RebKell's Junkie Boards

[KatValeska]

I just finished resigning from the newspaper for which I had been providing coverage of the CU women's basketball team for up until today.

Actually, I'd resigned last March because I no longer wished to deal with the teams' media relations fascist.

But over the summer my editor- who was a wonderful man as well as editor, talked me into coming back despite the fact that I have a real job and one that leaves me financially wanting for nothing. I'm secure in my position, and simply have no interest anymore in pursuing a career in journalism.

After discussing the matter with my real bosses and getting their ok - I agreed to cover the team because, having gotten to know the kids over the past four years - well - ya can't help but to love them.

But prior to my first interview with coach McConnell-Miller this summer, the media relations fascist said I need to first meet with him.

He told me that I needed to be more careful with my questions as the previous season I had pissed off Coach Miller by asking follow-up questions.

BTW -I had asked her why she had sat the player she had earlier said was the team's star for all but eight minutes while her team was getting spanked by whichever team it was - I don't recall offhand and don't feel like looking it up right now.

Her answer to my question was that opposing teams were focusing their defenses on shutting Jasmina Ilic down, so that is why she sat her.

Being the curious type of reporter, I then asked her why Texas didn't sit Tiffany Jackson, or Nebraska sit Kiera Hardy for the majority of a game because an opponent was focused on shutting them down.

I don't recall her answer. But it did lead me to an additional follow-up question ... to cut to the chase - I basically pressed her on the issue because I felt the original answer was bullshit by omission - or "coach-speak" if you will.

So back to original summer meeting with media relations fascist - he told me I needed to be more careful with my questions this year if I wanted to retain full access to the coach.

He added "And this may sound strange Katie - but you try too hard."

I told him I did my job the way I thought the job should be done and that I couldn't imagine a coach telling a player they are trying too hard.

Oh, and btw - the editor who had talked me into coming back landed a much better job and left this paper three weeks before the season started and I stopped caring about whether or not I kept this job at that point

Well, my fascist friend and I have had several awkward moments this year already. Then yesterday's practice - it all came out.

First I interviewed senior post player Anna Nedovic - who I would call the sweetest person I've ever had the pleasure of knowing during my four years of CU sports coverage - 2 years ago I covered every CU sport. At the end of the interview - and much to my surprise - Anna gave me a big hug and wished me a Merry Christmas.

Then I interviewed another player who has not been getting any playing time - and I tell you I adore this kid - and I had planned on writing a piece questioning why she was not getting any court time.

My initial question to her was why she felt she wasn't getting minutes despite the fact that she had been productive last season and during her brief minutes this year.

She was clearly upset as she gave the company line "I just have to respect that coach is doing what she feels is best for the team."

I followed up with, "But I mean, you're human, you're not upset at not playing?"

She started to answer and then completely lost it - and media relations jerk grabbed her and hustled her off to the locker room.

I lost it then too and found some curtains behind the gym to hide behind and have a good cry myself - it killed me to see this kid in tears.

Anyway, I'm fairly certain what had transpired was not because of the big mean reporter asking hard questions. I think it transpired because, naturally, she was hurt that she wasn't getting any minutes.

So media relations fascist returns and finds me and gives me a dirty look, but then seeing my tears he asks me if I'm o.k. - to which I reply - "no, I'm not ."

Still, I had a job to do, so I took about 30 more seconds, put my brave face back on and went up to fascist guy.

He immediately starts telling me in an increasingly voluble tone of voice that I had "no business asking her the same question twice."

I tried to explain to him what a follow-up question is and how it is a part of my job to ask them. I also tell him I've had it with him talking to me like I am his stepchild.

He then says something alluding to my lacking any common sense. At which point I informed him I thought he was "an asshole." He asked me to repeat that which I gladly did. I then told him I would go to the office and resign and see if the paper could find someone who would treat women's basketball as if it were a tea party where nobody should ever get hurt.

I did go to the office and after explaining exactly what happened - an allowing the editor to hear the tape - which he agreed were perfectly legit questions - along with the managing editor, I was asked to stay on and allow them to work things out with CU.

But this morning I woke up and decided I had to resign and made the call and said it had to be - effective immediately.

CU may not be different than any other school in this respect - but I can say for certain that the CU women's basketball media relations guy expects reporters to be nothing more than an extension of CU public relations. And frankly, it ain't any fun being a hand puppet.

