Jim Les Radio Show

[tornado]

nobody had a problem with "it"?
how did we know what "it" was until we were informed last night on the radio show?
Maybe "it" is a real issue and worthy of being discussed.
If you feel otherwise, you are fully free to stop discussing "it".

But further.....I think I see a pattern in the reporting we have locally, and since I read the basketball coverage from many other teams and cities, I feel I have the ability and freedom to draw a conclusion. I think the local press is fully responsible for the fact that some of the local sports people don't want to talk to them.
Just as an aside...I personally was once called on the phone by a PJS reporter (in the middle of a busy day) and asked if I'd consent to be interviewed as an "expert" in a certain topic she was reporting on, as that was and is within my area of expertise.
My answer was unequivocally "no", for no other reason that that I have seen the media slay people and make them look foolish if they don't get the answers they want, and it had even happened to some in my profession that I know of.
But in the end she admitted she had already called numerous others in the same area of specialty and they also turned down her requests for an inteview for the same reason, the suspicion that they'd be misquoted, misrepresented, and made to appear in a negative light, so I was not alone feeling the press has burned their own bridges by the way they have treated people in the past.
I think they have done the same with sports and BU basketball. The press always seems miffed whenever BU (a private institution) doesn't give them the info or answer they want. Then when they get the precise answer they ask for, they turn on the folks giving them the answer and insult them.
Go figure....and they want to be treated with due respect??

[cpacmel]

This is not directed at anyone on this board. But I think a good number of people don't know the difference between a REPORTER and a COLUMNIST.

Reporter's report the news.

Columnist's give their thoughts, opinions, feelings on the news.

Contrary to popular belief, what a columnist says it not always fact. Some columnists write articles to anger people, or to get a buzz going about a certain topic.


Now getting back to the topic, and I must fully admit that I don't follow this stuff as close as you guys do, it seems to me... that Jim Les has some thin skin these days. First off (and correct me if I am wrong), didn't he take to task BU fans for not being more of a home court Advantage earlier this season? And now he has "rabbitt ears" for what Wessler or others is writing?

Like I said, I don't follow this stuff that closely. But I do follow college basketball very closely, and how is this different than any other college basketball city that has a program with expectations?

[Scouter]

The local paper went with a story that was a NON-story.
They dug for facts that didn't exist, tried to fabricate hurt feelings and issues that don't exist, and when they were told those facts were totally incorrect, they went with the story anyway, misquoting the very people who had asked the PJS not to print stuff they were just making up.

Tornado, I just listened to the archive and re-read the story, and I'm not sure where exactly Jim Les said any of that. The only thing the PJS did was write a story that involved Merfeld after Les asked them not to. But the JS has every right to run that story, just like JL has every right not to talk to them or disclose "private" information like the Ruffin injury or the grand mystery behind the people who came in to speak to the team during the losing streak.

Now, does what the JS did hurt it's relationship with Les and the team? Possibly. But so did Les' decision not to be honest about Daniel Ruffin's possibility of playing. Relationships with the media (ON BOTH ENDS) can be very fickle, as you pointed out with your own personal experience.

And by the way, Merfeld's first time facing his former team is definitely a story worth writing about, IMO. And any smart media member would say the same thing.

[Dubl R 1]

I don't like the way we have defined it this year. I don't think anyone does. Time to go back with what works.

I hear ya!!!

[MacabreMob]

Lesson learned: Some people can't think for themselves. This wasn't a problem for 48 hours. Then JL says he took exception to it. Now certain posters have a problem with it too.

LTL - just in defense of myself. It may not have been a problem for me 48 hours ago, but that is because I don't read the paper. I read articles online. And I do NOT go looking for anything KW writes. I read Reynold's after a game. And only at other times when my dad (who reads the paper) tells me DR writes a nice article.

But since there was a huge stink over JL being a liar earlier.... I chimed in about how maybe this situation was similar in being a "game-time decision" by the paper to write an article when maybe all along they planned on doing it.

[braves12]

Cpacmel,

I understand that columnists try to get things charged up, I have no problem with that. We all need to be challanged at times. What I meant to say is that reporters including columnists need to make sure that they do not report unfactual things. Conjecture is OK, wrong facts, in my opinion is not.

As far as Coach Les being thin skinned, I think most coaches whose teams are picked 2nd and are where BU is would be somewhat thin skinned. I think he does not like anything negative being said. There are many in the BU camp who are only positive, even when it is very difficult to support. I saw similar stuff on your board the past few years. That being said, winning solves everything. My problem is not with the paper, the writers, the positive blah, blah, blah, but with the poor results. Get that fixed and everybody will be real chummy again.

Congrats on your teams results. I see from many boards that you are a big fan. You suffered through many years....too many.

[Da Coach]

First off (and correct me if I am wrong), didn't he take to task BU fans for not being more of a home court Advantage earlier this season? And now he has "rabbitt ears" for what Wessler or others is writing?

I don't think so. I don't recall Jim Les ever being critical of the fans. The only issue I recall is when a caller to his radio show was mildly critical of the fans at the game. Jim himself has never said or implied it that I recall.

And as far as this current issue-- if he asked for the writers to be sensitive to a certain issue and he feels the writer did the story without regard to the issue that was raised, then he has every right to be upset.
And I don't think the writer in question is a columnist.

