Michael Lombardi Responds to Criticism over Antonio Pierce Comments: “They are Putting Words in my Mouth”

Michael Lombardi has taken a lot of criticism over the last week for his comments on Antonio Pierce.

For those that missed his opinions on Pierce, they can be found here and on YouTube at the bottom of the page.

In two separate podcasts Lombardi blasted Pierce for 1) making the “Mahomes Rules” comments and 2) failing to understand what the ‘Raider Way’ is really about.

“This guy is driving me crazy,” Lombardi said in reference to Pierce on The GM Shuffle podcast. “Can he just shut up? Why won’t somebody in the Raiders tell him to shut up?”

The following show, Lombardi picked up where he left off.

“The ‘Raider Way’ isn’t a word,” Lombardi said. “It’s about ‘this a prototype of the player we want at this position. This is a prototype of a player we want at that position.’ That’s the Raider Way. What’s so comical is what he’s talking about is because he’s from Compton, he thinks he knows the Raider Way. It’s a joke.”

Predictably, Lombardi was met with backlash from Raider fans and responded to his critics on Monday…

“All last week when I was on my vacation… my Twitter and my Instagram was getting filled from Raider fans about all this hate towards Antonio Pierce and towards what I said and then I come to find out today when we were getting ready to tape the podcast that Dov Kleiman… he’s an aggregate on Twitter. He combined two shows and put it into one, so he took my sentences, and he patched them together to create a sensation, which is completely unfair [and] completely unethical.”

VSiN on Twitter: “.@mlombardiNFL responds to the noise 👀 pic.twitter.com/0zz3rMeizs / Twitter”

@mlombardiNFL responds to the noise 👀 pic.twitter.com/0zz3rMeizs

Nobody listened to the podcast and not only did they not listen to the podcast, they listened to the taping together of two podcasts, which has me furious. They are putting words in my mouth, which is completely unfair. That’s not the intent on Twitter. That’s not the intent of news. The intent of news is to have ethics and on a day that we are mourning the loss of Chris Mortensen, somebody who was very ethical, somebody who had great integrity, we’re trying to deal with stuff that are trying to damage people’s careers by putting stuff out there… and what’s even sadder is all the people commenting on it never did any research. They never went and watched or listened to the podcast.”

All things considered; the feeling doesn’t change a lot when listening to Lombardi’s comments in the context of two separate podcasts.

It might not have been fair to past both comments together in a social media post, but the message still comes across the same.

Furthermore, it’s completely fair for Lombardi to not like the way Pierce has been talking in the media.

It’s also fair for Lombardi to think Pierce doesn’t understand what the ‘Raider Way’ is all about (even though the definition of the ‘Raider Way’ is obviously subjective).

In the end, Lombardi made the decision to make a couple of strong takes. That’s what he is paid to do. A lot of people did listen to his comments on the podcast. And, for better or worse, this is the way the news cycle plays out in the modern NFL…

twitter: @raidersbeat

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8 thoughts on “Michael Lombardi Responds to Criticism over Antonio Pierce Comments: “They are Putting Words in my Mouth”

  1. The bottom line is that Lombardi was a shill for McDaniels. I notice he didn’t mention a darn thing about “The Raider Way” when that clown was in charge. Oh, that’s right. Lombardi’s son was a coach! Now he’s gone. Nuff’ said.

  2. This article tries to explain a bad take and that’s bothers me more than Lombardi’s comments. Just say the guy messed up and move on. He came across a bitter man who is believes his way is the only way. Obviously the players and Mr Davis think differently. He had his shot now give AP his and let him do it his way

  3. Did you say the words Mike? And don’t even get me started on you implying that you’re actually a journalist.

  4. That’s the ticket, the lambozos r go from the raiders now give ap the new coach and the new assistants their chance and to the lambozos just shut up sit bk and watch the show your all washed up as far as part of our team 😉

  5. I knew a Michael Lombardi, we played Ocean City Hawks midget football. He went on to a military type school known for grooming professional players. About (30) to (35) years later I think it was, Mike Lombardi was a guest speaker at a local sports club (Archie Harris Club).At that time, this Mike Lombardi was a football scout. Sometime after meeting I approached
    (Lombardi) who was a center back then and asked him what he had been doing? His response to me was, he did not remember me. And did not know me. So, although (AP) was
    proud of where he has come from. M. Lombardi denies where he came from. Which of these two is full of it?

  6. Who the hell are you to tell AP to shut up. Maybe you aught to follow your own advice.
    Signed a Raider Fan.

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