Gundy? What About Johnson?
You might have heard that Peter Caesar Carroll parodied Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy's outburst at the outset of today's press conference.
But here's something even better, a real exhange between a reporter and Navy coach Paul Johnson last week. This guy is a real piece of work.
Reporter: Can I ask you something without making you mad?
Johnson: Maybe. I don't know.
Reporter: I was talking to a Navy fan and he said he follows the coverage and that he noticed something and I'm just going to put it to you. He says that it seems like when Navy loses you blame the players, i.e., we can't execute fundamental plays, but that the success of the team the last four years has been attributed to brilliant coaching. How do you respond to that?
Johnson: Whatever he thinks. I don't go down to McDonald's and start second-guessing his job so he ought to leave me alone.
Reporter: But do you feel like it can't be both ways?
Johnson: You know what? I could care less. I'm old enough where I could give a crap what the fans think or what you think to put it in a nutshell.
Reporter: Wins and losses are evenly distributed as far as credit and blame, right?
Johnson: If you could ever find one time that I said we won the game because of brilliant strategy I will kiss your butt at city dock and give you two days to draw a crowd. Find it and bring it to me. Tell that guy that if he wants to talk to me I live at [address given but deleted for the transcript] I will be right there. Come ring my doorbell and I will be glad to talk to him.

Comments
The language was a bit gruff, but what he said-- that he in fact never said Navy wins because of his coaching-- sound pretty straightforward.
Posted by: LAWYER JOHN
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September 25, 2007 03:55 PM
Having read Carlson's article, I fully endorse Gundy's comments. I can't comment on Johnson's statements until I read the remarks he allegedly said. If he did not make those statements (I'd be shocked to hear that he did), the reporter got everyting he asked for. As much as it may pain Scott, sports reporters oftentime exert an unwarranted heir of entitlement. Its good to knock them down a few notches every now and then.
Posted by: JAM
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September 25, 2007 04:03 PM
Gundy's crack-up will make a great Coors Light commercial someday. I was talking to a professor friend of mine at OSU today (for reals) and the kids are already lining up at the drama department to audition for coach for next year. It's crazy there.
Posted by: BoscoH
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September 25, 2007 04:23 PM
I know Johnson. He is a pretty straight-forward guy, a standup guy. He says what he thinks. I think the reporter was trying to bait him.
Posted by: Ex-Sportswriter
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September 25, 2007 04:54 PM
Thankfully, the reporter didn't ask Johnson what was his opinion of Kingman's performance. Otherwise, Garvey needed a f**king oar to hit the ball.
Posted by: savesigmund
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September 25, 2007 05:25 PM
A reporter trying to bait someone in order to generate a story? Please Scott, say it ain't so!
(Coughing): LenDale, Hawaii, 2005
Posted by: Desmo
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September 25, 2007 05:29 PM