Coaches vs. student reporters

[RecoveringJournalist]

Hondo mentioned Bobby Knight joking about blowing up the student paper on the NCAA Tournament thread.

I'm curious about other times when a coach has torn a student a new asshole or treated them like **** publicly.

The one that stands out the most to me was Geno Auriemma going off on that student several years ago.

Steve Spurrier was always interesting with the female student reporters. He famously nicknamed Andrea Szulsteyn (now Adelson) "Red Zone" and had nicknames for others. There was one who he would call "Fat (Her name)" if she wasn't around and "Big (Her name) if she was. He slipped more than once when she was around and to give credit, she handled it like a ****ing champ.

 

[Liut]

Norm had several run-ins with student scribes during my time at Missouri but the worst I recall was a dust-up with Jim Thomas. Stewart threatened the guy's child.

 

[Liut]

Norm had several run-ins with student scribes during my time at Missouri but the worst I recall was a dust-up with Jim Thomas. Stewart threatened the guy's child.

EDIT: Thomas was not a student. Apologize for not clarifying.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

Norm had several run-ins with student scribes during my time at Missouri but the worst I recall was a dust-up with Jim Thomas. Stewart threatened the guy's child.

****. I'm stunned I had never heard about that one.

 

[Liut]

****. I'm stunned I had never heard about that one.

Well, in Stewart's defense, I was unfairly vague. Norm was ticked about something Jim had done and made a stupid comment that I don't think he really meant. It's been so long ago I cannot remember more specifics. It created quite a buzz, though.

 

[bigpern23]

I remember the football coach at my alma mater challenging a student reporter who questioned his play calling. The home team trailed by like 5 points as time wound down and, after driving to the opponents' 1-yard line, they got hit with a 15-yard face mask penalty. So, on 4th and goal from the 16, the coach called a QB draw and the QB, who was slower than ****, was predictably tackled at about the 10-yard line. Never had a chance.

Student reporter: What went into the decision to call a draw on fourth down?
Coach: What the hell would have you called?
Reporter: Well, I'm not the coach. I just wanted to know why you called the play.
Coach: Well if you think you're so goddamned smart, why don't you coach ****ing the team? /ends press conference

Guy was a ****ty coach and was fired at the end of the season anyway. I think he saw the writing on the wall and just lost his mind a little bit. But it was still a ****ty way to treat a student reporter who asked a reasonable question (and, no, I was not said reporter).

 

[Ace]

Hondo mentioned Bobby Knight joking about blowing up the student paper on the NCAA Tournament thread.

I'm curious about other times when a coach has torn a student a new asshole or treated them like **** publicly.

The one that stands out the most to me was Geno Auriemma going off on that student several years ago.

Steve Spurrier was always interesting with the female student reporters. He famously nicknamed Andrea Szulsteyn (now Adelson) "Red Zone" and had nicknames for others. There was one who he would call "Fat (Her name)" if she wasn't around and "Big (Her name) if she was. He slipped more than once when she was around and to give credit, she handled it like a ****ing champ.

What does handling it like a champ mean? Did she sock him in the jaw?

 

[Ace]

Norm had several run-ins with student scribes during my time at Missouri but the worst I recall was a dust-up with Jim Thomas. Stewart threatened the guy's child.

I remember that with Stewart. I would have made it my mission to run his angry ass out of town if that was me.

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

What does handling it like a champ mean? Did she sock him in the jaw?

Unfortunately not. I would have paid to see that.

It's easy to say what she should have done. When you're a student and you're dealing with a legendary coach, it's intimidating.

 

[mpcincal]

A thread like this can't go any longer without mentioning when Coach K invited the reporters of the school paper into the locker room and then proceeded to rip them right in front of the players.

 

[BB Bobcat]

The football coach at my alma mater banned me from press conferences because he didn't like my questions. We had a sit down after a week or 10 days and it was all good.

Then he got fired at the end of the season.

 

[da man]

A thread like this can't go any longer without mentioning when Coach K invited the reporters of the school paper into the locker room and then proceeded to rip them right in front of the players.

I thought for sure that would be the subject of the first post on this thread.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

A thread like this can't go any longer without mentioning when Coach K invited the reporters of the school paper into the locker room and then proceeded to rip them right in front of the players.

Nonsense, Coach K is a saint. That noted journalist, **** Vitale, tells us so every week.

 

[DeskMonkey1]

A thread like this can't go any longer without mentioning when Coach K invited the reporters of the school paper into the locker room and then proceeded to rip them right in front of the players.

Were they student reporters?

 

[da man]

Were they student reporters?

Yes.

Coach K. Gives Stately Duke an Undignified Jolt - NYTimes.com

 

[RecoveringJournalist]

That's Auriemmaesque.

 

[swingline]

Well, in Stewart's defense, I was unfairly vague. Norm was ticked about something Jim had done and made a stupid comment that I don't think he really meant. It's been so long ago I cannot remember more specifics. It created quite a buzz, though.

Thomas had written an article about how many players were leaving Stewart's program, voluntarily or involuntarily. Stewart did not like that, and he told Thomas that he knew some people in Detroit who could take care of his kid.

It was first reported in the Missourian by a graduate student reporter. But this reporter was a non-traditional student, having been a lawyer for years before deciding to get into journalism. She wasn't intimidated by Stewart one bit and pointedly asked Steward about it. That's how it became a big deal. I wish I could remember her name because we later had the same beat for a while.

Edit: To add, I don't think Stewart was serious about having Jim's kid hurt, but he was nasty enough to suggest he could have it done.

 

[da man]

Is that Jim Thomas from the Post-Dispatch you're talking about? The guy who covers the Rams now? One of the nicest, most unassuming guys in the business?

 

[swingline]

One and the same. He had the Mizzou beat before Vahe, although they both tackled it at times back then. We're talking late 1980s.

 

[da man]

One and the same. He had the Mizzou beat before Vahe, although they both tackled it at times back then. We're talking late 1980s.

Wow. I can't believe anyone could be that big a **** to that nice a guy.