The Cult of The Coach

Saying you can never quote a coach is almost as dumb as only quoting coaches. Every team and situation is different. Sometimes, you get good stuff from the players, sometimes the coach, occasionally both. You cover a beat for any length of time, you'll figure out what usually works best and adjust accordingly to the given time and circumstance.

 

Starman, I'm curious how much of the problem might be with stringers and the fact that they might not know the kids as well, so it's easier to get a quote from the coach, who is an experienced constant.

Obviously, if someone works a beat, they should know what each kid is like -- the ones worth quoting, at least -- and know what he can get from whom, even on deadline.

I just wonder if sometimes the coach-default method of quoting happens for a lot of stringers when they don't know the teams well. Might not be the case with your specific situation, but seems to be sort of a "safety shot" as someone earlier mentioned, so it creates a comfort zone people are afraid to break out of if it works for them. Next thing you know, they seem to forget there are players to quote at all.

 

I do try to talk to players as much as possible. But deadlines being what they are, my postgame time is often severly limited. Features, different story.

The other issue is that adults (coaches) are more likely to talk in complete sentences. Every once in a while, I'll meet a teenager who is really articulate and well-spoken. Exception rather than the rule.

 

I've always found the best quotes I've ever gotten, football-wise, were from the offensive linemen. They're always happy to talk, they are often some of the smartest guys on the team and they are often verbose. More so than some dryball coach lapsing into coach speak.

 

It's always smart to note the guy who threw a big block on a touchdown scoring play. It's an easy way to get another kid's name in the paper.

 

And they know all of the gossip on a team. When I was in college, my best sources for all of the big stories were from offensive linemen.

Coaches tend to be pretty guarded with what they tell us. Rarely are they a good quote. You can count in seconds how long it takes before they lapse into cliché land.