From the Bench - Overly Optimistic Razorback Sports Media Only Setting up Fans

[Shorttimer]

Everybody makes a career off something. If you ride on the back of a trash truck you need people to generate trash or you're out of work.

This is a tired complaint. The media doesn't tell us the truth. Waaahhh.

First of all football is not math equation than can be proven right or wrong before the season is played. We take the information we have and put it out there. Yes, we speculate. If the team ends up sucking that doesn't mean we intentionally tried to mislead the fans.

I think this team will win more than three games this season. Five or six is likely in my mind. If they win two did I intentionally mislead the fans so I could make more money?

What if they win 8 games. Did I intentionally lowball the team so I could be cool by being  negative?

Come on.

Excellent points.

We go through this every August on this board.  The news that we have has an optimistic slant because that's all there is right now.  And yet some, like Shields and many posters on this board, take it as their personal mission to temper the expectations of others by being negative, disguised under the pretense of objectivity.  It's no more objective to be blatantly pessimistic than it is to be hopelessly optimistic. 

Reality will set in soon enough.  In the meantime, I choose optimism.

[1highhog]

I'm glad you finally came out of the closet Robert and admitted that you're not s media member, thus not a writer or a reporter.  Thanks for finally telling the truth.

[TOM "tbw1"]

There are very few actual PRINT beat writers covering the Razorbacks in relation to all the rest of the media covering the Razorbacks.

Bob Holt is great, and Tom Murphy has seemed to cover the program equally as well. But while serving as objective reporters, they have also been guilty of omission at times for whatever pressures they faced from the UA or their newspaper.

The younger guys who have worked for the NWA papers in past years have frequently got caught up in the race to be biggest insider and often swerved into the fan zone. Go to media day and these guys at times looked more like they were trying to get autographs than a story.

But the TV reporters (hard term for a print guy to fathom), especially once again the NWA guys, have mostly served as flacks for the UA over the years.

In talk radio, virtually the only guy who I've heard consistently tell it like it is without giving a #### is Chad Hooten. When everyone was saying Danny Ford would get it done, Hooten was saying he was a disaster. He was right and even though he seems like somewhat of an ass I have always respected him for that.

http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/87529/jim-harris-petrinos-recruiting-shortcomings-coincide-with-state-talent-falling-off?page=all

[Rey Pygsterio]

Bo Mattingly produces the best radio sports talk show in Arkansas.

However, I am listening today for the first time since basketball season (thanks to reading Shields' column) and it has so far sounded like an infomercial for the football program. I mean, it is unreal. I keep waiting for the toll-free number to order tickets.

That said, he knows his audience.

[Rey Pygsterio]

http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/87529/jim-harris-petrinos-recruiting-shortcomings-coincide-with-state-talent-falling-off?page=all

Well, Jim Harris and Nate Allen aren't going to fall in the category we are discussing. They are the rare exceptions.

[jkstock04]

Overly Optimistic Razorback Sports Media Only Setting Fans Up for Disappointment

Robert Shields

Northwest Arkansas radio talk-show host Bo Mattingly recently received an email from a listener who questioned why he and other Razorback media types constantly defended and "bowed down" to Razorback football coach Bret Bielema.

Mattingly's long response was that he gives you a perspective that you may not be aware of to help you be more informed.

But the real answer is that there is no money to be made for Mattingly and the rest of the Incestuous Razorback Press Clique to be negative toward your team. They are going to sell you, I mean tell you, what you want to hear. There is no economic incentive for them to be negative.

The media that covers the Razorbacks wants you to be excited and interested in the upcoming season because that makes you listen, watch, or read their product, which in turn allows them to sell more Slim Chickens ads.

If the Razorback media was objective, which is often labeled by some fans as "negative," it would turn many people off of their news product and go looking for someone who will tell them what they want to hear instead.

In his answer to the email, Mattingly said what the Razorback media is doing is making you more informed. The fact that these media people claim to have such insight is especially amazing considering that UA football practices are closed and the Razorback media members are essentially told by the athletic department staff what to report to the public.

As you hear all the optimistic talk in this preseason, please remember that this is from the same media that didn't question the hiring of John L. Smith and led you to believe the approaching season without Bobby Petrino was going to be just fine.

So you get the same at the beginning of every season with the coaches talking about players in superlative terms and that information regurgitated to you by your Razorback media.

Take, for example, the segment on Mattingly's show where Clay Henry, the publisher of Hawgs Illustrated, arrives to give his post-practice report. This is where you hear about players getting stronger and faster as you do every year, which is good because you don't want to hear about them getting weaker and slower.

This information that the players are getting better would matter if it was relative to what other teams were doing. If they actually knew the Razorback players were getting bigger, faster, and stronger than say Georgia, it matters a lot.

The reality is that the players at Texas A&M, Alabama, Mississippi State, LSU, Ole Miss, and Missouri have also gotten faster and stronger in the offseason.

You have probably heard that the offensive line ran the hill on Cleveland Street in Fayetteville during the offseason, which we are told is proof positive that they are ready. Or are they? Could Auburn's offensive line and defensive line run that same hill? It's a feel-good story during this period while we wall wait for the kickoff of the first game.

