Dooley's Press Conference and the 24 Hour News Cycle
by Getoffmyvols on Jan 3, 2012 12:05 PM EST
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PrintI once heard Jonathan Stewart say in an interview that ‘the 24 hour news cycle is really only built for events like 9/11’. During all other times the 24 hour news cycle is largely unnecessary. When there is no concrete news to fill all of that TV, Radio and Print space, a lot of it gets filled with speculation, discussion and ideas. The issue that arises with this format is if something gets said, its news. Whether or not anything actually happened, its news. How many times can you recall a headline being something about what some writer or TV personality has said or theorized?
In my opinion, Tennessee has become its own worst enemy in this environment in the last 5-6 years. The 24 hour news cycle exists in college sports too, and while it certainly serves its purpose during stories like Michael Vick’s scandal or the Penn State situation, the past month in Tennessee’s football universe has not been worthy of a 24 news cycle. That’s what I took the most out of Derek Dooley’s press conference today, that we all need to take a moment and relax.
Regardless of how you feel about the team’s performance this year (and I am of the school that feels the team underperformed to their talent level), I think the speculation, the rampant rumors and accusations that have flown around since the Kentucky game have been on the level of ridiculous. After that game it’s like the flood gates opened and any bad thought anyone has had about the state of the program is fair game and news worthy. Everything Dooley said today made sense. Yes, this is a make or break year for him, but for now he’s here, and wants to be here (imagine that!). What’s best for Tennessee Football in 2012 is for the team to play extremely well with Derek Dooley as the head coach. I’m not going to spend this off season worrying about what may or may not happen if and when he is asked to leave. Can we please stop looking for reasons to fire him before we have a REAL chance to see what a season looks like the year we've said all along would be the tell all?
With that said, Scattered thoughts on the press conference today…
Wilcox and Sirmon leaving: Coaching turnover is just a big part of the sand box we play in these days. Yes it sucks to lose two promising coaches in the heat of recruiting season,but let’s stop acting like this is automatically indicative of everything that is wrong with Tennessee. This is part of the risk you take when you hire people that are young and have lifetime ties in places that are far away from Tennessee. The fact that we didn’t announce Randy Shannon or some other “home run” hire in less than 24 hours does not automatically mean we won’t have a good defense next year or in years to come. Charlie Baggett leaving was a blow but everyone seems to be on board with Jay Graham as a replacement. That took some time, let’s give this some time as well.
DeAnthony Arnett: Dooley eventually arrived at the correct decision to release him. Let’s accept that fact and move on. It’s not worth it to make a big deal of how he got there as we don’t know (and nor should we really) what the situation was beyond closed doors.
DaRick Rogers: I was disappointed as any in listening to the RTT podcast with Wes Rucker several weeks back. But let’s not forget he’s 19 years old. He’s been treated as a star his whole life. He needs to grow up. I’m reminded of the bell curve of character Dooley described during his first recruiting class, hopefully DaRick moves towards the middle and benefits from being around some seemingly great kids already on this team.
I hope Derek Dooley is the man for the job. Go Vols!
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I'd even argue
that the 24-hour news cycle was a problem in the Penn State case. Firings before having concrete information on what actually happened? Check. But yeah, generally good point.
I still think you’re downplaying Wilcox and Sirmon a bit much. They’ve got 9 returning starters at Tennessee, and Wilcox can parlay one more good year into a head coaching job. Getting close to home isn’t enough to make that move—I’m worried about what they see happening at Tennessee.
Agree on Arnett, Rogers, Dooley
If I cared more about my UNC side, I'd call myself "Tar Volon," and that'd be awesome.
Bolts, Canes, Preds (now in different conferences!). Canes mini-STH. Southern hockey solidarity
Rocky Top Talk
by Incipient_Senescence on Jan 3, 2012 1:00 PM EST reply actions
How do you know getting close to home wasn't enough?
I see where you’re going and don’t necessarily disagree, but unless you had a substantial conversation with the man, you don’t know. Why write as if this opinion is unassailable fact?
because this isn't his only chance to get close to home
but this is the one he took
If I cared more about my UNC side, I'd call myself "Tar Volon," and that'd be awesome.
Bolts, Canes, Preds (now in different conferences!). Canes mini-STH. Southern hockey solidarity
Rocky Top Talk
by Incipient_Senescence on Jan 7, 2012 3:14 PM EST up reply actions
We're part of that cycle too, of course
and we exist to have commentary and conversation 365 days a year. But what we try to do is make sure it’s good commentary and good conversation.
