Tipping point. Benny’s privacy and other matters.

[Brooky03]

There seems a good chance the coverage this relatively minor news conference incident received is going to get some people thinking about a bigger underlying story:
How a Hall of Fame coach built one of he best programs in the country and in his final years is destroying his own legacy.

What’s the audience for that story?

 

[SU94]

He didnt handle the question well. His answer created a bigger issue than necessary.

Am I the only one that gets that JAB's gripe is not with the actual question or the topic (Benny), but with the timing of (or placement) of the question?

JAB walks in and he give his 40-60 second take of the game. Then the student reporter asks about Benny right out of the chute.

The question about Benny would have been better served near the middle or at the end of the postgame presser. Jim knows this. So does Mike Waters. Donna, etc. The student reporter did not or he lost sight of that in the moment.

Think of it this way ... the Benny-missing-the-game topic is a sidebar. The game story should of course mention Benny's absence, but it certainly was not part of the lede and should not have been references until near the end of the piece.

Jim's direct point is that Benny was not the most important question for that moment (after a close loss to a Top 10 team). There is a nuance to all this and the student did not read the moment properly or was not equipped to.

 

[Cusefan0307]

One of the more perplexing things for people upset with the criticism and continuously talking about the youth and others holding higher expectations is that it's at odds with things JB said pre season.

He absolutely looked at this as a tourney team and one that should hopefully be more firmly in. He pointed out Benny being better and improving. He pointed out how underrated Joe is and Jesse really turning into a good player. He pointed out this freshman class being one of the best he's had.

So when everyone throws youth around as the excuse- you have two all acc seniors, a rising sophomore and a top 30 frosh PG and coach has been clear on the fact that can make for a better team and a tournament team... it feels like the fact all that was actually covered by the coach himself is some kind of fake news or irrelevant to the direct thoughts and criticisms.

JB says things yes- but these early comments were not insignificant.

Also you don't pair Joe and Jesse with a player as talented as Judah and be oh well let's just hope we don't have a losing season. That group is out there to win. Layer the defense comments as well and the mtm that was given barely anytime to develop and then enduring a zone that's getting sliced and diced by open shooters.

Based on the actions and comments from coach himself, the expectations of a progressive year were already set.

Lastly pointing to youth and then saying next year etc etc etc just isn't the reality anymore. Attrition is a yearly expectation now so you have to be putting a team that can win now not hoping the foundation stays in place. That's a big ask- just like keeping up in the NIL race is for which we can thank AW for going all in on.

The criticism therefore I think is more than fair both in looking over the past decade as well as in the moment, in a new normal.

October 12th.

‘We’re going to make the tournament’: Why is Boeheim so optimistic after first losing season?

Syracuse went 16-17 last season, so why is Jim Boeheim optimistic about this year's Orange?

www.syracuse.com

 

[DilemaCuse]

Oh no, not Big Lead and Outkick!

The only people keeping this story alive are a few people on here and handful of other Syracuse fans.

Ha, what about Barstool and NY Post?

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Well said!! Everything is under a microscope today and social media is fertile to make mountains out of mole hills. "Sarcasm not appreciated by this generation" is a great point. JAB's long career and track record does not mean a thing to today's "I want it now" generation. They will get their change soon enough. I hope they are as ready to accept change as they are quick to demand it.

And there are still a lot of boosters of the program who aren't on social media, don't watch ESPN, don't read message boards and get their news from reading day old fish wrap.

If people disagree, just ask the people sitting around you if they know who Elijah Moore or Boogie Fland are.

Just talking to people who live locally in the 518, no one knows who Adam Weitsman is.

That mountain might be a very small bunny hill.

 

[Scooch]

Am I the only one that gets that JAB's gripe is not with the actual question or the topic (Benny), but with the timing of (or placement) of the question?

JAB walks in and he give his 40-60 second take of the game. Then the student reporter asks about Benny right out of the chute.

The question about Benny would have been better served near the middle or at the end of the postgame presser. Jim knows this. So does Mike Waters. Donna, etc. The student reporter did not or he lost sight of that in the moment.

Think of it this way ... the Benny-missing-the-game topic is a sidebar. The game story should of course mention Benny's absence, but it certainly was not part of the lede and should not have been references until near the end of the piece.

Jim's direct point is that Benny was not the most important question for that moment (after a close loss to a Top 10 team). There is a nuance to all this and the student did not read the moment properly or was not equipped to.

That's silly.

How many time have coaches, or players for that matter, been embroiled in some controversy where they are asked pointed questions about it directly after a game? Dozens? Hundreds?

Jim doesn't like the order of a question? Boohoo. What an entitled snowflake.

 

[DilemaCuse]

Being a jerk can be easy for some to compartmentalize if the team is winning. But when it isn't, it just compounds the losing and makes the program look worse. I don't know how much recruits care about how Boeheim treats the media, but history shows that if you're a player doing what Boeheim wants you to do, he'll defend you every chance you're questioned, and sometimes that defense will come out in the form of lashing out against media members even when the questions are fair.

