Media "Disappointed" in Butch's "Defensiveness"

Heather Harrington just flat-said that she was "disappointed in Butch's defensiveness", even when asked what she believed to be legitimate questions, by the media.

She cited the example of someone asking Jones if he would consider adding a fullback to stay in and help block, and he remarked, "Who? Who do we have to do that?"

I go back to Groves' comment (IIRC) yesterday, saying that it's not long to continue if it starts to get negative and/or combative between the coach and media and/or fans.

If he is taking exception to the softballs that our local media throw at him, and to the point that they're complaining about it....I wonder if that's happening now, and if so, what that may mean, or could be inferred.

 

I honestly find no fault in anything Jones said or the way in which he said it as it relates to offending the media in the room. He may have started an answer with a defensive statement but quickly turned it into his usual explanatory tone. Can't imagine losing a game, walking off the field, and 30 minutes later I'm in front of the media and fielding questions about the loss. It has to be difficult.

 

Of course he's defensive. All he has is the cliches. Once those are used up you get to the core. And that core is nothing more than a salesman with absolutely no substance.

 

I have no problem with what he tells those idiots.

 

Well, put one in the ol' Butcher's column.

 

Heather Harrington bro. The worst part besides losing is the drive to Knoxville and having to listen to her and Dearstone's pregame show. It is bad radio. It's right up there with Fuad and Jimmy after the games

 

Hey! Back Up!

 

99% of Knoxville residents could provide more UT football knowledge in one breath than Heather could in three hours five days a week.

 

I laugh at the idea of sports media getting offended. Somehow, sports media and journalism has turned into "serious" journalism, as if they are covering city hall or an annexation of county property or some other actual life altering news story.

You are covering a game. A game. Not practice. A game.

That said, you are not allowed to ask any question and then get mad when you get the answer. Suck it up, scribble in your little notepad and get to the next question. If you claim your objectivity, be objective and detach yourself from the coach's emotions.

In other words, do your job.

 

The point is not the softball-throwing local media, or the exception they took with his answers.

The point was that Butch did get snippy, so much so that even our lap dog local media have remarked on it.

Typically, they don't really dig into a coach until they've been gone for about 6 months.

 

We won't have a really realistic shot at beating a program like Florida in Neyland again for awhile. He really tried to maximize the possible momentum from this game and then it was all pissed away in about ten minutes. He might actually be worried about his future now.

He has tried to sell everyone on the idea of his rebuilding job. That's going to be hard to maintain if year 2 is UT's worst season ever and he already has losses to Vandy and Kentucky. Hell, if our defense declines over the course of this season, Kentucky might beat the hell out of us. Consider that. What would happen if Butch's exclamation point on UT's first ever 8 loss season is a beat down in Neyland from UK? The bandwagon will be empty at that point.

 

I think it was just raw emotions after a very disappointing loss. This is nothing but pure speculation, but I believe he has been told short of 2-10 season 3, he has four years. So I doubt he is too worried about his immediate future. Like any head coach, he is willful and stubborn, and believes he is right. And when called out for his beliefs, he gets short. Especially right after a disastrous loss.

 

He may have been told that. Doesn't mean it is true. If I were him I wouldn't operate under the assumption it is.

 

After watching two full games of UK on the field, I'm not sure that a declining UT defense is necessary for them to beat us this year.

 

I don't disagree, but they shouldn't run up and down the field, either.

 

I don't necessarily subscribe to the notion that getting snarky with the media after a tough loss is inversely correlated with things beginning to unravel for Butch...necessarily. It was the second bad loss against an opponent which should have resulted in a win (arguably his third, even more arguably his fourth--UGA the last two years), Vandy being the first, and third loss in a row this season--tempers are bound to be quick.

However, I will be paying close attention to how he begins to react once questions about Bajakian's play calling start to be commonplace. Someone mentioned that he fielded that question from a caller on Vol Calls last week and his demeanor was immediately dismissive, if not worse...

I've mentioned a few times prior that I'm not as down on Bajay as others, mostly because our OL is the personification of subway turnstiles, but Saturday was a shit show and any and all criticism thrown his way, or towards Butch, is well deserved.

From this point forward, if I'm in the media, I'm making Butch defend his boy at every turn because, at this point, he's coaching for his job, IMO--Bajakian, not Butch, although the argument can be made the two are equally vested. Excuses be damned, hold your staff accountable.

It will be interesting once those questions begin to be repeated on a weekly, if not daily, basis.

 

I think there is a little more to it. Butch' style is relying on this wave of enthusiasm to help him get over the recruiting and player morale hump. If the criticism mounts at this point, it really can make it harder. I think he really understands that, regardless of whose fault it is, the FL loss was a real missed opportunity. And now, the honeymoon is postponed until we get a solid win.

 

Did that even happen under the previous regime?

 

Butch: I'm holding myself accountable so you don't have to. Stop asking me all these questions, I just told you I'm holding myself accountable.

 

Beating a 4-8 Florida cures that