McGinn stepping down a huge loss for Packers reporting
Bob McGinn stepped down from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel this week, signaling the end to a fantastic era of Packers coverage.
By dnicholson
Goodbyes are hard.
When Brett Favre packed up the first time, weeping through his retirement press conference, what was left of the child in me went away for good. It was hard to imagine watching the Packers play without the old gunslinger leading the way.
Saying goodbye to the great ones invokes a cocktail of emotions whether it’s an athlete or coach, actor or musician, author or teacher. Happiness for playing witness to their greatness; sadness for their work being in the past tense. A hint of jealousy, even.
This week, Green Bay Packer fans had to say goodbye to one of the greats when Bob McGinn stepped down from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
He hinted that he sees himself continuing to write, though on what or for whom is up in the air. But McGinn’s days as the Godfather of Packers beat writers are over. Make no mistake — it’s a huge loss for Green Bay fans.
In most ways, journalists like McGinn have gone the way of extinction. Some really good ones were unable to survive the major changes to modern journalism (of which very few actually improved the product), and could become easy victims for newsrooms newly dedicated to digital trends and social media. When layoffs came, the Gannett-owned newspaper I once worked for seemed to target the 55-and-up crowd of reporters, who for some valid reasons struggled with being forced to reinvent the wheel after decades of mastering their craft.
McGinn had to see some of these trends as a step backward. Here is a reporter whose own basement is a rich archive of manilla folders and notebooks containing thousands of newspaper clippings and hand-written musings. There’s something both romantic and borderline Doc Brown about McGinn’s dogged, old school approach. Give him a pen, pad and recorder and let him do the rest.
His myriad connections with [anonymous] scouts and coaches have become a sort of meme. Arguably no NFL reporter in the business has roots as deep.
The approach has paid off, as McGinn — in addition to first-rate beat coverage and storytelling — has routinely been among the top draft prognosticators. He accurately predicted Kevin King to the Packers this year, and he tabbed Kenny Clark a year ago. He was one of the few writers I saw predict Damarious Randall as a first-round selection. McGinn’s yearly draft analysis routinely beat out the predictions from other, more famous draft “experts” like Mike Mayock and Mel Kiper Jr.
A good friend of mine, a diehard Cheesehead himself, once referred to McGinn as the Packers’ zeitgeist. Whether the more prickly followers of McGinn — the same who send him hate mail or spew vitriol on Twitter — admit it or not is of no consequence. Somewhere along the line of 30-plus years covering the team, McGinn’s reporting became the gold standard and the definitive critical voice of the Packers.
Some might view him as overly pessimistic. Some players he’s covered hate his everliving guts. That’s not always a sign a journalist is doing a good job, but in McGinn’s case it tells the whole story. He asked hard questions, coated nothing with sugar and never wasted a word.
There will never be another Bob McGinn. Goodbyes are hard.
Comments (23)
MITM
May 05, 2017 at 12:44 pm
McGinn is a huge loss and I am sad to see him go. With all due respect to him and this article I just wanted to say that the Packers invited Speedy Noil to rookie minicamp. Im not sure if anyone else here reported this in any other comments however I do remember seeing his name brought up in other capacities. Very very excited to have him in Green Bay for the time being.
56Packfan
May 05, 2017 at 12:50 pm
I learned so much from reading Bob's articles. To me, the best are the ones on the draft. He quotes from different scout. Where else would you find the diverse opinions on Vince Biegel, for example, 2nd round to 7th? Distilled summaries of player strengths and weaknesses you see in nfl.com are hardly useful for any player other than the top picks. Even then they can be really wrong. Bob gives the fan a chance to see why some GM are good and some are not. Fans often think they know the game. But they are amateurs. Even professionals whose livelihoods depend on getting the right read on players are nowhere near perfect. Thanks, Bob, for all the great memories. Enjoy your retirement!
Andrew Lloyd Peth
May 05, 2017 at 12:56 pm
McGinn called it as he saw it, unlike the Yes-man lapdogs at team outlets like Packers.com. Those are boring and worthless.
If I wanted honest opinions, I'd look to McGinn and Cheesehead--and occasionally The Press Gazette.
