Stephen Jones strikes again

I know, I know - he's a fool, he's always been a fool and I should be used to it by now....

But it just enrages me that this bloke makes a living out of rugby, and that his employers continue to view his provocatively ridiculous 'journalism' as somehow being what the readers want because it apparently 'gets the punters talking.'

.....it gets me talking alright!!! It gets me talking about how I'd like to find out where Stephen Jones lives and deposit dirty things on his doorstep!!

It's high time this clown got the sacking his disgusting mixture of knowledgelessness and WUMming deserves...........my mental old man makes more sense than him after 14 pints!!!

RAAAAAAAAAAAGE......over.

As long as people keep reading him they'll keep paying him. It's obvious that people read him because he's the most talked about rugby journalist in England at least

He is a journalist. What do you expect?

Anyway what did you dislike about his last article? Are you a huge Hape fan who is upset with the treatment of your idol?

Stephen Jones is comical. He's like a performing chimpanzee.

I find his stuff quite amusing because once you know his stance and writing style you can almost guess what he's going cover in his articles and who he's going to criticise. He's also skilled in upsetting multiple individuals and groups at the same time.

For example, the England black shirt issue. In the same article he can manage to criticise the following:

Nike for coming up with it
The RFU for going along with it
NZ for getting offended by it
The WRU (for it being the type of thing they would mess up)

See? Everyone's unhappy. Quality journalism

"He is a journalist. What do you expect?"

What do you mean by this beshocked?

What do you expect of a journalist?

Pure Love sacks evidently. You look for them to be 'comical'........hmmm.

To be honest, I expect journalism. I expect a doctor to know a bit about medicine and to be able to sort out my liver problems, not to whip out a box of leeches and tell me the one about the Englishman the Irishman and the Scotsman....

And if you didn't see anything wrong with that article then I'm not sure where to start. Some may view Saturday's result as evidence of a terminal decline in the English game that is symptomatic of a regime that is corrupt and rotten from top to bottom, with the only solution being revolution.

.....those people are called retards, and Stephen Jones obviously ranks among them.

If I wanted to read doom-mongering bitterness I'd buy the mail or phone my old man!!

SafeAsMilk wrote:I find his stuff quite amusing because once you know his stance and writing style you can almost guess what he's going cover in his articles and who he's going to criticise. He's also skilled in upsetting multiple individuals and groups at the same time.

For example, the England black shirt issue. In the same article he can manage to criticise the following:

Nike for coming up with it
The RFU for going along with it
NZ for getting offended by it
The WRU (for it being the type of thing they would mess up)

See? Everyone's unhappy. Quality journalism

on that note about the blakc shirts i love the fact how the welsh away kit is black and nz make no comments about it but england announce their black kit 2 weeks later and NZ is in out rage...

Stephen Jones is a Bus Waxker

He is literally a bumder

Think this article is evidence that he does a good job.

red_stag wrote:Think this article is evidence that he does a good job.

Exactly. Every time somebody reads a Stephen Jones article and goes The Times slap him on the back and give him £1. He's becoming a very rich man (with a sore back).

I usually find that idiots have the loudest voices so its best to ignore those who make the most noise.

I dont read his articles, if you dont want him around dont read them either ^^

Jayzus view, stop shouting mate, we can hear you!

Stephen Jones rugby union correspondent for The Times and The Sunday Times, and has been for over 20 years and has been twice-named Sports Correspondent of the Year by the Sports Journalists' Association.

If journalists /pundits say what you want to hear then they are extremely knowlagable but are classed as idiots if they say some home truths.

red_stag wrote:Think this article is evidence that he does a good job.

He, like Neil Francis, is a print version of an internet troll. As a journalist he has the choice between writing an honest article, or being contrary for contrary's sake. He might be good at it, but it's hardly something to be proud of.

Cymroglan wrote:Stephen Jones rugby union correspondent for The Times and The Sunday Times, and has been for over 20 years and has been twice-named Sports Correspondent of the Year by the Sports Journalists' Association.

If journalists /pundits say what you want to hear then they are extremely knowlagable but are classed as idiots if they say some home truths.

They're also called idiots if they continuously regurgitate things that are wrong (obvious example is kiwi 'poaching').