It's a story that makes you feel positive about the team's chances in the upcoming season – and want to consume more news about it from radio talk shows, television sportscasts, newspaper sports sections, and Razorback specialty magazines.

From Clay Henry you hear the positive story of Martrell Spaight taking yoga. Like that is going to matter much when they play Auburn. But who knows maybe it is DDP yoga and will make a difference.

Regardless, it's the kind of information they push to you so Mattingly and the rest of the Incestuous Razorback Press can "inform" you so that you are more enlightened and see a different perspective than the national predictions.

I get wanting to be positive after the last two horrendous seasons.

I get wanting hope after losing nine in a row, a Razorback record.

I get not wanting to hear all the negatives about this team when they are easy to find.

You want to have belief in your team. And that is what they are giving you when they tell you the players are saying the right things and that the attitude on the team is different than last year.

But when a fan calls your Incestuous Razorback Press Clique out in an email to a radio show, they need to own it.

They are what they are and that is to make money off of you by pumping up a football program that is considered the worst in the SEC in the preseason.

And setting such high expectations for this football team is doing it no favors -- and maybe setting the fans up for another big letdown. But here's to hoping the team goes from worst to first.



Send your hopes to fromthebench@yahoo.com.

I have actually thought this for quite a few years now. (When practices used to be open) you would have these guys who would never miss a practice...AND I GUARANTEE YOU...they pretty much knew by watching all those practices over the years what it was gonna look like.

But, like you said...overall, they are gonna report what people wanna hear. Even if we are staring at a 3-9 year. Personally I prefer an objective view of things. I honestly hope Hogville doesn't turn into something like Hawgs Illustrated where if you don't have something positive to say 100% of the time don't say it.  To me there are some positive things happening but still a million question marks...and it should be ok to talk about all those things.

[sowmonella]

Sigh................Worst ever from Shields.

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Jim Harris]

It happens where a team isn't the only game in town.  So for instance a newspaper like the Orlando Sentinel that covers multiple pro and college teams can be more objective and/or critical. 

I agree with Faldon, that distinctions between radio shows, newspapers needs to be recognized.  But Shields was calling Bo out for saying he is trying to inform.  Don't say your are trying to inform but then just be a mouthpiece.  Instead just be a mouthpiece.

Back to newspapers.  Yes the beat writers have a job to just report, and I think the ADG is fine that way.  Bob Holt has been recognized for his ability to ask a series of questions until he gets his answer.

Where the fourth estate for sports in this state fails is in timely critical opinion.  Call a spade a spade when it is a spade not six months after the spade left. 

Case in point.  All we heard about last year was that recruiting in the back half of the Petrino era was horrible and Bielema was paying the price.  That's fine and I believe it's true but if Petrino's recruiting was really that bad that last year or two why not call it out at the time and say look this is subpar recruiting.  The man that tells it like it is wasn't telling it like it is, he waited and told it like it was once it was too late to suffer any consequences for telling the truth and when actually stating that opinion when he did could arguably help the current staff.

Wally will never call out a sitting coach.  But if Wally ever writes that the coach farted in public the coach will be gone, not because Wally shed some light on the terrible job the coach was doing or that his staff uncovered some misdeed but because someone at the UofA told Wally the coach was gone.  Same was true during Nutt's tenure when the ADG could have easily uncovered a lot of dirt inside the program, but it was only after a private citizen took the time and effort to FOIA records and uncovered the "texts" that media outlets got involved, but they were a little late to the party. 

Some people did call it out. Not the recruiter writers, mind you, who depend on getting info via UA sources to cover the recruiting, and thus couldn't rip a recruiting class to shreds (especially a Petrino one) if they wanted to stay in the loop. But there were others who weren't hesitant to label a C or C-minus grade to his latter recruiting classes, in print and on radio.

[scruf]

I worked in the NWA media for about 4 years from 2000-2003. Are a couple of guys spinning it negative or positive in the collective group? Yes. Same is true of all media anywhere. For the the most part, the media is reporting what they see and hear. If it's too positive or too negative then maybe you're just too sensitive. Seek counseling and Go Hogs!

[Atlhogfan1]

Some people did call it out. Not the recruiter writers, mind you, who depend on getting info via UA sources to cover the recruiting, and thus couldn't rip a recruiting class to shreds (especially a Petrino one) if they wanted to stay in the loop. But there were others who weren't hesitant to label a C or C-minus grade to his latter recruiting classes, in print and on radio.

The leeches I referred to earlier.


I'm sure a few who not only saw the recruiting but the attrition were scared to say much in fear that Petrino would find a way to keep winning anyway.  I'm still trying to figure out why expectations weren't tempered more for 2012 BEFORE the motorcycle accident.  (not directing this to you personally)

[Dwight_K_Shrute]

Some people did call it out. Not the recruiter writers, mind you, who depend on getting info via UA sources to cover the recruiting, and thus couldn't rip a recruiting class to shreds (especially a Petrino one) if they wanted to stay in the loop. But there were others who weren't hesitant to label a C or C-minus grade to his latter recruiting classes, in print and on radio.

In print and radio at the time?  I'd be curious if you can cite a specific example.  I know the man that "Tells it Like it Is" only ripped it long after the fact once the team started struggling last year.

