Doyel and Boeheim

I think he defended his stance well. Yes, it was not an ideal question to be asked first, but that was what he was writing, and I think he was right to make sure someone asked it, because the local guys are probably either scared to ask Boeheim that kind of question in that kind of atmosphere, or they were satisfied that his previous answers would suffice. Also, if Doyel waits to ask it, it could be a long time until the microphone gets back to him.

 

I like that Doyel doesn't treat these asshole coaches with the fawning adulation they so crave.

 

Could he have deferred his question to the end instead of leading off?

 

Even though it can be argued that the question was "legitimate" and "needed to be asked," I'm not a fan of questions that you have zero chance of getting an honest answer to.

Even had Boeheim decided at the buzzer, "That's it. I'm done!" he was never going to acknowledge such, in that setting, in a response to that reporter.

So it can just as easily be argued that the question was asked for no reason other than to piss him off.

 

He may (and probably wouldn't) acknowledge it, but isn't this something readers want to know?

 

No. It's the sportswriter equivalent of Meet The Press -- starting in about nine months now -- hounding every potential presidential candidate for a declaration that they're running.

Readers don't really feel like they need to know this anytime soon and they don't really want to hear it right after a game.

 

I'm sure the guys in the room on deadline were thrilled he picked that particular moment to continue his crusade.

 

And I'm equally sure Boeheim's stock quote about the performance of the backup power forward helped deny someone an APSE award.

I'm not a fan of the "Think of the beat writers" argument. Doyel has a job to do, too.

 

Especially in the very. first. question. It was the timing more than the substance of the question that made me cringe when I saw it. If that question gets asked at the end, after Boehem's first had a chance to talk about the actual game and Final Four stuff, I suspect he just muddles through the usual boilerplate denial without all the fireworks. But opening with that, immediately after losing a Final Four heartbreaker, just came across terribly.

 

What's a better time to ask the question than after the last game of the season?

 

Love this tweet from Doyel:

 

It's a different question to Burke than it is Boeheim. You know it, Doyel knows it, we all do.