Being confronted by a coach...

[HappyCurmudgeon]

Reading this piece from the Idaho Vandals beat writer after Petrino went after him and then banned him (and the other throng of media covering UIdaho).

Idaho fall camp: Paul Petrino fires at the media

For those of you with experience in this situation how did you deal with it? I remember Urban Meyer going after Jeremy Fowler when he was at the Orlando Sentinel and he handled it about as well as could be expected given the circumstances and all the cameras around.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Paul comes from such a nice family too.

 

[HappyCurmudgeon]

Paul comes from such a nice family too.

I know I was shocked when I heard a Petrino was doing something to look like an ass.

 

[da man]

I once had a coach tell me he would never answer my questions again. At his next press conference, I arranged with the other reporters to make sure I asked the first question. The coach answered it and that was the last I heard about the issue.

 

[Born to Run]

Don't write kind of immature columns bragging about how professional you are and chastising the coach. Meet with the coach PRIVATELY, as the coach should have done with you. Journalism 101.

 

[LongTimeListener]

The good news for Petrino is he just picked up an endorsement deal with Amazon.

 

[Alma]

Reading this piece from the Idaho Vandals beat writer after Petrino went after him and then banned him (and the other throng of media covering UIdaho).

Idaho fall camp: Paul Petrino fires at the media

For those of you with experience in this situation how did you deal with it? I remember Urban Meyer going after Jeremy Fowler when he was at the Orlando Sentinel and he handled it about as well as could be expected given the circumstances and all the cameras around.

I guess I'm old school...I wouldn't have written about being yelled at and falsely intimidated. I would have written what the coach said and that he'd hinted at banning the only media that gives a **** about his stank-rear program.

This one is different than the Urban Meyer deal because Meyer did that in front of everyone to make a big show, which makes him a preening ass. My sense of that deal is everybody backed up Fowler on it, and it backfired on Meyer.

 

[HappyCurmudgeon]

I guess I'm old school...I wouldn't have written about being yelled at and falsely intimidated. I would have written what the coach said and that he'd hinted at banning the only media that gives a **** about his stank-rear program.

This one is different than the Urban Meyer deal because Meyer did that in front of everyone to make a big show, which makes him a preening ass. My sense of that deal is everybody backed up Fowler on it, and it backfired on Meyer.

Yeah Meyer was definitely grandstanding if I remember correctly. Trying to act all fatherly. Same thing with Gundy's "I'm a man, I'm 40" outburst.

 

[cranberry]

I probably wouldn't have written about a blowup with a coach unless it got to the point of a physical altercation.

John Chaney, who had a temper (ask John Calipari), tore into me for about three minutes (seemed more like 10) before storming out of the interview area following an NCAA regional game back in the mid '80s. I just stood there and let him shout himself out while trying my very best to appear calm and confident.

About 45 minutes later, while I was sitting courtside covering the next game, the Temple SID tapped me on the shoulder and said Chaney wanted to speak privately with me. So I met Chaney at halftime. He very gracefully and genuinely apologized and explained what set him off.

I walked away with a lot of respect for him.

 

[mediaguy]

Didn't like the tone of the reporter's work. Like he was trying to report what happened and lecture coach in same story, which you can't do. Sounds like a small operation, but just write it straight. Minimal first-person if at all possible.

 

[BDC99]

I don't know. I was in agreement until I read the piece. I think these types of things are generally a bad idea. But a head coach being restrained from yelling at a reporter? That's definitely crossing the line.

 

[Mauve_Avenger]

I wanted to read the original story Petrino was mad about, but it's behind a strict paywall.

 

[93Devil]

I wanted to read the original story Petrino was mad about, but it's behind a strict paywall.

This isn't the worst idea.

 

[Fredrick]

My guess is the editor probably shouldn't have written this, but it actually was a pretty well written, non whiny piece in my opinion. I think he should have waited a few days. Readers don't really care about how news reporters do their jobs. They really don't. If after 3-4 days the reporter still wanted to write this, go for it. It's like an angry email; wait a day before sending it.

