I'm going to add my two pennies into the Mike Gundy debate. For those that aren't familiar with what happened, read this column, that appeared last Saturday before the Oklahoma State Cowboys played. Then came coach Mike Gundy's post-game news conference:
Finally, here's the rebuttal column from the sportswriter.
When a coach goes on a rant like this, it's the product of a lot of frustration that boils over. Coaches deal with a lot on their plate on a daily basis, and the responsibility doesn't ever get easier. The highest duty is always to the athletes under your command, and good coaches get very possessive of "their" kids. We really become surrogate parents. Like parents, it's okay for us to discipline our kids, but look out if anyone out there says anything bad about our kids. Then papa bear comes out, and it makes for entertaining television. I really understand where Mike Gundy was coming from.
The national sports media had a wonderful few days with this. It made for great sound on sports stalk radio. ESPN radio had morning hosts that agreed with Gundy and supported his point of view and a midday host that called it insane and predicted Gundy's immanent departure from the college coaching ranks. Both points of view got passionate calls, which is what talk radio wants. I believe the media missed who was the target audience for that rant.
Gundy was going off for the consumption of his players. He had made a difficult move to switch starting quarterbacks, his defense had just been shredded in a shoot-out which the team did win, but controversy was swirling around the team, being fed by a columnist. She needs readers, so "stirring the pot" gets her attention. How does Gundy respond to this situation? Usual coach-speak might work, but won't take any attention away from a possible quarterback controversy or a week of questions about his defense.
So Gundy made it all about him, while making a very important point to his athletes: Coach has my back. It's us against everyone. We're a team, a family and coach will go to the mat for us. I'm sure the offensive players would love to exult about their great performance and the team's win, but I'm absolutely sure that Gundy's boys will follow him into hell after his rant on the media, because they know and they've seen that he cares deeply for them. Deeply enough to deal with a week or more of media insanity for them.
As a final side note, I think the columnist is disgusting. She claims "sources and facts," but actually claims not one. No quotes, interviews, nothing. She writes that her integrity has been attacked, but she doesn't understand what her function is. She's a columnist, someone hired to write an opinion. Columnists don't have to support their work with facts. They can make things up from whole cloth if they so choose. But somehow, she's offended that she got called out over and over again on national television. She doesn't like being told that her opinion stinks. Anyone can say that: it's free speech. Her problem is that it's getting far more airtime.
I like what Gundy said and did. I agree with him. He must be one heck of a coach.
7 comments:
Jay, don't you think that Gundy could have thought out a better argument than the one he used. If he had gone to the conference without screaming and yelling about "being a man," wouldn't it be safe to assume that most pressure would have been shifted from him to the journalist? I agree that a journalist, A JOURNALIST, who writes because of the First Amendment is not happy because of someone's opinion on her opinions. She gets to sit behind her desk and write about people she wants all day, but as soon as a light is turned to her then free speech becomes unfair? I agree with Gundy's point, just not in the way that he presented it.
Ah, but don't you see? The screaming and yelling was key. A logical, cold speech would only introduce rationality into the whole situation, and would not have gathered as much attention as it did. The headlines would read "coach disputes quarterback controversy" and everyone would question why he brought it up right after an inspirational game.
The result has put more pressure on the columnist--she wrote the second column, in which she comes off waspy, bitchy and whiney, in my opinion. I think that Gundy knew what he was doing.
Jay, its really no surprise that you'd agree with the coach in this situation. Its no surprise because its so easy to see you doing this exact same thing. Not coincidentally, I think its the fact that your rowers know this that makes you such a popular coach with them.
Anyway, sorry it took me so long to post and hope the lads are coming along. We're gearing up for Boston, and in typical Pitt Crew style, finally set a final line-up on Saturday morning. I'll drop you a line sometime before the race.
Oh yeah and I just thought you'd like to know, our "A" varsity boat at Head of the Schuylkill is racing in the Men's Heavy Championship Open 8. I remember you always wanted us to race eights so even though its just for one race you're dream is finally being realized.
Go fast, Steve
Hey Jay, in case you didnt check, just thought I'd let you know we got fourth in the Club 4 at Charles. Its only our second medal ever at the race.
Also thanks for the encouragement, even something as small as Go fast steve definately helped to maotivate me.
Jay, are Central and Fox Chapel doing their four mile race this fall?
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