Spring Break
MU policies inhibit sport journalists
Emile Dawisha
Issue date: 4/17/07 Section: Sports
At football press conferences, the coaches and SIDs almost always decide which athletes to bring with them to the podium.
I remember in 2005, after Miami football lost to Bowling Green 42-14, Head Coach Shane Montgomery came alone to the podium, denying access to any his players.
Look, I understand these athletes are busy. But we're the ones on deadline. Would it pain them to answer a few hard-hitting questions in their emotionally fragile state? It's just sports, people.
I also understand that the primary job of the public relations department is to protect its athletes. But on too many occasions, they have overstepped their boundaries.
This year, for example, Student reporter Chris Dierks wrote a feature about Miami hockey's potential goalie controversy, after Charlie Effinger - who up until that game platooned with Jeff Zatkoff - was benched for the first time in two years after struggling against Notre Dame. After the game, Coach Enrico Blasi fervently asserted that Effinger would continue to platoon with Zatkoff; and hockey's SID refused Dierks the right to interview either goalkeeper.
In his article, Dierks simply addressed the goalie situation in a quantitative manner, comparing Effinger's substandard statistics to those of Zatkoff's. Nevertheless, the next day Dierks received a phone call from the hockey's SID, who chastised him for even insinuating that there was a goalie controversy.
The funny aftermath of this story is that Blasi indeed started Zatkoff over Effinger in nine of the final 12 games after the Notre Dame game, including the entire postseason. What a shocker.
I too have been a victim of public relations policing. Last semester, I wrote a column about basketball player Nathan Peavy and his late father, Terry, a former basketball star who died of a drug overdose when Nathan was a child. The overarching message of the story was that one doesn't have to be a perfect person to be a good father. Unfortunately, Nathan's aunt construed a couple sentences of mine as being insensitive and wrote a letter of complaint to The Miami Student. I had absolutely no objections to her grievance - she was expressing her right to speak openly about the matter. And it turned out to be the only complaint I received about
I remember in 2005, after Miami football lost to Bowling Green 42-14, Head Coach Shane Montgomery came alone to the podium, denying access to any his players.
Look, I understand these athletes are busy. But we're the ones on deadline. Would it pain them to answer a few hard-hitting questions in their emotionally fragile state? It's just sports, people.
I also understand that the primary job of the public relations department is to protect its athletes. But on too many occasions, they have overstepped their boundaries.
This year, for example, Student reporter Chris Dierks wrote a feature about Miami hockey's potential goalie controversy, after Charlie Effinger - who up until that game platooned with Jeff Zatkoff - was benched for the first time in two years after struggling against Notre Dame. After the game, Coach Enrico Blasi fervently asserted that Effinger would continue to platoon with Zatkoff; and hockey's SID refused Dierks the right to interview either goalkeeper.
In his article, Dierks simply addressed the goalie situation in a quantitative manner, comparing Effinger's substandard statistics to those of Zatkoff's. Nevertheless, the next day Dierks received a phone call from the hockey's SID, who chastised him for even insinuating that there was a goalie controversy.
The funny aftermath of this story is that Blasi indeed started Zatkoff over Effinger in nine of the final 12 games after the Notre Dame game, including the entire postseason. What a shocker.
I too have been a victim of public relations policing. Last semester, I wrote a column about basketball player Nathan Peavy and his late father, Terry, a former basketball star who died of a drug overdose when Nathan was a child. The overarching message of the story was that one doesn't have to be a perfect person to be a good father. Unfortunately, Nathan's aunt construed a couple sentences of mine as being insensitive and wrote a letter of complaint to The Miami Student. I had absolutely no objections to her grievance - she was expressing her right to speak openly about the matter. And it turned out to be the only complaint I received about
Viewing Comments 1 - 5 of 5
JD Malone
posted 4/17/07 @ 2:47 PM EST
Three cheers Emile.
Emile Dawisha
posted 4/17/07 @ 7:40 PM EST
thx!
Dave
posted 4/17/07 @ 9:37 PM EST
Here is some interesting discussion your article has created:
http://www.miamihawktalk.com/discussion/viewtopic.php?p=371306#371306
Mat
posted 4/17/07 @ 11:25 PM EST
I read those comments on hawktalk. It was nice to see that Clinton Yates is still as condescending and idiotic as ever. Last time I checked wasn't Emile the head of the local SPJ chapter? Doesn't sound like he is exactly lacking in professionalism! And really why can't Shane Montgomery expose his students to Miami Student reporters more? Would it be too much to ask? And what about all the pay for the Miami Redhawks PR machine--what good is all that money if all they do is shut-out student reporters? After all, it's not like Miami has a real team like OSU! Sorry, I couldn't help myself. (Continued…)
Matt Sohn
posted 4/18/07 @ 12:20 AM EST
Whoa... I think it's great to have discourse over columns, but let's stay away from personal attacks of people. Regardless of your feelings about an individual, keep the focus on the issues at hand. (Continued…)
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