FB: Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

Started by admin, August 16, 2005, 05:19:08 AM

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faunch



"I'm a uniter...not a divider."

hazzben

Quote from: faunch on August 13, 2019, 12:28:49 PM
Quote from: DuffMan on August 13, 2019, 12:21:29 PM
Quote from: Robert Zimmerman on August 13, 2019, 10:00:03 AM
https://www.sctimes.com/story/sports/2019/08/13/st-johns-football-team-expects-198-players-report-wednesday/1992956001/

What a pointless blurb.  ???

Agreed....I remember when Frank covered SJU and provided information about more than two incoming freshman from the Stearns County area.

A huge piece of that is Frank had an unusual passion for the team he was covering. It was a really unique setup SJU enjoyed, having a decent sized local paper devote those kind of dedicated resources to their team. It's not shocking the new guy isn't as much of a rube as Frank. Also not getting paid what Frank was 5-10 years ago to cover them. Which is why Frank isn't with the SC Times any longer.


repete

Hey, Frank was (is) great and indeed showed a passion for his beat. But he did what a good beat writer should. He took a great story and ran with it. And he had bosses who supported that coverage and, rightfully IMHO, allowed that beat to be a big part of the local culture. So he benefited too -- getting the time and travel opportunities to do his beat right. He got opportunities not a lot of writers at a paper that size will get.

But this isn't about individual reporters as much as it is about corporate culture on a couple of levels. The Times' owners have squeezed that staff to nothing and it will be interesting to see what happens after a big merger. And combine that with local leadership that is clueless to what SJU has meant to the city and region over the past 150 years. The Times used to have John Bodette, a Johnnie who worked his way up through the newsroom over 40 years. He became one of the most-respected small paper editors in the state. It's pretty clear the local leadership doesn't value sports and follows the corporate cookie cutter approach.

That said, I hope Tom Elliott didn't pull a muscle.

hazzben

@repete:

You said it better than me. That's what I was nodding to when I mentioned the new guy not getting paid what Frank was. The new guy probably doesn't have Frank's passion for SJU. He definitely doesn't have the institutional support Frank enjoyed back in the day. That's definitely what made the coverage so unique and exceptional. A paper that saw the value in devoting resources into covering one of the more visible brands in the area (SJU), and a reporter who went above and beyond the call.

repete

@hazzben

Yup. Agree. Wouldn't want to be squeezed like the folks still left in that shrinking newsroom. And while that camp-opening report was a 15-minute phoner with Gary, I'm sure Elliott is likely pulled a million ways . . . so my jab might have been a bit low. Difficult to see what has happened to that sports staff, which had great guys like Augustin and Reusse  and used to fill the locker room bulletin board with so much coverage from the great, old Rum River Conference.

DuffMan

The "new guy" has been with the SC Times for ages.

From his bio:
QuoteI've worked in Gannett since 1982 and except for a time from 1994-97 when I was in Palm Springs, California, at the Desert Sun, I have worked at the St. Cloud Times.

A tradition unrivaled...
MIAC Champions: 1932, 1935, 1936, 1938, 1953, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1971, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022
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stanbob

Quote from: USTBench on July 24, 2019, 04:31:21 PM
Quote from: GoldandBlueBU on July 24, 2019, 04:05:38 PM
Quote from: USTBench on July 24, 2019, 03:35:55 PM


I think it's a little overblown to put such a big emphasis on how UST isn't up to snuff on facilities when you do a legitimate comparison, top-to-bottom, of the conferences I just mentioned. There is some tweaking to do, sure, but UST wouldn't be even close to the worst.

Agreed - UST isn't out of line with UMD - they (UMD) actually have a smaller seating capacity, and have still managed to be a national power in division 2.

It's interesting to me that you said that WIAC is plan C?  I'm a bit surprised to hear that.  I'd have guessed they'd prefer staying D3 over going to D2. (assuming D1 is plan A).

From what I hear, it's plan C because it's not a viable long-term solution and it's not upwardly mobile. Since their hand was forced I think the motto is onward and upward.

