"Please respect our privacy"

Because his leaving the team impacts it. So like if a mayor suddenly took a leave of absence, news-side wouldn't care?

If Lute was retired, we wouldn't care about his private life. As it impacts his team, we do.

 

In 1993, Arizona (2-seed) lost to Santa Clara (15-seed) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. I covered both of those leagues. Santa Clara's best player might have been the eighth man on Arizona's team. The Wildcats were justifiably criticized.
In 1994, Arizona won the West Regional at the L.A. Sports Arena to reach the Final Four. Lute got the podium and said something like: I'm so happy for these players because of what you guys (media) put them through last year. You just don't understand, you guys put these players through the wringer. You just don't get it .....
20 minutes later he was still going, I'd heard enough so I bailed on the interview room and went to the locker room. Got some decent stuff from several of the players and was heading for the door, when I see a bunch of reporters around Lute, who now was in the locker room.
He's still whining and crying about how these players were mistreated last year. We went on for another 20 minutes.
I asked the desk for another sidebar and I wrote: What made Lute happier, reaching the Final Four or being able to rail the media for criticizing his team a year ago? It was hard to tell.
Lute has been a whiner and crier his whole career ... and I go back to his days at Long Beach City College with him.

 

Then write about its impact on the team, not his private life. No one has a right to that. Unless he's running a whore house or meth lab.

 

Depends how she acted in the press box...if basketball had a press box.

 

Most whore houses and meth labs (Not incluidng The University of Miami) are not state-funded instutions.

 

I think you understand what I meant.

 

Actually, the UA and ASU athletic departments each receive about 315 full tuition waivers from the state of Arizona for athletic scholarships. So the taxpayers, by extention, are footing some of the bill.

 

His salary isn't funded by taxpayer dollars, but the fact that taxpayer dollars keep the university running makes his job possible.

His family's privacy? Hmmm ... I know you can argue convincingly that the First Lady is a public figure. Not so sure I'd go that far with the wife of a college basketball coach if she hasn't taken steps to be in public. Has Olsen's wife? I haven't followed Arizona bkb enough to know.

I know listening to some of the crucifixion the media gave Andy Reid last week made me uneasy. The public has an insatiable desire to know everything about these people, but I'm not convinced they have an all-encompassing right to that knowledge.

 

And even then, we probably would.

When you are as big a figure as Lute Olsen in Arizona, readers want to know everything about you. If you can get his underwear size, more power to ya. ...