I was so damn sick of regurgitating KMM's tired excuses. Her teams have been getting their asses whooped, not because" they are so young", and not because she is still "experimenting with different combinations on the floor" - they are getting whooped because they are being out coached and out coached badly.

KMM has two assistants in Beth Ord and Aisha Veasley - both great people btw - who are outstanding recruiters. But it is my perception that KMM is a terrible in-game coach.

And frankly, I worry that she may be taking CU in the same direction Deb Patterson is being accused of taking KSU. No proof - just a bad feeling. One thing I can say for sure is that when I first met her upon her hire -over lunch - she scowled with disapproval when I made a disparaging remark about Rene Portland.

Yes, I'm still gonna root for the kids (young women really) - especially Jazz - as she is not only a special player on the court - she never came off in an interview as a player just towing the company line.

But I do have serious reservations about KMM as a person and as a coach - and dang it feels great to finally be able to speak my mind about it.

[bballjunkee212]

You mean, it wasn't the fans after all?

Too bad, because I think wcbb needs reporters like you-- someone who loves the game and the players, but will also ask the questions that need asking.

But this media relations guy just seems to be evidence for the theory I have had for a while, that coaches are more secure than men's coaches because the schools have goals for the wcbb programs, which don't necessarily include winning championships or developing players as players.

_________________
~Bill

[Jimi3]

This ole conservative Kansas State fan is sad to see you gone as a reporter.

But glad to have you back as a FREE fan.


GO KV.

_________________
"Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." Will Rogers

[KatValeska]

Thanks Jimi - it feels really good to be free.

BTW - Buffs are getting spanked up at South Dakota State - another 20-plus point blowout. Final 80-56.

Gee, I wonder what KMM's spin will be on this one - the 4th-straight loss? How about a coach that doesn't have any control over her team?

BTW Jimi - how about my Penguins? Wonder why there's no excuses about youth in the Burgh?

[Jimi3]

South Dakota State is starting to make a habbit of embarassing teams. Still you are right about the youth excuse. At some point you have to see results. Maybe KMM will get it together, but right now it does not look promising. Hopefully there are better times ahead for the Buffs.

_________________
"Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." Will Rogers

[accommodatingly]

If this means KatV will have more info for the Board Junkies then there's a silver lining. Sorry about the end of the paying gig. Yikes.

Sounds like there's a reason Ceal Barry left.

KatV, any chance you could move to a better environment for women's hoops? Or are you pretty much settled in Boulder?

[LadyDevilFan]

Good for you for sticking to your principles and refusing to be bullied!

[KatValeska]

[ucbart]

[Joey Nations]

While I may be in the minority here, I do feel that you may have stepped over the line a bit. It seemed like your intention was to write a piece that bashed the coach because a certain player wasn't getting the playing time you felt she deserved. You asked the player once and she gave you the standard answer and then you pushed forward hoping to get the answer you wanted. The media relations guy's job is to make sure the team is put in a positive light, especially for a team not doing well and probably not getting a whole lot of media attention. He probably felt that nothing good would come of the story and hence his reaction.

For example, Maryland transfer Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood is eligible to play next week and since her arrival everyone wants to talk about why she left Tennessee. Sa'de has made it clear that she doesn't want to talk about it and I believe if she was pressed on the issue the SID would also step in to end the interview.

The coach may be doing her best to avoid addressing certain issues, it does sound like you were trying to be the sounding board for the players and their issues with the coach.

_________________
"People kept saying why are you looking at Maryland, why are you even talking to them? Well, look at us now!" - Crystal Langhorne, NCAA Champion

http://www.terpswomenshoops.blogspot.com

[caune]

Bash...oh how I hate that term when talking about the media. Reporters are not there as PR people, they are there to find facts and sometimes it takes a follow up question or two to get to the real meat of the issue. Journalism is sure not what it used to be

Kat I'm sorry that your gig ended, but at least it will give you more time to post

_________________
Because there is only one Diana Taurasi.
@Phoenix Mercury

[PUmatty]

[fancy_daniel]

I'm sorry to hear that reporting for CU women's basketball was so difficult.

Having been a former report and media guy, I can tell you that the type of behavior you experienced was not necessary.

And it's a loss for the women's basketball team, especially for those players.

Oftentimes, what I've experienced is that these media guys overstep their boundaries and try to control too much what is being said in the paper.
They are hired to manage things but they are not journalist, have no interest in trying to be objective and have no right to be talking to a reporter in the way they talked to you.

It seems like you were nothing but professional and this flak and the coach were only concerned with putting their spin on things in order to protect themselves.

