actually like Bernie a lot, but it does seem like he blows things further out of proportion than they should be. Just my opinion.)
Farewell Friends wrote:I think this is possible, but it was buried in the middle of the article and never really expounded on. Maybe that indicates the seriousness -- or lack thereof -- but I think if he wanted to get clicks it would've figured more prominently. I wouldn't have batted an eye if Frank Cusumano hadn't said something earlier in the week. Perhaps Bernie heard what Frank said and wanted to get in on it, too?
Honestly, the Cusamano part makes it less plausible for me. Maybe I don't know enough about him, but he hardly strikes me as the kind of guy who's going to have some huge scoop like that. If Bernie's knowledge of Fowler is somewhat questionable, Cusamano's is extremely questionable. I kind of laughed it off when it came from him. Again- maybe I should give him more credence. I do think you make a good point about the way it's buried in Bernie's article, although even then... that kind of suggests to me that he's speculating. That if he wasn't speculating, he could have played it up.
Really, though... it's not totally implausible that Fowler wouldn't want to play for Matheny. I just struggle to put much weight in it when it's coming in these forms. Doesn't mean it's not true. Just that I don't think this is any sort of damning evidence or indictment.
