Toughest college programs to cover

Can't imagine Coach Fran's thrown open the doors to the media covering Texas A&M.

Never covered him at Alabama or TCU, but people I know who did say it was brutal with all his secretive shit about injuries, etc.

 

Bingo! Although the school I had been covering doesn't qualify, their access is good.

 

1) Virginia
2) K-State

 

I only covered K-State once, which happened to be the Fiesta Bowl when the QB was accused of sexual assault (but never arrested) in an incident that occurred a night or two before the biggest game in the program's history. Coach is Mr. Personality and the bunker was closed and locked for this one.
Felt kinda bad about writing about a case where no charges were filed, but the Paradise Valley Police Dept. did put out a news release...

 

There's some kind of connection here. If I could only put my finger on it ...

 

Isn't Syracuse's SID a pain to deal with?


You would think Bin Laden is holed up in the Jordan Center or something the way Jeff Nelson and his little army handles media covering Penn State.

 

Hondo, take this example: Virginia vs. Virginia Tech.

Virginia -- Al Groh won't let his assistants speak, practices are closed to the media and public. Player availability, until this season, was awful. You could ask for someone to show up Tuesday, but they wouldn't bring who you'd want. The SID staff there now at least has tried to bridge a gap by bringing players before Groh talks on Tuesdays. There's no showing up to practice and grabbing someone. You get who they give you.

Virginia Tech -- Frank Beamer and his assistants are completely accessible. Practices (except for one a season, I believe) are open to the media. Players are available after practice every day as long as you set it up with the SID staff. An air of friendliness with the media pervades.

Mr. Restricted Access coach has been to bowl games in Nashville and Boise the last couple of years and probably won't go to a bowl this year. Beamer has been the New Orleans and Jacksonville and a BCS bowl this year is a distinct possibility.

Yep, that bunker mentality really helps with focus, Al. :

 

One practice is closed? One? Which one?

Fuck Al Groh and Charlie Weis, two dickheads who would be coaching HS ball on Long Island and in New Jersey if not for Parcells. Funny how Parcells gets blamed for the "one voice" mentality yet always provided writers with plenty to work with and players who didn't sound as if they'd just graduated from Deprogrammed U.

 

Interesting. I wondered if they shut down a practice before the bowl game.

Me, personally, I find nothing more boring than football practice. (We talking 'bout practice!) So I'd probably like covering Dickhead Weis in that regard.