An anonymous New Orleans Saints player told The Times-Picayune on Tuesday that defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo should be fired. And that was one of the nicer things the player said about Spagnuolo.
Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma is not amused. He's upset with the player and the newspaper for running the story. Vilma called the anonymous source strategy "B.S" on Twitter, then told the newspaper why.
"I'm bothered you reported it," Vilma said. "We're not the Jets, who run to the media for everything."
Vilma was asked if the player's comments about Spagnuolo's poor coaching and rough management style were wrong.
"That's not the question or the point," Vilma said. "If he's man enough to tell you, he should be man enough to put his name on it. And you should do the same."
A lot to digest here. A few thoughts:
- Vilma not speaking to the accuracy of the statements says volumes about Spagnuolo. Here's what the anonymous player said about why no displeasure had surfaced until now.
"Trust me, all the guys were being politically correct this season when answering questions (this season)," the player said. "It's bad."
- You have to respect Vilma's strong stance on the matter. He's not only upset with the player but the journalistic practices. A lot of people within the media agree with Vilma when it comes to anonymous sources.
- It's comical that Vilma says, "We're not the Jets," and everyone knows exactly what he means.
- Perhaps this is cynical, but we can't help but think Vilma's reaction was in part to let everyone know he wasn't the anonymous player.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