I have no doubt that Arkansassports360.com or sportinglifearkanas.com gave honest opinions but anyone beyond that?

[cosmodrum]

Still

[Jamie Jones]

I read the first 4 paragraphs of this "piece", which is 3 more than I usually waste my time on. And I'll be brief in my critique. It doesn't matter what the Razorback media clique think of the Razorbacks or what they report. Bob, you should know by now that Razorbacks fans are ALWAYS going to support the Hogs. They may have varying opinions on the who's, what's, and how's but we will always be Hogs fans.

This is just another failed attempt at journalism on your part. Try to put some actual thought into the next on.

[TOM "tbw1"]

For all of you who are wondering why nothing negative was said about Coach Petrino's recruiting, the promise of the 2012 season, etc., it was there.

Most people disregard things that interfere with their preconceived ideas.

http://youarenotsosmart.com/2010/06/23/confirmation-bias/

[Jim Harris]

If any of you were born before 1987, I'll remind you (and if you were born after 1987 I'll just inform you) that Orville Henry in 1987, on the Saturday that Miami came to town to play Arkansas, picked the Hogs to win by 7.

Arkansas finally scored 7 after Miami had scored 51.

Orville is not the only one guilty of it, but he certainly was among the best at giving the Hog fans hope, and some years (like 1963, 67, 72, etc.) he probably didn't confess in print to know that Arkansas had talent shortages that might cause the Hogs to struggle. Others have followed that ilk. There are others who, to the best of their ability, have tried to be as objective about the Hogs' chances as anyone. It's funny to go on TV and say you think Arkansas at best will only win 4 games, then go to Kroger and somebody recognize you and all but tear your head off that you dared say the Hogs would only win 4 games. Guys who are around the program and the coaches and the players on a daily basis -- like some of the names he's mentioned -- are more prone to "err on the side of caution," I guess, and pronounce things better. Some of those guys want to go into Kroger and not get confronted by irate Hog fans. Personally, I never cared what someone else thought if I said they'd lose, or if I said they'd win when nobody gave them a chance.

I think this is what Robert might be trying to say. However, I think he has used a broad brush to paint his picture, and using Bo and Clay as examples is not fair to the many other journalists and radio hosts who attempt to be objective.

Hell, we're only using the best data at our disposal to outline these expectations: recruiting has improved the past two years; the team's best players are in the freshman and sophomore classes, with a small handful of really good juniors and seniors; freshmen and sophomores aren't going to win on a regular basis against the type of schedule the Hogs face this year; they will gain more experience and be much better as sophomores and juniors in 2015; we don't know exactly how things will play out at 8 other SEC schools on the schedule; momentum is a huge factor in college football, good breaks here and there early on can lead to an unexpected run of success, such was the case with an veteran Missouri team last year, or a talented and unheralded Auburn team, or the Hogs in 2006 for example); we have no way of knowing how injuries will play out (for instance, do y'all really believe Florida would have been a 4-8 team last year if not for a series of devastating injuries, including QB?).

No one I know is setting Arkansas fans up for disappointment. On the contrary, I think most journalists and even the radio entertainers I know would be quite surprised if Arkansas won more than 6 games, and many don't expect 6. I think people I know would be disappointed only in that they didn't look improved on the field against the most powerful teams in the league, that they didn't look ready and prepared to give Auburn a good game after seven months to prepare, and if they didn't have at least one conference game breakthrough this year.

[TOM "tbw1"]

For all of you who are wondering why nothing negative was said about Coach Petrino's recruiting, the promise of the 2012 season, etc., it was there.

Most people disregard things that interfere with their preconceived ideas.

http://youarenotsosmart.com/2010/06/23/confirmation-bias/

Confirmation bias is a filter through which you see a reality that matches your expectations. It causes you to think selectively, but the real trouble begins when confirmation bias distorts your active pursuit of facts.


Punditry is a whole industry built on confirmation bias. Rush Limbaugh and Keith Olbermann, Glenn Beck and Arianna Huffington, Rachel Maddow and Ann Coulter – these people provide fuel for beliefs, they pre-filter the world to match existing world-views. If their filter is like your filter, you love them. If it isn't, you hate them.

Whether or not pundits are telling the truth, or vetting their opinions, or thoroughly researching their topics is all beside the point. You watch them not for information, but for confirmation.

[Jim Harris]

In print and radio at the time?  I'd be curious if you can cite a specific example.  I know the man that "Tells it Like it Is" only ripped it long after the fact once the team started struggling last year.

I have no doubt that Arkansassports360.com or sportinglifearkanas.com gave honest opinions but anyone beyond that?

I'm certain Bruce James did on his radio appearances on 103.7 and when he was quoted in the press. Certainly if you were just reading the recruiting writers, there was no criticism. Even the worst recruited class in the country will be touted as an outstanding class of potential and diamonds in the rough.

But, on the other hand, I recall when Bill Curry's 1989 recruiting class at Alabama was ripped by Alabama writers as terrible (for Alabama that is). It turned out to be loaded with future NFL players and was the cornerstone for the 1992 national title team.

I know, we don't have the same type of writing here as they do in Alabama, where even regular beat writers and the Tuscaloosa and Opelika and Montgomery and Birmingham and Mobile columnists are wont to criticize if it's called for (or even when they think it's called for but they are wrong).

