The 10-day-old story that continues to generate news has created a delicate situation for plenty of people in sports media, and some of those who ostensibly cover sports media. And while true \u201cfriends\u201d of hosts and analysts would arguably refrain from doing anything that would put their friends in a tough spot, more than a few people with platforms have decided not to give the topic any oxygen at all.<\/p>\n
One member of the sports media occupies a unique position. He\u2019s a radio host during the week on the team\u2019s flagship station. He\u2019s also employed by the Patriots as their game-day radio analyst.<\/p>\n
Via Matt Yoder of Awful Announcing, Scott Zolak has had not a thing to say<\/a> about the situation.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to comment on it<\/a>,\u201d Zolak said, in the clip from his show on 98.5 The Sports Hub posted by Boston Sports Media critic account on Twitter. \u201cDuring the football season, multiple times in the offseason, I do things with Mike. And I know Mike. And Mike and I have a good back-and-forth working relationship. I know Mike\u2019s wife, she\u2019s been in some of the meetings. I know Mike\u2019s two sons. I\u2019ve met them, I\u2019ve hung out with them during the football season. I know Dianna Russini. I know the people involved. And I\u2019m in no position to comment on anything that happened between these two. It does me no good. . . .<\/p>\n \u201cI like my jobs. I like working here. I like working with the Patriots. I like doing games. I like doing TV with them. I like being with the team. For me to sit there and cast stones at this guy would not do me great things. So there\u2019s your answer in a nutshell. It\u2019s pretty much like the beat reporters.\u201d<\/p>\n While that\u2019s true on the surface, the deeper reality is that Zolak is the only front-facing Patriots employee with regular access to a microphone. What he says, or doesn\u2019t say, about any given situation involving the franchise can be interpreted as a reflection of the organization\u2019s overall attitude and approach. If so, Zolak\u2019s silence reflects his belief that the team wants it.<\/p>\n Zolak has spoken on other potentially sensitive issues regarding the team. Last May, he talked openly about the possibility the Patriots would cut receiver Stefon Diggs<\/a> before he ever plays a game for them. Zolak once made a comment about quarterback Cam Newton for which Zolak later apologized<\/a>. Zolak also said, after quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was traded to the 49ers, that he was \u201cone of the worst practice quarterbacks we\u2019ve had here<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n The point is this. Zolak has in the past said things that, technically, do him no good. His comments, or lack thereof, could fairly be viewed as his assessment of what will, or won\u2019t, fly with those who employ him.<\/p>\n