Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

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Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by HASwatTeam »

As many of us know, the Providence Journal has not always provided fair coverage of the two premiere basketball programs of URI and PC. Last year aside with the PC's successful season (and a down year for us), URI has always seemed to fall second to our rivals from up north. The frustration has long been discussed on this board and personally culminated for me yesterday with the front page of the sports section. For those who may not receive the Projo, the day after URI had one of its largest blow out wins in recent memory against Marist, scoring the most points since February 11th, 2007 (111 against Duquesne), we were featured at the very bottom of the front sports page. This, of course, while being ranked 21st in the COUNTRY. Meanwhile, the near remainder of the sports page, what could be estimated as the other 70% of the page, was consumed with a picture and article of a PC win versus Vermont.

To say this upset me as a long time URI fan (and current graduate student) would be a very large understatement. Immediately upon learning of this I called the sports editor, BIll Corey, and left him a strongly worded message expressing my feelings of the current and past sports coverage of URI. Not expecting to hear back from him, I did not bother to provide a number to call back nor did I request such a call. However, to my great pleasure, this morning I received a call back directly from Bill and had a 15 minute call with him on the issue.

To begin, it was a pleasant surprise to learn that Bill is a URI graduate. He took the message I left personally, and wished not only to clarify why PC won out over #21 URI, but what to expect going forward the other 4 times that both teams will play on the same night. The conversation was very constructive, and began with his explanation that PC was given the photo + more realty due to it being their opening night. He also wanted to make clear that he has only assumed position as sports editor for the past 8 months (ultimately clearing the blood from his hands of past bias) and wishes to address the issue going forward. It is worth noting that he did not necessarily admit to Projo playing favorites or not, but explained that I was not the only angry call he received. Ultimately, Bill explained that the remaining 4 times both teams play I should expect to see URI be the featured story (barring any unforeseen circumstances). He completely acknowledged us as currently being the better team and continued to point out that as an alum he wishes nothing more than for URI to succeed. The conversation ended with him promising that the Projo was not playing favorites, nor will at any point this season.

As frustrated as I was to begin the conversation, it was assuring to know that if we live up to our potential this year (fingers crossed, wood knocked on) then URI will rightfully receive the first tier coverage this team and this fan base so greatly deserves.

I felt this was not only worth sharing, but was important to give credit to BIll Corey for taking the time to call me back (despite me not requesting such a call) and explaining the situation in full as well as what to expect going forward.

As always, GO RHODY.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by ramster »

Thanks for sharing. Explanation makes sense that it was PCs first game of the season but I'll add that PC was only favored by 3 points and that Vermont was considered a better opponent than Marist.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Billyboy78 »

Yeah, sure.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Iggy1979 »

I commented on this on another thread. As I said, I think the Projo bungled this but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and believe Bill in saying it won't be an ongoing problem.
One thing I should've said: Bill Koch has nothing do with the play of the story and my complaints don't have anything to do with his coverage.
Between the Projo, the weeklies and DiSano, URI gets very good coverage from the media.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by CT Rhody »

This is great to hear. Also good to see the projo reach back out to their readers and spend some time addressing some of their concerns.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Blue Man »

Thanks for sharing and making the call. It's great that you're adding a voice, but again, I really don't understand people's issues with how the Journal covers us versus PC.

Nevermind last year...we've had almost 2 decades of "down" years comparatively to PC. To surmise, as I feel I've done many, many, many times on this board in a call for people to look for perspective via the national, casual, and realistic basketball fan:

In the past 3 years - PC has won a Big East title, an NCAA game, and had 3 NCAA births. During those seasons they've also been extremely highly ranked, beaten ranked teams, played ranked teams, and had a few players get drafted. They've also beaten us all 3 of those years head to head.

In the past 3 years - we knocked off the #22 ranked team who turned out to be a bust 2 seasons ago. That's our "highlight." Had hype and busted, no thanks to the worst plague of injuries I've ever seen, but none-the-less busted.

If we zoom out and go back to the last time we were an NCAA team: 5x NCAA appearances to our 0. 1 NCAA win to our 0. 1 league title to our 0. More NBA players. We are 5-11 against PC in that time.

If we continue to zoom out to the programs overall: PC has 18 NCAA appearances, 5 Sweet 16's, 4 Elite 8's, and 2 Final Fours. 2 conference championships and 43 NBA draft picks. 15 NCAA wins.

For good measure PC also has 19 NIT tournaments with 2 NIT championships. 7 NIT final fours. 4 NIT finals appearances. 32 NIT wins.

URI has 8 NCAA appearances, 2 Sweet 16's, 1 Elite 8. We have 1 conference championship and 16 NBA draft picks. 6 NCAA wins.

To keep apples to apples we have 15 NIT tournaments with 2 NIT final four appearances.

We are 56-71 against the Friars.

If you need the TL;DR edition: PC as a program, (not a city, not a socio-economic or physical locale or any other factor of bodies in their building or eyeballs on their stories) deserves top billing in this state.

