ESPN's Ted Miller Debunks LA Times UCLA Beat Reporter's Latest Hitjob On Rick Neuheisel
by Nestor on Nov 19, 2009 3:32 PM PST
in Media Watch
24 comments
I am sure many of you have already read the latest piece of trashy reporting from Chris Foster today in the LA Times. Chris Foster is the same beat reporter who has been pushing misinformation on Stan Hasiak in recent weeks.
Well today Mr. Foster wrote a huge story on - get this - a college football head coach (who was a former Rose Bowl champion/MVP quarterback) being tough on his QBs! It's an epic piece for the LA Times. They had their UCLA beat reporter (who hasn't provided anything of substance on UCLA's upcoming opponent on what is shaping up to be the biggest regular season game to date) write up 1,109 word novel on how UCLA head football coach communicates with his quarterbacks.
It's huge expose! Foster tried to get something negative out of both Kevins (Craft and Prince) on Neuheisel but neither Prince nor Craft bit on Foster's gotcha game (no link for trashy articles per BN rules so I am just going to bold the parts I would have linked if it were a legitimate news story):
"It took me a little bit of time to understand why Coach Neuheisel does that," says Kevin Craft, who was often the object of red-faced, drill-sergeant-like rants when he was the starter last season. "He's passionate about this and wants to coach us, and he's doing it in a manner that it's on you." [...]
"You just have to play like you know how and accept the criticism when things go wrong," Prince says. "That's the way Coach Neuheisel coaches. He gets riled up and wants to win badly."
So then Chris tried to get something juicy out of former UCLA QBs. Unfortunately for the so called beat reporter, the former Bruin QBs essentially validated what CRN has been doing by comparing him to legendary Homer Smith (the best OC UCLA had in last 20-30 years prior to arrvial of Norm Chow):
"Homer Smith demanded you soak up knowledge," says former Bruins quarterback Tom Ramsey, who entered UCLA with Neuheisel in 1979.
"You not only had to know what 11 guys were doing on the field, you had to know what all 22 guys were doing. If you didn't, you weren't going to be on the roster."
So nothing there either. So Foster then called up CRN's former QB at Colorado to find out whether he would dish out some dirt on CRN:
Hessler remembers that in 1995, after he threw for five touchdowns in his college debut, an upset over 10th-ranked Oklahoma, Neuheisel told him, "You deserve it, kid. You deserve all this."
But then, two years later against Michigan, a national television audience watched the coach rail at his quarterback before Hessler even got to the sideline.
"We had a love-hate relationship for a long time," Hessler says. "He chewed on me harder than any steak I have ever chewed on. It's because he expects a ton."
Well nothing unusual there either. So then Foster tried to dial up another former CRN coached QB and OMG looky here apparently he found some dirt!:
Another former Neuheisel quarterback doesn't seem as forgiving. Toronto Argonauts quarterback Cody Pickett, who played four seasons for Neuheisel at Washington, declined to be interviewed for this story, saying through a team official that he was uncomfortable talking about his former coach.
Oh man. There it is! Did you catch it?! Neuheisel's former QB is not "forgiving"!! The LA Trojan Times found the big scoop!.
[Serious news face via MainStreet Photo Galleries]
So Chris Found this huge scoop! Apparently one of Neuheisel's former QB is not so "forgiving" for the interaction he had with CRN during his time at Washington. Except uhm not so much per Ted Miller on ESPN, who covered Neuehisel for years when he was the beat reporter for Washington Huskies (HT to Centric.):
I covered the Huskies when Cody Pickett was the quarterback, and I don't recall Neuheisel being terribly hard on Pickett. What I do remember is Pickett hating interviews, which strikes me as a more likely reason he turned down an LA Times interview request.
So what's next?
Will the Los Angeles Trojan Times sports editor issue another update or correction to fix the latest bit of shoddy reporting hitjob on Rick Neuheisel's football program?
GO BRUINS.
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I fail to follow the logical progression.
- “I am uncomfortable talking about my previous coach therefore I must dislike him”? How do you make that leap?
Go Bruins!
by Harsha on Nov 19, 2009 4:41 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
"Unforgiving?"
There’s nothing in Picket’s quote relating to forgiving or needing forgivness.
by bru79 on Nov 19, 2009 5:34 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Chris foster comes to a conclusion than looks for evidence
Good reporters look for evidence, than form a conclusion based on the evidence. Big difference.
