In an age of sports media that features plenty of reporters and analysts who are on the payroll, directly or indirectly, of the teams and/or leagues they cover, some teams and leagues feel emboldened to take action against those who dare to cover them with scrutiny or criticism.
Long-time Bills radio voice John Murphy lost his press-box credential after writing a column regarding new coach Joe Brady for WIVB-TV, which is the official TV station of the team.
Via Alan Pergament of the Buffalo News, Murphy received a text from WIVB sports director Josh Reed two days after the column was posted that Murphy wouldnâÂÂt have a seat in the press box at the teamâÂÂs new stadium.
Said Murphy regarding whether he believed the denial was a result of his column, âÂÂI think so, but I donâÂÂt know.âÂÂ
The denial was attributed to a policy against part-time workers getting credentials.
The Bills declined a request for comment from Pergament.
Murphy claims that Bills V.P. of marketing Chris Jenkins told Murphy heâÂÂd receive a credential for the season, and that Murphy was shown the seat heâÂÂd be using.
Murphy also said that his subsequent column predicting a 10-win season for the Bills wasnâÂÂt posted by WIVB, after the station said it couldnâÂÂt be published due to pressure from the Bills.
Murphy spent 34 years as an analyst and a radio voice for the Bills. He retired in 2023 after suffering a stroke.
âÂÂI feel pretty bad,â Murphy told Pergament. âÂÂ[WIVB] didnâÂÂt fight for me. [The column] wasnâÂÂt that bad.âÂÂ
ItâÂÂs not currently clear, and never may be known with certainty, whether the Bills retaliated against Murphy. Typically, such motivation isnâÂÂt worn on the sleeve of the entity doing the retaliation.
If thatâÂÂs whatâÂÂs happening, it would be sad. And it possibly would be a manifestation of the extreme pressure the organization is feeling to justify the decision to fire coach Sean McDermott while promoting Brady and G.M. Brandon Beane.