Shanahan was injured in the July 14 crash, but the team did not publicly acknowledge it until 11 days later, followed immediately by reports from ESPN and others, causing Florio and others to call into question a coordinated effort between the team and members of the media (even Florio's on-air partner, Chris Simms).
Florio contends the delay created unnecessary speculation and deprived fans, media, and potentially even the NFL of information regarding the health of one of the league's most prominent head coaches. He argues that while teams are under no formal obligation to release personal medical information during the offseason, transparency was warranted given Shanahan's central role in football operations and his inability to fully participate in training camp.
In his most recent article on the story, he made a new and unique argument that calls into question the potential for "insider information" playing into the sports betting sphere and the potential outcome of bets made under the assumption Shanahan was at full strength. No unusual betting activity has been highlighted in connection with the incident, but the potential for it is a possibility that lingers around the story and a unique take that this writer hadn't considered before.
Whether or not Florio has any knowledge of impropriety before, during or after the accident remains to be seen. Florio has received some pushback on the narrative, particularly from Bay Area journalist Tim Kawakami, whom Florio called out by name for not reporting the story sooner, and it could be that this latest entry in Florio's coverage of the story is just retroactively justifying his take.
Regardless, expect continued scrutiny on Shanahan and the 49ers, especially from Florio, at least until games start counting again in September.
Written By:
Corporate day-job worker with a passion for unpaid journalism and getting my emotions tortured by a professional football team.
All articles by Jesse Dumas
Jesse Dumas
Corporate day-job worker with a passion for unpaid journalism and getting my emotions tortured by a professional football team.
All articles by Jesse Dumas
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