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Which athletes/coaches do you think get a free pass from the press?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Mizzougrad96, Jan 22, 2009.

  1. Sam Mills 51

    Sam Mills 51 Well-Known Member

    No mention of Charlie Weis? Given the perception of Notre Dame football, label me a bit surprised.

    Simply put, if someone feels like Weis is fairly criticized and, therefore, doesn't qualify, then neither does Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K has been roasted plenty. The N&O didn't hesitate to aim at him recently.
     
  2. Sneed

    Sneed Guest

    I'm definitely one of the now-and-then media types but I sat with Holtz at ECU's preseason kick-off press day lunch and he seemed like one of the nicer, more genuine guys I've ever met. Talked with him for 20 minutes on the record -- I was doing a feature on one of his players who was local from my coverage area -- then another 10 off the record. Easy to talk to, easy to like.
     
  3. playthrough

    playthrough Moderator Staff Member

    I'd define "free pass" as not writing about anything bad that happens off the field. I don't think anyone in any sport gets a free pass anymore for poor on-field performance, there's too much dissecting of everything in the 24-hour-talking-head sports media world.
     
  4. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    Ray Lewis heads the list for players...
    Boeheim always struck me as that... Jeff Lebo too, considering how shitty Auburn has been. But as someone said, all D1 coaches do thanks to foofs like Vitale...

    And until he left, Perry Watson at Detroit-Mercy was that way. No one did less with more at the high school level, brought in Ed Martin to Michigan and Fisher got the blame, his best teams at UDM were slightly above average at best, horrible for the most part.
     
  5. Drip

    Drip Active Member

    The line begins with Brett Farve.
     
  6. Herbert Anchovy

    Herbert Anchovy Active Member

    Bowden is way up there.

    I never saw anyone get a room to roll and sway with him like Bowden.
     
  7. zebracoy

    zebracoy Guest

    I didn't know that a discussion about individuals getting a "free pass" means those who were unwilling to slame that person then or don't know enough about someone now allow themselves the chance to do so anonymously.

    I, however, would submit that nearly every major Division I college hoops coach probably gets too much of a free pass, especially by the local media. Why is next year's starting point guard transferring to pursue more playing time? What about the kid who took a semester off for "personal reasons," yet is allowed to walk back on to the team after the stud power forward breaks an ankle? Let's not get started on who pays for cross-country flights to unadvertised elite summer camps for the top three prospects in the nation.
     
  8. Rhody31

    Rhody31 Well-Known Member

    People do it all the time when assess HOF players. Why not for a coach?
    Dungy won a lot of regular season games. He has not fared as well in the postseason except for one postseason, which can be judged as a fluke.
    Dungy is a defensive genius; I don't think he is an outstanding head coach and his postseason record backs it up.
     
  9. Alma

    Alma Well-Known Member

    Good questiom Mizzou. Had to think about it, a little.

    Pete Carroll does. Can't prepare his team for easy conference games and is never called on his grandstanding bullshit - including on Sanchez's declare day - by anyone outside of LA.

    Roger Federer eludes all criticism. Probably doesn't deserve much, but a player of his natural talent should rarely, if ever, lose.

    Dale Earnhardt, Jr. seems like an easy target, but nobody ever takes a real shot at him. Nothing's ever his fault.

    Danica Patrick is another.

    Tom Brady

    Peyton Manning, a hothead who struggles more in big games than Donovan McNabb does.

    Jay Cutler and Carson Palmer.
     
  10. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    Any coach with a title within 10 years for college or five years for pro...
     
  11. slappy4428

    slappy4428 Active Member

    And great call with Danica Patrick...
     
  12. Starman

    Starman Well-Known Member

    Perry Watson's continual campaign to wash his hands of Ed Martin was nothing short of hysterical. Ed Martin lived on the Detroit Southwestern bench for 10 years while Watson was coaching there, steering the best players in the city there, and then on to Michigan. Granted, SW, like many HS teams, had about 25-30 "assistant coaches" holding clipboards on the bench, but Ed was one of the ones sitting one or two seats away from Perry.

    Ed Martin became known as "Uncle Ed," because everybody around prep hoops assumed he was Perry Watson's uncle (they did look somewhat alike). But after their big blowup at U-M (stemming from a pissing match over who deserved more credit -- and love -- for delivering Chris Webber to Ann Arbor), Watson began spewing out this song and dance that he barely knew Martin, had only met him a couple times, etc etc. LMAO.
     
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