More opinion based, he was keen on a Noon/Tindall centre partnership.Says it all. People should realise that his job is to sell papers not inform or educate.

welshy824 wrote:

SafeAsMilk wrote:I find his stuff quite amusing because once you know his stance and writing style you can almost guess what he's going cover in his articles and who he's going to criticise. He's also skilled in upsetting multiple individuals and groups at the same time.

For example, the England black shirt issue. In the same article he can manage to criticise the following:

Nike for coming up with it
The RFU for going along with it
NZ for getting offended by it
The WRU (for it being the type of thing they would mess up)

See? Everyone's unhappy. Quality journalism

on that note about the blakc shirts i love the fact how the welsh away kit is black and nz make no comments about it but england announce their black kit 2 weeks later and NZ is in out rage...

That's because there is a precedent for Wales wearing a black kit. On our 125th anniversary we wore one against Australia to represent the first South Wales team who wore a black kit with a big leak on. Some Kiwis assumed it was us emulating them but it's nothing to do with it. I strongly suspect that this current kit is nothing to do with that and more to do with rinsing the nice little gullible fans of more money...at least it's not made by Adidas

No Adam I don't expect all journalists to be comical but as long as you don't take everything they say too personally you'll be fine. Not sure why Stephen Jones has upset you so much? Are you Toby Flood or Shontayne Hape in disguise?

Journalists report the news and give points of view. Their point of view. You should know what Stephen Jones's point of view is by now.

At least Stephen Jones isn't a robot. If you want a knowledgeable rugby journalist you should look elsewhere.

Stephen Jones sell newspapers.It's part of his job. You made a thread on Stephen Jones - you must have read his article. Why?

Why not just laugh at Stephen Jones like everyone else?

You never know Stephen Jones might be nottins.......

S.Jones = nottins?????

Hmmm I wonder, I expect he used to be on the old 606

I like Stephen Jones.

Lads, I've acknowledged that I ought to be used to his warblings by now. I can also understand the argument that he is a successful journalist precisely because he generates debate - this article being evidence of that fact.

.....but this is where I fundamentally disagree with the system. I, personally, buy the Times because I think it's the best of the broadsheets - not specifically because of the rugby journalism. So I don't 'vote with my feet' - and I'm not sure that many people do or even can, based upon specific preferences or grievances with a single journalist. Therefore I fundamentally reject the notion that Stephen Jones 'sells papers' as I don't think there's any evidence of this. So his retention by his employers must be based on a perception that he's doing a good job, and in the case of the journalistic fraternity, evidence of 'doing a good job' is 'getting the punters talking'..........because apparently what we want when reading the 'news' is to hear sensationalist fervor that - at best - polarises readers and at worst angers them. This is the measure by which a journalist is judged and, apparently, promoted. Whilst those who impartially and knowledgably report actual events get relegated to midweek, peripheral columns because they're just too boring and impartial.....not 'good enough' journalists, apparently. That is what it has come to.

So it's ok to tell me that this article represents the reason why Jones and other sensationalist tripe-merchants are successful, but don't try to tell me that this system of rewarding bile and provocation is a good one! And the fact that he has won industry awards is just more evidence that this problem is endemic in the rotten newspaper industry.

Beshocked, you may have long since given up on the hope of reading broadsheet 'news' and being inclined to do anything other than laugh, but I don't find it funny.....I find it disturbing. And at 25 I'm not an old man, but feel like even I can remember a time when it wasn't this bad.

So does any one have any advice on who is a good rugby journalist or what paper covers the game to an actual informative degree?

And please don't say read Rugby World.

Adam you keep on like this you'll burst a blood vessel, take a chill pill man.


Wussar

From my experience I find that blogs can often yield more objective views than journalists. For me these guys do and should give their opinions. Its what their paid to do.

Trevor Brennan Rugby Tour wrote:From my experience I find that blogs can often yield more objective views than journalists. For me these guys do and should give their opinions. Its what their paid to do.

Thye are paid to increase the reading numbers and generate debate and that's where the truth of the game and any objective analysis gets lost.

Don't try and label me or try and assume you know me. You don't know me.

I look at the bigger picture.

How is it disturbing? You have seriously got to lighten up. There is too much gloom in the world e.g. the riots, the global deficit. Getting angry over what some fool in the paper says is just plain silly.

To be honest Adam I think there are a lot more serious issues than whether Stephen Jones knows anything about rugby or not. Even in the rugby world there are more serious issues.

