Airon Servais and Luke Benson Press Conference | Aug 19 | Syracusefan.com

Airon Servais and Luke Benson Press Conference | Aug 19


Servais on playing during the pandemic: "Guys are really just worried about their safety and their overall health going into this season. This is something that none of us are really used to." Servais said he's "very happy" with SU's revised testing plan.

Servais said that "to my understanding" the ACC will move to a 3x per week testing model during the season. That would match what SU has stated it will do.

Servais said he's been mindful of questions and concerns that go along with playing during the pandemic. He said SU staff has been receptive to player requests. Servais said he's spoken to cardiologists to better understand risks associated with Covid-19.

Servais: "For me personally, I've just been trying to get the most information that I can... for me to make the most knowledgable decision that I can." Servais said myocarditis risk was something that stuck out to him as a potential concern. He feels more comfortable now.

Servais said his parents have been looped in on most of these conversations. His mother asks a lot of questions (I can only imagine how many mine would).

Servais is asked about Liberty's protocols. He says players would sit out if they feel unsafe for any game. "If we don't feel that our opponent has done what they need to do to ensure team safety, it could end up that that's the case -- that we don't play that game."

Servais is asked how the team looks two weeks into camp. He says guys are "flying around" and if they're making mistakes, they're being made at full speed. "It's an environment that you want to be in and it's an environment that's really good for growth."
 
TE Luke Benson on now. He's asked if there was frustration among players about the lack of transparency on testing. "That was something we worked through while we were sitting out of practice. ... It's a challenge. Things have been going a lot better now and moving forward."

Benson is asked about Liberty's testing protocol, including previously only testing asymptomatic players. Said that is a "concern" and it'll be dealt with if/when that game week arrives (by someone higher up than Benson).

Benson said "there's definitely an added risk factor" playing during a pandemic, but there are already risks playing football and Covid-19 isn't limited to the football world. Benson said he's spoke with those close to him and is "full-steam ahead" toward playing.

Good follow up from MarkLarsonSports -- the potential decision to cancel a game doesn't have to come from a higher up. Players have proven that in the last two weeks. "Once we get down the road to that, we'll have to decide as a team. I wouldn't say that's impossible."
 
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LeMoyneCuse said:
Hard to ask specific questions about football when you can't see practice.
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Agree but lets ask about the new coordinators...

1. How has the adjustments been for you personally?

2. Whats been the biggest change under Coach X

3. How is your role changing under your new coordinator?

4. What do you like best under the new Offensive scheme?

5. Do you see your role different as a TE with Coach Gilbert?

6. How has the playbook changed?

Still lots to talk about despite not seeing the practices...
 
corpjet said:
Agree but lets ask about the new coordinators...

1. How has the adjustments been for you personally?

2. Whats been the biggest change under Coach X

3. How is your role changing under your new coordinator?

4. What do you like best under the new Offensive scheme?

5. Do you see your role different as a TE with Coach Gilbert?

6. How has the playbook changed?

Still lots to talk about despite not seeing the practices...
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I see where you're going, but from a reporting perspective:

1 and 2 are only of value for a writer who is writing a piece about the new coordinator.

3-6 are not worth asking. Babers runs a tight ship, and they're not going to give a worthwhile answer to questions that deal with tactics / philosophy in summer camp. All the beat writers have been around long enough to recognize that.
 
Well how many times do the press have to keep asking about Liberty? This is something they just keep pounding at. Today they asked each player about it and they have previously asked Coach Babers and other players. I want to hear something about football as Corpjet suggests. At least let's give it a try and have a follow up question to maybe get a little deeper answer. For me, I don't care if they give a canned answer to some football questions, I already know the answers about Liberty because it keeps getting asked.
 
LeMoyneCuse said:
I see where you're going, but from a reporting perspective:

1 and 2 are only of value for a writer who is writing a piece about the new coordinator.

3-6 are not worth asking. Babers runs a tight ship, and they're not going to give a worthwhile answer to questions that deal with tactics / philosophy in summer camp. All the beat writers have been around long enough to recognize that.
Expand...
Shouldn't you ask just in case you get a little bit of information? The COVID stuff is obviously important to report on, but man, as a consumer I'm begging for some football news.
 
