Your thoughts on this one?

now there's a good attitude

 

Welcome to big-time Southern college football.

 

I'm sorry but I really need a clarification before I can weigh in. What the hell were the responsbilities of an honorary coach? Were they calling plays? Doing any type of coaching stuff? Or just standing on the sidelines? What is an honorary coach?

It seems like people on here are operating under two dififerent assumptions ...

 

I've seen local colleges have "honorary coaches" for games all the time. They're usually boosters or someone who won the right at auction. They sit and contribute nothing.

If all these guys were asked to do was that, it would have made good fodder for a column. Because, as many have said, spring football is utterly useless. If they were asked to call plays and actually participate, that's unlike any honorary coach I've ever heard of.

This is so damn harmless, ultimately. The actual season is five months away. It's not an ethical question as much as it's a "do you want to stand and look like a geek" question. A lot of people here are thinking with their textbooks and their classroom memories of ethics, and theory classes instead of using their heads.

Five months before the season, a columnist can do something cheesy like this. Maybe, just maybe, it breaks up the monotony of the usual coverage.

A beat guy? Probably shouldn't partake.

 

I agree with that. A columnist could have fun with that, even wear the clothes, if they make a joke about it.

 

By that, do you mean the 92K that were inside the stadium, the thousands more that got shut out by the fire marshal, or the thousands upon thousands in the state that contribute to your paycheck by buying the paper to read your "crappy story" on their team?

rb

 

I don't think anyone is questioning the ethics of doing the honorary coach thing. Of the scribes who did just that on Saturday, I read a fine piece by one in Sunday's paper. Clearly, it can make for a great behind-the-scenes story.

The issue also does not lie in whether you would wear the Podunk U. colors. Especially at my last stop, which had pretty mainstream colors, my absent-minded ass showed up from time to time wearing that hue. Didn't affect my journalism.

The issue here, I'm told, is that the Podunk U. logo was donned. Since I know some of the guys in question, and know them to be objective and pretty damn hard-working, I doubt it affected their journalism. But did it affect perception?

 

Do not take the clothes, go to the game anyway, and do a column about how your four/five competitors wore clothes of the school and you did not, because you have integrity. That'd be an interesting piece.

 

Perception by whom? At places where they are overly fanatic about this stuff, fans sadly would prefer to see the writers boost the local team.

But yes, as discussed in other threads, being aware of perception is important. I still maintain this would make a good column.

 

The one I read had to improve to be average...

 

So did you coach Team A or Team B?

 

My bad. You're right, there aren't that many people in Alabama who know how to read.

But yeah, those people. All of them. These overflow spring games don't impress me. Have you ever tried to rationalize why they draw so much?
Kind of the same reason NFL preseason games are mostly sellouts too.
Not only is it the first look at the team, and the new freshman, but a big party with like-minded folk where you never really have to boo.
ANd more improtantly, think about it...for a good portion of these 92,000 + fans, it's their only chance to see a game at all. About $10 for a 50-yard line seat? $5 for a general admission seat (these are generalfor what most spring games charge, Bama may be more or less, if anything)...and students of all sorts get in free? When most games are going to put me out $50 at minimum, dang straight I'll go.

My point is, it's not an important game. Some August, who is going to care if White won or Red won, or who did what. Hell, come next Monday, who is going to care? And they sure aint going to give a rats ass that you were an Honorary coach in it. Hell, most of them won't even know.
It's a laid back atmosphere and more a big party for the fans. Enjoy it.