[Biggus Piggus]

Lemme get this straight. Clay Henry is hyping the Hogs because Spaight talked about yoga. And all the media are homers, except for almost all of them. Did I miss anything?

[tennhawg]

I know this is too generalized, but journalism and media reporting of every kind has gone downhill as profit and negativity have joined forces to stamp out anything close to fact or even reality. It is overly obvious here in the south. Talk radio is all about ratings and people seem to like wrestlin and honey booboo type crap.  Finding a  balance between optimism and negativity seems to be a lost art.

[Pig in the Pokey]

I won more Slim Chickens last Monday lol.

[NaturalStateReb]

Another thing to remember are that a lot of the guys covering the Hogs are actually Hog fans.  It's not impossible for them to cover the Hogs fairly and accurately, but it's pretty natural to want to be optimistic.

[hoghevn]

I am a HUGE BB fan and not so much of a Shields fan; However, his article is good & dead on.  His article is backed by Jim Harris' post above concerning Orville Henry.

The Arkansas media is just too concerned about the fan following the media and listening to them, so they stay positive so they don't loose any listeners.

The Arkansas media is also concerned with having access to the UofA so they don't get negative.  They stay positive so they don't get banned on anything.

[fakebobholt]

The way we recieve our information about the Hogs has changed in the last 6-8 years but especially in the last 2-3 years. Sports reporters became evaluators. It started with yearly predictions then grew into recruiting experts, talent evalutors and scheme geniuses. This is through no fault of the sports media but to stay relavant they suddenly became the guest on radio shows and started news sites for sports. If you take most of the guys that talk hogs on the radio, none of them played football. Trey biddy, Schapp, girt, dudley, clay, and others have gone from sports reporters to so called experts.

Its almost impossible to evaluate talent for those that have never plsyed. The state media could predict 7wins in the last 15 years or so and be within a game one way or the other. The wheels fell off with the lack of giving fans a warning that players and recruiting wasnt up to par with Petrino. Now it is used as commom knowledge thats why we are so bad. I think the tide turning poit was smiles year. The first part of the season peopke were talking about an extension and Atlanta. There was lots of possible national titke talks. There was so many reasons this was never going to happen. The coaches dont want added pressure that is built uo through the state media. The media has loved the saying we will coach kids upmto compete with the big boys, while dismissing how good other teams are. The closed media has as much or more to do with staffs and universities not being put under such high hopes based on sports reporters turned experts. This isnt a knock on the sports media but the last 2-3 years they have swung and missed. This is not an attack on the sports media but rather maybe fans should taper expectations based on media hype. As long as we win this isnt an issue but when we tank like we have and then experts didnt give warning or oponions until after the fact, their will be blame to go around. Swapping from sports reporting to total team anaylst opened them up to push back like they are recieving.

[tophawg19]

HMMM Someone didn't get a media pass . And nobody will let him in the big boy clique so he stands outside throwing little rocks and running away. You [ RS] weren't allowed at the practice so how could you know if the reports are true or not ? You claim superior knowledge of the program , so who told you? You must have superior knowledge to know they weren't telling the truth . Maybe it's all those practices you've been invited to watch lmbo .  Does CBB Even know who you are ? If you have better reports of practice , post them so we can be the judge .

[Mike Irwin]

IThe Arkansas media is also concerned with having access to the UofA so they don't get negative.  They stay positive so they don't get banned on anything.

Name me one member of the media that has ever been banned from covering the team. You can't because it's never happened.

[Boardon Hamsay]

I tend to fall into the "own your own expectations" crowd. The OP comes off as looking to pre-assign the blame for fan expectations potentially not being met on the Razorback media. I suppose it's easier to look for a scapegoat instead of ones own expectations. There's a fine line between looking for information versus looking for affirmation. I take media reports, interviews, pressers, practice reports, etc. as they are presented. It's information only. My expectations and opinions are what I choose to affirm and own myself. I don't look to the media to make my opinion for me and it would be pretty rediculous to blame the media if my expectations aren't met. Maybe it's just me but not being able to manage your expectations is a "you problem".

[Uncommon]

LOL.  This article is ridiculous to me.

First, it's pretty damn obvious that we will be better this season.  Almost all the position groups will be improved and key players at key positions will be healthy heading into the season.

Second, I didn't know 4-8, 5-7, and 6-6 was an overly optimistic prediction.  Those are the main three record predictions from most Arkansas media.  I think those are realistic predictions.  Overly optimistic predictions to me are 7-5, 8-4, or 9-3.

Lastly, Arkansas CAN go 6-6 this season.  There are enough winnable games on the schedule this year.  Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and Missouri are winnable games.

Although Texas Tech does have a prolific passing offense they have a very bad rushing defense.  Well what is our offensive strength?  Our rushing offense.  They key match ups in that game will be how well we run the ball and how well we defend the pass.

Texas A&M is a winnable game.  They will have a good offensive line and some good running backs but I don't think they will have that impact play maker at QB like they have had the last two seasons or a 6'6" athletic freak at wide receiver.  Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans kept them and won them a lot of games last year.  As for the defense, it was horrible last year and two starting DL and a starting LB were kicked off leaving them only 5 or 6 starters returning on that side of the ball.  If we can stop Texas A&M's running game, I think we win.

