Leavitt's 2-Minute Drill Irks Media

[smazza]

I have talked to a friend of mine who is a local network reporter and has said that CJL is not very media friendly which is why they don't do more coverage than they could.  I believe he does not need to "tell all" to reporters but I do think he needs to be a little more "media friendly" to the local news reporters.

As far as the suspensions story, I think this is growing pains for the program.  Bad things are going to happen to student athletes on the football team and they are going to be reported and they will make USF look bad.  As long as we win, the stories will be part of the history of the team.  But I don't think anyone was out of order doing a story about it.  If there was some sort of sneakiness the way the info was obtained or if there was bad info in the story then I don't agree with that.  We are always ******** about not knowing what is going on like we deserve to know all the secrets of athletics and yet when this happens, some/most of you don't know what to know, "keep it in-house."  

This is minor.  Although I don't condone a student-failing a drug test, I am guessing it is only pot and they are just dumb for doing it again after the first fail.  ( I am only guessing since this seems to be the drug of choice at USF).  There are a lot of professions and positions in life that are under the spotlight more than others and when they caught, it is a story.  Like it or not.  Anything that happens within USF athletics will most like be a story.  

i hope leavitt's boss helps leavitt see the light

i have listed many examples over the years that usf football could have done to make the  program more community friendly.this latest blowup is part of  a bigger problem that i believe will be fixed. it has to.

[smazza]

I think cjl and the usf sid need to do a better job in dealing with the media.  We want and have always wanted, even begged for coverage, and now that they are showing up, we pull crap like this.  I know someone who does a sports talk show out of gville/ocala that is broadcast on 6 fl stations and late in 2005 he was going to devote an entire show to usf, but didnt even get a phone call back from the sid to arrange some sounds bites and q&a's.    Obviously he didnt devote the show to usf.   He was very unimpressed with the class of the dept. as compared to other schools he has dealt with.

this is terrible!

you guys all complain you cant buy usf gear here or there

you guys all complain about lack of coverage and that other schools get more coverage

THE PROGRAM FROM ITS closed practices to all the examples given of an unfriendly football program arent conducive for building a football program an entire community can embrace.

the program has alot of fences to mend

[SRQ]

Give the SID dept. a break.  They're understaffed and they have to work with a guy who thinks he can be a jerk with no impunity.

This is an example of why many top coordinators fail as head coaches.  It's less about coaching and more about stuff most of these guys hate.

[Triple B]

Quick question...did Leavitt's laryngitis also cause the 2 promised QB's to the media to not show up?

Heck...if he was worried about layrngitis...wouldn't he of said..."Hey guys...my voice is gone...here are the 2 QB's we promised that would be available for questions today...so fire away to them instead. Thanks"

That would of make sense...right?

KL

Quicker question(s), what does it matter to you?  Don't you already have a team to be concerned with?

NM

[usfgrad84]

I've said this before about MCCullum and the same holds true for leavitt and all other Coaches.  Like it or not, part of being a head coach at this level is having to deal with the media.  One of the stated reasons for our acceptance into the Big East was the size of our TV market.  Think of how powerful a name we could build by being media savvy and projecting a strong, positve image with our access to the New York media market.  We have a tremendous story to tell with our relatively quick ascension in the football world.  We should be media darlings.  Like it or not (I believe he enjoys it), Leavitt is the public face of the program, especially outside of Tampa where we are not so well know.

At the very least, the athletic department should use some of the marketing budget to employ a media consultant (I'm sure someone at the new advertising agency is somewhat media savvy).  

It wouldn't hurt at all if Leavitt took a page out of a politicians handbook on press conferences.  Just have a short prepared statement and only take questions on prearranged subjects.  Even if a reporter asks something you don't want to answer, just answer what you want to answer.  It's not that difficult and it will go a long way.

[MikeG]

the program has alot of fences to mend

I don't know-- seems like all the fences are in place to keep everyone out. No mending necessary there but a gate and a welcome mat might be a nice touch.

Seriously though, I wonder if it comes down to trust. Perhaps what is going on is simply a matter of overprotecting the football program like a newborn baby.

But lets also keep this in some perspective. You can put together a list of individual things that have happened-- a blooper reel of sorts-- and use that to vilify something. Or you can look at what has been done that you can take pride in and look forward to more of the same.

In the overall scheme of things, this was one brief moment where things weren't as smooth as some might have liked. I think I can forgive that and look forward to a good season.

[smazza]

Give the SID dept. a break.  They're understaffed and they have to work with a guy who thinks he can be a jerk with no impunity.

This is an example of why many top coordinators fail as head coaches.  It's less about coaching and more about stuff most of these guys hate.

so true

the great head coaches have media eating out of their hand

leavitt will have to extend olive branch to media and i think he will

media isnt  so forgiven as die hard fans