To be fair he makes good points. Hape and Flood were poor. The RFU is a shambles and England wearing black was a marketing disaster led by the ignoramuses at Nike.

I dislike the RFU and Nike a lot more than the harmless clown that is Stephen Jones. They will and have damaged English rugby's reputation a lot more than Stephen Jones could ever do.

RubyGuby wrote:

Trevor Brennan Rugby Tour wrote:From my experience I find that blogs can often yield more objective views than journalists. For me these guys do and should give their opinions. Its what their paid to do.

Thye are paid to increase the reading numbers and generate debate and that's where the truth of the game and any objective analysis gets lost.

They do analyse objectivly - of that I have no doubt. They just choose to only show some of the facts.

red_stag wrote:Think this article is evidence that he does a good job.

Yeah the guy's a genious all right. I mean who else would ever have thought of leaving O'Driscoll out of of the 2009 Lions tour and picking Tom Shanklin as the test 13 eh?

I would take what these Journalists/Pundits say with a pinch of salt. Just like politicians they're not paid to say what they think but what the majority of their readers want to hear. Every so often they make a valid point but not very often.

RubyGuby wrote:

Trevor Brennan Rugby Tour wrote:From my experience I find that blogs can often yield more objective views than journalists. For me these guys do and should give their opinions. Its what their paid to do.

Thye are paid to increase the reading numbers and generate debate and that's where the truth of the game and any objective analysis gets lost.

And the biggest problem with that is we end up talking about the journalist, not the sport.

"Don't try and label me or try and assume you know me. You don't know me."

What are you on about?! Where did I try to label you or assume I knew you??! You said that you prefer to laugh at Stephen Jones - I disagree......what's your problem? Why are you telling me to lighten up?!

And I am looking at the bigger picture - that's precisely why this riles me up so much. Even sticking to rugby, there is a bigger picture: you talk about the 'more serious issues' in the game, but where does the man in the street glean his information about said serious issues? That's right - the newspaper!! If Jones himself is comparatively harmless, then you don't have to widen the theory too much to see how others may not be so harmless. Journos inform the mob. The mob is power (to quote Gladiator ).

Why don't you look at the bigger picture and view this argument as being wider that just what Stephen Jones said on Sunday: "They are paid to increase the reading numbers and generate debate and that's where the truth of the game and any objective analysis gets lost."....I couldn't agree with this more. And it goes wider than rugby. Jones is a product of this system of reward and measuring good journalism, and it is this system and not Jones himself that I find disturbing.

And for those of you who seem so concerned by my health - I don't think any blood vessels are in danger of popping, I just believe passionately that something is very wrong with the English media, and as this is a rugby forum, the rugby press seemed a decent place to start a debate.

welshy824 wrote:

SafeAsMilk wrote:I find his stuff quite amusing because once you know his stance and writing style you can almost guess what he's going cover in his articles and who he's going to criticise. He's also skilled in upsetting multiple individuals and groups at the same time.

For example, the England black shirt issue. In the same article he can manage to criticise the following:

Nike for coming up with it
The RFU for going along with it
NZ for getting offended by it
The WRU (for it being the type of thing they would mess up)

See? Everyone's unhappy. Quality journalism

on that note about the blakc shirts i love the fact how the welsh away kit is black and nz make no comments about it but england announce their black kit 2 weeks later and NZ is in out rage...

The welsh kit isn't "all black" though. It clearly has ribbons of red through the shoulder area, and Wales have a previous history of wearing black.

England on the other hand, just did it as a WUM and to try to look like the All Blacks.

Have to say though - when you look at the fact that England won when wearing black, and Wales won when wearing black, and NZ almost always win - makes you think. Doesn't it?

Here we go again!

GG what colour/tone is opposite to white!

Nike has hit on something big by the amount of Eng black shirts that were on show in Cardiff on Saturday

TheGreyGhost wrote:
England on the other hand, just did it as a WUM and to try to look like the All Blacks.

Have to say though - when you look at the fact that England won when wearing black, and Wales won when wearing black, and NZ almost always win - makes you think. Doesn't it?

BATH_BTGOG wrote:Here we go again!

GG what colour/tone is opposite to white!

Nike has hit on something big by the amount of Eng black shirts that were on show in Cardiff on Saturday

They've sold 70-80,000 of them.