It's also a lot easier to be as reactive as JB is when the local media is so dependent on the program for subscriptions and clicks. He holds the P-S in the palm of his hand, and not just Mike Waters and Donna Ditota. That's the reality when you're as big as Boeheim is and you're the only game in town, at least when the football team isn't winning 8+ games.

And also in a small media market. Cant get away with that in say, LA where there are multiple local outlets to critique you

 

[Sherman20]

Getting closer to Bobby Knight territory but not there yet. JB has never resorted to violence or violent threats. Also Remember when Temple legend John Chaney threatened to choke Calipari at a press conference? That was off the hook. Good times.

 

[gmoney44]

Am I the only one that gets that JAB's gripe is not with the actual question or the topic (Benny), but with the timing of (or placement) of the question?

JAB walks in and he give his 40-60 second take of the game. Then the student reporter asks about Benny right out of the chute.

The question about Benny would have been better served near the middle or at the end of the postgame presser. Jim knows this. So does Mike Waters. Donna, etc. The student reporter did not or he lost sight of that in the moment.

Think of it this way ... the Benny-missing-the-game topic is a sidebar. The game story should of course mention Benny's absence, but it certainly was not part of the lede and should not have been references until near the end of the piece.

Jim's direct point is that Benny was not the most important question for that moment (after a close loss to a Top 10 team). There is a nuance to all this and the student did not read the moment properly or was not equipped to.

Jim doesn’t get to pick what the most important question is for fans or reporters. The most important question to most was the status of Benny.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Am I the only one that gets that JAB's gripe is not with the actual question or the topic (Benny), but with the timing of (or placement) of the question?

JAB walks in and he give his 40-60 second take of the game. Then the student reporter asks about Benny right out of the chute.

The question about Benny would have been better served near the middle or at the end of the postgame presser. Jim knows this. So does Mike Waters. Donna, etc. The student reporter did not or he lost sight of that in the moment.

Think of it this way ... the Benny-missing-the-game topic is a sidebar. The game story should of course mention Benny's absence, but it certainly was not part of the lede and should not have been references until near the end of the piece.

Jim's direct point is that Benny was not the most important question for that moment (after a close loss to a Top 10 team). There is a nuance to all this and the student did not read the moment properly or was not equipped to.

This is incredibly wrong. Should have been the first thing JB talked about, before the game.

 

[djcon57]

Think of it this way ... the Benny-missing-the-game topic is a sidebar. The game story should of course mention Benny's absence, but it certainly was not part of the lede and should not have been references until near the end of the piece.

Jim's direct point is that Benny was not the most important question for that moment (after a close loss to a Top 10 team). There is a nuance to all this and the student did not read the moment properly or was not equipped to.

How would the reporter know this???

Does anyone think that if the Eagles just showed up at the super bowl and, say, Linval Joseph or some mid level player just wasnt in uniform or on the bench that the #1 question after the game would be, "Uhhh...where was that player?"

 

[DilemaCuse]

Getting closer to Bobby Knight territory but not there yet. JB has never resorted to violence or violent actions. Also Remember when Temple legend John Chaney threatened to choke Calipari at a press conference? That was off the hook. Good times.

Ha yes, amazing he kept his job over that. Different times.

Yeah, JB is not quite as intimidating as Knight or as much of a ticking time bomb but its a comparison. As for Knight, he has a much higher winning percentage his last years at IU than the last 5 here for JB. Also, Knight was about 60 or 61 I believe when termed from IU. JB is 78 by comparison.

The bigger point of the anti JB folks is, its time for the university to go in a different direction. How much longer do we realistically think we can hold onto the idea that JB is going to turn this around?-while his age and personality continue to work against him.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Am I the only one that gets that JAB's gripe is not with the actual question or the topic (Benny), but with the timing of (or placement) of the question?

The question about Benny would have been better served near the middle or at the end of the postgame presser. Jim knows this. So does Mike Waters. Donna, etc. The student reporter did not or he lost sight of that in the momoment

Bravo to the kid but it's like he was almost set up by the more seasoned, award winning writers like Donna and Mike. What has this kid done to deserve the first question? Normally, it seems, the DO reporter is called on after Mike and Donna, and maybe some others go.

If anything, and SWC could probably give lessons on this, seems like that first you lob a softball to get the temperature of the room, and then proceed from there.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

How would the reporter know this???

Does anyone think that if the Eagles just showed up at the super bowl and, say, Linval Joseph or some mid level player just wasnt in uniform or on the bench that the #1 question after the game would be, "Uhhh...where was that player?"

When the patriots d-back didn’t play in a game a couple years ago, I remember Bill was asked about it, and I don’t remember the coach making a comment about the reporters question or attitude.

 

[hoopsupstate]

For years we never saw the post game press conferences. Now, we see everyone. I thought through the first ten games he was doing well. Losing close games is not sitting well with him.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Bravo to the kid but it's like he was almost set up by the more seasoned, award winning writers like Donna and Mike. What has this kid done to deserve the first question? Normally, it seems, the DO reporter is called on after Mike and Donna, and maybe some others go.

If anything, and SWC could probably give lessons on this, seems like that first you lob a softball to get the temperature of the room, and then proceed from there.

Do they call on reporters, or do they just shout out questions?

