Rexrode's Farewell - mostly Izzo

Rexrode: A farewell to Tom Izzo on last day on Michigan State beat

EAST LANSING – As my 2-year-old son and I pulled into the parking lot of an Okemos grocery store for some midday shopping, a text from Tom Izzo popped into my phone.

It conveyed a simple message.

“(Expletive) you.”

So I immediately called him on his cell phone, my young lad listening patiently in his car seat. Izzo answered and my first words were: “What’s your problem?”

I like the part where Izzo told him, "Mr. Rexrode, please tear down that blue wall."

"And if I’m a reader and I detect a beat writer for a team I follow serving the interests of that team over me, I quickly stop reading that beat writer."

See, Joe just admitted the blue wall exists without saying it.

Calling a player's dad for a reaction seems a bit much.

Love Izzo, love Rexrode, love the piece, gutted that Rexrode is leaving. We're going to get stuck with someone who sucks. Nobody else at the Freep is anywhere near as good.

Perfect ending and a fascinating peek behind the curtain.

I've always felt like that has to be a very tough job, never really considered the conflict between a writer and a coach at that level.

SpartanInNH wrote:Love Izzo, love Rexrode, love the piece, gutted that Rexrode is leaving. We're going to get stuck with someone who sucks. Nobody else at the Freep is anywhere near as good.

I'm sure it's going to be Couch.

DWags wrote:"And if I’m a reader and I detect a beat writer for a team I follow serving the interests of that team over me, I quickly stop reading that beat writer."

See, Joe just admitted the blue wall exists without saying it.

To me, this is Joe showing his insecurities. He has people (trolls mostly, probably um fans) beating him up on this all the time and instead of realizing they're just that and staying above the fray, he feels the need to justify himself publicly. He had to work that in there even though it's barely relevant to the rest of the piece.

He's good and will be missed but I've noticed this increasingly over the past couple of years.

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:

DWags wrote:"And if I’m a reader and I detect a beat writer for a team I follow serving the interests of that team over me, I quickly stop reading that beat writer."

See, Joe just admitted the blue wall exists without saying it.

To me, this is Joe showing his insecurities. He has people (trolls mostly, probably um fans) beating him up on this all the time and instead of realizing they're just that and staying above the fray, he feels the need to justify himself publicly. He had to work that in there even though it's barely relevant to the rest of the piece.

He's good and will be missed but I've noticed this increasingly over the past couple of years.

If anything it wasn't directed at Snyder. I've seen him go on record many times claiming that Snyder is good at his job and that they are good friends.

I agree with you, I've seen Joe react a little too much with 247 posts, hostile tweets and so on. I'm sure being above the fray is easier said than done.

Also, I've seen him take shit from everyone including MSU fans. People upset that he won't publicly state that there is a blue wall, that Drew Sharp is a plagiarist, for writing an article stating that Jackson might not come to MSU and so on. I don't think any journalist is going to go out and rip their employer or colleagues just to make the fanbase happy.

I watched a John Lowe chat his last year at the freep where a fan was ripping him hard for not calling for the managers head for playing Avilla and for not ripping Verlander and all sorts of loony shit. The fan was demanding that he start doing his job and holding them to the fire. Even if you stay above the fray, I'm sure the increased interaction between journalist and the audience makes the job miserable.

Rexrode has been an asshole for the last few years. Good riddance.

steveschneider wrote:

SpartanInNH wrote:Love Izzo, love Rexrode, love the piece, gutted that Rexrode is leaving. We're going to get stuck with someone who sucks. Nobody else at the Freep is anywhere near as good.

I'm sure it's going to be Couch.

Couch is an arrogant dick. Rexrode will be replaced, but not by anybody as good.

Kinda like Izzo one day.

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:

DWags wrote:"And if I’m a reader and I detect a beat writer for a team I follow serving the interests of that team over me, I quickly stop reading that beat writer."

See, Joe just admitted the blue wall exists without saying it.

To me, this is Joe showing his insecurities. He has people (trolls mostly, probably um fans) beating him up on this all the time and instead of realizing they're just that and staying above the fray, he feels the need to justify himself publicly. He had to work that in there even though it's barely relevant to the rest of the piece.

He's good and will be missed but I've noticed this increasingly over the past couple of years.

Agreed.

I think he was a great writer for MSU. Probably the best there ever was or will be. I don't use twitter so that doesn't bother me. The mailbag thing was way more than enough fan interaction that I needed. But I could sense all the nutjobs getting to him and start to affect his writing. He actually seems to think he enjoys it but I just don't see what good comes from it.
It seems most of the negativity directed at him from MSU fans comes from optimists that can't handle any amount of petceived criticism or lack of blue wall paranoia. But really he never went for much of the controversial or negative tone. I wonder if he will on his next gig. Maybe turn into a Drew Sharp

Herbie Green wrote:

WhiteBoyHatcher wrote:

To me, this is Joe showing his insecurities. He has people (trolls mostly, probably um fans) beating him up on this all the time and instead of realizing they're just that and staying above the fray, he feels the need to justify himself publicly. He had to work that in there even though it's barely relevant to the rest of the piece.

He's good and will be missed but I've noticed this increasingly over the past couple of years.

Agreed.

