Sports Information control freaks

Just read this in a blog post tonight about Urban Meyer discussing his defensive player's suspension for DUI. Thoughts?

Only one Florida player was available for interviews after practice. Linebacker Ryan Stamper took a couple of questions from reporters, who were warned by the Florida media relations staff not to ask them directly about Dunlap.

When Miami Herald reporter Joseph Goodman asked Stamper if Dunlap's suspension was a "distraction," the media relations staff ended the interview and declined to allow any other players to be interviewed.

Just a few minutes earlier, Meyer had discussed just how distracting the suspension would be for his team.

I guess the fine folks from UF media relations prefer a Rick Stain type covering their Gators. Not a meanie. [crossthread]

 

You know what's distracting? Not having your best fucking defensive player on the field. That could distract a lot of teams. The rest is a soap opera.

 

Yes and no.

I think that sometimes we all give SID's too much of a pass because some of them are indeed control freaks who are self-important for all the wrong reasons.

 

Uh, the guy you're arguing with was a SID.

Chutzpah at its finest.

 

So what. What the fuck does that mean?

He was also a sports editor and a sports writer.

And I'll write it one more time -- some SIDs are insufferably self-important and it has nothing to do with who they are working for.

 

But they get to wear clothes with a team logo on it all the time. They might even show up to work in sweatpants or workout pants.

 

Most SIDs I've known live in mortal fear of high profile coaches, who can get most of them fired with a single phone call. If the coach didn't directly tell them what to do, they know from experience what he wants.

I've known very few who set policy. Most of them just enforce it.

 

In the case of UF, the tone is set from much higher up than the SIDs. I'm sure they were given very specific orders to do what they did.

 

I don't care if its Florida, covering the Gators would suck.

 

Yes, the pros can be touchy enough on subjects such as this...drop it down to a college level and it gets even more difficult. Better off to use some contacts to get an outside the press tent quote from someone. On the other hand, some schools handle it well...take responsibility and move on. Imagine that.

 

I don't Steve understand what you are trying Snapp to say here