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So a coach tried to bar me from covering football (official new thread title)

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by kingcreole, Nov 9, 2012.

  1. kingcreole

    kingcreole Active Member

    Re: So I've been barred from covering football

    The AD and SID are well aware their coverage could (in theory at least) be in jeopardy. Remember, the SID is a former newspaper guy. The AD has been here for years. He's always reminding me of how much he appreciates the work I do, etc., because he knows the paper I work for would shrug at the idea of cutting coverage of the college.

    The coach can think all he wants. Doesn't make a difference to me. This is a battle he's not going to win. The AD, knowing him like I do, is trying to let the coach figure that out on his own. If he doesn't ... let's put it this way. I've never seen the AD angry before. I've never seen his dark side before. Today when speaking with him, I heard anger in his voice. I was surprised. The AD knows how the media game is played. So does the SID. The coach doesn't.
     
  2. Beef03

    Beef03 Active Member

    Re: So I've been barred from covering football

    That's all you need to know about your situation. The coach has little or no control over the situation. You still have a job to do. Do it. Until they physically force you from the building, this is a non-story. Coaches are controlling assholes who like to micromanage everything in their world, including media coverage. Well tough shit. They don't get to do that. If they refuse to talk to you, that's all they can do. You can still cover the game and still talk to the players, especially if the SID and AD are on your side.
     
  3. steveu

    steveu Well-Known Member

    Re: So I've been barred from covering football

    The one thing I will add is I had this happen to me with a high school cross country coach who claimed I misquoted him in a story. Ever since, he's been a jerk to me. (I don't cover the sport anymore, but if he sees my byline on something cross-related he can't help but comment to me via my e-mail.)

    The way I got around it was to just interview the runners. They were more than willing to talk.

    I didn't want to take the subject off of covering Podunk's football game, but it's a similar situation. You can simmer and sulk and wonder what the hell you did wrong, or you can swallow and go ahead with your job. Chances are that coach will be gone, in one year, five or 10, and the coach that comes in will be more even-tempered.
     
  4. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    Re: So I've been barred from covering football

    Didn't Charley Weiss pull this stunt with a few writers at ND?
     
  5. Tarheel316

    Tarheel316 Well-Known Member

    Re: So I've been barred from covering football

    Agreed. I had a high school football scream at me in front of hundreds of fans that I was the worst yellow journalist in history. I let him do his rant, then said I needed to interview him about the game. He granted the interview.
     
  6. Alma

    Alma Well-Known Member

    Re: So I've been barred from covering football

    Well then there's no need swapping pieces of your mind with the coach.

    Most of this goes for preps, too. And should go for D-1 college football, but too many media outlets are willing to play kiss-face with the coaching staff.
     
  7. Armchair_QB

    Armchair_QB Well-Known Member

    Re: So I've been barred from covering football

    The headline doesn't really fit the story here. You aren't barred from covering anything. Hell, the team your covering is on the road. How the hell is the coach stopping you from doing your job on game day?

    Go to the game, do your job. Show up at practice next week - assuming they're in the playoffs - and if he tries to bar you it sounds like the AD will straighten that out pretty quick.
     
  8. Re: So I've been barred from covering football

    Please forgive me if I come off as a jerk toward you, king, because it's not my intent.
    But too many sports writers are hung up on getting a coach's quote.
    Who give a warm bucket of hamster vomit if the coach won't talk to you? You cover the game. You try to interview him. If he doesn't talk, who gives a rip? You report in your story that he declined to speak to Podunk Press and you move on.

    Maybe I'm wrong, but I feel like I read too often about reporters who are worried the local HS/small-college coach won't talk to them. I do not understand the feeling that a sports writer's job cannot be performed without a coach's cooperation.

    You do not need cooperation from the coach - any coach - to do your job.
     
  9. kingcreole

    kingcreole Active Member

    Re: So I've been barred from covering football

    Not worried at all about getting a coach quote. I'll be at the game and I will send a story one way or the other.

    Armchair - Right you are about the topic head. Luckily, I don't write many headlines.
     
  10. Mark2010

    Mark2010 Active Member

    Re: So I've been barred from covering football

    Now that's a line I'm going to have to remember.
     
  11. Drip

    Drip Active Member

    Re: So I've been barred from covering football

    You cover the game and attend practices as if you didn't receive the text. You do not get into a confrontational situation with the coach. If there are any problems, tell you SE or ME. That's what they get paid for. That's why they make the big bucks. Good luck.
     
  12. Canuck Pappy

    Canuck Pappy Member

    Re: So I've been barred from covering football

    Good point.
    I was frozen out by a junior hockey coach a few years ago. They denied me access to the press box, the locker room and told players not to talk to me after a series of what they thought were negative articles. (The team was in the basement and playing out the last month of the season).
    At first I was scared. But in the long run it was a good thing. I had players text me quotes and send Facebook updates after the game. I took my stories in new directions instead of the same-old gamers that involved boring quotes from a coach. One game, an 8-1 blowout, I quoted season ticket holders. They were more than willing to talk.
    I also had to buy a ticket to the games, but I saw the game a bit differently from the stands than the press box.
    The situation only last a month, but in the long run it made me a better writer and reporter.
    Not talking to the coach or a freeze out is not the end of the world.
     
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