Coaches and "family emergencies"

Twice this fall I've had coaches of losing teams disappear immediately after games and been told by assistants that the boss had to leave because of a family emergency. It wouldn't have been so bad if the second time this happened I hadn't bumped into the head coach right outside the locker room (and yes, I got a quote).

I have never had this happen before in nearly 20 years of covering games. Have I just been remarkably lucky to have never run into this before, or has "family emrgency" always been code for "he ain't talkin to the press?"

 

If there was a family emergency, why did the coach finish the game?

Should have left much sooner, you'd think.

 

Gotta finish the job you started. Duh.

 

Look at the book and then tell me why this country has gone down the tubes.

 

Ya know, in seven years, I never noticed that book. Not once.

 

come on. that has to be photoshop at work.

 

Did the coach's team lose by 20-plus points?

 

Yep, Wired did a blurb about the kid's book switch. But the famous binocular photo is legit.

 

A couple years ago, a very prominent college basketball coach got called out by another very prominent college basketball coach at media days for the conference. Called him a cheater and compared him to a well-known criminal.

As soon as this happened, the whole story became "How would the coach respond?"

The coach didn't show up, because of a "family emergency". Everybody there called bullshit. The school's PR didn't help matters because they were very snide about it and had a long history of intentionally misleading writers.

As it turned out, the coach's pregnant wife had gone into early delivery and they lost the baby.

At the time, one of the papers already had something on their website all but calling the coach a liar for not showing up.

Is it usually bullshit? Yes. But be really, really careful for the one time it's not.

 

George W. Bush being able to read upside down has nothing to do with this country going to shit. There's plenty of things to knock, but his amazing reading ability is not one of them.

 

Looking at another student's book, paper or work is probably how he made it through college.

 

Here's what you do:

Note in your story, "Central coack Knute Rockne was unavailable for comment after the game. Assistant coach Pop Warner said Rockne had to leave because of a family emergency."