 

[CuseFaninVT]

For years we never saw the post game press conferences. Now, we see everyone. I thought through the first ten games he was doing well. Losing close games is not sitting well with him.

And for good lord, don’t ask him about that either!

 

[MDCuse]

Am I the only one that gets that JAB's gripe is not with the actual question or the topic (Benny), but with the timing of (or placement) of the question?

JAB walks in and he give his 40-60 second take of the game. Then the student reporter asks about Benny right out of the chute.

The question about Benny would have been better served near the middle or at the end of the postgame presser. Jim knows this. So does Mike Waters. Donna, etc. The student reporter did not or he lost sight of that in the moment.

Think of it this way ... the Benny-missing-the-game topic is a sidebar. The game story should of course mention Benny's absence, but it certainly was not part of the lede and should not have been references until near the end of the piece.

Jim's direct point is that Benny was not the most important question for that moment (after a close loss to a Top 10 team). There is a nuance to all this and the student did not read the moment properly or was not equipped to.

This is a ridiculous take. First off, the order of questions has never been an issue. Now you think it is? Second, the athletic dept. stated it would be addressed after the game. Jim didn't address it. A kid that's started all season being away from the program with no lead up is an absolute huge story that should have been addressed QUICKLY. EDIT - And I don't mean that it needed to be in-depth assesment of Benny, but a simple statement should have been ready to go.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Do they call on reporters, or do they just shout out questions?

There might be a microphone but I've always pictured it like a White House PC or something you see on TV and generally the more seasoned beat writers go first.

 

[djcon57]

When the patriots d-back didn’t play in a game a couple years ago didn’t play, I remember Bill was asked about it, and I don’t remember the coach making a comment about the reporters question or attitude.

Correct.

He was still weird as hell about it...haha...not sure if it was ever answered what happened there

 

[Bulldog04]

The worst part of the whole thing is the “typical for syracuse” comment in my mind. Who wants to ask questions after that just happened. And syracuse, you mean the community that has literally supported you for All these years when you have acted better than everyone because you used to be able to win 15 cupcake games in a year. Syracuse who has made you a multi millionaire even though you still think your rounds of golf should be free because of who you are. Syracuse who shows up to every game in blizzards no matter what year or the record.

That’s my issue. Be a better person. Think about what SYRACUSE has done for you JB

 

[CuseFaninVT]

There might be a microphone but I've always pictured it like a White House PC or something you see on TV and generally the more seasoned beat writers go first.

I agree, it should go that way.

 

[malpearl31]

Am I the only one that gets that JAB's gripe is not with the actual question or the topic (Benny), but with the timing of (or placement) of the question?

JAB walks in and he give his 40-60 second take of the game. Then the student reporter asks about Benny right out of the chute.

The question about Benny would have been better served near the middle or at the end of the postgame presser. Jim knows this. So does Mike Waters. Donna, etc. The student reporter did not or he lost sight of that in the moment.

Think of it this way ... the Benny-missing-the-game topic is a sidebar. The game story should of course mention Benny's absence, but it certainly was not part of the lede and should not have been references until near the end of the piece.

Jim's direct point is that Benny was not the most important question for that moment (after a close loss to a Top 10 team). There is a nuance to all this and the student did not read the moment properly or was not equipped to.

This was my thought as well. I think that immediately following his post-game comments / opening statement - in which he always goes into a lot of detail about the game, the players, key plays, etc - he was annoyed that the first question was not about the game.

And that's not to say that he couldn't have handled the question better (he certainly could have) or that he wasn't a jerk about it (he was), but anyone who has followed JB for any length of time shouldn't be surprised or offended.

 

[SU94]

That's silly.

How many time have coaches, or players for that matter, been embroiled in some controversy where they are asked pointed questions about it directly after a game? Dozens? Hundreds?

Jim doesn't like the order of a question? Boohoo. What an entitled snowflake.

Sorry, that's exactly what happened.

And the reporter's timing was a bit off and it's a learning moment. His misstep (for lack of a better word) is not a terribly big deal in the grand scheme, but he it was enough to get noticed by the subject of the interview and it agitated him. Almost without exception, that is less than ideal, especially when there are other reporters in the room.

Jim doesn’t get to pick what the most important question is for fans or reporters. The most important question to most was the status of Benny.

That's simply not true. Jim is in that room to talk about the game. Benny's absence was a smaller piece of that story and it absolutely should be asked about. Just not first. Especially if that reporter wants deeper insights from the HC of a team that just lost a game.

 

[CuseFaninVT]

Sorry, that's exactly what happened.

And the reporter's timing was a bit off and it's a learning moment. His misstep (for lack of a better word) is not a terribly big deal in the grand scheme, but he it was enough to get noticed by the subject of the interview and it agitated him. Almost without exception, that is less than ideal, especially when there are other reporters in the room.


That's simply not true. Jim is in that room to talk about the game. Benny's absence was a smaller piece of that story and it absolutely should be asked about. Just not first. Especially if that reporter wants deeper insights from the HC of a team that just lost a game.

This was not an issue of the reporter. Every other reporter wanted to ask the same question, FIRST! JB made this an issue with his old man response.