I think if Liberty is kept on the schedule the players will not play. ACC might as well drop the non-conf game and move to 3x/week testing 14 days before the season opener.
 
City of Cuse said:
Shouldn't you ask just in case you get a little bit of information? The COVID stuff is obviously important to report on, but man, as a consumer I'm begging for some football news.
Expand...
I mean, I don't know what the story planning process is for Mink and Bailey. I also haven't watched the presser to the extent of what was asked.

That said, a journalist goes into a presser with a story or stories in mind. With all of the questions about the season and if it will happen, plus the players sitting out of practice (which is a HUGE story that needs to be unpacked), there is plenty that needs to be covered.

Writing about actual football is, of course, what we all want. But it's super hard to get a useful answer from a player when you can't ask a specific question about what you've seen.
 
LeMoyneCuse said:
I see where you're going, but from a reporting perspective:

1 and 2 are only of value for a writer who is writing a piece about the new coordinator.

3-6 are not worth asking. Babers runs a tight ship, and they're not going to give a worthwhile answer to questions that deal with tactics / philosophy in summer camp. All the beat writers have been around long enough to recognize that.
Expand...

Clearly. Some ask injury questions every single press conference for 4 years.
 
LeMoyneCuse said:
I mean, I don't know what the story planning process is for Mink and Bailey. I also haven't watched the presser to the extent of what was asked.

That said, a journalist goes into a presser with a story or stories in mind. With all of the questions about the season and if it will happen, plus the players sitting out of practice (which is a HUGE story that needs to be unpacked), there is plenty that needs to be covered.

Writing about actual football is, of course, what we all want. But it's super hard to get a useful answer from a player when you can't ask a specific question about what you've seen.
Expand...
I get it. In my line of work, number 1 question is audience. Who are they, what do they want, what data should we give them based on that.

I would think most of the football audience they are attracting do care about COVID and practicing/playing games. but would also like to hear some targeted questions about new coaches and personnel.
 
City of Cuse said:
I get it. In my line of work, number 1 question is audience. Who are they, what do they want, what data should we give them based on that.

I would think most of the football audience they are attracting do care about COVID and practicing/playing games. but would also like to hear some targeted questions about new coaches and personnel.
Expand...
I'm sure their #1 question is also audience. But several things:

1) These press conferences are for the press to ask questions. The athletic department replays them because fans like them. But they're for the press, not the fans.
2) The players aren't going to answer those questions - Dino keeps everything super close to the vest this time of year. And when the media can't see even glimpses of practices, there's really no use in asking general questions. Side-stepped answers don't make for great articles.
 
I'm mean I'm really thankful for our one football related blurb today but It'd be really awesome if someone started asking football questions. thanks in advance

Servais is asked how the team looks two weeks into camp. He says guys are "flying around" and if they're making mistakes, they're being made at full speed. "It's an environment that you want to be in and it's an environment that's really good for growth."
 
LeMoyneCuse said:
I'm sure their #1 question is also audience. But several things:

1) These press conferences are for the press to ask questions. The athletic department replays them because fans like them. But they're for the press, not the fans.
2) The players aren't going to answer those questions - Dino keeps everything super close to the vest this time of year. And when the media can't see even glimpses of practices, there's really no use in asking general questions. Side-stepped answers don't make for great articles.
Expand...
Yeah, but without the fans (readers/subscribers) the press don't have jobs. I guess I'm naive, but the sports press should always be asking questions to create interesting articles that subscribers want to read or that lead to future interesting articles that fans (readers/subscribers) want to subscribe for. So if the time is just for press to ask questions, I don't get the distinction between their questions and questions we want attempted to be answered. Now certainly I'm not saying for them to read off a card, "city of cuse from parts unknown would like to ask Luke how many hamburgers he can eat."

Describe the challenges that occur when a new coach comes into a program? Has the team recovered from the let down last season. I'm obviously spit balling and I'm no journalist, just seems like they could take some constructive criticism from subscribers.
 
City of Cuse said:
Yeah, but without the fans (readers/subscribers) the press don't have jobs. I guess I'm naive, but the sports press should always be asking questions to create interesting articles that subscribers want to read or that lead to future interesting articles that fans (readers/subscribers) want to subscribe for.

