PRESS PICKS (Week 4): Press conferences are getting dangerous for all involved
STAFF REPORT
The subtlety of a coach’s press conference has taken a back seat to - are you ready?
Feelings.
Nothing more than feelings.
Yep, the notes jump right off the page after hearing harassment bring out the best of LSU’s Brian Kelly this week.
A couple of days later, Clemson’s Dabo Swinney had his rant. That’s two weeks in a row for him.
There have been others. Steve Sarkisian had one, albeit more controlled. Shane Beamer, too. But he has them all the time so we really don’t pay attention any more.
Eli Drinkwitz has become downright boring, no matter how hard he tries otherwise.
Why, oh why, are coaches getting so touchy? The pressure to win has always been there. The money hasn’t changed all that much in 10 years.
But wait, now the players are being paid. They can leave when they want - right in the middle of the season, if necessary.
It’s like these guys have lost control so why not show it?
There is little understanding on what makes multi-million dollar coaches act the way they do. Sure, they are uber-competitive. But how far does that carry them?
This is not a wish for the old days when a coach would stand at the mic and say, “Shucks, we got no chance on Saturday. I just hope we get our shoelaces tied right.”
Coachspeak has new meaning. Instead of “it’s gonna take a great effort for us to win;” now it’s “I expect our team to prove we belong in the playoffs, whether we do or not.”
There will come a day when coaches won’t have press conferences any more. It won’t be worth the trouble. Besides, if the media members can’t ask the right questions, how can they give the answers they want to give?”
Like the two-star general once said in a M*A*S*H* episode… “this is a press conference and the last thing I want to do is answer a lot of questions.”
2025 Standings (Last week)
1. Michael Butler 46-14 (12-3).767
2. Tim Gayle 44-16 (11-4) .733
3. Wesley Lyle 42-18 (11-4) .700
4. Doug Amos 40-20 (8-7) .667
Barry McKnight 40-20 (9-6) .667
Mike Peacock 40-20 (10-5) .667
Graham Dunn 40-20 (9-6) .667
8. Rick Hendrick 38-22 (7-8) .633
9. Lindsey Bonner 35-25 (11-4) .583
10. Rosie Langello 34-26 (9-6) .567
Michael Butler (WTLS 101.1&94.7 FM/1300 AM/Tallassee Times)
46-14 (12-3).767
Dothan at Carver - Carver
Hoover at Prattville - Hoover
Alabama Christian at Prattville Christian - ACA
Catholic at Charles Henderson - Catholic
Tallassee at Bullock Co - Bullock Co
Auburn at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Troy at Buffalo - Troy
Florida at Miami - Miami
South Carolina at Missouri - Missouri
Tulane at Ole Miss - Ole Miss
Illinois at Indiana - Illinois
Arkansas at Memphis - Arkansas
Texas Tech at Utah - Utah
Arizona St at Baylor - Baylor
Michigan at Nebraska - Michigan
Tim Gayle (River Region Sports/Montgomery Independent)
44-16 (11-4) .733
Dothan at Carver - Dothan
Hoover at Prattville - Hoover
Alabama Christian at Prattville Christian - ACA
Catholic at Charles Henderson - Catholic
Tallassee at Bullock Co - Tallassee
Auburn at Oklahoma - Auburn
Troy at Buffalo - Buffalo
Florida at Miami - Miami
South Carolina at Missouri - Missouri
Tulane at Ole Miss - Ole Miss
Illinois at Indiana - Indiana
Arkansas at Memphis - Arkansas
Texas Tech at Utah - Utah
Arizona St at Baylor - Baylor
Michigan at Nebraska - Nebraska
Wesley Lyle (River Region Sports & al.com)
42-18 (11-4) .700
Dothan at Carver - Dothan
Hoover at Prattville - Prattville
Alabama Christian at Prattville Christian - ACA
Catholic at Charles Henderson - Charles Henderson
Tallassee at Bullock Co - Tallassee
Auburn at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Troy at Buffalo - Buffalo
Florida at Miami - Miami
South Carolina at Missouri - Missouri
Tulane at Ole Miss - Ole Miss
Illinois at Indiana - Indiana
Arkansas at Memphis - Arkansas
Texas Tech at Utah - Utah
Arizona St at Baylor - Baylor
Michigan at Nebraska - Michigan
Doug Amos (ESPN The Ticket)
40-20 (8-7) .667