Missouri will be taking a step back as well this year.  Sure they return Maty Mauk but he had a lot of tall, talented wide receivers last season and all of them (L'Damian Washington, Marcus Lucas, and Dorial Green-Beckham) are gone.  I don't think he will look as good as last season.  On the defense they lost some defensive linemen, a solid middle linebacker, and a pretty good defensive back in EJ Gaines.  [Sarcasm] And we know how good their special teams are when it comes to a game winning field goal situation. [/Sarcasm]

[Cave City Joe]

Media members are not supposed to be fans.

But ours are.

You nailed it.

And others aren't?  Paul Finebaum for example

[BigE_23]

I only read the first paragraph and the last few lines...the only real reading necessary to ascertain that the whole post is load of crap is "Robert Shields".

That said, the real reason that Mr. Shields is calling out the Arkansas Sports Media is because he desperately wants to be considered a part of it. He's butt-sore because he's not skilled or talented enough to be included in the so-called "clique". And, in our state, that's really saying something.

[mckinneyhog5]

When and if we do well this season, I want Robert Shields to address the team and tell them how bad they are. Scratch that, I want him banned from posting anymore of this garbage.
  Hey Robert, why don't you tell us how bad they will finish this year and if you're wrong will you agree to a one year self imposed ban?
  There is nothing wrong with stating an opinion but you are the negative Nancy of hogville.  It's time you put up or shut up!
Of course if we do well I can see you stating that's it's because you put the pressure on them with the negative attitude.

[Phil D]

The problem with the media isn't that it's all sunshine, or that there's a grand conspiracy.  After all, Arkansas players probably are faster and stronger now than they were earlier.

The problem is the utter lack of context.

You never hear from the Arkansas sports media where Arkansas is in relation to the rest of the SEC.  Sure, they're faster and stronger than they were.  But how fast or strong are they in comparison with LSU?  Or Bama?  Or Tennessee?  You don't get that part of the story, and that leads to faulty analysis.  This isn't limited to just practice reports.  When you hear about season predictions, you never hear much about what the opponents bring.  It's almost like some of these guys just think it'll only be Arkansas out there deciding things.

I think part of this stems from years in the SWC, but I think it has more to do with the general lack of journalistic competition.

I think part of it also has to do with the fact we haven't lined up against any of those teams yet this year, and that is the only true indicator of where we stand everything up until that point is conjecture and opinion. You can only report what you see and hear. That being said I am not going to ever jump on the sky is falling, we are doomed, this coaching staff sucks bandwagon after ONE season in a new system with a new coaching staff who haven't had a chance to recruit for their system and had an injured QB for the majority of the season. If after year three we are not significantly improved I may start to question the direction we are headed but I am going to give this staff the benefit of the doubt and see what they can do before going all doom and gloom.I think allot of this sunshine pumper darksider mess is carried over from the Nutty years and in most cases is a bunch of BS. classify me as a shunshine pumper if you must but make no mistake I love this team and if coach BB doesn't get the job done in a REASONABLE amount of time i will be in the other camp.Not that my feelings or opinion carry any weight with the PTB. :razorback:

[Hogustus Caesar]

LOL.  This article is ridiculous to me.

First, it's pretty damn obvious that we will be better this season.  Almost all the position groups will be improved and key players at key positions will be healthy heading into the season.

Second, I didn't know 4-8, 5-7, and 6-6 was an overly optimistic prediction.  Those are the main three record predictions from most Arkansas media.  I think those are realistic predictions.  Overly optimistic predictions to me are 7-5, 8-4, or 9-3.

Lastly, Arkansas CAN go 6-6 this season.  There are enough winnable games on the schedule this year.  Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and Missouri are winnable games.

Although Texas Tech does have a prolific passing offense they have a very bad rushing defense.  Well what is our offensive strength?  Our rushing offense.  They key match ups in that game will be how well we run the ball and how well we defend the pass.

Texas A&M is a winnable game.  They will have a good offensive line and some good running backs but I don't think they will have that impact play maker at QB like they have had the last two seasons or a 6'6" athletic freak at wide receiver.  Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans kept them and won them a lot of games last year.  As for the defense, it was horrible last year and two starting DL and a starting LB were kicked off leaving them only 5 or 6 starters returning on that side of the ball.  If we can stop Texas A&M's running game, I think we win.

Missouri will be taking a step back as well this year.  Sure they return Maty Mauk but he had a lot of tall, talented wide receivers last season and all of them (L'Damian Washington, Marcus Lucas, and Dorial Green-Beckham) are gone.  I don't think he will look as good as last season.  On the defense they lost some defensive linemen, a solid middle linebacker, and a pretty good defensive back in EJ Gaines.  [Sarcasm] And we know how good their special teams are when it comes to a game winning field goal situation. [/Sarcasm]

Yep. Excellent points here.

[HawgTide]

Overly Optimistic Razorback Sports Media Only Setting Fans Up for Disappointment

Robert Shields

Northwest Arkansas radio talk-show host Bo Mattingly recently received an email from a listener who questioned why he and other Razorback media types constantly defended and "bowed down" to Razorback football coach Bret Bielema.

