Welcome to the Pac-10, Lane Kiffin

Personally, I thought he was getting off on it, serving his own purpose under the flag of ethics.

 

So you're basically admitting the TV guy could have presented more information to his viewers with a method that is common practice, but chose much less information?

How would the story have suffered on TV if you offer them more information, but don't get to actually see Kiffin say the words?

Since the story wasn't compromised in any significant way, why do you take that opportunity to make a stand which will assuredly limit information available?

 

Good question. I'm not sure. I didn't know how close he was to the room at the time. I thought he was in his office or something.

 

Wrong. He was not waiting to be fed the story. He wanted the opportunity to ask Kiffin questions, like a real reporter. TV dude made sure they were all fed the story. Again, there is no disadvantage to the TV guy. He would have had access to the SAME information as the news guys.

They were silly rules but AGAIN Kiffin held the cards. He was not going to retreat. TV guy should have made his objection known but once it was clear Kiffin would not back down he could have made due with the SAME EXACT info as print.

 

This is what bothers me about you. Wes clearly has a greater understanding of the dynamics of his beat than yourself, yet you have the audacity to "honestly" tell him they wouldn't have gotten anything better than the 30 seconds they wound up with.

Really? How do you figure that? Kiffin was set to explain all of his reasons for taking the USC job in an on-the-record session off camera. You really think there was nothing there to be gained that wasn't part of his 30-second statement?

 

I guess no one is going to respond to my point: TV runs information from off-camera interviews ALL the time. Why couldn't they do it this time?

TV Reporter: Kiffin refused to answer questions on-camera but said off-camera .... . He would only agree to go on camera to make the following statement ...

It's really that easy and I know because I watch the TV folks do it every day. Again, the producer was being a douche.

 

Yes. It would have been easier ... and exponentially better for his viewing audience. Kiffin wasn't going to cave. UT didn't have any authority to tell him what to do. Take what you can get. If you don't want to use it, fine, but maybe other people do. Who was he to make a decision for everyone? You don't like it? It's below your ethics? Fine. Take your ball and go home.

At the same time, I said all along that we could have gotten him in the room, gotten him comfortable, let him make his comments and then fired away. If he leaves, he leaves, but maybe he doesn't. Maybe he starts enjoying himself and keeps going, which he's done a few times. They could have kept their cameras rolling, too — remember, this was Kiffin's policy, not UT's. How popular do you think the man is around UT these days?

There were many better ways to handle the situation, and someone who understood the dynamics of the beat would have understood that.

 

I've made the same point, to crickets.

 

It amazes me that someone can see Lane Kiffin and not understand that one of his biggest flaws (and occasionally his greatest charm) is that often times, he simply can't stop himself from talking. He can't walk away when the attention is on him. He loves attention. It fuels everything about him, down to his core.

Get. Him. In. The. Room.

 

Maybe we won. - Herk, The Wire.

 

People aren't acknowledging this because it's truth. It kills their argument. They can't refute it.