They did not have their hand forced, they ensured that their hand was forced.
Everyday is payday in paradise.

faunch



"I'm a uniter...not a divider."

sfury

For many months Elliott was the lone full-time sports reporter at The Times. Covering high schools, amateur baseball, St. Cloud State, and St. John's. Which would have been hard enough in 1983. Today, with the desire for news 24 hours online or on Twitter, it's farcical for a paper that size. He does a great job with what he can. If Frank had been the lone full-time sports employee, I dare say Johnnie coverage would not have been what it was from 2000-2016 or whatever. They have hired someone else in sports who does photography and writing. 

That said, Frank is back on the beat, just at a place with more money to throw around, so still plenty of good stuff from him. Including this one on an old favorite.

https://www.csbsju.edu/news/john-stanton-2019

MadRedFan

Quote from: repete on August 13, 2019, 02:09:19 PM
Hey, Frank was (is) great and indeed showed a passion for his beat. But he did what a good beat writer should. He took a great story and ran with it. And he had bosses who supported that coverage and, rightfully IMHO, allowed that beat to be a big part of the local culture. So he benefited too -- getting the time and travel opportunities to do his beat right. He got opportunities not a lot of writers at a paper that size will get.

But this isn't about individual reporters as much as it is about corporate culture on a couple of levels. The Times' owners have squeezed that staff to nothing and it will be interesting to see what happens after a big merger. And combine that with local leadership that is clueless to what SJU has meant to the city and region over the past 150 years. The Times used to have John Bodette, a Johnnie who worked his way up through the newsroom over 40 years. He became one of the most-respected small paper editors in the state. It's pretty clear the local leadership doesn't value sports and follows the corporate cookie cutter approach.

That said, I hope Tom Elliott didn't pull a muscle.

I agree with much of what has been written about the Times pathetic coverage of BOTH SJU and SCSU sports.  Elliot has been covering HS sports for years, and he's done a good job, and now he's been "saddled" with covering both SCSU and SJU and a guy can only do so much.  Frank's passion contributed to his depth of coverage, but the paper allowed him to do it in depth.  Elliot gets no such opportunity.  The Times is a shadow of itself, with at best a 4 page sports section, one of which is the baseball scores and standings and another quarter to half page of USA Today-written coverage. I could go on.   Frank and Dave DeLand should do us all a solid and just put out a couple press releases with the info we're looking for!!   ;)   

Pat Coleman

Quote from: faunch on August 13, 2019, 10:15:52 PM
How many of the other MIAC football programs held/hold a media day?

http://www.startribune.com/no-apologies-st-thomas-football-coach-glenn-caruso-defends-his-lame-duck-miac-program/540680392/

Any program that has the demand from media should hold one. Once upon a time, I'd say the majority of schools did.
Publisher. Questions? Check our FAQ for D3f, D3h.
Quote from: old 40 on September 25, 2007, 08:23:57 PMLet's discuss (sports) in a positive way, sometimes kidding each other with no disrespect.

faunch

Jim Souhan's perspective on how the Tom$ should handle things during their last two seasons in the MIAC. I'm beginning to believe that U$T had every every intention of moving up and orchestrated a large part of this drama in order to garner the sympathy of donors and the NCAA and thus have an excuse of being the victim.
http://www.startribune.com/to-coach-glenn-caruso-and-the-tommies-consider-vengeance/540683132/


"I'm a uniter...not a divider."


USTBench

Quote from: stanbob on August 13, 2019, 08:47:03 PM
Quote from: USTBench on July 24, 2019, 04:31:21 PM
Quote from: GoldandBlueBU on July 24, 2019, 04:05:38 PM
Quote from: USTBench on July 24, 2019, 03:35:55 PM


I think it's a little overblown to put such a big emphasis on how UST isn't up to snuff on facilities when you do a legitimate comparison, top-to-bottom, of the conferences I just mentioned. There is some tweaking to do, sure, but UST wouldn't be even close to the worst.

Agreed - UST isn't out of line with UMD - they (UMD) actually have a smaller seating capacity, and have still managed to be a national power in division 2.

It's interesting to me that you said that WIAC is plan C?  I'm a bit surprised to hear that.  I'd have guessed they'd prefer staying D3 over going to D2. (assuming D1 is plan A).

From what I hear, it's plan C because it's not a viable long-term solution and it's not upwardly mobile. Since their hand was forced I think the motto is onward and upward.

They did not have their hand forced, they ensured that their hand was forced.

Yes. I forgot about the necessity to arbitrarily enforce non-existent rules. My bad.
Augsburg University: 2021 MIAC Spring Football Champions