[BradleyBrave]

I don't think so. I don't recall Jim Les ever being critical of the fans. The only issue I recall is when a caller to his radio show was mildly critical of the fans at the game. Jim himself has never said or implied it that I recall.

Here's what Les said in regards to the fans earlier this year. This is quoted from Dave Reynolds' column on December 4, the day of the Michigan St game -

"I'm looking for a response from our fans," Les said. "I don't think the atmosphere in our building has been that great this year. Our fans need to step up, energize, come with great enthusiasm and get off their hands a little bit. This is a great opportunity for our program, but I also want appreciation shown from our fans, too, and start to create the environment we want to have."

The fans were there for that game, for the VCU game, and even went through the turnstiles 10,000+ strong for an 8-10, 9th place team playing the last place team in the league. It's time for the team to reward us fans for our loyalty instead of calling us out. We show up every game. We'd like our ball club to do the same.

[SFP]

To those who may have been offended by my post, I was merely pointing out how journalists have a responsibility to write stories that are factually accurate. Les may need time to turn his team around, but he has absolutely every right to call out the media if they are inaccurate in their reporting. I'm not defending Les as a "rah rah" BU fan. I am defending him because he needs to set straight an inaccurate story, and because I believe he is doing everything possible to get this team going. Is he perfect? No. But what coach is?

And back to the media. I think some people are confused as to what freedom of the press is. I know for sure that it does not mean it is allowable to make up stories! I don't know if this column did that, but it sure comes across like it did!

On a historical note most newspapers in the 1800s wrote stories in order to sell their paper. Most of them were a one to two man shop that did not have the time to go out and write true stories everyday so they made them up. Mark Twain was a master at this.

The times have changed and now we expect a lot more from our journalist. We want them to be fair, represent our community with integrity and go after those that try to cheat our system. Sports though in my humble opinion needs to be lumped with entertainment. Let's not take this to serious or the guys writing these sensationalized reports win. He is getting what he wants. You open their web-site and read the article he get's cudos from the $$$$ guys and guess what he continues with what works. Your best bet if you disagree with someones opinion time and time out is to ignore them completely. Trust me two things happen if a writer is ignored enough, they either get canned or they change their behavior.

JL next time just ignore him. You are giving him what he wants, PR. He wants to be as importent as you and only you can grant him that by excepting his existance. I for one has stopped looking at PJS because of their lack of respect to our fine University. If they ever started to work with the leadership of the University to help build up the community then I maybe inclined to read their columns again. Peoria is a small community in which in order to get the most out of it everybody needs to work together. Dare I say it is not NY!

[BUBraves06]

Just listening to the broadcast now and besides the whole debate re: the newspaper article, one thing I find interesting is that when someone called in and asked about the defense, Les said that there isn't defensive-specific coach, but rather it's a group effort among the staff. In years past Chuck was pretty much the defensive coach on our staff and I think it's interesting that no one has stepped forward to work on the more specifically on defense, an area where we've been lacking all season long.

[BradleyBrave]

Just listening to the broadcast now and besides the whole debate re: the newspaper article, one thing I find interesting is that when someone called in and asked about the defense, Les said that there isn't defensive-specific coach, but rather it's a group effort among the staff. In years past Chuck was pretty much the defensive coach on our staff and I think it's interesting that no one has stepped forward to work on the more specifically on defense, an area where we've been lacking all season long.

One can only hope that's addressed in the offseason. BU's defense had a lot of CB-coached characteristics the last few years, and have been lacking those quite a bit this year. If there's any turnover on the staff, hopefully they bring in someone who's specialty is defense.

[Toyota12]

defense

I was the one who asked the question about defense on the show last night!! I think we should have a coach who is here as like defensive coordinator type, so when there is problems we should have accountability.....I really would have thought with Merfelds expierence as head coach.. He would step in to this role and have a chance to excel !!
We have a team that is talented offensively but no defensive personality....

[ER3]

I guess a big concern I have with this coaching staff is that Merfeld's primary responsibility supposedly is working with the bigs...Is this true???

[BradleyBrave]

I guess a big concern I have with this coaching staff is that Merfeld's primary responsibility supposedly is working with the bigs...

Maybe I am in the minority, but I think Salley, Austin, and even Collins could be utilized a little better. Maybe I am wrong. Collins was making strides early on, and everyone was praising Merf. He seems to have regressed a bit, but perhaps that's because of lack of minutes, and moreso his adjustment to DI practices and their everyday intensity. Only one real big has regressed from last year to this year, but I said I was done criticizing him. I have trusted our staff's judgement as far as who to use most of the time; however after seeing such positive results with the rotation against UNI, and seeing that only last one game I am wavering a bit.

I personally think that our bigs will be much better this year having a year of Division I experience under their belt. That being said - Most of them are JUCO's, and JUCO's are recruited to contribute immediately. None of the JUCO bigs really have (I don't count Wilson as a true 'pivot' player), including the one that usually starts.

[Grassman]

I guess a big concern I have with this coaching staff is that Merfeld's primary responsibility supposedly is working with the bigs...Is this true???

That is what I have been told. At the risk of stirring the "rah-rah" guys, I will leave it at that.