"when you've seen how big the world is, how can you make due with this?"
by silverlakebruin on Nov 19, 2009 6:18 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Agreed. That in my opinion, is the fatal (and perhaps only) flaw of the article
The problem is in the framework of the article. For a writer to notice that Neuheisel has been seen yelling at his QBs and to wonder how those QBs feel about such treatment is a reasonable question to ask, and I think totally appropriate for a local writer to investigate. I also think it’s appropriate for him to seek out former QBs under Neuheisel’s tutelage because even if a current QB didn’t like the treatment, you couldn’t expect him to open up to a reporter while hoping to get playing time.
Foster’s preconceived notions however are revealed in the Cody Pickett portion of the article. All Pickett did was decline to be interviewed, and Foster interpreted that to mean that Pickett doesn’t seem as forgiving." That really doesn’t seem like logical conclusion to me, especially since Pickett has absolutely nothing to lose if he were to air his grievances. In fact, I would think that someone seeking retribution would relish the opportunity to participate in an interview about his former coach. But again, I don’t know that, so any conjecture would be just that.
All of that being said, I found this article to actually be somewhat reassuring. It would be denying reality to say that Coach Neuheisel won’t lay into his QBs when they make a mistake. It’s good to know that those QBs see those as teaching moments and don’t appear to hold any resentment.
by insomniacslounge on Nov 19, 2009 6:35 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
I read it early morning
and did not come away with the feeling that it was shot at CRN. The article was unimpressive as Foster did not write about anything new. Maybe it was too early in the morning to see anything in the piece other than just a filler.
by brewnz on Nov 19, 2009 6:35 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
I think Foster did most things right
Given the responses, it seems to me that all of the interviewees were aware of what the article was going to be about. Foster did give Coach Neuheisel an opportunity to explain his thought process when does have an outburst (something Simers or Plaschke would never have done) and he prints those responses in a fair, straight-forward manner. So in that regard, I wouldn’t call it a ‘hit-job.’
But silverlakebruin is right. Foster had already predetermined how he thought the QBs should feel and tried desperately to find some evidence that he was correct rather than letting the evidence speak for itself. That’s just not good reporting.
On the bright side for Chris Foster, Malcolm Gladwell does the exact same thing and it’s turned him into a best-selling author. So maybe this will all work out for him yet.
by insomniacslounge on Nov 19, 2009 6:43 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
it's not good reporting, but it is normal main stream newspaper reporting
these days (imo).
Foster had already predetermined how he thought the QBs should feel and tried desperately to find some evidence that he was correct rather than letting the evidence speak for itself. That’s just not good reporting.
Go Bears Go
by Rocksanddirt on Nov 19, 2009 10:36 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
One thing to keep in mind is bias isn't only in how a story is reported
its in what’s chosen to be reported…
For example, this is the CRN is tough on his players story, which seems to be a pretty regular storyline in the times.
I have yet to see a story on how Pete Carrroll is too soft on his players with his discipline.
If they had an article on Pete Carroll deciding running laps was enough punishment for serious offenses, I certainly missed it..
"when you've seen how big the world is, how can you make due with this?"
by silverlakebruin on Nov 19, 2009 7:15 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Exactly the point
They would never run anything negative about Carroll’s players breaking the law or cheating on academics
by ositosfan on Nov 19, 2009 8:59 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Nothing in the world is more obvious
Than the fact that football coaches are hard on players. CRN, being a qb coach at heart, will of course be the one directly critiquing his QBs. The QBs, being human beings, will handle the criticism in different ways.
This article says absolutely nothing that everyone who’s even remotely aware of sports wouldn’t already know. The only “hook” for it in the reporter’s mind is the fact that CRN visibly frustrated with Kevin Craft repeatedly last year, until this visible frustration became something to write about when “this team stinks” wasn’t enough to fill the space and headlines. Thus it’s false evolution from an obvious, ordinary fact to a “story” worth phoning Tom Ramsey about.
by bluebland on Nov 19, 2009 6:49 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
This is a dog bites man story.
A hack for the fishwrap writes a story that a real editor would never have allowed to be printed. The story takes a shot at a UCLA coash. This is all routine. If you see the letters “UCLA” in a ‘wrap story, do you have to read further? You know it’s going to be some hatchet job.
Now, a story that actually told the truth? That would be man bites dog. That would be a real story. And you’ll read it from 50 different perspectives here on the BN before you’ll ever read it in the ’wrap.
