Coach's strategy for not talking to the press

At least we don't cover you only when you lose.

 

Only because my coach doesn't call and you have two writers, six pages and a 14-year old taking games on the phone.

 

The biggest problem I have with all this is that depending on who's running the desk, the mission as of late is to try to chase down as many games as we can if they haven't been called in.

Not only are there more pressing issues at hand, to me, that leads to the attitude of, "Well, we don't have to call in - the paper will get it anyway."

I'm afraid of what will happen when most of the schools slip up once, realize we still have the box score and then choose not to call anymore.

 

I hear that. One local football coach is the type who calls in only when his team wins. Doesn't affect me because I'm at the games, but it screws a friend at the local daily. But when I offered to send him my box scores, he politely declined for that exact reason: if the coach gets the idea that I'll be there to cover his ass, they'll never hear from him again. (Until he calls to complain about them not staffing his games, anyway.)

Couldn't argue with that, and those games ran in the daily with a final score and a "No further information was made available."

 

Actually, no. In my state it's against the rules for anyone to film a high school game without the express permission of the host school. However, in most cases, coaches routinely and willingly exchange game tapes for scouting purposes. I guess they figure what they do in a game isn't any big secret.

 

You only make state when I've had two guys laid off!

 

Stitch....get this and on this very day, no less. I get an email from a scorekeeper of a high school girls' team who has yet to call, email, pigeon-drop, etc. any results in this year (and after countless requests for them to do so). last night, this team upset a top 10 state ranked team in a huge district showdown. i get the full report this time on that game, plus an added note that said "because our coach doesn't want the other teams to know what our strategy is, he has chosen not to contact any newspapers this season."
what in the fucking hell?
they have a playoff game monday night. guess we better not report on their upset last night or it will "help" their opponent.
can y'all believe this shit?

 

Return e-mail:

Because your coach doesn't want the other teams to know what your strategy is, we have chosen not to print the results of last night's game.

Just trying to help,
Podunk Press

 

When I did football previews at my last place of employment, I gave up on doing an injury report because I got tired of the coach telling me everyone was healthy, then seeing three or four kids on the sidelines on crutches.
I've also had coaches and parents rip into me because I reported that a kid was out of the lineup with a certain injury.

 

Smallpotatoes..oh gosh yes, I've dealt with prep coaches who worried about the injury situation, using that lame excuse that the other team will read about it in our paper and give them an advantage. please. if us media guys are that powerful, we need to run for public office. plus, it tells me you're not doing a fucking good job of preparing your team if you're worried about a story that probably will never be seen by the other team.
unbelievable.

 

So do these coaches who don't give information admit to using newspapers to scout their opponents?

 

Actually, most coaches are skittish about injuries because it is a violation of federal law for them to release health information on a student (Or, more importantly, most coaches seem to believe this is a violation of federal law).

So I don't mind a HS coach being skittish in this area. If you get the info, from him or anyone else, there's nothing wrong with you publishing it.