Bob Cook said:
Some of you may know Bob Lovell as the host of Indiana Sports Talk, but I first knew him as the IUPUI men's basketball coach, athletic director, and instant educator of a fallow IUPUI Sagamore freshman reporter who asked a lot of stupid questions, i.e., me.
I believe it was our first interview when I asked him something stock like, "what is the key to winning the upcoming game." And he said: "Scoring more points than the other team." Well, duh.
At the time, he seemed like a bit of a jerk (which he could be), but he taught me better than any j-school prof about how to make sure to frame informed, insightful questions to get responses better than "scoring more points than the other team."
I have a similar story, only concerning a much more famous, bigger jerk who used to coach in the state of Indiana.
It was my first semester working at the school paper, covering the university's administration. For one of my reporting classes we had to shadow local media professionals. I chose a hot sports TV chick because, well she was hot, and because it was sports and I was bored with stuffy administrators.
Turns out, hot TV girl (who's happened to make a pretty big name for herself now) was set to cover an early-season nonconference basketball game and asked if I wanted to do that. I thought, 'Great! I'll get to ask [more famous, bigger jerk Indiana coach] a question in the press conference!'
So, she leaves at half to go back and start editing her tape and whatever other things TV people do. I go up and sit with our men's basketball beat writer (who also posts on this site now) for the remainder of the game.
Afterward, we head down to the media room for the press conference. He's sitting next to me, and as the press conference starts says, '[mltru2yx], if you don't ask [Tob Tight] (random SNL skit reference) a question, you're never getting hired in sports.'
So, I'm thinking, thinking, thinking...BAM, it hits me!
Me: "Coach, everyone knew (sophomore walk-on, who scored a career-high 20-plus points and went on to be one of the school's all-time leading scorers) was a defensive stopper for you guys, but
talk about his performance tonight on other side of the ball."
Tob Tight: Blank stare...something along these lines...
"When I hear the phrase 'other side of the ball,' I expect to look out and see grass and chalk lines. In instances such as tonight when you look out and see hardwood, you talk about the other end of the floor. There is no other side of the ball unless you're watching a football game. Blah blah blah blah...I like to help you young guys out because the profession you've chosen to enter is just a couple of steps above prostitution."
Exit stage right
Other beat reporters: laughter
I was embarrased as heck. But I sure never used that term when referring to basketball again.
Turns out, I get word from the brick of an SID that "Oh, don't worry. Tob wanted you to know he just did that because he'd never seen you before and likes to do that stuff with new people. He actually thought it was a pretty good question, minus the wording."
Yeah, thanks [brick SID].
Anyway, I was the men's basketball beat writer the following season and asked some pretty damn good questions. Say what you want about Tob Tight, but he taught me a lot about the game that I wouldn't have learned otherwise.
With that said, he's still a damn bully.
