Comments on: UGA’s Richt Doesn’t Show It If The Media Gets Under His Skin

By: John at MrSEC

John at MrSEC — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:25:34 +0000

@83toATL

There’s a difference in not answering a question about suspensions/injuries — many coaches won’t — and not speaking to anyone in the press for two days — that’s rare.

Whatever I say will be spun in a different direction, so I’ll just leave it right there. But that was my beef — you don’t punish everyone because you dislike one person.

Just my take. It’s not a popular one among South Carolina fans or the folks who choose to comment under our stories, but it’s mine.

Thanks for reading the site,
John

By: John at MrSEC

John at MrSEC — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:21:56 +0000

@Mark1984

I haven’t seen anyone complain that Spurrier blasted Morris on his radio program. I wrote right here that he had the right to do so and that he was handling things mano y mano by doing so.

The problem that I had with Spurrier was his decision to refuse to take questions from every other reporter for two days. Those folks hadn’t done anything to upset Spurrier. He took his anger toward Morris and punished people who had nothing to do with Morris or his columns. That was my issue.

So Spurrier can fight back against Morris. Trying to get him fired is probably proof that he has or thinks he has too much power, but he’s got just as much right to speak about Morris as Morris does to write about Spurrier. Unless Morris was going over to USC president Harris Pastides and angling for Spurrier’s dismissal, then Spurrier should try to have Morris’ job… which is how 90% of the people hearing his comments from a week ago took them.

But I fully, fully support Spurrier’s right to blast Morris and get his side of the story out.

Thanks for reading the site,
John

By: 83toATL

83toATL — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 15:04:23 +0000

John,
Similar to the others in the media (including Jeff Schultz of the AJC – the best example of lazy journalism), you failed to draw the complete picture regarding the behavior of Ron Morris and his verbal attatcks on Coach Spurrier’s ethics …perhaps just another example of one media person covering for another. Oh, and for the record, how covenient for so many ”journalists” (again emphasizng Jeff Schultz and Mrk Bradley of the AJC) failing to mention Coach Richt’s decision last year to mis-lead the media regarding the suspension of a few of his players…only to then to refuse answering direct questions during subsequent weeky press conferences. Laughable!!

By: Mark1984

Mark1984 — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 14:25:49 +0000

@John at MrSEC @secfanSC SOS could have said “I won’t give an interview while Morris is in the room” but you said that wouldn’t fly with reporters. I have no beef with him not taking questions. Access isn’t a right. (And for the record, I am a life long UGA fan!)

By: Mark1984

Mark1984 — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 14:22:58 +0000

Good morning John. My beef with reporters in this case is the double standard. Reporters feel like it’s OK for them to blast a coach but when that coach fights back, he’s wrong. It’s hypocritical. CMR is a great guy and a great example for many of us. You won’t find him publicly criticizing people very often. That said, reporters seem to think they have rights that other’s don’t have. They don’t. As I’ve stated before, they have the right to a free press, meaning they can print just about anything (excluding libel, etc.) But there’s no constitutional guarantee for access.

Kudos to you for admitting publicly how hard it is to respond gracefully.

By: John

John — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 12:56:43 +0000

A Nobody…

Didn’t realize I’d “bashed” Spurrier in this piece. And, yes, I do think Richt is a good man. That hasn’t stopped me from saying that as the longest-tenured coach in the SEC, he’ll be a goner the next time he has a sub-par season.

As for him not answering questions about suspensions and injuries, no, no complaints because many coaches across the SEC refuse to give that information. I wish they would, but they don’t. Last week we ran a story explaining how just about every coach in the league is against an NFL-type injury report policy, too.

Spurrier’s actions were unique which is why they made national news. There’s a difference between answering multiple questions from reporters and choosing not to answer one about who’ll play on Saturday… and not taking any questions from any media for two days.

Again, that’s why the story got so much coverage across the country. Lane Kiffin got the same when he fielded a question he didn’t like a couple of weeks ago, clammed up, and then literally sprinted across Southern Cal’s practice field.

I’m comfortable with what’s been written here. And I’ve praised Spurrier numerous times on this site… as well as taking him to task.

In this case — as I’ve state — he punished an entire team of reporters because he was upset with one of them (which he admitted on his radio show a week ago today). One instance that I gave my take on. Just as I gave my take on Richt’s comments here.

Thanks for reading the site,
John

By: A Nobody

A Nobody — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 04:26:24 +0000

Once again, MrSEC.com never misses an opportunity to bash Spurrier and heap praise on Richt.

“Gee, I wish I could be less like Spurrier and more like Mark Richt.”   Really? That’s the analysis?

Richt is so great with the media that he won’t answer questions as to why Ogletree or Rambo are suspended, or whether they will play for weeks on end.   Any critique of that here? Nope.

I think the only thing we’ve learned is you’re a Mark Richt fan.   Wait. Knew that all along.

By: RoadTrip

RoadTrip — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:39:36 +0000

John – really good follow on Richt and your own view of handling adversity from the folks. I have always admired Richt for how he handled himself in the public eye. Glad you see the benefit of some of it. Doesn’t have to be all one way or the other. We can all learn new tricks.

By: John at MrSEC

John at MrSEC — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 21:22:20 +0000

@secfanSC

Morris didn’t say Spurrier could lead USC down the same path as Paterno at Penn State. He suggested that by giving a coach more power than the administration and by making him above questioning by the media that THAT could lead to situations like the one at Penn State where an abuse of power took place.

You can disagree with that, if you like, but most people would agree that Morris was not trying to tie Spurrier to Paterno in terms of crime or criminal cover-ups.

As for the poaching story. That’s not the story that caused Spurrier to go silent towards all media last week.

Interestingly, no one ever answers that part of it… and that’s really the only issue I’ve had trouble with from the beginning. I’ve said that Spurrier can rip Morris til his face turns blue. That’s his right. I think he was off-base for punishing dozens of reporters for the actions of one. But no one ever discusses that. It just always goes back to Morris and his history.

Oh, well. No skin off my back.

Thanks for reading the site,
John

By: John at MrSEC

John at MrSEC — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 21:17:52 +0000

@Hawaii Hal

Morris was not comparing Spurrier or his actions to Paterno or his. He was saying that it’s dangerous for a coach to have so much power that he’s above the administration and above questioning from the media.

Agree with that, disagree with that… whichever. But he didn’t compare Spurrier to Paterno.

Thanks for reading the site,
John

By: Hawaii Hal

Hawaii Hal — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 21:11:10 +0000

Mr. SEC, let’s compare your actions to those of a pedophile coverup and while we are at it, lie in print about your other activities. Then please turn the other check. Richt should copy Spurrier.

By: secfanSC

secfanSC — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 19:49:27 +0000

You miss the point. The columnist was not criticizing coaching or anything to do with the man’s job. He launched an all out attack on Spurrier’s integrity. He accused him of “poaching” the basketball team for players and printed lie as fact. Never did he recant his story. Then he goes as far as to say that Spurrier could lead USC down the same path as Paterno at Penn State. These are not professional attacks against Spurrier but personal attacks on his character. You would not allow some one to attack your character, and I bet the religious man that Richt is would not passively sit and let a columnist print that he is out at bars and hiring hookers in downtown Athens (which would be a complete lie) and continue to entertain that columnists questions. Where do you draw your line?

By: AustinVol

AustinVol — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 18:38:07 +0000

Good points. Despite coaching for a rival and recruiting well, its pretty clear that Richt is a genuinely good guy. Which begs the question of how a certain bball coach with exceptional recruiting “skills” got his reputation (Hint:its not jealousy).