McGinn will be missed.
dobber
May 05, 2017 at 02:41 pm
"McGinn called it as he saw it, unlike the Yes-man lapdogs at team outlets like Packers.com."
Well, there's a reason why the folks at Packers.com write what they do...
Andrew Lloyd Peth
May 06, 2017 at 08:36 am
True, but it's pathetic. Zero insight. Zero interest. McGinn actually said things that were on his mind--not just feeding his bank account.
BradHTX
May 05, 2017 at 12:56 pm
I was shocked when I read the news earlier this week; 65 seems young for retirement as a writer, but maybe the countless hours McGinn devoted to his craft had grown too much. This is without question a moment of huge change in the world of Packers journalism.
I don't know if "zeitgeist" is the correct term for what McGinn was, but the world will be a very different place without his coverage, and not for the better. Some criticized his opinions or his reporting, but I don't think there was anyone else in the journalism world who covered a team with the depth with which he wrote about the Packers. He was literally the only reason I ever went to JSOnline anymore.
Thank you, Mr. McGinn. Your tireless devotion to giving us amazing information about our team was deeply appreciated and will be sorely missed.
MarkinMadison
May 05, 2017 at 01:08 pm
I suspect there is a story here. One worth telling. Maybe someone will dig a little.
worztik
May 05, 2017 at 01:30 pm
MadMark... are ya suggesting a conspiracy here or just a bit of franchise intrigue? Sounds like a job for 007.....
ThxJackVainisi
May 05, 2017 at 01:57 pm
I became a Packers fan just before Lombardi arrived in Green Bay. Pat Sheridan, a sports talk radio host in Milwaukee in the early '80s was also a 'prickly' critic of the Packers but I appreciated his insights and he got me thinking about the problems with the organizational structure of the Packers. The more I thought about it, the more I thought he was right and that's why I was elated when Bob Harlan created the position Ron Wolf accepted: A true 'football man' in charge of football operations. Even before it became apparent Wolf was the right man for the job, I was happy the structure of the organization had been corrected.
Before the internet I used to search out information about the Packers and I started reading Bob McGinn's stuff when he joined the Press Gazette. He brought a league- and division-wide perspective to the beat. He analyzed the Packers' personnel with respect to their counterparts in the division. And he regularly reported what was going on in the trenches, I thought he gave it more emphasis than others and I appreciated it. He also was a contrast to his more 'homerish' contemporaries. That, along with the contacts throughout the league he gathered took Packers beat writing up a notch. I will particularly miss Bob's season-ending grading columns of both the team and the players. That's 'must reading' for serious Packers fans in my opinion.
I don't think there's any mystery to why he's retiring. He is no doubt financially secure enough to retire and is returning to his home state of Michigan. He no longer has to worry about meeting deadlines. And he can write whenever he wants - perhaps another book or two.
BTW, MITM, acmepackingcompany.com reports Speedy Noil is a minicamp invitee - along with 23 others. I'd post the link but have had some problems doing so lately.
worztik
May 05, 2017 at 03:16 pm
MITM???
MITM
May 05, 2017 at 03:31 pm
I know I know I really did not mean in any way shape or form to turn any attention away from the devastating loss the Packer community is dealing with now. Wrong time wrong place, I am a huge A&M fan and couldnt hold back my excitement. I apologize if anyone took it the wrong way.
worztik
May 05, 2017 at 06:08 pm
MITM... sorry again... see comment below!!!
LeagueObsrvr
May 05, 2017 at 06:41 pm
Excellent comment, DThomas. You hit on all the sentiments I was thinking as well. +1
Littlejim51
May 05, 2017 at 03:43 pm
I have written many an email to Mr. mcGinn over the years thanking him for his unbiased and thought out reporting and his eloquent use of the English language.
The opening line of his column on the day after a game is priceless,something the newspaper czars will not appreciate.
Thanks Bob. It was quite a shock to learn of your retirement. There is never a right time to retire,one just does.
