Jeff Hartsell says "SoCon botches media day"

[The Cats]

Jeff Hartsell is the Citatdel beat writer at Charleston's "The Post and Courier" and he say's the SoCon blew it. What do you think?



Here are some of the headlines that followed the Southern Conference media day Wednesday in Spartanburg:

Georgia Southern Tabbed Consensus Favorite for Southern Conference Crown

Georgia Southern tops SoCon preseason polls

GEORGIA SOUTHERN FOOTBALL PICKED NO. 1 BY SOCON COACHES, MEDIA
SOCON MEDIA CHOOSE EAGLES AS PRESEASON FAVORITES
Departing Mountaineers, Eagles chasing SoCon title

Even the SoCon’s own website followed suit:

Coaches Tab GSU Football Favorite

Well … No, no, no, no, no and no.


None of these headlines reflect the bottom line of the voting in the SoCon’s preseason polls, which is that the media picked Wofford and the coaches Chattanooga as the favorites among the teams eligible to win the SoCon football championship.

In an effort to avoid appearing “vindictive” toward departing members GSU and App, the SoCon botched media day by allowing the Eagles and Mountaineers to be part of the preseason polls. The policy was apparently set by league athletic directors, who pride themselves on “collegiality.”

But it was wrong-headed.


read the entire article here (http://blog.postandcourier.com/bulldog-bites/2013/07/25/socon-botches-media-day/)

[Sandlapper Spike]

He's right.

[Apphole]

When I read the headline I thought the article would be about the crappy Neulion AV broadcast.

Good and fair piece though.

[appsfan]

His article makes sense. However, since it could be considered critical of the SoCon by some, I guess we should be expecting a secession proclamation by The Citadel from the conference soon...

[walliver]

The SoCon botched it.

It would be very easy to say that GSU and ASU were over the 63 scholarship limit, would be playing a full conference schedule, but not eligible for the championship and therefore weren't ranked. It would have been fair to everybody, including the departing members.

[PaladinFan]

The SoCon botched it.

It would be very easy to say that GSU and ASU were over the 63 scholarship limit, would be playing a full conference schedule, but not eligible for the championship and therefore weren't ranked. It would have been fair to everybody, including the departing members.

I don't get it. App and GSU decided to leave and are not eligible for anything. Why does anyone care if their feelings get hurt?

[ElCid]

I don't get it. App and GSU decided to leave and are not eligible for anything. Why does anyone care if their feelings get hurt?

Because as decent, caring individuals we care about the self-worth of other human beings. The state of their feelings should be important to us. No, you're right, screw 'em. I think that their players should have been eligible, but as a team, they had no business being part of the ranking. But since anyone who matters knows this, who really cares.

[Apphole]

I don't get it. App and GSU decided to leave and are not eligible for anything. Why does anyone care if their feelings get hurt?

I really don't think anyone's feelings are hurt. I watched the Sun Belt media day and didn't even bother with the SoCon's. If anything I think the original ranking that included App and Southern were a better idea simply because it makes the SoCon seem more big time to the casual reader with the two schools than without. It really isn't that hard to lop off the top two of the rankings and know what eligible school is ranked highest. I think "botched" is a strong word.

I bet The Cats got his feelings hurt. I can't imagine how, but I'm sure he did.

[Waco Kid]

Hartsell is probably right, but it doesn't make much of a difference in the long run. Very few people will read about the SoCon media day, and the people that do know we are ineligible to win the championship this year. Now if GSU and App finish 1,2 at the end of the season there could be a bigger impact when explaining the champion was actually the 3rd best team in the league. Preseason rankings mean basically nothing anyway.

I don't see any App or GSU people complaining about it so I don't think anyone has hurt feelings.

[OL FU]

Hartsell is probably right, but it doesn't make much of a difference in the long run. Very few people will read about the SoCon media day, and the people that do know we are ineligible to win the championship this year. Now if GSU and App finish 1,2 at the end of the season there could be a bigger impact when explaining the champion was actually the 3rd best team in the league. Preseason rankings mean basically nothing anyway.

I don't see any App or GSU people complaining about it so I don't think anyone has hurt feelings.

Damn, Am I really going to have to hope Chattanooga wins so that doesn't happen:p:D

[PaladinFan]

Hartsell is probably right, but it doesn't make much of a difference in the long run. Very few people will read about the SoCon media day, and the people that do know we are ineligible to win the championship this year. Now if GSU and App finish 1,2 at the end of the season there could be a bigger impact when explaining the champion was actually the 3rd best team in the league. Preseason rankings mean basically nothing anyway.

I don't see any App or GSU people complaining about it so I don't think anyone has hurt feelings.

Truthfully, the only media day anyone really cares about is the SEC.