Notre Dame Beat Reporters And Cierre Wood

 

 

The Irish beat reporters for the local rags and even the better Notre Dame oriented websites all need to put food on the table and add to college funds.  They walk a tight line in maintaining and gaining access to the players, staff and coaches while writing articles with substance and news.  They need to stay in the good graces of the coaches and school media relations department.  Unfortunately they have a number of strikes against them. 

*  The coaches converse in ‘coach talk’ and do not want to give out any real information or tidbits of news that an opposing team could use in developing their game plans.  Injuries, suspensions, personal issues with players, etc.

*  The players are prepped by the media staff.  They throw out the usual clichés about ‘wanting to help the team’, ‘just want to have a seat on the bus’ and ‘are working hard every day and trying to improve’.

*  We have probably read or heard 95% of coach Brian Kelly’s press conferences.  He offers little information and makes the reporters ask the questions.  Not a bad approach however it eats into the time the reporters have with Kelly.  Case in point, last week Kelly walked into the Thursday press conference and could have announced Everett Golson as his starting quarterback but he didn’t.  He made a reporter ask the question.  A couple of earlier press conferences he got a little irritated by the same question and had an offhand remark in response.

*  Twittering has become the social norm and more information, breaking news and events hit the internet that media first. 

*  Papers are slow and dying.  Although all newspapers have websites and reporters post there constantly.  Most have twitter accounts as well.

The story of Cierre Wood and his two game suspension is everywhere.  Broke team rules is the reported reason.  Bulletin boards and minor blogs state the rumor that he failed a drug test for marijuana.  THAT IS RUMOR ONLY.

Kelly and his staff have kept the reporters in the dark, however there were red flags.

Wood was not at fall practice for the first couple of days because of “paperwork business that needed to be completed”.  Come on, this guy is a senior, went to summer school, participated in the unofficial 7-7 drills, worked out in the weight room and he didn’t have his papers in order?  Red flag number one.

Wood the projected starting RB, coming off a 1,000+ plus season was NOT made available to the press all during fall camp and practice.  Red flag number two.

As of today, August 27, six days before Navy, no official depth chart has been published or posted on the Notre Dame website.  No reporters have written articles concerning the actual offensive and defensive starting lineups.  Red flag number three.  Editors Note:  As of August 28, UND website has posted a 2-deep depth chart.

Editors are pretty picky when it comes to scoops, breaking stories or ones that have substances and are news worthy such as the Wood suspension.  You need two sources.  We suspect they could smell something.

So how come no one asked Kelly about Cierre Wood?