Wanna cover a Tennessee scrimmage? That'll be 50 bucks, please ...

They should only open the scrimmage to the media, not the lectures. Then everyone is happy and ethical, theoretically.

 

Yeah, the guy is complaining because no one wants to go to the coaches clinic and no one wants another outlet to get an unfair advantage by ponying up 50 bucks and sleeping through some lectures.

 

I think it would be worth $50 bucks to hear Monty Kiffin talk about stopping the Spread. Oh wait....

 

Fixed.

[/still angry Vol fanboi]

 

I'm guessing the conversation went something like this:

Bud Ford: The scrimmage is closed to the media and the public.

Reporters: What about all those coaches that get to watch?

Bud Ford: They're paying $50 each for the privilege.

Reporters: So we can go if we pay $50?

Bud Ford (after checking with Derek Dooley): Yes.

Dooley is a Nick Saban disciple, and Saban has never let the media in his scrimmages. This is actually something of a concession on Dooley's part.

Not saying this is the finest hour for journalism ethics, but that's the world we live in now. Big-time college football programs are hiring paranoid, Saban-esque control freaks with ever-more frequency and access is not likely to change for the better.

 

A respectable school would let the media sit in on the part of the clinic with the famous speaker. No media member will stay there all day and write down the Xs and Os unless the media member is a coach on the side. Or make the speaker available after or before he speaks. That should have solved the problem.
No media member would sit still for hour after hour at one of those Xs and Os clinics. It's simply too boring unless the speaker did a Q and A with the coaches. The UT sports informiation people could let the media in for the Q and A or something.

 

Actually, the issue is not covering the guest speaker, but covering the scrimmage that happens on the same day as the coaching clinic. Scrimmages are the first chance many players get to participate in game-like conditions, and thus, they're newsworthy.

 

Dooley may turn out to be a great coach. But his Satan-like stance is going to piss off a whole lotta the wrong folks.

 

Dooley was decent at his last stop; his prima donna act is already growing thin. But winning and staying will cure all.

 

Maybe if he lets his Momma do all the talking, all will be forgiven... even tho she hates Tennessee.

 

Dooley's getting hardballs thrown at him from the UT faithful, for sure. He's got two strikes against him already: 1. Mike Hamilton's mishandling of the Kiffin contract combined with his inability to sell the new, high-priced seats means he's on an even shorter leash and 2. the University has a new president, who is likely to clean house. If Hammy's gone, Dooley's not likely to last either.

 

UT is in the wrong here, then.
Your paper will have to pay the money because your competition might pay it and they get the scrimmage information. Shame on UT.