Urban Meyer hates reporters.

So now Bianchi wants other writers to apologize to Fowler?

 

Where did he say that?

 

I do not care if somebody is a football coach or a papal priest, nobody needs to be treated like that in a work setting and no job security is worth having some smug douchebag literally waggle his finger at you and harangue you in front of colleagues and other young men like he's your father.

 

A very similar thing happened to me when I was the AP guy in Minneapolis in the early '90s. Tom Kelly - one of the true dicks in the history of dickish managers and/or coaches - didn't like something I wrote and, while I was trying to interview a ballplayer before a game, went ranting and raving through the Metrodome clubhouse.

Among other things, he kept calling me "Mike Fucking Nadel from The Associated Fucking Press." I said something like, "Tom, can we talk about whatever is bugging you in your office?" To which he responded: "I've got nothing to say to you, Mike Fucking Nadel from The Associated Fucking Press."

He went into his office and I tried to resume the interview with the player. Kelly then came back into the clubhouse and started at me all over again. I again appealed to him to be mature and to discuss this in private, but he ranted some more before going back into his office.

By this time, the player, who wasn't one of Kelly's favorites, said he'd better not talk to me lest he incur Kelly's wrath. This REALLY pissed me off, because now Kelly was preventing me from doing my job. So I went right up to GM Andy MacPhail's office, told him what happened and told him I wouldn't stand for it.

MacPhail agreed, talked to Kelly about it and eventually told Kelly he had to work with an expert on dealing with the media. I never got an apology. I didn't care because I knew it wouldn't be sincere.

Differences: 1. Kelly was a World Series-winning manager but he wasn't as popular with the public as a big-time college football coach. 2. There was no Internet to turn this into an issue with the types who read such sites. 3. MacPhail was a reasonable authority figure who didn't hate the media, apparently unlike the Florida higher-ups. 4. Sports franchises actually believed they needed the media back then and knew they couldn't control the news.

Ah, such memories. To this day, some of my AP buddies call me Mike F. Nadel.

 

Should be taught in journalism class, if that still exists.
Better, if you work in PR or sports management, this should be something you make your interns read. Get Mike F. Nadel (or equivalent) to speak to your focus groups.
(And get Tom Kelly, to explain what was so bothersome. Though I'm taking a wild guess and assuming he can't remember. But the journalist does, all these years later, and I think that is very telling.)

 

Another red flag of Urban's dickishness: Calls the reporter out in public, in front of colleagues and at least one video cam... then apologizes in private. Asshole. You do one in public, you do the other in public.

 

His blog, I believe. Someone e-mailed me the link, but I have since deleted it. Shouldn't be too hard to find.

 

Here's the link:
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_bianchi/2010/03/urban-meyer-apologizes-to-jeremy-fowler-but-wheres-apology-from-reporters-who-exonerated-meyer.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sports_bianchi+%28Open+Mike%29

 

I saw the blog last night. I don't think anyone owes Fowler an apology other than the big guy in the video who looks like he's laughing at the confrontation. That's unprofessional whether he's a reporter or if he works for UF.

 

This.

And isn't that just goddamned sad?

It's an outrage to me that there are more than a few people who will defend every single thing someone like Urban Meyer does, just because of his position. He will never be capable of wrongdoing in the eyes of these people. He could go on a statewide killing spree and I'm sure there are people in Florida and elsewhere who would overlook it. Fuck those fuckers.

 

I was once aired-out in public in front of reporters, players and coaches by a Big 8 football coach, who was upset that my outlet reported he was soon to be fired. Thing is, I never wrote that -- it was an editor fuckup. The coach KNEW this because he'd already called my bosses to complain, but that didn't stop him from blaming me personally.

I was 19. The only thing I did in response was pretty much wet my pants. Does make for a good story over beer, especially since that coach fucked-up his way to several crappier jobs afterwards.