Nice to read some good coverage somewhere...

SIU had their media day...here are the articles...they are all quite nice...
the kind of coverage that ANY fan would read and enjoy -- no effort by anyone to stir the pot or cause a controversy.
http://thesouthern.com/college/siu/article_feb7c322-d741-11df-8a65-001cc4c03286.html
http://siusalukis.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/101310aaa.html

ISU also had their media day....and not only did the Pantagraph cover it..
http://www.pantagraph.com/sports/college/basketball/men/article_0fd4b0ec-d73e-11df-95c9-001cc4c002e0.html

..but even the PJ Star covered it and it's NICE -- literally 100% nice, positive, and nowhere close to the hit pieces we're used to getting in Peoria...
http://www.pjstar.com/sports/x549826253/Redbird-basketball-plans-to-pick-up-the-pace

And Drake had their media day and lots of other programs did as well...
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2010/10/13/phelps-prepares-to-guide-his-touted-recruits-into-the-valley/
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20101011/SPORTS020403/10120350/1097/SPORTS0204/Drake-Basketball-Bulldogs-look-to-improve-on-Valley-record?GID=s3zlKwpzQfJYth9GxpFXfg4238F/Vs/BuwtdHb41k8c%3D

And I have recently referenced many stories done by medias in college basketball towns that cover fairly (see yesterday's blog) even when there are some negatives that could have been dragged out...


And ESPN even has a really nice, long interview with Coach Les...
http://www.bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=16467


So -- not to beat a dead horse...but I am going to express my opinion again...something that seems to rankle some....
but the thing that I note the most is that all those articles are 100% positive, fair, and what the people want!!

BUT recall -- BOTH SIU and ISU had really bad things happening in the off season and past year...players arrested, players booted, players leaving and transferring, players with other legal issues in court almost daily, players with serious FELONIES, bad scheduling, poor performances, and lots of other troubles...
and the single standout thing about all those articles is that NONE of that was even hinted. There obviously was NO NEED to drag all that stuff out and rehash it all again. Just common sense and decent journalism...only someone on a tirade or with a grudge or agenda would have tried to turn that coverage negative and dwelt on the past...
But that's exactly what we are used to in Peoria with any coverage of Bradley basketball -- and Bradley hasn't had any of those negatives to the degree that both SIU and ISU has had them.

You could say the press was being kind if you compare to what we see locally in Peoria...but I see it more as just being fair..
Why do a hit piece when you cover good stuff???
Why drag out and rehash all the old bad stuff, player departures, arrests..etc..
it is BAD journalism and it just isn't done anywhere except in Peoria.

I don't expect things to change - except that the pages are getting tinier and the print is cheaper, but someone has to point out the stark difference in the coverage D-I college basketball gets in Peoria with the coverage it gets in any other city. Here it's always slanted to the negative, and over and over the old stuff is brought out and thrown into the discussion all over again almost in a blatant attempt to load up the negatives in every article and coverage.
Remember, BU hasn't had ANY felonies, and no DUI's, and nothing of the serious nature as has happened at SIU and ISU, yet the coverage here dwelt endlessly on incredibly minor issues with tweets and ridiculously minimal misdemeanors...
Even the latest "hot seat" story used the few player issues as being a factor in JL feeling the heat...
I seem to recall certain local newspaper employees getting DUI's and arrests...and even at least one whose kids had all those same troubles....maybe there's a desire to deflect the obvious onto the BU players??? Just asking for fairness.........
Funny how just asking for what's present daily in almost every other city covering D-I basketball seems like asking too much....like I don't have a right to simply say what I'd like to see or read.