USC Football Suspends OC-Register Writer for "Rules Violation"

[MileHigh]

Plaschke: Plaschke: Shame on USC for banning a reporter in a futile attempt to control media

Comes out firing.

There is apparently a new class being offered at USC’s esteemed Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

It is being taught by football coach Lincoln Riley and new athletic director Jennifer Cohen.

It is a case study of how to stifle free speech by controlling the media with the sort of reckless vindictiveness regularly practiced in such enlightened enclaves as Moscow and Beijing.

Bullying 101.

<snip>

For years, led by legendary sports publicist Tim Tessalone, USC was the model of using the media as part of a student-athlete’s education. Interviews were encouraged, public speaking was inherently taught, and countless successful business careers were born.

There were questionable stories and controversial angles, sure, but any differences between the athletic department and the media were resolved in private conversations that ultimately made everybody smarter. The Trojans boasted arguably the most effective and mutually beneficial media environment in the country.

 

[wicked]

Also there wasn’t an NFL team around for 20 years. USC was covered like an NFL team. And it wasn’t the end of the world.

 

[Pilot]

The elephant in the thread here is that the papers and their diminished circulation don’t have the gravity for any kind of boycott or media saber rattling to singe USC.

 

[NNDman]

Some of these posts remind me of a HS volleyball match I covered a few weeks ago. The teams had met the previous four seasons for the regional championship. The home team isn't quite as good as last season, but the visiting team is no where close to being as good as it has been. So, the home teams sweeps in 3 sets and the visiting coach is complaining throughout about the officiating. The home team leads the third set 24-9 when the visitors run off 6 straight points but are cited for a carry to end the match. The visiting coach power walks towards the up top ref and yells something at him. He then goes through the handshake line, talks to his team, gathers his belongings. As I approach him with my voice recorder, he storms past me saying "Now's not a good time!" So, I was like I guess it will never be a good time then!

 

[MileHigh]

The elephant in the thread here is that the papers and their diminished circulation don’t have the gravity for any kind of boycott or media saber rattling to singe USC.

I mean, yeah. USC would most likely be fine without the LAT and SCNG covering them. As noted, the LAT exposed a major recruiting scandal and got Mike Bohn bone-sawed. If Lincoln Riley and other coaches/admin didn't have to deal with the media, they would be fine with that.

A boycott does nothing. The LAT sports section has been neutered and in two days, this will pass, Luca will be credentialed by CU for next week's game and we'll move on to the next "scandal."

 

[SportsGuyBCK]

Or using USC president Carol Folt’s first name during a press conference.


If that's one of your worst offenses, you aren't the problem

Unless there's a prescription pad that goes along with that "Dr.," then she (or anyone) can forget me using it in a story ...

 

[Alma]

I mean, yeah. USC would most likely be fine without the LAT and SCNG covering them. As noted, the LAT exposed a major recruiting scandal and got Mike Bohn bone-sawed. If Lincoln Riley and other coaches/admin didn't have to deal with the media, they would be fine with that.

A boycott does nothing. The LAT sports section has been neutered and in two days, this will pass, Luca will be credentialed by CU for next week's game and we'll move on to the next "scandal."

Unforced error by Riley tho. Needless energy spent on a beef

 

[Della9250]

 

[I Should Coco]

Some of these posts remind me of a HS volleyball match I covered a few weeks ago. The teams had met the previous four seasons for the regional championship. The home team isn't quite as good as last season, but the visiting team is no where close to being as good as it has been. So, the home teams sweeps in 3 sets and the visiting coach is complaining throughout about the officiating. The home team leads the third set 24-9 when the visitors run off 6 straight points but are cited for a carry to end the match. The visiting coach power walks towards the up top ref and yells something at him. He then goes through the handshake line, talks to his team, gathers his belongings. As I approach him with my voice recorder, he storms past me saying "Now's not a good time!" So, I was like I guess it will never be a good time then!

I recall a situation like that when I was trying to grab a football coach for a few quick comments after a Friday night game. “Sorry … let me talk to the boys first.”

OK, I thought, he needs to give the postgame speech to the team first.

But no — he climbed up the bleachers to do a postgame interview with the local radio guys (this was in Michigan’s U.P., still stuck in its Gil Thorp time warp in the late 1990s).

