Before Sunday’s game between Washington and Minnesota, ESPN published a couple of reports regarding Robert Griffin III. And coach Jay Gruden wasn’t happy about it.
Britt McHenry of ESPN focused on locker-room issues, concluding that Griffin has “alienated himself” from teammates. Adam Schefter of ESPN reported that some believe the decision to start Griffin this week came from owner Daniel Snyder or president/G.M. Bruce Allen.
After the game, Gruden addressed the situation, presumably focusing (based on the question he was asked) on McHenry’s report.
“It was an amateurish report,” Gruden said, via CSN Washington. “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.”
Gruden seems to think he team is being victimized by the media.
“They’re always gonna try to tear him down and tear us down, for whatever reason,” Gruden said. “But we’re gonna stay united as a locker room. And that’s that. We’re not gonna let anybody get to us. That’s some small-time reporter reporting fiction.”
Via the Washington Post, other reporters have disputed McHenry’s account from ESPN’s pregame show regarding locker-room noise from teammates at a time when Griffin was trying to talk to reporters. Specifically, the explanation from several reporters is that players have been making noise during interviews because P.R. has provided extra media availability.