I think he was a great writer for MSU.  Probably the best there ever was or will be.  I don't use twitter so that doesn't bother me.  The mailbag thing was way more than enough fan interaction that I needed.  But I could sense all the nutjobs getting to him and start to affect his writing.  He actually seems to think he enjoys it but I just don't see what good comes from it.
It seems most of the negativity directed at him from MSU fans comes from optimists that can't handle any amount of petceived criticism or lack of blue wall paranoia.  But really he never went for much of the controversial or negative tone.  I wonder if he will on his next gig.  Maybe turn into a Drew Sharp

I agree with you and WBH. Also, didn't he have a feud with a few writers in Grand Rapids that were trashing him over twitter? Was probably a shot at those guys as well.

Just out of curiosity how much does a job like that pay? Anyone have a guess? I'm betting the pay is shit for a lot of the bullshit baggage that comes with the job. Probably gets around 75k tops is my guess. I bet for his next gig he wants to just be less of personality/celeb and more of a writer that just turns out info. I read tons of sports stories where I don't even pay attention to who the author is. I bet that's Joe's goal.

Really? I think he will go the other way. MSU is tight nit and he was smart to latch on to successful programs. Maybe it wasn't his job to be a "columnist". I think his next job will be more "Decision to go for it on 4th down demonstrates coach is in over his head and should be fired immediately". Isn't that where the big bucks are?
Actually I think he is too professional for that but I expect him to be more opinionated and/or do more investigative stuff.
OTOH, he graduated from MSU so had to put up this front of "I am not a fan" which was kind of annoying. But you know damn well he sat on some stories that could have buried MSU.

I think you guys are way over thinking this though. Rexrode was very average. Wasn't innovative and I can't remember a story he broke that I hadn't heard or read. I'm not sitting here asking for a writer to break stories or be only pro MSU but as far as him leaving it's really not that big of a deal. He wasn't ever a "must read" for me.

Good luck to him but my god, the next guy will do fine.

DWags wrote:I think you guys are way over thinking this though. Rexrode was very average. Wasn't innovative and I can't remember a story he broke that I hadn't heard or read. I'm not sitting here asking for a writer to break stories or be only pro MSU but as far as him leaving it's really not that big of a deal. He wasn't ever a "must read" for me.

Good luck to him but my god, the next guy will do fine.

Really? To me he was MSU reporting. I click on freep and figure if it is from Joe it is legit. Plus he put all that extra effort into blogs and whatnot. I don't really care what anyone else has to say as they offer me no insight. Doubt I will waste my time from now on as I can get the "news" from message boards, etc.
I suppose that is about how you already feel which is your right and maybe you are right. But for me I lose my only MSU sports reporter

Jesus, Joe went longform again. This time he even let his wife write a few paragraphs.

He's been doing this a long time and this is a huge life changing event. Despite everything else I hope he does well. He's a hard worker and a pretty good writer.

I would have a beer with him.

Can't find link, but someone will post it soon I'm sure.

DWags wrote:I think you guys are way over thinking this though. Rexrode was very average. Wasn't innovative and I can't remember a story he broke that I hadn't heard or read. I'm not sitting here asking for a writer to break stories or be only pro MSU but as far as him leaving it's really not that big of a deal. He wasn't ever a "must read" for me.

Good luck to him but my god, the next guy will do fine.

I mean lets face it he wasn't a Tolstoy or Dostoevsky when it came to writing but that wasn't necessary. He seemed like an affable guy and he was one of us. I'm not going to really lose any sleep over him leaving, but I don't have anything negative to say. Thank you, Joe and good luck - when walking through the woods don't get butt fucked by some inbred hicks down in Tennessee.

I liked Joe better at LSJ than tFreep. That said, I'm not sure who is going to replace him, and be that close to the programs. I just read the long blog post. It'll be interesting to see what he does in Nashville, or wherever they're going.

the thing I'll miss most about Rexrode - other than allowing us to see into the wonderful and tear-jerking world of MSU athletics through his indelible window of admiration - is the attention to detail he paid to his appearance.

Robert J Sakimano wrote:the thing I'll miss most about Rexrode - other than allowing us to see into the wonderful and tear-jerking world of MSU athletics through his indelible window of admiration - is the attention to detail he paid to his appearance.

There's many times in my bachelor days where I have grabbed a dress shirt straight off the floor or piled up on a chair and then headed straight into the office. #slob

GSM hates rexrode. Shocking. Perhaps SeeRock can cover this story

I'll never forget when Rexrode called Kalin's dad to break a story. Pulitzer material.

Rexrode was smug and average

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:Rexrode was smug and average

and a member in good standing of the Blue Wall.. #NeverForget

Robert J Sakimano wrote:the thing I'll miss most about Rexrode - other than allowing us to see into the wonderful and tear-jerking world of MSU athletics through his indelible window of admiration - is the attention to detail he paid to his appearance.

Second only to yours.  

I still can't believe Rexrode didn't get a Pulitzer for calling Kalin's dad or for asking Izzo where Nix got the car.

Robert J Sakimano wrote:

Other Teams Pursuing That wrote:Rexrode was smug and average

and a member in good standing of the Blue Wall.. #NeverForget

NEVER!!!