Senior reporter for UNC hoops, football

[Fran Curci]

HP: Yes ...exactly.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

Congrats to Robbi...

Question on this job. I probably know the answer, but I'll ask it anyway because I'm always fascinated about juggling covering college football and hoops at the same time...

UNC hoops is playing on the road in non-conference play on the same day as the football team. Which game does the beat writer go to and does a backup cover the other one?

 

[Mark2010]

My guess would be it depends how strong the football team is, if they are in contention or not. And who the basketball team is playing: If it's Kentucky on the road, that's one thing. If it's Tennessee-Martin, that's different.

 

[1HPGrad]

In that market, beat writer goes with basketball team. Always. Nobody in the Triangle gives a rat's ass about football relative to basketball, which is one reason the UNC football mess was so ridiculous. It's why the N&O has college basketball stories on the cover in June and July. That's how the Triangle rolls.

 

[Mizzougrad96]

In that market, beat writer goes with basketball team. Always. Nobody in the Triangle gives a rat's ass about football relative to basketball, which is one reason the UNC football mess was so ridiculous. It's why the N&O has college basketball stories on the cover in June and July. That's how the Triangle rolls.

That's how it should be. I remember one big paper had their beat writer at a meaningless football game and they used a stringer on what should have been an easy non-conference game and people almost lost their jobs over the decision not to be on the road with the hoops team.

 

[BrianGriffin]

Do they have somebody who is a de facto lead on football? I was once one of two full-time football beat writers for an SEC school (a third person was part-time in a hybrid role), but I would take lead on basketball once that started and the other guy would step up in football with a little bit of the gap getting filled by the third guy.

But covering this school, even as the basketball guy, I wasn't going to miss a football trip, bowls included.

 

[accguy]

The one thing that the N&O has going for it in the overlap part of the year is that in most years, Carolina plays either Duke or NC State in the last game of the regular season.

That helps them spring one of the beat writers to go cover hoops if there's a conflict.

 

[1HPGrad]

SEC football = Varsity.
ACC football (in Triangle) = Freshmen team.
SEC basketball = JV team.
ACC basketball = Varsity.
UNC basketball = It's THE pro beat.
Spend one week in the Triangle when all 3 teams have a home game, then tell me where the basketball passion is better. There's nowhere like it in the country. That's why this is the best basketball beat job in the country, and why I hope Charlotte gets to hire accordingly. Problem is, as much as Charlotte people follow the ACC, they don't live it every day like Triangle peeps do.

 

[Mark2010]

ACC football deserves more respect than that.

And SEC basketball? Isn't Kentucky ranked No. 1 preseason?

 

[ondeadline]

And SEC basketball? Isn't Kentucky ranked No. 1 preseason?

By one coach in the coaches poll. Every other voter says UNC is No. 1.

Hoops obviously trumps football in the Triangle. Even when there isn't a conflict, football's place is obvious. The N&O used a stringer for Duke's game at Boston College earlier this season.

 

[1HPGrad]

Billy D won two NCAA titles, but there was only one Ball Coach on campus.
Kentucky basketball is the SEC's exception, and I was referring to reader interest/beat priority.
ACC football in the Triangle is a complete afterthought. LT and Philip Rivers couldn't change that.

 

[ondeadline]

A farewell blog post from Robbi: http://blogs.newsobserver.com/accnow/as-i-leave-the-no-my-hardest-goodbye