Freshmen off limits to media

[justford]

What is everyone's opinion on the Freshmen not being allowed to give interviews?

Is this a policy at most of the schools?

It wouldhave been interestingto hear Meeks thoughts after his first UK vs UL game and how he felt about being the leading scorer.

[ryanebelhar]

It makes for funny radio sometimes. I remember after one game Rondo was named player of the game and the radio commentators went "Well he can't talk to us, so heres Patrick Sparks instead!"

[bret1555]

I like the policy. Freshemen should be focusing on the dual transitions of college athletics and academics. Also, no one wants a freshman media darling. . . It just usually isn't good for the team as a whole.

I know one thing for sure. . . I am sick and tired of reading Mark Story's whining about the policy.

[trublue4life]

bret1555 wrote: I like the policy. Freshemen should be focusing on the dual transitions of college athletics and academics. Also, no one wants a freshman media darling. . . It just usually isn't good for the team as a whole.

I know one thing for sure. . . I am sick and tired of reading Mark Story's whining about the policy.


I am with you on the Mark Story comment. I'm equally tired of his whining because Barnhart didn't call him with daily updates on the football hire when he brought in Brooks. Come to think of it, I'm tired of Mark Story whining, period.

I also agree with the freshman policy. It's establishes where their focus should be and emphasizes the need, as you stated, for dealing with the transition to college. I wish somebody had kept me off limits from a few things my freshman year.;)

[DCWildcat]

Tubby has had this policy for a long time. I think he retracted it once but quickly put it back in. I'm sure somewhere some coach is using it against us in recruiting.

[Mark Blueblood]

I've got no problem with the policy.

I remember Joe B getting ridiculed by the media for having his players "coached" on how to speak and act during an interview. Imagine that! Seems to me every team in every sport should have followed the practice.

[Josh]

I've always respected the policy. I believe that it helps to keep the players focused on the team. That no matter how good one individual player is as a freshmen, it's about the team. Not to mention, I have always believed that it gives these guys a good chance to see how the upper classmen interact with all of the reporters, take some pointers on the things to say when asked the tough questions.

[Cincy110]

I don't think it neccesarily keeps their focus any more or less. Kids just aren't used to media coverage the way it is at UK or any other high profile school. They need to learn, first, how to talk to the media. Reporters have a way to get a kid or player to start talking about something they shouldn't talk about. Then people run with it and blow it up much further than it needs to be. They need to learn how to talk to the media first and I'm sure they have some faculty that teaches them those traits.

[Doug Hardin]

When is this usually lifted? After Christmas? The SEC Tournament? I know it's lifted at some point b/c we got the great Bradley quote from the NCAA Tournament his freshman year, "I can't say what I said to [Bogut], but he knew I was from Brooklyn."

[sojourner]

My guess is that during the NCAA tournament the NCAA can request for players to talk to the media.

[bleedbluelady]

sojourner wrote: My guess is that during the NCAA tournament the NCAA can request for players to talk to the media.
That is correct. During the NCAA tournament all players must be available to the media. Not sure about the SEC tournament.