Reporting coach's comments to team

[Steak Snabler]

The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that Marvin Lewis dressed his team down in a "profanity-laced tirade" after the loss to the Pats Monday night:

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071002/SPT02/710020364

Now, it's pretty clear that this came in the locker room with the doors closed. Is it fair/acceptable to quote what you overhear through the wall? Would you do the same for a high school or college team?

 

[Some Guy]

I would tread much, much more lightly at the high school level. When I've been on a deadline crunch, and don't have time to wait for a dawdling coach, I might quote one addressing his team in the post-game huddle (lot of visiting teams do it right there on the field).

But, in these instances, I always make sure it's a kind of innocuous quote that isn't going to get the coach in too much trouble. I don't think we should be eavesdropping on these things, but if it helps me make deadline, it's a tradeoff I'm willing to make. As long as you don't burn them, the coaches don't seem to mind.

At the pro level, my thoughts are: If they are yelling loud enough to be heard in a semi-public place, then it's fair game.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

The Bengals are now the Browns and the Browns are now the Bengals.

 

[Ace]

I love the name Steak Snabler.

Sure, in colleges and pros if the coach is lighting into them, I think it's fair game. And if it's a profanity-laced tirade, you can't quote it anyway.

In high schools, I would not. It's something that conceivably could get a coach fired and unless you are 100 percent sure it's the head coach and not some assistant M-fing the team, you best be careful.

 

[wickedwritah]

I'm sure he knew his tirade would be heard beyond the walls. Wouldn't be surprised if he did it intentionally to get this type of message out there, seeing as his own ass will be on the line if the Bengals go nowhere this year.

 

[Barsuk]

If the coach is going on such a tirade that you can hear it through the locker room walls, I would say it's fair game.

 

[Barsuk]

What's that line about great minds, wicked?

 

[Cansportschick]

If it was clearly audible through the locker room walls, to me I would use it. Anyone could have heard it, so that would be public knowledge. The only thing is you have to be 100 percent sure it is actually the head coach and not an assistant. Therefore, if I was putting it in a story I would not directly give attribution to the coach, but just sum up what was heard.

Again, this is what I would do if I were in the situation.

 

[black dude with pompano]

Absolutely use it.

 

[Bob Slydell]

it's totally acceptable. I'm sure lewis wouldn;t give a damn at this point if his team saw this reported or not.

As far as high school, I doubt I would. I've been around postgame huddles and heard coaches rip their teams up one side and down the other. But I generally asked them about some of the stufff they said. Rarely have they minded since they were still pretty steamed.

But if I heard it through a wall, I wouldn't quote verbatim what he said, just that he ripped them and it could be hard outside the locker room. If he wants to repeat it later, terrific!

 

[Walter Burns]

I quoted the coach in the huddle before. Once he said that his team beat the other team and beat the refs. He said the same thing to me in an interview afterward, and almost instantly regretted it when he saw it in print.
Of course, this is also the coach who told me that he felt I was too happy when I came into a losing locker room (I spent a lot of time in news...after covering a killing spree in real time, a losing football game doesn't really bother me).
Basically, I still think it's fair game.

 

[Jesus_Muscatel]

I love the name Steak Snabler.

I don't know if it's the origin of the handle or not, but the late Buddy Diliberto used to occasionally refer to Kenny Stabler that way on the air in New Orleans.

 

[dawgpounddiehard]

The Bengals are now the Browns and the Browns are now the Bengals.

And the world returns to some sense of normalcy.

 

[User 4755]

To paraphrase Jerry Glanville, this is the NFL, or Not For Long when you're 1-3. Fair game.

 

[BillyT]

It's pros.

It's legit.

 

[ctr]

would and did

 

[Babs]

OK, what if you're standing in a spot that only the media would be in and you overhear a tirade? Is it still fair game? I tend to think not and don't use it. But maybe I'm being too cautious.

On a side note, tirades are amusing to listen to when you are not the object of them.

 

[wickedwritah]

OK, what if you're standing in a spot that only the media would be in and you overhear a tirade? Is it still fair game? I tend to think not and don't use it. But maybe I'm being too cautious.

On a side note, tirades are amusing to listen to when you are not the object of them.

Well, the only people who could've heard Lewis' tirade last night were Bengals team folk, a few stadium personnel and the media waiting outside the locker room.

 

[Clerk Typist]

Use anything you hear.

 

[forever_town]

Use what you hear that can be modified for print. Don't attribute it to Lewis unless you know without a doubt it was Lewis.