I hope you find another outlet to keep writing because it is truly a shame to lose good reporters that care about the womens' game.

[timeout]

KV - I'm sorry to hear of your experience and your resignation. I can certainly understand how difficult it must have been to come to that decision.

This won't affect your plans to interview Kim Richey, will it? I hope not - I really want to read it!

[hooper1]

I'm glad you feel relieved about leaving. Sometimes personal health is more important than a job. I wonder if your replacement will give in to the pressure and give the PR people what they want - no serious questions? I would had to see those weasels get what they want.

[CB]

Sorry for the bad experience.

If you still do the Kim interview, I too look forward to reading it.

Wow, lives in Boulder, less stress and working at home.

_________________
"All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke

[jfox108]

Hey there - sorry to hear about your experience. Sounds like you made the right decision for you though. I reckon this explains your absence from MSN Messenger lately.

_________________
"Mama can't help your jumpshot!"

[Eireann]

I'm sorry to hear about your experience.

Just a few thoughts. It seems, from what I've seen, like sports reporting ends up being very different from other reporting. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but I don't think sports reporters are really considered unbiased, especially if they have a "beat" team. (ESPN or Sports Illustrated probably have a little more of a duty to be unbiased than Podunk University's school paper). Most sports reporters are friends with the coaches and the players, and take what they give them. I think you'll see a lot more probing and difficult questions with like political reporting or something like that (though I think we could see a lot more with politics).

It sounds like you took sports reporting a lot more like other beats are usually done. Like I said, I don't know really if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but it's interesting, and I would like to see more people doing it, so good for you. I think the PR people are used to reporters taking what the athletic department wants them to take, and nothing else.

PR departments and coaches often control whether players can speak or not also. Most players don't just speak independently. It would be nice to hear them do that, but it might actually also be divisive. Should the playing time stay between the player and the coach? What if she's not playing because she's failing all of her classes? I don't know. Sorry, this is just a bunch of random thoughts, but it was really interesting to hear about your experience. Good luck with everything.

[GlennMacGrady]

Nice avatar, Eireann. One of the few craft that could beat mine ... though it takes seven more dippers.

College sports reporting can be a very hybrid form of journalism, and some of the internet and electronic varieties are overtly incestuous. The "journalists" too often become captives of the athletic department, sometimes willing captives. Like the team's local TV and radio announcers, who are literally hired or approved by the school, the writers are expected to be team players.

At least that's what I sense around UConn. They want to keep a leash on what words are written and what pictures are published. Even a syndicated opinion columnist like Jeff Jacobs has to walk fine lines. When touchy issues such as ethics and shoe contracts arise, only the most powerful local papers take on those issues, and only do so via their news departments rather than their sports writers.

For these reasons, I've passed on a couple of opportunities to be press credentialed. I know that I don't have the intellectual temperament or interest to toe lines or stay inside boxes. I can certainly understand why many others would feel the same way. Especially if you are not financially dependent on journaling a sports beat.

[KatValeska]

Even the dissenting contribution - though some the assumptions made were erroneous -was appreciated.

I haven’t responded until now because I left Thursday morning for Pittsburgh - my original hometown. I'm home for a Christmas vacation - and the first time in 15 years will spend Christmas day with my family.

I'm staying at my mother's house for the duration of the 13-day vacation and she hasn't joined the internet age. My kid sister lives relatively nearby so it's my escape when needed. And she is, obviously, internet savvy.

But it is great to see my mother living in a new house. Lived in the town for most of my life and I never knew there was that beautiful of an area in Bethel Park one could live in. House is at the top of a hill, 100 yeard from the street and there are 500 trees between all of the neighbors. Breathtaking actually.

As for the original post - it was certainly unprofessional of me to call the guy a profane name - and I'm not proud I stopped to that level. And I should have waited a few days before making that post - good-old hindsight


Thanks for the offer Bart, but I reckon it'll be impossible for me to not root for the same young women.

All three of our seniors - including a walk-on - are very special people.

When I get back home on the 28th, yes, I reckon I’ll be posting more than ever – and henceforth w/o the caution of writing what I believe.

Meantime, hope y’all have a Merry Christmas - or enjoy which holiday(s) you may be celebrating..

Ant jfox – I’ll be back on IM by the 28th – very happy holidays and blessings to all and such.

Gonna take in Princeton @ Duquesne- on the 22nd.
Sadly, the Red Flash and Pitt have no home games during my stay.

O - and vacations are good .