There’s so much focus on the NFL, for instance, that people feel like they have to fill that space with things that will produce quantity of conversation instead of quality, if that makes sense. Every September in Week 2, you’ll hear, “Is this a must-win game for ___________?” Why are we having a conversation about any NFL team facing a must-win game in Week 2? There’s no such thing. But it always happens.
And there’s always a team among the league’s most-popular that rides the roller coaster. This year it was the Giants: Week 1, they lose to the Redskins, they suck. Then they win three straight, they’re Super Bowl bound. Lose at home to Seattle by eleven, they suck. Win three straight, Super Bowl and Eli Manning is massively underrated. Lose four straight (three to the best teams in the NFC), and Tom Coughlin should be fired and Eli replaced. Beat Dallas, they’re setting themselves up for a late season run. Lose to Washington, fire Coughlin. But beat the Jets and Cowboys to close, and now we’re comparing them to the Packers last year as the team that comes from out of nowhere to win it all.
I’m not making any of that up – it’s all real conversation or real segments from ESPN over the course of the year. And it’s all such a wasted exercise to produce noise.
That’s why I said yesterday: support Dooley, because he’s your coach. Everything else is a waste of time right now, and not what Tennessee should be about.
Anyway, good post.
But like I said in a comment under another post...
If Dooley addresses the media 2 or 3 weeks ago, a lot of this soap opera crap doesn’t get out of hand to the level it has. Dooley does not seem very media-savvy, for someone who seems so comfortable around reporters, and especially for someone who is entering his third year coaching an SEC team. He should know by now that if you go into hiding for a month (particularly after something like losing to Kentucky,) then people will start talking about crazy things. Vol fans are not unique in this.
Lou Brock loves Lamp.
not to drag politics into this
but Dad and I were talking a couple days ago about a former president who didn’t really explain himself publicly, even when the media and country at large were ignoring pretty obvious motivations behind certain actions. Dad’s best explanation is that he thought it was beneath him. I wonder if there’s a little of that in Dooley. “My job is to coach the football team, not to explain myself to the media.” He’s obviously very personable and does a great job in the press conference when he actually has them, but there might be some of that regarding why he doesn’t have them much—especially during heavy recruiting season
If I cared more about my UNC side, I'd call myself "Tar Volon," and that'd be awesome.
Bolts, Canes, Preds (now in different conferences!). Canes mini-STH. Southern hockey solidarity
Rocky Top Talk
by Incipient_Senescence on Jan 3, 2012 2:51 PM EST up reply actions
This.
I remember during the first offseason before he coached a game one of his press conferences he quipped “my job isn’t to just stand in front of the media and talk”. While true, he is accountable for the perception of the program and well timed press conferences or press releases can keep wild rumors from gaining steam. There is a balancing act however and if he had a presser every time there was a rumor regarding the football program… he’d never leave the podium.
Bring it across, shape it down
Seriously
I would rather him be out recruiting than hold a press conference everytime the bi-polar fan base starts playing telephone.
Besides, what other currently employed SEC HC’s have had press conferences not directly related a bowl game in the last month?
"I condone fun things" ~~ Cortland Finnegan
Hello ladies. Look at your man, now back to me, now back at your man, now back to me. Sadly, he isn't me.
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It's a trick question
Are there any other SEC coaches this year who didn’t make a bowl game and kept their jobs? Joker Phillips, maybe?
Sure, recruiting is more important than giving press conferences at this time of the year. But I really don’t think speaking to the press more often than the zero times in the last month that Dooley did would interfere with recruiting. Weren’t there dead periods in there?
Lou Brock loves Lamp.
This is true
and I think so is Dooley’s “there are more important things I can do than talk to the media/it isn’t that important” stance; as in I think that’s what he really believes.
A press conference
would not be the only way to quell the rumors. He could have had an exclusive interview with any number of media reps to discuss only what he wanted to talk about. In our internet crazy sports society, you never know what recruits are reading. I would hope they take message board fodder for what it is worth, but they are 17 and 18 year old kids. If our Vols win 8 games next year, Dooley keeps his job, imo. If not, it will be another $5m buyout.
Still can't believe Hamilton gave Dooley a $5 Million buyout
What on earth could have possibly made him think that was necessary? Was he afraid a coach with 17-20 lifetime record at Louisiana Tech was going to turn down an offer to coach in the SEC?
Here’s how I picture the negotiation going: “Coach, why don’t you and your agent take a look at this, fill in the blanks yourselves, and then get it back to me?”
Lou Brock loves Lamp.
The demand for constant output...
is absolutely a hassle for journalists. You are supposed to focus on interesting and relevant information, but you WILL run out of these things before your boss lets you stop.
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