Ego driven SID's

So I called an AD at a college that I do not cover on a regular basis and asked about a coach and his status. Anyways the SID calls me and goes postal (after the AD called me back) because "we have had a good relationship in the past and if you want that to continue you need to contact me anytime you want to talk to someone at this school about sports."

First this is not a Big School but most of all I have never heard of contacting an SID to talk to an AD?

Thoughts? It really pissed me off since it was going to be a favorable article about the school.

 

Call the AD back and discuss Broadway musicals. When the SID calls to bitch, say "We didn't talk sports. We talked Broadway."

Seriously, sounds like the AD may have called the SID and reamed him so you got it back in spades. I wouldn't sweat it.

 

funny. sounds like you're letting his ego get to you. does that mean your ego won't let you write a favorable story now? yeah, he's an egotistical dick but readers don't give two shits.

 

I seriously doubt ego is a factor here. Chain-of-command accountability is. Nine times out of 10, when you call an AD with whom you don't have an existing relationship, AD will be polite to you. Then he or she will turn around and tell SID to intervene and "get this writer I don't know off my back and going through proper channels." At that point, the SID is just doing his or her job.

If the story you are doing is going to be positive or whatever you want to call it, then what's the harm of calling the SID first and being up and up about it? It NEVER hurts to have a decent relationship with an SID, at least one in which they respect you, even when you are reporting negative stuff about their school.

It's when SIDs start telling you what to write and getting heavyhanded with self-serving criticism that you can then tell them to take a hike. Just make sure by then you have established good relations with at least two or three well-placed sources withing the dept., so you will no longer have to rely on SID for getting through to key people.

Just a thought.

 

Adults should be able to call other adults without other adults then acting like children in complaining they were not consulted.

 

Clerk: If you had an SID job in which you were told by your boss to do everything in your power to be a clearinghouse for all departmental interviews, or be fired, I know what you would do if you cared about your job.

It's as simple as that. Give me one good reason why an SID should defy that decree from above.

 

I had this same experience with an SID when I got reamed for having an informal conversation with a coach, who said he was fine with being quoted. Quotes turn up in paper, SID yells at me for not talking to him first. I understand what an SID is supposed to do, but sometimes they take themselves a little to seriously. A simple, "In the future, please be sure to go through me for interview requests" would be just fine on their part.

 

I had never EVER (and I have been at this a while with all the big schools) heard of going through an SID to talk to an AD. That is why I was wondering if any of you had. Thanks.

 

The best SIDs are the ones who have been around for awhile and were actually doing their jobs when they were supposed to be the go-between between the media and the coaches and players... The job is different now. Now, they're supposed to try to spin every piece of bad news and berate the writers who don't play along...

There are some great college SIDs out there... But most of the good ones have been forced out or retired...

 

I once called a football player's family about something else and found out football player was injured with a stress fracture in his foot. SID calls up our paper screaming at me about how I needed to go through them to call his house. I basically said, "Sorry, I'm not making a long distance call so I can make a local one."
It would have been one thing if I would have called the player. I kind of understand that. But his family? Give me a break.

 

Maybe the SID didn't have to be such a dick about it, but the reason they exist is to function as gatekeeper, even to coaches and players who don't want one. And I would think the role of gatekeeper is even more important when it comes to an AD.

SIDs have it just as tough as reporters. A little mutual respect can go a long way.

 

I agree with mutual respect, but the minute a SID gets in the way of what I need to report, I really could care less what his role is. If that means he gets in hot water because I talk to a source he doesn't want me to talk to, so be it.