Leavitt's 2-Minute Drill Irks Media

[Joe]

The Zook frat fight came from a player who hated Zook, he told all to the columnist in Gainesville.

The Adrian McPherson story came from the OTHER (cannot recall the name) player involved in the incident. He was put on a longer suspension than McPherson and outed the program to the Democrat. It ended with Bowden having to testify in court about possible point shaving charges as a result.

I know Leavitt is having a VERY ROUGH offseason. He's lost 2 of his best coaches, his top recruit ever left, the best guys in his recruiting class didn't qualify, has multiple drug suspensions, a few players are fighting grade issues, etc. But you cannot get on the wrong side of the media

There is a reason Bobby Bowden is so loved by the media despite several incidences by his team over the years. He has always been able to cooperate and talk when there has been problems in the program.

PS - Knight_Light...I don't usually do this, but this is a USF matter, stay out.

[Bulls Are We]

Poor Brad... 80 bucks for 2 miniutes...  you could call one of those "party"lines for that..  

Or maybe head over to The Mons....

[smazza]

Can you imagine he had teh media that was all over Zook when he had to replace Spurrier? Or the media that Coker had at the Fiesta Bowl in 2002.

Coaches are going to get questions from reporters...it's natural.

Show me some examples where media in those markets pulled what certain media in this market pulled this week .... and then show me how those coaches handled it.

what did the media pull?

did they lie to leavitt?

did they promise him they would not do something?

they media did there job

leavitt has to adjust to the media.the media doesnt have to adjust to him

leavitt is alienating the media.he needs them.they dont need him

[smazza]

I know Leavitt is having a VERY ROUGH offseason. He's lost 2 of his best coaches, his top recruit ever left, the best guys in his recruiting class didn't qualify, has multiple drug suspensions, a few players are fighting grade issues, etc. But you cannot get on the wrong side of the media

THIS SAYS IT ALL

IT IS TIME WOOLLARD SIT DOWN WITH LEAVITT AND SHOW HIM WHO IS BOSS

LEAVITT HAS TO MAKE NICE WITH MEDIA

[Triple B]

The Zook frat fight came from a player who hated Zook, he told all to the columnist in Gainesville.

The Adrian McPherson story came from the OTHER (cannot recall the name) player involved in the incident. He was put on a longer suspension than McPherson and outed the program to the Democrat. It ended with Bowden having to testify in court about possible point shaving charges as a result.

Frat fights, point shaving, stolen checks .... these all involved stuff OUTSIDE the team. Again, there have been instances in the past where CJL has had to address things that involved stuff OUTSIDE the team and he didn't pull what he's pulling now. There is a difference ...

I know Leavitt is having a VERY ROUGH offseason. He's lost 2 of his best coaches, his top recruit ever left, the best guys in his recruiting class didn't qualify, has multiple drug suspensions, a few players are fighting grade issues, etc. But you cannot get on the wrong side of the media

If you read blogs, apparently USF has been on the wrong side of a particular media for a while now and I'm glad CJL has made a stand.

[Joe]

Point shaving outside the team? That's a direct effect on the outcomes of games if true...not to mention FSU had national media in on it. I think your trying to stretch to distinguish the two, I'm sorry, but anything involving key players on the team is related to the team and can have some type of effect on the team as whole and is a TEAM problem.

As for the media, it hasn't been all rosey lately, but there have been a lot of great news lately outside of the future games scheduled. I'm sorry, but they're only doing their jobs and if the news isn't good they have to report it. You think no other team gets bad local media? It happened in Miami last week with the Moore situation and a local columnist saying it was a 3rd failed drug test. What about the accusations of Tebow's dad at UF? The media is always looking for the story, and most times the NEGATIVE story will attract more attention. They're in the business of making money.

Stories of sunshine and lolipops are not going to sell, especially when there HAVE been real problems within the program.

[mutt]

The only thing the Trib needs to worry about...

[Triple B]

Point shaving outside the team? That's a direct effect on the outcomes of games if true...not to mention FSU had national media in on it. I think your trying to stretch to distinguish the two, I'm sorry, but anything involving key players on the team is related to the team and can have some type of effect on the team as whole and is a TEAM problem.

It's not a stretch at all. Ours was a strictly in-house situation and was being handled strictly in-house and should have been addressed publicly by USF, at their discretion. Point shaving involved outside gambling figures. Those others you tried to lump in involved and affected someone or something OUTSIDE the program.

This really isn't that hard to grasp.

[Joe]

And that isn't newsworthy? I mean it involved three guys who might have MAJOR playing issues.

FSU's suspension of Adrian McPherson started as an inhouse suspension that no one could figure out why he was suspended. He had a great game against Wake Forest, the FSU fans liked him as their QB and bam a mysterious suspension comes out of nowhere. FSU called it "vioaltion of team rules." When it was investigated into was when the check cashing scam came out, which later led to the gambling issues. However, It would have been investigated and released if it had been drugs, a fight, classroom cheating, or the check chasing...the difference is the story wouldn't have been some major national issue if it weren't for the latter.

I'm sorry that this got out and is an issue that should have been handled in the privacy of USF, but EVERY program from FIU to USC has media investigating ANY problem in their athletic department because IT'S THEIR JOB!

The way this was handled by Leavitt could only have been handled worse if he taken 87 Octane dowsed the room and lit a match. No coach at any level should treat the media like he did. I don't care how pissed off you are at the media, that is something you handle behind closed doors, or completely shut out (i.e.- don't give them a credential).  You cannot go pissing off the media, it's a tight knit group and if you piss one off, you piss em all off.

I'm sorry but stuff like this happens all over, and a coach has every right to be mad at the media for butting in. However, you cannot be mad at the media for doing their job.

[Dmince]

Smazza-Woolard does not need to sit Leavitt down.

I want Leavitt to win games. And he ussually does. How he gets along with the media really of no is no concern to me.

The only real way to make these papers cover us/expand there coverage is to keep winning. If we win 8 games, we will get more coverage. If we upset Louisville or WVU we'll get more coverage.

The fact is that this is USF v Mcneese in the opening weekend. We are not going to get a ton of coverage this week no matter what, especially with the UM FSU matchup.

If we lose any of these first three games, well then maybe its time for a sit down. But for now, who really cares.

Our season begins week 3. It will be the first real test, first game the media cares about, and the suspensions will only really matter if they end up carrying into this game.