The ‘Marty Party’ will continue in DC for the time being, as former GM Martin Mayhew will remain with former San Francisco colleague Adam Peters as a Senior Personnel Executive and Advisor to the GM, and Marty Hurney remains on board as a Player Personnel Advisor.
When Adam Peters joined Grant & Danny Tuesday, he mentioned that the staff members retained from the Ron Rivera era ‘are not holdovers, they're part of the new staff, starting over as part of what we're doing moving forward’ and that ‘they're all here because they deserve to be here because they're really good people and they're really good at what they do.’
Great, but especially when it comes to the Marty Party, how are G&D feeling about that?
“I appreciate his answer; there's no incentive to run anybody under the bus when you've got to deal with these same people,” Danny said. “But if there was truth serum and everything was off the record, I'd go, frankly, I don't care as much about the scouts, I'm sure the same as everyone else's scouts – but the decision makers, the guys that stood up there or sat there and agreed with Ron Rivera and were brought here at the behest of Ron Rivera, even if they're just figureheads, that's the one I can't stomach. I can’t. A lot of fans feel as I do, and a lot of fans are like you that just don't care at all.”
“You've been demoted, you don't have much responsibility anymore, and you should have as many people around you with differing opinions as possible,” GP replied. “You don't have to listen to anything that they say - if you want to keep Martin Mayhew around because you want to do the opposite of what he thinks every time, that's okay, too. I just think that there's zero harm in him making a lot less money, having a lesser title…he didn’t even go from GM to assistant to the GM, he’s like in an advisor role. They're going, hey, man, go watch some tape for me on this linebacker, tell me what you think, and they're putting that in a pile with 10 other sheets of paper from other people in the building and what they think. What's the drawback to that?”
For Danny, the drawback is that not only was Mayhew still here after Adam Peters was hired, they’re STILL HERE.
“At one point it was just him and Adam Peters talking to a coach deciding who's going to be in charge of the franchise. That's the harm,” Danny said. “I don't want him left in the building at that time. That’s my point: the harm is done, he’s still here and still valued. I’d rather he's now like working a post in Antarctica, but they’re buddies, and he'll be in the building.”
Scouts being held over is a given, especially given how late the Peters/Quinn tandem took over, Grant likening it to ‘a clock that starts at midnight, where it’s now 8 pm and the draft is at 11:59.’ That could change come May 1, given Peters’ connections, so there’s no problem there – but Danny can’t get over The Martys, or anyone else ‘who was here solely because of Ron.’
And when Grant said Hurney is pretty much out of the loop but Mayhew is ‘probably gonna be here for long-term,’ Danny just went berserk.
“This is my point: he shouldn't be. He seems like a nice guy, played here, I had nothing against you personally. But I just remember, ‘I agree with coach.’ No, no, no! GONE!” Danny said. “The first day I could shut off his access, I do it. I can’t have the guy that high-fived everybody when they got Emmanuel Forbes when he fell to them, which would have been true in Round 2 or maybe 3. I can't have that guy still having any influence, other than ‘is the tea hot enough?’ I just can't stand it. It makes my blood boil. We’re so close to not being a joke, to being right, to just doing the things that are smart and reasonable. So many guys that have made bad decisions in previous regimes have been let go…just let him go! Let him go somewhere else and make bad decisions somewhere else. He could never get a job GM job again anywhere else in this league. He could be the assistant to the assistant regional manager for the traveling secretary and put the Yankees at that Radisson like George Costanza did one time. Let him go!”
GP doubled down by saying ‘his previous job he should not have had, but he could probably get this job he has in several places,’ and you’d think maybe Grant was setting Danny up?
“Let him do that then! Write him a nice recommendation,” Danny said. “I just bet you there’s another guy who could do this job who doesn't have the track record here of being wrong on everything. I bet you somebody else could write about a linebacker from Kent State, or tell me if the guard from Wisconsin is okay.”