Mattingly's long response was that he gives you a perspective that you may not be aware of to help you be more informed.

But the real answer is that there is no money to be made for Mattingly and the rest of the Incestuous Razorback Press Clique to be negative toward your team. They are going to sell you, I mean tell you, what you want to hear. There is no economic incentive for them to be negative.

The media that covers the Razorbacks wants you to be excited and interested in the upcoming season because that makes you listen, watch, or read their product, which in turn allows them to sell more Slim Chickens ads.

If the Razorback media was objective, which is often labeled by some fans as "negative," it would turn many people off of their news product and go looking for someone who will tell them what they want to hear instead.

In his answer to the email, Mattingly said what the Razorback media is doing is making you more informed. The fact that these media people claim to have such insight is especially amazing considering that UA football practices are closed and the Razorback media members are essentially told by the athletic department staff what to report to the public.

As you hear all the optimistic talk in this preseason, please remember that this is from the same media that didn't question the hiring of John L. Smith and led you to believe the approaching season without Bobby Petrino was going to be just fine.

So you get the same at the beginning of every season with the coaches talking about players in superlative terms and that information regurgitated to you by your Razorback media.

Take, for example, the segment on Mattingly's show where Clay Henry, the publisher of Hawgs Illustrated, arrives to give his post-practice report. This is where you hear about players getting stronger and faster as you do every year, which is good because you don't want to hear about them getting weaker and slower.

This information that the players are getting better would matter if it was relative to what other teams were doing. If they actually knew the Razorback players were getting bigger, faster, and stronger than say Georgia, it matters a lot.

The reality is that the players at Texas A&M, Alabama, Mississippi State, LSU, Ole Miss, and Missouri have also gotten faster and stronger in the offseason.

You have probably heard that the offensive line ran the hill on Cleveland Street in Fayetteville during the offseason, which we are told is proof positive that they are ready. Or are they? Could Auburn's offensive line and defensive line run that same hill? It's a feel-good story during this period while we wall wait for the kickoff of the first game.

It's a story that makes you feel positive about the team's chances in the upcoming season – and want to consume more news about it from radio talk shows, television sportscasts, newspaper sports sections, and Razorback specialty magazines.

From Clay Henry you hear the positive story of Martrell Spaight taking yoga. Like that is going to matter much when they play Auburn. But who knows maybe it is DDP yoga and will make a difference.

Regardless, it's the kind of information they push to you so Mattingly and the rest of the Incestuous Razorback Press can "inform" you so that you are more enlightened and see a different perspective than the national predictions.

I get wanting to be positive after the last two horrendous seasons.

I get wanting hope after losing nine in a row, a Razorback record.

I get not wanting to hear all the negatives about this team when they are easy to find.

You want to have belief in your team. And that is what they are giving you when they tell you the players are saying the right things and that the attitude on the team is different than last year.

But when a fan calls your Incestuous Razorback Press Clique out in an email to a radio show, they need to own it.

They are what they are and that is to make money off of you by pumping up a football program that is considered the worst in the SEC in the preseason.

And setting such high expectations for this football team is doing it no favors -- and maybe setting the fans up for another big letdown. But here's to hoping the team goes from worst to first.



Send your hopes to fromthebench@yahoo.com.

Fight the power!!

We are so lucky to have a rebel pseudo  journalist to shoot us straight...

What a load of darn.You are the biggest publicity whore in the 4 state area and I feel dirty for reading and responding to your darn

[PygmalionEffect]

http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/87529/jim-harris-petrinos-recruiting-shortcomings-coincide-with-state-talent-falling-off?page=all

I'm trying to follow this thread but I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.

I thought Tom was taking the side that some in-state reporters will do a negative story when it is warranted in a timely fashion but then you provide this link to a Jim Harris article where he is criticizing Petrino's recruiting performance six months after he was fired and after humiliating JLS losses to bama, rutgers, etc.

That would be a good example for Dwight and company's side of things.

I think the in-state reporting is generally optimistic and I don't have a problem with it, in fact I think that is the way it should be.  They could do more reporting on the SEC competition for the small % of hard core fans that show up here every week but that is not what the majority of their audience would want, especially TV, except during game week.

I love Rick Schaffer.  I just love positive people and being out of state, probably don't hear him enough to get worn out by it.

[tophawg19]

why is it shields brings out all the negative people on board . always the same ones . you can count on them . Also R/S  writes and disappears

[HogFanatic]

-1 Robert. -1

[BPsTheMan]

Overly Optimistic Razorback Sports Media Only Setting Fans Up for Disappointment

Robert Shields

Northwest Arkansas radio talk-show host Bo Mattingly recently received an email from a listener who questioned why he and other Razorback media types constantly defended and "bowed down" to Razorback football coach Bret Bielema.

Mattingly's long response was that he gives you a perspective that you may not be aware of to help you be more informed.

But the real answer is that there is no money to be made for Mattingly and the rest of the Incestuous Razorback Press Clique to be negative toward your team. They are going to sell you, I mean tell you, what you want to hear. There is no economic incentive for them to be negative.

The media that covers the Razorbacks wants you to be excited and interested in the upcoming season because that makes you listen, watch, or read their product, which in turn allows them to sell more Slim Chickens ads.