I guess those were “da boys” he meant …

 

[Michael_ Gee]

Media are not as influential as they were even 10 years ago, granted. But LA ain't Norman. USC is one of many sports entities competing for public attention, not the automatic center of attention. Area has two pro franchises in all four major league. In the course of this college season, Riley's team will be competing for attention with the NFL season, the start of the NBA season and NHL season, the Dodgers in the playoffs, wither Shohei Ohtani?, and ancillary events such as the Breeder's Cup, which will be a pretty big one-day deal at Santa Anita. A boycott wouldn't hurt USC as much as just shuffling them to the bottom of the deck, which frankly, is pretty much gonna happen anyway if/when they lose a game or two.

 

[MileHigh]

Dave Plati doesn't run things day-to-day at Colorado anymore, but his influence is still there and I'd be shocked if they didn't credential Luca for that game. Dave made that a top five SID office in the country and it continues today.

 

[Cosmo]

There's no way he won't be credentialed. Why would Colorado or Arizona State deny him that? His trouble will be getting into USC press availability. I assume all locker rooms are closed now, but back in my days, I was surprised at which locker rooms were open on the road, most notably Duke basketball and Miami football.

 

[Songbird]

Boomer Joad by the Sea done got too big for him britches.

 

[BTExpress]

His trouble will be getting into USC press availability.

Given it's 2023, I figured his trouble likely would be getting the OCR to staff a road game. :)

 

[playthrough]

I used to listen to Joe Paterno’s weekly conference calls — not because I was on them, but because they were on the local radio station.

Almost everyone showed reverence. “Hi Coach … ”. Except one guy. Always went right to “Hi Joe … ”

I get college kids going the “coach” route and I definitely would’ve done that too, but 40-somethings? Nah. GTFO with that noise.

One of my biggest pet peeves. It's not reverence, it's putting the guy on an unnecessary pedestal. If you're a reporter, he's Joe or Lincoln or Bill or whatever.

And that ****'s not limited to the stick-and-ball sports. At the Masters when the Augusta National chairman has his press conference, the majority of the golf scribes address him as chairman. Yet I'm pretty sure none of those scribes are members. I complimented a colleague once for calling the guy by his name and he scoffed, "I've known him for 30 ****ing years. He's Fred to me."

 

[wicked]

It's not reverence, it's putting the guy on an unnecessary pedestal.

I meant to tag it with the sarcasm font. Undue reverence, perhaps.

 

[Preacher Roe]

The control coaches like Riley attempt to establish over the players always grabs the most attention. But I find the dynamic to be even more troubling when it comes to the assistant coaches.

The Alexander column makes it sound like one of USC’s grievances is that Evans introduced himself to assistants without authorization. That says many things to me: Riley is terrified his coaches could think independently and someday say something to a reporter that goes against his preferred narrative. Riley fails to understand the position coaches will often be far more insightful when it comes to their players than he could be. And last, that Riley is so self-absorbed that he cannot realize he is hurting his assistants and their career prospects.

Riley is a guy who got to where he is, in large part, because Bob Stoops strategically timed his retirement so that he could gift Riley a program that was already built to win the Big 12 and major bowls. Riley just had to not **** it up. And now he cannot even do the simple act of letting his assistants, many of whom likely want to be coordinators or head coaches, learn how to interact with the media and develop for when their time comes.

 

[Alma]

USC thinks the guy is annoying pest and is trying to mete out some control freak coach justice.

You know what? Some reporters can be annoying pests. So what? Have a Coke and a smile, Trojans.

Riley's puckerin a little bit. Not sure why. He's talking about his OU exit a lot, hinting he'll retire early, etc. He's got a team that can make the CFP, he knows it (and he would know, he's been there) and he's feeling it a little bit.

 

[tapintoamerica]

USC thinks the guy is annoying pest and is trying to mete out some control freak coach justice.

You know what? Some reporters can be annoying pests. So what? Have a Coke and a smile, Trojans.

Riley's puckerin a little bit. Not sure why. He's talking about his OU exit a lot, hinting he'll retire early, etc. He's got a team that can make the CFP, he knows it (and he would know, he's been there) and he's feeling it a little bit.

I wonder if they told him they were hot and heavy with the Big Ten when they pursued him. If not, he can’t be happy with being surprised. I also wonder if he’s now setting sights on the NFL.

 

[PaperClip529]

Looks like the ban has been lifted.

https://x.com/ralphdrussoap/status/1704965021560623453?s=46