Dooley "rewards" reporters with access to scrimmage

If my Vols can find a QB who can hit a wide-open WR for a 10-yard gain, that would indeed be news.

 

This had nothing to do with media being "respectful." I know Dooley said that, and he shouldn't have, but that wasn't the deal.

Any journalist who attended the first few periods of at least 17 of the Vols' first 23 practices was allowed to watch the "mock game." That "mock game" was them practicing the Vol Walk from the complex to the stadium, going through pregame warmups, knowing where to stand for pregame/halftime meetings and where to go for postgame media interviews. They practiced substitution patterns on the field. It was nothing. No actual scrimmage occurred, no extra interviews were given and everything with the media was handled normally after the dress rehearsal. The SIDs promised me that would be the case, and it was.

I've been on this beat for two stints totaling eight years, but I rarely go to the first few periods of practice these days. All we can watch is them stretch and warm up in position groups, and we're told — under threat of pulled credentials — not to report anything until post-practice interviews. I generally consider that a colossal waste of my time and rarely take advantage of that "access." I'm not a TV guy or a photog, so what's the point in me going there? Why take roll when I can watch them leave the field and do it then? Why watch a player work on an exercise bike on the side when I can't blog or Tweet about it until after practice, anyway? I found better ways to spend my time for my bosses.

I thought this deal was silly and said that to everyone over there. I hated them not telling us about it until the day before the mock game. That was beyond ridiculous. But whatever. No special interview access was given. I would have gone crazy if they'd done that, but the SIDs promised me that wouldn't happen, and it didn't. Those guys got to watch ... wait for it ... more stretching! Who cares?

I honestly thought this would be a bigger deal when I tweeted about it last week, especially considering Dooley's silly quotes. I'm surprised this was glossed over and then discussed a lot today, but whatever. I don't think they'll make a habit of this. I hope not, anyway. I've generally found Dooley to be fair with the media. I haven't seen him play favorites with anything that mattered, and I don't think this mattered all that much.

The worst part of this for UT is the bad PR Dooley will get from making it look like he's trying to control the media. He's never done that with me, and I'm over there every day.

Just my opinion.

-Wes Rucker
Vols beat writer, Chattanooga Times Free Press
Host of The Wes Rucker Show, ESPN Radio Knoxville

 

It's bad enough Dooley and coaches engage in this type of idiocy, but the reader comments are troubling, not surprisingly I guess. So many suggest that [insert reporter's name here] shouldn't be allowed because he/she didn't "support" the team. How do so few readers understand the role of a reporter isn't to support the team?

 

Where ya been?

 

Working is pretty much the only thing I do these days, especially now with the radio show on my daily plate, too.

 

I would hope that if this situation arises again, the reporters and editors involved would all skip the practice. Maybe the coach would get the message that he should be "respectful" to his fans.

the boycott probably wouldn't work, but it would be the right thing to do.

 

You are kidding, right?

 

Only a football coach would be so daft as to think allowing someone to watch a football practice would be a reward of any kind for anything.

 

I visit the Tennessee Scout football message board, primarily to follow recruiting. Any negative report concerning UT that appears in the KNS (no, I don't work there) is met with any number of posts demanding the reporter be fired, calling him names, and the usual - just trying to sell papers, etc. When I try to point out that the reporter is simply doing his job, I'm usually shouted down. Not all, but a lot of the people on the board want UT beat reporters to be cheerleaders.

 

They don't "want" UT beat reporters to be cheerleaders. They just "think" they want UT beat reporters to be cheerleaders. It's human nature.

 

Do people really watch practices to scout the players? I never did. They are boring as hell.

During practice, I would look to see who's not practicing and who may be hurt, and then I would try to chat up as many trainers, managers, etc. as I could.

There are always certain people around a team bursting to tell you some bit of information.

Of course, at the time, I was allowed to actually watch any practice and could wander around the outskirts pretty freely.

Hell, I often chatted with the coach with the notebook in my pocket.

 

You can apply that logic anywhere in the country.