Jimmie Tramel of the Tulsa World reports things were a bit different at Oklahoma State’s weekly press gathering for the football team.
But this season became something other than normal as soon as Sports Illustrated uncorked a five-part investigative series on the Cowboy football program.
The transition back to normal bled over into OSU’s first weekly press conference since the series concluded. What happened Monday was, in a word, different.
Normally, OSU’s offensive and defensive coordinators, plus players who get press conference invitations, are made available individually on the suite level of Boone Pickens Stadium.
Reporters float around and ask questions (sometimes one-on-one) to interview subjects before eventually migrating to head coach Mike Gundy’s at-the-lectern news conference in the press box.
The format was changed to lectern-only for coordinators and players Monday.
OSU is in the midst of an internal review of SI’s allegations. Chuck Smrt, president of The Compliance Group in Lenexa, Kan., is shepherding the university through the process.
In the meantime, OSU wants to streamline media access to folks within the football program, according to a university official. So, every question Monday was asked in front of everyone in attendance. And everyone heard the same answers.
Defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer, flanked by safety Daytawion Lowe and linebacker Caleb Lavey, simultaneously represented the defense to christen the press conference.
Offense? Running back Jeremy Smith went solo and a Walsh-Yurcich combo session followed.
Then Gundy wrapped up the unusual press conference with his usual Q-and-A exchange.
Tulsa World columnist John Hoover thinks Oklahoma State would be wrong if it limited access.
There’s word out of Stillwater that the new media interview policy implemented this week might be temporary.
Very temporary, one athletic department official hinted.
That’s a relief.
Realistically, the last thing Oklahoma State football needs now is anyone’s perception that OSU needs to hide more secrets.
Later Hoover writes:
After all the anticipated bad publicity for OSU actually turned into bad publicity for Sports Illustrated, the idea of keeping ranks closed – keeping reporters on the other side of the room – actually would be counterproductive.
Aside from the process of its intensive internal investigation, all indications are that OSU has nothing to hide.
All the accusations in SI were from players no longer in the program.
The coaches accused are no longer in the program.
Most of it happened years ago.
Nothing was documented.
Much of it was hearsay or conjecture.
The court of public opinion largely has sided with OSU, and now, other than when the school and/or NCAA announce their findings, it’s pretty much over.
So what purpose does it serve, other than enabling a creeping paranoia, to take everyone out of the usual, relaxed interview setting and put them in front of a dozen cameras?
None.
Indeed, Hoover is right. Oklahoma State should listen to his advice.