Posted by bambi2godzilla on 9/12/2007, 2:05 pm It's silly speculation that seems to bother the coaches the most -- that along with inaccurate so-called 'truths' and calling out players for under-performing or worse. You and I aren't equipped with the necessary background to determine much in the way of offensive and defensive designs, changes and the like but we can pick up if someone is limping, didn't practice, maybe has changed positions or committed some sort of error during a game. The problem is we then post something that may or may not be true and also may or may not be appropriate without first asking the appropriate powers-that-be directly for some straight talk about what we have observed and are going to post about. Now I agree that coaches can oftentimes be overly cautious and misjudge the appropriateness of something being posted. But publicly ripping a kid is verboten in my mind. Some will say they (the kids) chose to put themselves in such a position by playing college sports and thus are fair game. I just disagree. Plus, even when we see something with our own eyes, what does that really tell us? Do we know what kind of coverage the defensive backfeild was supposed to be in and who had responsibility for what opponent or area? Typically not. Do we know if a defensive player got a bit out of position because he was shading towards a teammate who was struggling and just trying to help out. Typically not. Do we know if a player who was badly beaten on a run or pass was positioned based on his own judgment or that of his position coach? Typcially not. On a related matter, the worst case I have ever witnessed of crossing judgmental boundaries was when a basketball player was accused of being a cancer to the team -- a post luckily not made here. Talk about way, way over the line. It's easy to understand fan frustration. But to single out a certain player and offer such an inflammatory judgment without having any background is simply wrong. Any coach is going to be upset when a matter such as what I described above takes place, as would any player, parent or even other fans. A rule of thumb is only post what you are willing to say face-to-face and rarely will trouble occur. The push-and-pull between coaches, the media and fans will always be there. Coaches need to understand that the media and the fans want as much information as possible and also want some 'inside scoops' in order to better understand situations. The media and the fans need to accept that there are certain boundaries not to be crossed. The problems arise when everyone provides their own definitions. Lines of communication For all that's been said about first-year Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley's new policies limiting access to the media and fans, his rules aren't the most restrictive in the Western Athletic Conference. That would be Boise State, which is limiting media access to the first 20 minutes of practice -- and only once a week. No fans, or bulletin board operators, are allowed. Like more and more coaches these days, BSU coach Chris Petersen lamented an inability to control news about the program -- including injuries, scheme adjustments and depth charts -- not just in the newspaper but also on anonymous fan boards. That, no doubt, led in part to Dooley's decision, too. Even so, no other WAC program is as restrictive. Heck, Hawaii runs a wide-open series of sessions reminescent of USC's party-like practices. The Warriors even allow live bloggers. On the other hand, these ideas doesn't always take. League foe Fresno State, for instance, closed practices to media and fans last year over a message board posting. Ultimately, however, Coach Pat Hill decided to reopen them this season, but is monitoring who attends. Are you willing to give up access for wins? Are they necessarily related?
63.249.102.18
This is a fascinating article on what some of the WAC football ocaches allow or don't allow in terms of media and sometimes fan access to practices and the like.
Nick Deriso
The News Star
August 22, 2007
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