Sports Media Guide Interview - Tom Keegan
Friday, December 8, 2006 at 12:36PM Keegan is the Sports Editor at the Lawrence (Kansas) Journal World. There isn't much about KU football in the interview, but it's a good discussion on writing and the modern sports information marketplace, particularly athlete access, the recruiting websites and message boards, MySpace/Facebook and so on.
Keegan is clearly defensive of writers and the critique they face from fans. I can't blame him, but it makes me think about my Pundit Roundups. I'm quite critical of many of the writers mentioned. It's not their writing abilities --far superior to mine-- that I take issue with. It's their thoughts, their ideas; I simply disagree at times. But I respect each and every one of them, it's not easy filling space day after day. But they are in their positions because they can write and write well.
Excerpt:
Q. Your take on access issues?
A. It really bothers me. They're all trying to herd you – you all get the same stuff – it's really hard to be at your best when you don't have the access.Q. Is that true in college sports?
A. It's more the case than I would have guessed. For football the lockerroom is closed – they'll bring you certain players you request after games – but not all the ones you request. You get access on one day, Tuesday, and often the players you want aren't around.
That will never change, and I don't blame the SID's and schools for limiting access. The college kids aren't professionals (yet) and can say some crazy things. That's fun for the writers but bad for the kids and the universities.
Reader Comments (1)
The issue I have the most difficulty accepting is the fact female athletes get privacy and respect - time to shower and change, but male athletes don't. Its as Murray Rothbard said, its as if respect was purely reserved for female athletes.
We do women expect men to tolerate something there not prepared to tolerate themselves? I guess this is more at the pro level, rather than college.