The basketball program and overall body of work is miles ahead of ours unfortunately. That's ok. I love the Rams more than likely more than you love your own mother. I also understand how college basketball works. You are living in a bubble if you think that because we won 2 games against bullshit opponents with a number next to our name that we all of a sudden deserve ink, pictures, and print above the other team in this state who has earned it.

Go and put together big wins, a great season, a great NCAA run, and sustain it if you want to turn the tide and be worthy of the college basketball eyeballs in this state.

Just stop whining about why we don't have it now because it makes us all look dumb.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by ATPTourFan »

Wow, that was awesome.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Billyboy78 »

We earned it. Dave Gavitt stole it.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Rhody74 »

This is encouraging. That said, speaking as a former newspaper editor myself, Corey shouldn't allow his background to influence editorial decisions. I had no problem with the design of the page Tuesday and trust that future space decisions are based on the news worthiness of the games.

BTW, in my experience, previous Projo sports editors didn't give a crap what readers thought.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Iggy1979 »

Haswat: Thanks for reaching out to Projo. Unlike Blue Man, I don't see it as whining but demanding what we think is rightfully ours. Blue Man makes a good argument for the past; but this is our year!
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by HASwatTeam »

Blue Man wrote:Thanks for sharing and making the call. It's great that you're adding a voice, but again, I really don't understand people's issues with how the Journal covers us versus PC.

Nevermind last year...we've had almost 2 decades of "down" years comparatively to PC. To surmise, as I feel I've done many, many, many times on this board in a call for people to look for perspective via the national, casual, and realistic basketball fan:

In the past 3 years - PC has won a Big East title, an NCAA game, and had 3 NCAA births. During those seasons they've also been extremely highly ranked, beaten ranked teams, played ranked teams, and had a few players get drafted. They've also beaten us all 3 of those years head to head.

In the past 3 years - we knocked off the #22 ranked team who turned out to be a bust 2 seasons ago. That's our "highlight." Had hype and busted, no thanks to the worst plague of injuries I've ever seen, but none-the-less busted.

If we zoom out and go back to the last time we were an NCAA team: 5x NCAA appearances to our 0. 1 NCAA win to our 0. 1 league title to our 0. More NBA players. We are 5-11 against PC in that time.

If we continue to zoom out to the programs overall: PC has 18 NCAA appearances, 5 Sweet 16's, 4 Elite 8's, and 2 Final Fours. 2 conference championships and 43 NBA draft picks. 15 NCAA wins.

For good measure PC also has 19 NIT tournaments with 2 NIT championships. 7 NIT final fours. 4 NIT finals appearances. 32 NIT wins.

URI has 8 NCAA appearances, 2 Sweet 16's, 1 Elite 8. We have 1 conference championship and 16 NBA draft picks. 6 NCAA wins.

To keep apples to apples we have 15 NIT tournaments with 2 NIT final four appearances.

We are 56-71 against the Friars.

If you need the TL;DR edition: PC as a program, (not a city, not a socio-economic or physical locale or any other factor of bodies in their building or eyeballs on their stories) deserves top billing in this state.

The basketball program and overall body of work is miles ahead of ours unfortunately. That's ok. I love the Rams more than likely more than you love your own mother. I also understand how college basketball works. You are living in a bubble if you think that because we won 2 games against bullshit opponents with a number next to our name that we all of a sudden deserve ink, pictures, and print above the other team in this state who has earned it.

Go and put together big wins, a great season, a great NCAA run, and sustain it if you want to turn the tide and be worthy of the college basketball eyeballs in this state.

Just stop whining about why we don't have it now because it makes us all look dumb.
Blue Man this isn't whining, its speaking out against something I have found ridiculous and many others have agreed. We don't look "dumb" just because you flashed some stats that show PC as a stronger program in recent years...in others news water is wet. College basketball is cyclical, and URI has experienced a hard drought as of late. But less you forget up until this past year all of that great PC success led to ZERO, that is 0, or 1-1=0, tournament wins. Last time I checked that is the main purpose. PC is not DUKE, and their recent success doesn't place them leaps and bounds ahead of URI.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by ramster »

Drought of late?

Drought has been since Jim Harrick left

Spare me the abberation when URI was ranked in December under Baron and he led the team to fold like a cheap suit (some 3 stooges humor there)

Now Hurley is putting together strong recruiting classes, building bench strength, building the reputation of URI basketball, making us proud, signing players in the first signing period, recruiting players 1,2 and even 3 years out, creating a team/family atmosphere, elevating the school's reputation.......
Some want to wait and see......that's fine
But I see the handwriting on the wall, DH has built and continues to build something very special here

It's going to be s great ride this season and beyond
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Running Ram »

I believe if you go back two decades you'll see that much of the time we were middling/ok so was PC. Our programs have been more comparable than not since the mid 80's. Only since Cooley got a head start on Hurley has PC been flat out better than us in that time. The coverage has always been biased, it's not whining it's true. When Gordy Ciaza, who couldn't manage a deli let alone coach a college basketball team, was leading PC through the doldrums and we were going the the NCAA's PC got top billing and they still do now. I don't usually even talk about it anymore because it's to be expected and won't matter for much longer, local media is a dinosaur.