Dothan at Carver - Dothan
Hoover at Prattville - Hoover
Alabama Christian at Prattville Christian - ACA
Catholic at Charles Henderson - Catholic
Tallassee at Bullock Co - Tallassee
Auburn at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Troy at Buffalo - Buffalo
Florida at Miami - Miami
South Carolina at Missouri - Missouri
Tulane at Ole Miss - Ole Miss
Illinois at Indiana - Indiana
Arkansas at Memphis - Arkansas
Texas Tech at Utah - Utah
Arizona St at Baylor - Baylor
Michigan at Nebraska - Nebraska
Barry McKnight (Voice of Troy Trojans)
40-20 (9-6) .667
Dothan at Carver - Carver
Hoover at Prattville - Hoover
Alabama Christian at Prattville Christian - ACA
Catholic at Charles Henderson - Catholic
Tallassee at Bullock Co - Tallassee
Auburn at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Troy at Buffalo - Troy
Florida at Miami - Miami
South Carolina at Missouri - Missouri
Tulane at Ole Miss - Ole Miss
Illinois at Indiana - Illinois
Arkansas at Memphis - Memphis
Texas Tech at Utah - Utah
Arizona St at Baylor - Arizona St
Michigan at Nebraska - Nebraska
Mike Peacock (River Region Sports/ASU Hornets Radio-Color)
40-20 (10-5) .667
Dothan at Carver - Carver
Hoover at Prattville - Prattville
Alabama Christian at Prattville Christian - ACA
Catholic at Charles Henderson - Charles Henderson
Tallassee at Bullock Co - Bullock Co
Auburn at Oklahoma - Auburn
Troy at Buffalo - Troy
Florida at Miami - Miami
South Carolina at Missouri - Missouri
Tulane at Ole Miss - Ole Miss
Illinois at Indiana - Indiana
Arkansas at Memphis - Arkansas
Texas Tech at Utah - Utah
Arizona St at Baylor - Baylor
Michigan at Nebraska - Michigan
Graham Dunn (River Region Sports/WTLS/Voice of Alabama State Hornets)
31-14 (10-5) .689
Dothan at Carver - Carver
Hoover at Prattville - Prattville
Alabama Christian at Prattville Christian - ACA
Catholic at Charles Henderson - Catholic
Tallassee at Bullock Co - Bullock Co
Auburn at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Troy at Buffalo - Buffalo
Florida at Miami - Miami
South Carolina at Missouri - Missouri
Tulane at Ole Miss - Ole Miss
Illinois at Indiana - Indiana
Arkansas at Memphis - Arkansas
Texas Tech at Utah - Texas Tech
Arizona St at Baylor - Arizona St
Michigan at Nebraska - Nebraska
Rick Hendrick (WXFS 95.1 The Fox/PA Montgomery Biscuits)
31-14 (11-4) .689
Dothan at Carver - Carver
Hoover at Prattville - Hoover
Alabama Christian at Prattville Christian - ACA
Catholic at Charles Henderson - Catholic
Tallassee at Bullock Co - Bullock Co
Auburn at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Troy at Buffalo - Troy
Florida at Miami - Miami
South Carolina at Missouri - Missouri
Tulane at Ole Miss - Ole Miss
Illinois at Indiana - Illinois
Arkansas at Memphis - Arkansas
Texas Tech at Utah - Utah
Arizona St at Baylor - Baylor
Michigan at Nebraska - Michigan
Lindsey Bonner (Sports Director - WAKA Ch. 8)
35-25 (11-4) .583
Dothan at Carver - Carver
Hoover at Prattville - Hoover
Alabama Christian at Prattville Christian - ACA
Catholic at Charles Henderson - Catholic
Tallassee at Bullock Co - Bullock Co
Auburn at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Troy at Buffalo - Troy
Florida at Miami - Miami
South Carolina at Missouri - Missouri
Tulane at Ole Miss - Ole Miss
Illinois at Indiana - Illinois
Arkansas at Memphis - Arkansas
Texas Tech at Utah - Texas Tech
Arizona St at Baylor - Baylor
Michigan at Nebraska - Nebraska
Rosie Langello (Sports Director - WSFA Ch. 12)
34-26 (9-6) .567
Dothan at Carver - Dothan
Hoover at Prattville - Hoover
Alabama Christian at Prattville Christian - ACA
Catholic at Charles Henderson - Catholic
Tallassee at Bullock Co - Bullock Co
Auburn at Oklahoma - Oklahoma
Troy at Buffalo - Buffalo
Florida at Miami - Miami
South Carolina at Missouri - South Carolina
Tulane at Ole Miss - Ole Miss
Illinois at Indiana - Illinois
Arkansas at Memphis - Arkansas
Texas Tech at Utah - Texas Tech
Arizona St at Baylor - Arizona St
Michigan at Nebraska - Michigan