If the Razorback media was objective, which is often labeled by some fans as "negative," it would turn many people off of their news product and go looking for someone who will tell them what they want to hear instead.

In his answer to the email, Mattingly said what the Razorback media is doing is making you more informed. The fact that these media people claim to have such insight is especially amazing considering that UA football practices are closed and the Razorback media members are essentially told by the athletic department staff what to report to the public.

As you hear all the optimistic talk in this preseason, please remember that this is from the same media that didn't question the hiring of John L. Smith and led you to believe the approaching season without Bobby Petrino was going to be just fine.

So you get the same at the beginning of every season with the coaches talking about players in superlative terms and that information regurgitated to you by your Razorback media.

Take, for example, the segment on Mattingly's show where Clay Henry, the publisher of Hawgs Illustrated, arrives to give his post-practice report. This is where you hear about players getting stronger and faster as you do every year, which is good because you don't want to hear about them getting weaker and slower.

This information that the players are getting better would matter if it was relative to what other teams were doing. If they actually knew the Razorback players were getting bigger, faster, and stronger than say Georgia, it matters a lot.

The reality is that the players at Texas A&M, Alabama, Mississippi State, LSU, Ole Miss, and Missouri have also gotten faster and stronger in the offseason.

You have probably heard that the offensive line ran the hill on Cleveland Street in Fayetteville during the offseason, which we are told is proof positive that they are ready. Or are they? Could Auburn's offensive line and defensive line run that same hill? It's a feel-good story during this period while we wall wait for the kickoff of the first game.

It's a story that makes you feel positive about the team's chances in the upcoming season – and want to consume more news about it from radio talk shows, television sportscasts, newspaper sports sections, and Razorback specialty magazines.

From Clay Henry you hear the positive story of Martrell Spaight taking yoga. Like that is going to matter much when they play Auburn. But who knows maybe it is DDP yoga and will make a difference.

Regardless, it's the kind of information they push to you so Mattingly and the rest of the Incestuous Razorback Press can "inform" you so that you are more enlightened and see a different perspective than the national predictions.

I get wanting to be positive after the last two horrendous seasons.

I get wanting hope after losing nine in a row, a Razorback record.

I get not wanting to hear all the negatives about this team when they are easy to find.

You want to have belief in your team. And that is what they are giving you when they tell you the players are saying the right things and that the attitude on the team is different than last year.

But when a fan calls your Incestuous Razorback Press Clique out in an email to a radio show, they need to own it.

They are what they are and that is to make money off of you by pumping up a football program that is considered the worst in the SEC in the preseason.

And setting such high expectations for this football team is doing it no favors -- and maybe setting the fans up for another big letdown. But here's to hoping the team goes from worst to first.



Send your hopes to fromthebench@yahoo.com.

#Invalid Troll Link#

[PygmalionEffect]

Name me one member of the media that has ever been banned from covering the team. You can't because it's never happened.

Seriously, I thought Robert Shields claimed some kind of bias towards his access due to his "tell it like it is' style?

I also thought UU has complained on here that his access was limited at times although it may not have been for the reason of being too realistic.

[Hollywood_HOGan45]

Shields' vag is still bruised from games being taken from little rock.

[WilsonHog]

I thought the article was extremely useful, so much so that after reading just a bit of it I printed off two copies.

One to sh*t on and the other to cover it up with.

[Delicious~Dreams]

Robert are you jealous??      Is this the reasoning behind your posts? 

[Mike Irwin]

Seriously, I thought Robert Shields claimed some kind of bias towards his access due to his "tell it like it is' style?

I also thought UU has complained on here that his access was limited at times although it may not have been for the reason of being too realistic.

The university of Arkansas has always had a policy of determining whether or not a person requesting credentials is actually a legitimate member of the working media.

They can't issue a press pass to everyone who wants one. The situation would become unmanageable.

Scott would probably be able to state the print criteria better than me. Employees of TV stations qualify although the number of credentials issued is limited. Radio stations are usually limited to one credential per station but there are exceptions. I think this was UU's issue. Grant Hall already was already on the press pass list for 1190 AM in Fayetteville when UU applied. I do think he got that worked out.

I don't know anything about Robert Shields situation but if he wants a credential and hasn't been given one I'm certain it's not because of anything he's written.

To clarify, no one recognized as a legitimate member of the working Razorback sports media has ever had their press pass taken away because of something they reported.

GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEADS. WE ARE NOT SCARED OF THE U OF A.    

[Ugly Uncle]

The university of Arkansas has always had a policy of determining whether or not a person requesting credentials is actually a legitimate member of the working media.

They can't issue a press pass to everyone who wants one. The situation would become unmanageable.

Scott would probably be able to state the print criteria better than me. Employees of TV stations qualify although the number of credentials issued is limited. Radio stations are usually limited to one credential per station but there are exceptions. I think this was UU's issue. Grant Hall already was already on the press pass list for 1190 AM in Fayetteville when UU applied. I do think he got that worked out.

I don't know anything about Robert Shields situation but if he wants a credential and hasn't been given one I'm certain it's not because of anything he's written.

To clarify, no one recognized as a legitimate member of the working Razorback sports media has ever had their press pass taken away because of something they reported.

GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEADS. WE ARE NOT SCARED OF THE U OF A.    

This is exactly right. 

No one fears the U of A because of something that they write or say.  I haven't heard of anyone losing their credentials because of that.

It did take a while for me to get credentials and I have my own opinions on why it took so long, but I have never felt threatened since I have had full access.

I also am a fan first and foremost.  I wear Razorback gear almost everyday.  I've never pretended to be anything but that.  I want the Razorbacks to do well because I am a fan.

What is silly about this idea of overly optimistic media is that for radio our ratings and phone calls actually go up when the team is doing bad.  I don't know what it is like for the t.v. and news paper guys though. 

[jkstock04]

The university of Arkansas has always had a policy of determining whether or not a person requesting credentials is actually a legitimate member of the working media.

They can't issue a press pass to everyone who wants one. The situation would become unmanageable.

Scott would probably be able to state the print criteria better than me. Employees of TV stations qualify although the number of credentials issued is limited. Radio stations are usually limited to one credential per station but there are exceptions. I think this was UU's issue. Grant Hall already was already on the press pass list for 1190 AM in Fayetteville when UU applied. I do think he got that worked out.

I don't know anything about Robert Shields situation but if he wants a credential and hasn't been given one I'm certain it's not because of anything he's written.

To clarify, no one recognized as a legitimate member of the working Razorback sports media has ever had their press pass taken away because of something they reported.

GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEADS. WE ARE NOT SCARED OF THE U OF A.    

I would be willing to wager $$$$ that back in the day Houston Nutt would buddy buddy up with certain media guys while giving others the cold shoulder. Take an insecure coach like that and it could happen.

Maybe that's not the press pass taken away, but actions like that could for sure lead to biased reporting.

[McKdaddy]

Pretty informative thread with our HV media members chiming in. Thanks.

[WilsonHog]

Here's what I find humorous about the whole thing.

The whole premise of the original piece is that the media is "setting Hog fans up for disappointment."

So, not only has the OP painted the media with a broad brush, but in his zeal to hammer the media he's also used that same brush to paint our fan base as gullible and easily led.

The OP seems to regard himself as the only truly enlightened man in the entire, blessed state.

[Ugly Uncle]

I have actually thought this for quite a few years now. (When practices used to be open) you would have these guys who would never miss a practice...AND I GUARANTEE YOU...they pretty much knew by watching all those practices over the years what it was gonna look like.

But, like you said...overall, they are gonna report what people wanna hear. Even if we are staring at a 3-9 year. Personally I prefer an objective view of things. I honestly hope Hogville doesn't turn into something like Hawgs Illustrated where if you don't have something positive to say 100% of the time don't say it.  To me there are some positive things happening but still a million question marks...and it should be ok to talk about all those things.

Back when I first starting writing practice reports people didn't say too much, because practice reports were new and any information was great.

I have had people since then...in the same practice report thread say that I was only pointing out the positives and sugar coating...then others saying I was being too negative and bashing players and coaches.

Everyone has their own bias, whether reporter or reader.  I see people that put emphasis on the positive, while others focus on the negative.  It is just the way it is and no one is truly objective in their reporting or in their interpretation of what is being reported.  There are folks in the media that I don't agree with what they have to say or how they report, but I've never seen anyone in this group of media that are dishonest in what they are reporting.  What Robby is questioning is integrity. 

Maybe that is a fair question.  After the HdN years it might be deserved.  I just don't see it from guys in that room. 

[BENTON PIGGEE]

Name me one member of the media that has ever been banned from covering the team. You can't because it's never happened.

How about the chick who wore a Florida hat to Petrino's post-practice interview thing?

[LZH]

I'll leave most of the bashing to the media critics around here, but I for one do not read ANY Arkansas sports journos' articles anymore...that ship sailed a long time ago for me.  The print guys that I was used to reading just got so predictable.  I guess the way those guys handled Houston Nutt's last two years did it for me.

Mostly, I watch the snippet videos on here and read what you guys have to say more than, for example, Wally Hall.  As for Clay Henry and the NWA bunch, I never was that familiar with the NWA writers in the first place...living in SE Arkansas and all.  And I know it's easy to say this because we're friendly, but I have come to enjoy reading what Mike Irwin has to say - regardless of whether I always agree with him or not, he puts his name on his opinions and has great stories to tell.

Other than having to admit that I never was that enamored with Orville Henry, that's about it.

[Ugly Uncle]

How about the chick who wore a Florida hat to Petrino's post-practice interview thing?

I was working at the same station with her at the time and she was fired from the station, not because of anything from the U of A.

She was also fired because of things she had posted on public social media sites that people had researched and found and became public knowledge.  It was a bad thing all around and in the grand scheme of things she didn't do anything THAT bad, but because of what happened she had lost credibility with the fan base that she was reporting to.  She couldn't do her job that she was hired to do.

Side note:  She always told me not to wear hog gear to press conferences and so I didn't.  This past week I was wearing a hog shirt at a post practice press conference and one of the SIDs remarked about me having more Razorback gear than he did, I laughed and said, "Well, all of my Bama gear is dirty."  He and I were both here when the Florida hat thing happened, so he just kind of chuckled and said, "yeah..."