The Uselessness of Press Conferences

Ok, I'm going to vent here for a minute and feel free to disagree with me.

As a student of the game and as someone who has lost more minutes of his life watching coaches' press conferences than I care to tally, it is clearly evident that the quality of question being asked these days to the coaches really speaks to where journalism in general is. These conferences really are a supreme waste of a coach's time, and you can see it written all over Kirby's face. I don't blame him. If I had to be asked "coach, what do you think Justin Fields brings to the team?," I think it would take a tremendous amount of self-possession not to just walk out of the room.

Sports beat writers used to be not only fans, but students of the game. Questions used to be meaningful, now they're just 15 minutes of useless air with maybe, if you're lucky, one or two pertinent questions asked. Instead of "coach, what level of detail are you focusing on this week in zone coverage," or "coach, why are we seeing so little of the tight ends thus far this season?," Kirby will be asked "coach, can you talk how much Deandre Baker means to this team and how much you've seen him develop?"

I'm just sick of it. Forgive me if I'm just ranting, but these questions really are amateur hour. No wonder Saban has the attitude with the media he does. I can't blame him.

The most valuable information gleaned from these press conferences is the injury report.

Tried to follow Seth Emerson regularly once he hired on with the AJC. Watched and read most of what he had to say. Particularly liked Seth's way of listening to Smart and the players as they talked. Asked some questions but not the off the wall "stuff" that you refer to SouthernDawg. Refer to accurately, IMO. Like David Hale before him, Seth mentioned he did not like the "click" game that was apparently mandatory in his job with the AJC. Both have moved on to brighter futures with much less of the business of creating headlines for all of us ordinary folks that do no like the actions of some.

Below is an article that caught my interest. Follow or try to follow football at a higher level than I get from those that are still not getting the message from Kirby Smart . . . . He learned from the best and most successful football coach in college sports. He paid attention for the many years served under Saban. JMHO.

Good read SouthernDawg.

trackemtigers.com/what-if-auburn-had-hir...d-smart-over-malzahn

Some interesting comments from the Auburn faithful to the above article.

Kirby will be asked "coach, can you talk how much Deandre Baker means to this team and how much you've seen him develop?"

SouthernDawg, moving around a bit . . . . comment above lifted from your thread . . . . A bit of realism from Murf Baldwin about Nolan Smith, no garbage talk. Another reason that I think we, UGA, reach heights shared only by a few after the 2019 Class lands in Athens. Don't mean to interrupt your postings, trying in my own way to add to same. Deandre Baker's name caught my attention for sure, football player.

Nakobe Dean and Nolan Smith . . . .Wow!! Crossed fingers on Nakobe Dean.



www.hudl.com/video/3/5575892/5a44a972688e562bc8840c78

SouthernDawg wrote: Ok, I'm going to vent here for a minute and feel free to disagree with me.

As a student of the game and as someone who has lost more minutes of his life watching coaches' press conferences than I care to tally, it is clearly evident that the quality of question being asked these days to the coaches really speaks to where journalism in general is. These conferences really are a supreme waste of a coach's time, and you can see it written all over Kirby's face. I don't blame him. If I had to be asked "coach, what do you think Justin Fields brings to the team?," I think it would take a tremendous amount of self-possession not to just walk out of the room.

Sports beat writers used to be not only fans, but students of the game. Questions used to be meaningful, now they're just 15 minutes of useless air with maybe, if you're lucky, one or two pertinent questions asked. Instead of "coach, what level of detail are you focusing on this week in zone coverage," or "coach, why are we seeing so little of the tight ends thus far this season?," Kirby will be asked "coach, can you talk how much Deandre Baker means to this team and how much you've seen him develop?"

I'm just sick of it. Forgive me if I'm just ranting, but these questions really are amateur hour. No wonder Saban has the attitude with the media he does. I can't blame him.

The most valuable information gleaned from these press conferences is the injury report.

They seem to be asking questions for the lowest common denominator of football fans, and the big problem there is that level of fan isn't even watching a coach's presser.

.... at least that's what I would want to believe giving the "journalists" some benefit of the doubt, but you are closer to the truth: These so called "journalists" are on that lowest common denominator level and don't understand the game on any level any deeper than that.

'Tis sad.. I hardly ever even bother watching them
these days.

SouthernDawg, you have probably read what I am pasting below in bold/italics, if not . . . . Leaves little doubt in my mind the "beat reporter" Kirby is "backhanding" is being given a lesson by someone who has played and coached all levels of football.

“You can’t have a plan, because we don't know how the game is going to go,” Smart said. “That doesn’t mean we don't have a plan in practice, doesn't mean we don't get certain reps for certain guys, but if you sit here and think that we know exactly when Justin is going to go in or when Jake is going to go into the game on the third series or the fourth snap in the second quarter, the game doesn't work like that.

“It just doesn’t work like that. We don’t know how they’re going to play us, what front they’re going to play us in, what pressures they're going to run. So a lot of that is determined in game, and that's why we practice.”

I would remind that same beat reporter that is what successful coaches do at halftime . . . . adjust. Adjustments are also made throughout the game as Smart says above.

Say once again, Furman Bisher, Jesse Outlar and many others prepared better to ask a reasonable question of any head coach, received their pay the "old fashioned way" . . . .they "earned it".

Buc,

Very true. Not only is he educating (a.k.a. backhanding) the journalist, but he's also driving home the point that he's not going to reveal the gameplan. I honestly think some of these people truly expect Kirby - or any other coach for that matter - to reveal how they're preparing for their next opponent and what their plan of attack is going to be.

Either that's an incredible level of stupidity or an incredible level of perceived self-importance to think that a coach is going to say "well Chip, right now we're planning on running a cover 2 to jam the wideouts because we know they're explosive in the deep halves, but we're also scheming for a 2 gap in the 4-3 because we want to get pressure on the QB and they like to involve their tight end, so we'll just have to wait and see what they throw at us, but that's our plan right now."

Each week I put up the post-game presser on here, and while I'll continue to do it for tradition's sake and because I'm a creature of routine, I'll certainly understand if no one cares to watch. I can't blame them one iota.

Mark my words though - I predict a Kirby meltdown in the press room before season's end.