The Utah 2011 Football Thread

[Coach McGuirk]

Guys, pay attention.

I have said they probably know more than me. Nowhere have I said that people should trust my opinion.

But here is how the local media works -- at least as it appears to ignorant old me:

Puff up BYU, downplay Utah, create controversy where there is none. They know more than I do, but they continually shoot their credibility in the foot with stupid crap.

You ever visit Utefans.net? I think you would like it.

[Flattop]

You ever visit Utefans.net? I think you would like it.

I have actually tried to give the local media the benefit of the doubt, but too often they do something that would at least seem to confirm the perception that they lack objectivity.

From my perspective, they do just enough so that they can say "We cover Utah; we did this and we did that." Meanwhile they are falling all over themselves to cover every little thing that happens in Provo.

Utah gets invited to join the Pac-12 and the local media can't shut up about BYU.

First Jimmer mania, and next will no doubt be Heaps mania. Funny, I don't recall manias for Alex Smith or Andrew Bogut, both first overall picks in the NFL and NBA drafts respectively.

I think both BYU and Utah fans can come up with examples of the local media creating controversy where there is none. I have heard that many BYU fans do think that the local media lacks objectivity as well. Some might argue that this means the local media must be doing something right.

But whatever at least some local media members might know about sports seems to be counterbalanced by lack of talent, professionalism, and objectivity. They don't seem to compare well with out of state media.

Edit: I should say that 1320 and 700 actually do a good job on occasion, but 1280 is the worst.

[falafel]

I have actually tried to give the local media the benefit of the doubt, but too often they do something that would at least seem to confirm the perception that they lack objectivity.

From my perspective, they do just enough so that they can say "We cover Utah; we did this and we did that." Meanwhile they are falling all over themselves to cover every little thing that happens in Provo.

Utah gets invited to join the Pac-12 and the local media can't shut up about BYU.

First Jimmer mania, and next will no doubt be Heaps mania. Funny, I don't recall manias for Alex Smith or Andrew Bogut, both first overall picks in the NFL and NBA drafts respectively.

I think both BYU and Utah fans can come up with examples of the local media creating controversy where there is none. I have heard that many BYU fans do think that the local media lacks objectivity as well. Some might argue that this means the local media must be doing something right.

But whatever at least some local media members might know about sports seems to be counterbalanced by lack of talent, professionalism, and objectivity. They don't seem to compare well with out of state media.

Edit: I should say that 1320 and 700 actually do a good job on occasion, but 1280 is the worst.

Funny, I feel like its the opposite.

[YOhio]

Funny, I don't recall manias for Alex Smith or Andrew Bogut...

I don't either.

[Jarid in Cedar]

Disagree. I think Hans does a solid job. As do Gunther and Jan(esp when talking football, they should stay away from the fratboy schtick). I like PK and DJ as well.

[LA Ute]

I was and around in Salt Lake on vacation for the last two weeks and listened to 1280, 1320 and 700 whenever I had a chance. I thought they were all OK. The talent and professionalism were uneven but they seemed to try pretty hard to be fair but also to generate some calls. I think the Red and Blue show (or whatever it's called) on 1280 is pretty fun to listen to. Now and then a fan of one school or the other is going to roll his or her eyes, but I think realistic expectations are necessary! This is sports talk radio, after all, and it's in Utah, which has a truly unique fan dynamic going on.

[Flattop]

Disagree. I think Hans does a solid job. As do Gunther and Jan(esp when talking football, they should stay away from the fratboy schtick). I like PK and DJ as well.

I do have to give some credit to a few media members. Back in the summer of 2010, a particular sports personality was interviewed by 1280, 1320 and 700 each over a two day period. 1320 (DJ & PK) and 700 did credible jobs and I actually learned something during both interviews. 1280 (Jan & Gunther), however, was a total joke, and I don't think the fault lay at the feet of the sports personality for not being a football personality.