There is a bigger issue, though. Why is anyone still reading the fishwrap? That’s a real question. Each farthing spent on the ’wrap is just enabling it to stay in business. The sooner it goes out of business, the sooner the Ministry of Propaganda at Inheritance Hall loses its biggest tool (word used intentionally.)
by Fox 71 on Nov 19, 2009 7:52 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
To answer your question, Fox...
it’s because of a general philosophical belief in needing to keep print media around for people like my 89 year-old mother, who has no computer skills, and wants to stay informed with more than just TV sound bites. I personally get the LAT in an RSS feed as well, mostly to keep up on local news. I rarely read the so-called sports “commentators” any more, although Plaschke is sometimes good for a laugh (but TJ Simers isn’t worth my time). But the quality and quantity of (non-sports) reporting has gone way down over the last few years, and the TrOJan bias in sports has certainly well-documented on BN.
by ucla717274 on Nov 19, 2009 8:28 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Perhaps You Can Get Your Mother a Better Paper?
Long ago, I stopped reading the wrap — after having grown up with it and actually had out of state subscriptions for years.
There are other ways to stay informed by the print media — be it better newspapers or magazines.
I’m not trying to lecture you on what’s good for your Mom — and I think you make a very strong point that the print media serves an audience that would not be served by other means — but, to use a term that showed up on BN this week, the wrap is Fools Gold, not at all what it seems to be.
sjh
by Class of 66 on Nov 20, 2009 6:39 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
What was the point Chris Foster?
Read the article and it was lame. So what? Coaches chew out players all the time. Foster must have been scraping the bottom of the barrel for a story. Lame.
by hongerelli on Nov 19, 2009 9:31 PM PST via mobile reply actions 0 recs
Chris Foster
For over 10 years, I have read the crap that is written in the OC Register possibly the worst fish wrap in USA. They are the bandwagon for anything that makes SUC look good. As far as Foster goes, he is just another hack who likes to make up stories-maybe he should work for FOX
by john4justice on Nov 19, 2009 10:32 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
As a Niners fan
Maybe Neu should have been harder on Cody Pickett…
by dprodigy19 on Nov 19, 2009 11:25 PM PST reply actions 0 recs
Just Curious about
Comment made about FOX by john4justice. You sound like another Ucla ‘pinko’ liberal. When indicting someone as a hack, and you wish to express a valid point, how about being specific if making remarks such as “make up stories-maybe he should work for FOX.”
Perhaps the term ‘hack’ is the proverbial three fingers pointing back at you. If you wish to make such derogatory remarks such as towards FOX, be so bold as to prove your point. As a loyal Bruin fan, I feel your comments on BN should leave your political discourse aside. This is no forum for political bias. That said, I do agree with others whose comments are the lameness of the article and add, it’s a sad commentary that it didn’t end up in the editor’s trash bucket.
'CaptainJack65'
Jack Metcalf
by captainjack65 on Nov 20, 2009 12:37 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
You might want to recall that saying about pots and kettles...
regarding
leaving your political discourse asideand:
You sound like another Ucla ‘pinko’ liberal.
by bruinhoo on Nov 20, 2009 1:02 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
How about you both shut up about politics?
You going right to the name calling with "pinko" makes you just as bad as you accuse john of being, which is ironic given the message of your post.
by Tydides on Nov 20, 2009 1:02 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
Addendum (to everyone else)
In no way should this be construed as an indirect invitation for everyone to pile on with their own snarky political jabs. There are plenty of forums and platforms on the internet to share your oh-so-important politcal views with the world.
This site isn’t one of them.
by Tydides on Nov 20, 2009 1:11 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs
"Comment made about FOX by john4justice. You sound like another Ucla ‘pinko’ liberal"
hey jack…and you got a problem with that?…huh?
aren’t we all BRUINS HERE?…no matter the political differences, we bleed blue and gold…or so i thought…actually i prefer msnbc…but hey to each his own…my UCLA SCHOOLING gave me the insight to respect all points of view…
by bruincheerleader on Nov 20, 2009 4:29 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
As N would say
“Meh.”
Seriously, what was the point of this story? That Neu yells at his QBs when they screw up? Gee, wasn’t that covered endlessly last year when Kevin Craft was throwing those INTs (mainly because of our O-line’s adoption of the vaunted Matador Defense)? And Kevin Craft is still with the team, still playing, still competing, and still saying all the right things. He may secretly hate Neu but his actions and words don’t show it.
It seems to me that this was simply a crappy column written by another Carroll/Barkley fellater who couldn’t think of anything else to write about.
Rant over.
by Barnes2JJ on Nov 20, 2009 8:04 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
Homer Badman
You know that episode where Homer Simpson is accused of sexual harassment and goes on a tabloid show called “Rock Bottom”, who of course sensationalizes the whole thing before having to do a retraction at the end of the episode? Rock Bottom is the LA Times… except without the retraction.
by UCLA4Life on Nov 20, 2009 11:53 AM PST reply actions 0 recs
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