Montana coach freezes out student paper

All I can say is fuck this Hauckkck clown if he's not down with Huey Lewis making the Hall. Fuck him in his stupid ear.

 

Hauck blinks.

http://www.missoulian.com/news/local/article_b29dc8a8-c37c-11de-aa37-001cc4c03286.html

 

And yet he still manages to come across as a bit of a condescending prick.

I didn't realize he was blaming the silence on his players. Hell, even if it is true, you don't put something like that on the players. You're the head coach. Take some responsibility.

 

Hauck did not inform his football athletes of his recent decision before Tuesday's announcement. But he did invite Kaimin sportswriter Tyson Alger to ask the first question.

"So, do you have a football question?" Hauck asked.

"Yes, sir," Alger replied.

"All right," Hauck said. "I like it when you treat your elders like that."

??? ??? ???

 

I would have given that kid $5,000 to make his first question about the arrests.

 

That last line was what I had in mind when I said he came off like a condescending prick. From some guys, I might take that as an attempt at humor, but you just know it was his way of trying to remind the reporter from the school paper that he was still in charge.

 

"How does it affect your gameplan when players miss the game because they're in jail?"

 

"So, do you have a football question?" Hauck asked.

"Yes, sir," Alger replied.

"All right," Hauck said. "I like it when you treat your elders like that."

"How does not speaking to college reporters help you win football games?" ;D

 

Generally, in situations like these, where's the line between doing your job despite coach/player silence and being vindictive to the detriment of your readers? Releasing the hounds to "teach him a lesson" always feels to me like you're throwing a tantrum and making your fight with the coach the center of your coverage.

Cover the team like normal. I'd rather see you find creative ways to report and/or write feature stories without player/coach quotes than totally change your focus (nothing but opponent features and attack-dog news articles) because they supposedly won't let you do your job. Come on, now. More than half of what you're going to get from coach or player interviews is information you already know or can get elsewhere. Find a different means without changing the ends.

Of course, either way, you explain to the readers what's going on and why you aren't allowed to interview anyone. But as much as it sucks to get denied and scorned by the coach, it's not about you.

 

Great Pearlman column on SI.com. Priceless.