Thank you for my signed copy of the Ultimate Super Bowl book and for your funnyyet corny choice of songs before each podcast with Tyler and then michael Cohen. We will miss you. Enjoy the mitten state
zeke
May 05, 2017 at 04:29 pm
Packers fans have been spoiled with a lot of things, including HoF QBs, great sports writers, and even better radio talent. Loved reading Cliff Christl and McGinn, listening to Max and Jim Irwin; all brilliant and (already) sorely missed.
Spock
May 05, 2017 at 05:00 pm
Well, this is not going to be popular so I'm ready for the down votes. I was (emphasis on WAS) a huge fan of Bob for many, many years. I would disagree with Littlejim51 that McGinn was "unbiased" in recent years. I've followed him for most of my life (pushing 63 years for me now) and I really enjoyed his articles. However, it seemed to me in the last 5 to 6 years he developed a bias against the Packer management. Maybe it's just me, but in recent years I've found his articles to be actively anti-Packer management. Maybe that's warranted, maybe not, but I've found it hard to read his last several years articles. He's come across to me to be overly critical of moves made by the Packers. Now I'm sure the "fire TT" and "fire Capers" crowd will disagree, but, hey, it's my opinion, and that's why we have this blog space. I always admired McGinn's writing style, just felt he was getting somewhat bitter in these last few years. Just my honest opinion, sorry if it offends some people here!! He's a heck of a writer, but I was not sorry to hear he was "retiring". I suspect he will still be doing opinion pieces from time to time. All right may the down votes begin! :)
56Packfan
May 05, 2017 at 10:48 pm
I don't think that saying the Packers should have gotten Vernon Davis at a crucial time is being anti-management. Just see what Jared Cook did by bringing speed to the middle of the field the next year. Bits and piece here and there sometimes makes all the difference in the world. Being a fan since '56, it's hard for me to see the bigger perspective and understand that they actually do need something. I am glad Bob pointed those things out. Thompson may ultimately be right by not giving up a 7th or 6th because that person could turn out to be a player. On the other hand, if he had sprung a 2nd for Marshawn Lynch (instead of Seattle's 3rd), we may have had another ring or two. Thompson essentially admitted he needed to be more active by getting four players in this year free agency. So I cannot fault Bob for his opinion. Indeed, I am glad he did.
56Packfan
May 05, 2017 at 11:18 pm
Bob's comment on Eric Rowe is also appropriate. He could have saved the Packers season after Rollins and Randall imploded. NE got him for pennies on the dollar.
WKUPackFan
May 06, 2017 at 05:03 am
Spock - Totally agree with your assessment. In the past 5-6 years Mr. McGinn's writing seemed to become overly anti-Packers management.
vj_ostrowski
May 06, 2017 at 11:37 am
I'm halfway there with you. It's not so much the specific criticisms of Ted & co that I found unfair, because I didn't think they were...
However, if you were a regular listener to the podcast, he would get weirdly upset about his lack of access with the Packers, the way TT/MM kept things so close to the vest, and even bemoaned the fact that it wasn't like the old days when you would "buddy up" to Packers staff and get insider tidbits. I'm sorry, Bob, but no one wants to hear that things aren't like the old days. There's a reason for secrecy in NFL organizations and Bob knows that. It always seemed like his criticism of the way the organization went about their business went beyond the product that was put on the field. The fact that James Campen won't give you an inside scoop on the training camp battle has nothing to do with the product on the field, but sometimes I felt like Bob made it his axe to grind.
Terrific reporter. Solid writer. Required NFL draft reading. He'll be missed, but I do think he was getting bitter.
worztik
May 05, 2017 at 06:07 pm
Sorry MITM!!! I'm new at this and I thought it was like BTW or whatever... I apologize for me so ignorant!!!
Thegreatreynoldo
May 06, 2017 at 09:22 am
McGinn's retirement is just another reason not to subscribe to JS.
lou
May 06, 2017 at 05:50 pm
The best quote on Bob McGinn's retirement was a blog comment in the Journal/Sentinel this morning; paraphrasing it he said, "If Newspaper Editors had a draft for reporters, Bob McGinn would be the 1st pick. I will especially miss his pre-game over view of the upcoming opponent team and his detailed review and rating after the games. Bob was one of a kind.