Johnny in the Box

This entire article is based on the premise that you have seen the tirade by Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy. If you have not seen the tirade or heard about it on the news, you are just out of the loop. If you haven’t seen this story, I would recommend going to Google or YouTube immediately. Trust me, this is a must-see.

Jenni Carlson, a writer for The Oklahoman, directly attacked Gundy’s starting quarterback in multiple ways unrelated to football. Here is a little taste of where she went with the piece:

“There’s something to be said for not being a malcontent, but you can almost see Reid shrugging his shoulders as he says those words. Does he have the fire in his belly?”

I have some serious issues with a couple aspects of this story. It’s a two-way street; the media needs coaches and the coaches need the media. They don’t function without each other, regardless of the way either party feels.

In this ESPN generation we live in, every reporter wants to be the story. Even though the game or the athlete that they are covering is the actual story, the writer wants just as much acclaim. This blogger-based world holds no one accountable for anything they write. You can tear into whomever you want on the web and never have to stand up for your words.

A writer going after professional athletes isn’t the problem. The moment individuals sign their multimillion-dollar contracts, they have to understand the nature of the beast. A-Rod makes $252 million; the NY Post puts a picture of him running around on his wife on the front cover. Deal with it, or just don’t make that mistake.

But there is a big difference between collegiate and professional athletes, and it’s called money. In college you are a student athlete, hints that first word of the title. This is where the media has crossed the line over the last several years. When papers should be sticking to the Xs and Os of the game, they resort to other measures of reporting, ranging from following kids’ personal lives to questioning young men’s character in regards to aspects unrelated to football.

In this case, the writer questioned the player’s heart and whether he actually cares about the game. She made a mistake, and ultimately crossed the line. But it didn’t end there.

It only got worse by Gundy confronting the issue in the completely wrong manner.

A major Division I college coach shouldn’t conduct himself in this manner. You represent every aspect of that program, from the president of the university to the boosters who support and finance that program. You are in the public eye at all times. Unlike that quarterback of yours, you are a professional.

The key word is professional – act like one.

I am all about backing your players, making sure you back them through thick and thin. That’s part of being a coach, and I am not trying to dispute that.

But you have to be able to take the good with the bad. The media’s job is to cover the team; to cover the ups and downs. I doubt this coach would be erupting if his team were 4-0 and in the top 25.

I’m using Gundy as an example but I speak for all people who are in a position that the media is drawn to.

People tend to have no problem when things are going well, when the news is singing their praises, but can’t handle it when it goes the other way.

You’re not judged on how you act when things are going well; it’s how you respond when they go south.

No person should know this better than a coach. This isn’t the first time the paper has written about your players, and you better believe this won’t be the last.

Be a man and take the higher road. Be a bigger person. I am sure these are some of the qualities you preach to your players.

Part of life is dealing with obstacles, tough spots, and problems. If you have been associated with football on any level you can relate to how it acts as a microcosm of life. Coaches should understand this better than anyone. Staying calm and collected is part of their profession. If you’re not, you sure won’t last long.

Gundy made this problem worse by crossing a line he didn’t need too.

It’s too bad that two professionals chose to take the wrong path. It’s obvious in this case two wrongs don’t make a right.