 

[Southwinds]

Me me me me me me me me me me.

No one cares.

 

[TigerVols]

Back in the days when I covered the smoking remnants of the Woody Widenhofer Era in Columbia, I wrote a story that moved on the AP wire in which I accurately quoted Woody joking about getting fired. Unfortunately, someone along the food chain removed some key phrases that couched his comments, and then someone else on KC TV ran with it on their 10 o'clock news. The next day at practice, Woody ripped into me in front of the entire team, berating me worse than any of my coaches, teachers or my parents ever did. He blasted me for what seemed like an eternity, with the entire squad and the press corps looking on.

How did I react? Well, I wasn't even old enough to drink yet...so I pretty much stained my pants!

 

[Alma]

Me me me me me me me me me me.

No one cares.

Well, no matter what we think, that's just not true. People eat this stuff up. Coach gets mad at reporter? It's an item.

I'm sure it's most-read piece in the recent history of that paper's Web site.

If people didn't care about meaningless petty conflicts, they wouldn't watch reality TV.

 

[SnarkShark]

Well, no matter what we think, that's just not true. People eat this stuff up. Coach gets mad at reporter? It's an item.

I'm sure it's most-read piece in the recent history of that paper's Web site.

If people didn't care about meaningless petty conflicts, they wouldn't watch reality TV.

Agreed. They don't care if reporters don't get credentials to events, if their pressbox wifi doesn't work, or any other issues like that. They do care if a coach screams at a reporter.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Bad decision by this reporter. Obviously a small operation where the sports editor is serving as beat writer and lead columnist for a Division I beat. That's never good. He mentions that he's new to the job. Well, he's going to learn a valuable lesson. He's just burned his No. 1 source for information and help. Good luck getting anything from that program again for a long, long time.

Whoever said it's sounds like a butt-hurt email written without giving much time to really soak in is correct. He should have waited, cooled off and never written this for public consumption.

What he should have done was arranged a meeting with Petrino for a private one on one conversation, behind closed doors. Let Petrino fire away, then fire back. Get an understanding for each other and for the jobs each of you do. Find some common ground so that you can work together. It is imperative that this writer be able to work with this coach and vice versa.

Shaming him in the paper will turn the team, fans, coaches and even the school administration against him. Good luck getting anything from the inside for a story in the future. Not happening.

I'm not saying what Petrino did was OK. It wasn't OK by any stretch of the imagination. But two wrongs have never made a right either. This kid had a chance to be the bigger man. Instead, he proved he was no bigger than Petrino.

 

[Fredrick]

Bad decision by this reporter. Obviously a small operation where the sports editor is serving as beat writer and lead columnist for a Division I beat. That's never good. He mentions that he's new to the job. Well, he's going to learn a valuable lesson. He's just burned his No. 1 source for information and help. Good luck getting anything from that program again for a long, long time.

Whoever said it's sounds like a butt-hurt email written without giving much time to really soak in is correct. He should have waited, cooled off and never written this for public consumption.

What he should have done was arranged a meeting with Petrino for a private one on one conversation, behind closed doors. Let Petrino fire away, then fire back. Get an understanding for each other and for the jobs each of you do. Find some common ground so that you can work together. It is imperative that this writer be able to work with this coach and vice versa.

Shaming him in the paper will turn the team, fans, coaches and even the school administration against him. Good luck getting anything from the inside for a story in the future. Not happening.

I'm not saying what Petrino did was OK. It wasn't OK by any stretch of the imagination. But two wrongs have never made a right either. This kid had a chance to be the bigger man. Instead, he proved he was no bigger than Petrino.

Great post, Doc. I do think though the piece did not come across as whiny. I tend to agree it should not have been written. Generally a good reporter/writer and a coach should have 1-2 "issues" with each other during a season. They generally get resolved. I will say this one is worse than most with Petrino "screaming" and in the reporter's face. Tough call but I'd have waited a couple days to cool off then decide if I want to burn a bridge here or not.