[Flattop]

I was and around in Salt Lake on vacation for the last two weeks and listened to 1280, 1320 and 700 whenever I had a chance. I thought they were all OK. The talent and professionalism were uneven but they seemed to try pretty hard to be fair but also to generate some calls. I think the Red and Blue show (or whatever it's called) on 1280 is pretty fun to listen to. Now and then a fan of one school or the other is going to roll his or her eyes, but I think realistic expectations are necessary! This is sports talk radio, after all, and it's in Utah, which has a truly unique fan dynamic going on.

Here is another example. Gordon Monson claimed, after Jim Boylen criticized him ("Nice of you to show up") that he follows the big story. During that particular basketball season, BYU was the big story because of the success they were having. However, during the following football season, BYU was still the big story, even as they got off to a disappointing start.

Seems like BYU is always the big story to Monson. Utah basketball having a worse than expected season was not a big story. Utah football starting 8-0 was not a big story. BYU basketball winning was a big story. BYU football losing was a big story.

[kccougar]

Disagree. I think Hans does a solid job. As do Gunther and Jan(esp when talking football, they should stay away from the fratboy schtick). I like PK and DJ as well.

Obviously Flattop would disagree, but I think Hans falls all over himself trying to talk about Utah - I think he really, really wants a coaching job up on the hill. I enjoy Jan and Gunther, and when it comes time for actually talking football, these two have no equal in the local market. Jan especially - whether Utah or BYU, he calls it like he sees it, and he is usually correct.

I have no patience for DJ and PK - PK is all about PK and generating controversy. He has no interest in real analysis.

I also have very little patience for the afternoon guys on 1320.

[Flattop]

Obviously Flattop would disagree,

Wow, how dare I have a different opinion!

but I think Hans falls all over himself trying to talk about Utah - I think he really, really wants a coaching job up on the hill. I enjoy Jan and Gunther, and when it comes time for actually talking football, these two have no equal in the local market. Jan especially - whether Utah or BYU, he calls it like he sees it, and he is usually correct.

I do have to give Hans some credit for at least trying to be objective. Gunther seems to have some bitterness left over from some things that happened while he was a player at Utah. But when Gunther actually gets down to analysis, he is ok. I took him at his word last year that Wynn of throwing off his back foot a lot.

[Flattop]

Just my opinion, but everyone is biased -- local and national, sports and non-sports media -- and hard work is required to compensate for our biases.

[wally]

Here is another example. Gordon Monson claimed, after Jim Boylen criticized him ("Nice of you to show up") that he follows the big story. During that particular basketball season, BYU was the big story because of the success they were having. However, during the following football season, BYU was still the big story, even as they got off to a disappointing start.

Seems like BYU is always the big story to Monson. Utah basketball having a worse than expected season was not a big story. Utah football starting 8-0 was not a big story. BYU basketball winning was a big story. BYU football losing was a big story.

I have a job for you Flattop:

Go back into the archives of the sltrib as far back as possible, and start a count of BYU-centric articles vs. Utah-centric articles. Then categorize them according to whether they were complementary or critical of Utah/BYU.

Publish the results here so that we can out Monson as the homer of BYU or Utah that he is!

Next, on to the radio guys. I don't think that there are readily accessible recordings of radio broadcasts, so we will have to take this season's data as a representative sample. Take a stopwatch, and time each show according to the amount of time spent on each program, then (as with Monson's articles) keep track of whether the talk is complementary or critical, and perform the same analysis. Be sure to report back at the end of the season.

We WILL get to the bottom of this!!!

[oxcoug]

LEAVE. FLATTOP. ALONE!

I like Flattop's history thing. I'm a history geek myself. So everyone back the f*** up.

[wally]

LEAVE. FLATTOP. ALONE!

I like Flattop's history thing. I'm a history geek myself. So everyone back the f*** up.

Wow! How dare they have a different opinion from you!

[Hsaru]

Langi's upright running style has been mentioned as a problem that needs to be changed according to the Ute coaches now. Dave Schramm said that Langi is going to have to change the way he's run to be able to play in CFB.

Here's the interview:

http://espn.kall700sports.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/8-12-11-Dave-Schramm.mp3