Describe the challenges that occur when a new coach comes into a program? Has the team recovered from the let down last season. I'm obviously spit balling and I'm no journalist, just seems like they could take some constructive criticism from subscribers.
Expand...
This is not supposed to sound personal, just an observation based on my experience as a former news producer, as well as my wife's - who has sports beat writing experience.

For a reporter to ask how practice is going and the adjustments are going and other general optimism stuff five days after a report from The Athletic's beat writer made us all question if there was going to be Syracuse football this year is a bad look because it's ignoring the actual stories. Those stories being player unity, player concerns, handling of testing, spiking rates at multiple Syracuse opponents, and how they're actually going to do this safely. The fact that players may sit out for Liberty because of COVID concerns is a far bigger potential story than the team adapting to the 3-3-5.

Hype stories and previews are filler for anything else to talk about. While fun, there's much bigger news happening right now.

And personally, I care far more about whether or not there will be a season than how the team looks at the moment. Because if the team doesn't take the field this fall, what does it matter?
 
LeMoyneCuse said:
This is not supposed to sound personal, just an observation based on my experience as a former news producer, as well as my wife's - who has sports beat writing experience.

For a reporter to ask how practice is going and the adjustments are going and other general optimism stuff five days after a report from The Athletic's beat writer made us all question if there was going to be Syracuse football this year is a bad look because it's ignoring the actual stories. Those stories being player unity, player concerns, handling of testing, spiking rates at multiple Syracuse opponents, and how they're actually going to do this safely. The fact that players may sit out for Liberty because of COVID concerns is a far bigger potential story than the team adapting to the 3-3-5.

Hype stories and previews are filler for anything else to talk about. While fun, there's much bigger news happening right now.

And personally, I care far more about whether or not there will be a season than how the team looks at the moment. Because if the team doesn't take the field this fall, what does it matter?
Expand...
Media are supposed to be the lifelines to the teams they are covering for fans.
It’s not that way anymore. It’s mainly about clicks, agendas or what increases their own brand.
Not directed you or your wife but the local media’s questions aka the Syracuse.com or Athletic writers write with a negative slant. They can do it and fans can call it out for what it is.
 
LeMoyneCuse said:
This is not supposed to sound personal, just an observation based on my experience as a former news producer, as well as my wife's - who has sports beat writing experience.

For a reporter to ask how practice is going and the adjustments are going and other general optimism stuff five days after a report from The Athletic's beat writer made us all question if there was going to be Syracuse football this year is a bad look because it's ignoring the actual stories. Those stories being player unity, player concerns, handling of testing, spiking rates at multiple Syracuse opponents, and how they're actually going to do this safely. The fact that players may sit out for Liberty because of COVID concerns is a far bigger potential story than the team adapting to the 3-3-5.

Hype stories and previews are filler for anything else to talk about. While fun, there's much bigger news happening right now.

And personally, I care far more about whether or not there will be a season than how the team looks at the moment. Because if the team doesn't take the field this fall, what does it matter?
Expand...
Why can't it be both? I'm not saying ignore the COVID story, but do what the fans want.

You're in the industry so it is close to you, but try to look at it from another view. I'm a consumer and I'm telling you what I want and what at least a few others in this thread want and you are telling me no. Seems odd, why not say okay we will add a couple more articles about football, the actual sport being played.
 
City of Cuse said:
Why can't it be both? I'm not saying ignore the COVID story, but do what the fans want.

You're in the industry so it is close to you, but try to look at it from another view. I'm a consumer and I'm telling you what I want and what at least a few others in this thread want and you are telling me no. Seems odd, why not say okay we will add a couple more articles about football, the actual sport being played.
Expand...
I was in the industry. Pay was terrible and the hours are awful.

I get what you're saying. Just telling you, from an informed perspective, why something is the way it is.

That said, contact info for editors and reporters isn't hard to find.
 
LeMoyneCuse said:
I was in the industry. Pay was terrible and the hours are awful.

I get what you're saying. Just telling you, from an informed perspective, why something is the way it is.

That said, contact info for editors and reporters isn't hard to find.
Expand...
Hey wait a second, I'm just here to complain, not actually trying to take action and contacting people!
 
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