I am telling you to lighten up as you seem a little upset with with Stephen Jones.

If you are intelligent enough you can see through the rubbish. As you long as you take all media with a pinch of salt you'll be alright. Everyone has an agenda.

I reckon Saracens have more of a right to criticise Wales they properly ripped off our home jersey.

Who are the nutters who bought the black England shirts? Nottins I can understand you buying one but 70,000 of them? It's a bit much surely?

I've not bought one. I'm not quite sure why you think I've bought that many, is it some kind of joke ?

There wasn't many Welsh fans in black shirts on Saturday but then again the styling/detail isn't as nice as the England one.

I'm going to get one at some point when the price drops a bit.

viewtothegym wrote:I usually find that idiots have the loudest voices so its best to ignore those who make the most noise.

True but you spend so much time postuing on here we are bound to read your stuff by accident once in a while

nottins wrote:

BATH_BTGOG wrote:Here we go again!

GG what colour/tone is opposite to white!

Nike has hit on something big by the amount of Eng black shirts that were on show in Cardiff on Saturday

They've sold 70-80,000 of them.

I can understand it, English fans taking the opportunity to identify with the symbolism of success.

It must have been a hard juxtaposition to sit there in all black replica kit watching England in all white fumbling around for 80 minutes and losing to Wales.

TheGreyGhost wrote:It must have been a hard juxtaposition to sit there in all black replica kit watching England in all white fumbling around for 80 minutes and losing to Wales.

Hard juxtaposition? Which tier is that in? Is it like a restricted view seat?

All I'm saying is that for the likelihood of England scoring a try with endless possession, they might want to consider copying Scotland's kit for the away games, rather than New Zealand's.

TheGreyGhost wrote:All I'm saying is that for the likelihood of England scoring a try with endless possession, they might want to consider copying Scotland's kit for the away games, rather than New Zealand's.

They copied the Welsh one.

I think part of the problem is these new sticky panels, they are so busy trying to pull the ball off the shirt they run into defenders they dint notice and then its such a jerk when the ball does come free it goes flying off wildly.

Wasn't Saturday's game the first time England hadn't scored a try in 14 tests? We're hardly at Scotland's level yet!

SafeAsMilk wrote:Wasn't Saturday's game the first time England hadn't scored a try in 14 tests? We're hardly at Scotland's level yet!

Moral victory?

Peter Seabiscuit Wheeler wrote:

SafeAsMilk wrote:Wasn't Saturday's game the first time England hadn't scored a try in 14 tests? We're hardly at Scotland's level yet!

Moral victory?

Yep, with a 'victory' lap!

Do you think that Flood has really suffered such a dramatic fall in form, or do you think someone is telling him to ignore the back line and look for the inside ball at all costs? and presumably if no one is coming up on his shoulder to punt it aimlessly down the middle of the field?

TheGreyGhost wrote:Do you think that Flood has really suffered such a dramatic fall in form, or do you think someone is telling him to ignore the back line and look for the inside ball at all costs? and presumably if no one is coming up on his shoulder to punt it aimlessly down the middle of the field?

You gotta feel sorry for Flood. He receives the ball, looks outside and what does he see? Hape and Tindall. Jeez, I am surprised he didn't quit international Rugby as soon as the team was announced - talk about being hamstrung by team selection.

Wales have struggled with creativity at 12 and 13 for a couple of years and we supporters regularly criticise Gatland for persisting with two crash ball players instead of trying to introduce a distributor, but Hape and Tindall take the biscuit - is there a worse centre pairing in top level Rugby? I honestly think Hape is a waste of space, he brings NOTHING to the team. For once Mr S Jones of the Times was right in his assessment of a player (IMO) - Hape is a failure as a convert to Rugby Union. Is he just being played to justify the money the RFU spent on him?

nottins wrote:

TheGreyGhost wrote:
England on the other hand, just did it as a WUM and to try to look like the All Blacks.

Have to say though - when you look at the fact that England won when wearing black, and Wales won when wearing black, and NZ almost always win - makes you think. Doesn't it?

Errm is quite rich coming from you isn't it nottins?

Stephen Jones has no respect from the players within the game, and most fans can see through his attention seeking article's.
The more he's ignored the more bizarre his article's become. Its best the fool isn't given the oxygen of publicity he seeks, and perhaps in time will disappear from the media altogether.