To imply that PC's basketball history is any richer than ours is completely ridiculous! over the top! Fastbreak basketball was born out of the mind of one of our most beloved, so unless James Naismith was a PC professor I think we have the 'richer' history. I got all the stats, don't worry. BTW, one of our two NIT final four appearances was actually a final game for the national championship. In reality the whole 'rich history' thing doesn't matter, the projo should give top billing to the local team that is currently getting top billing for the area nationally, otherwise it shows bias. I mean if just about every other outlet talking RI college basketball is giving Rhody top billing, why would the PC journal refuse to do so? I guess we'll see what happens going forward, nice to hear that this Bill Corey kindly responded to HaSwat.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by ramster »

You are being much too kind to the Baron Era Or Error
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Unread post by Billyboy78 »

Running Ram wrote:I believe if you go back two decades you'll see that much of the time we were middling/ok so was PC. Our programs have been more comparable than not since the mid 80's. Only since Cooley got a head start on Hurley has PC been flat out better than us in that time. The coverage has always been biased, it's not whining it's true. When Gordy Ciaza, who couldn't manage a deli let alone coach a college basketball team, was leading PC through the doldrums and we were going the the NCAA's PC got top billing and they still do now. I don't usually even talk about it anymore because it's to be expected and won't matter for much longer, local media is a dinosaur.

To imply that PC's basketball history is any richer than ours is completely ridiculous! over the top! Fastbreak basketball was born out of the mind of one of our most beloved, so unless James Naismith was a PC professor I think we have the 'richer' history. I got all the stats, don't worry. BTW, one of our two NIT final four appearances was actually a final game for the national championship. In reality the whole 'rich history' thing doesn't matter, the projo should give top billing to the local team that is currently getting top billing for the area nationally, otherwise it shows bias. I mean if just about every other outlet talking RI college basketball is giving Rhody top billing, why would the PC journal refuse to do so? I guess we'll see what happens going forward, nice to hear that this Bill Corey kindly responded to HaSwat.
Finally someone who sees and remembers it exactly the way I do. There's a reason we've been calling it the PC Journal for my entire lifetime as a URI fan.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by ramster »

I hate PC but URI was atrocious between the time that Jim Harrick left and Dan Hurley came on board. ATROCIOUS!
Any article the PROJO wrote about URI during the years between Harrick and Hurley were gifts
We are finally back
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Running Ram »

I'm not glorifying the Baron error, I'm saying look at the relative success of the two programs from 85 to present, which as I said doesn't even matter for the sake of this argument. The bias is apparent on a season to season basis, as I explained, when PC is better and getting top billing nationally, fine they should get top billing locally, when URI is better and getting top billing nationally, we should get top billing locally, we don't and that is tantamount to bias. It's not whining to acknowledge bias, but what I don't get is why those who are so offended by it keep subjecting themselves to it. I'm not saying boycott the blowjo or not, I'm saying don't let it get to you, reality is different than what is reported, the way it's reported. If the coverage going forward is unbiased then great! otherwise, who cares? we know which team is better which season. I've somewhat come to a place of zen regarding this subject and believe we can as a program leave the pc journal in the dust, if things come together it won't matter about the providence rag at all. I chime in for two reasons, I'm anxious for the start of the game tonight and because the bias is real. It's one thing to say 'lets get over it', but quite a different thing to say it doesn't occur.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by ramster »

I personally like the Projo and all of the writers
Jim Baron and his Bosses especially hurt the URI basketball program very badly. You can't get those years back
Brand spanking new Ryan Center, bear basketball arena on the East Coast and we wasted it on the Baron years.
Projo was not the problem
Thank god we finally came to our senses and hired Dan Hurley
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Blue Man »

HASwatTeam wrote:
Blue Man wrote:Thanks for sharing and making the call. It's great that you're adding a voice, but again, I really don't understand people's issues with how the Journal covers us versus PC.

Nevermind last year...we've had almost 2 decades of "down" years comparatively to PC. To surmise, as I feel I've done many, many, many times on this board in a call for people to look for perspective via the national, casual, and realistic basketball fan:

In the past 3 years - PC has won a Big East title, an NCAA game, and had 3 NCAA births. During those seasons they've also been extremely highly ranked, beaten ranked teams, played ranked teams, and had a few players get drafted. They've also beaten us all 3 of those years head to head.

In the past 3 years - we knocked off the #22 ranked team who turned out to be a bust 2 seasons ago. That's our "highlight." Had hype and busted, no thanks to the worst plague of injuries I've ever seen, but none-the-less busted.

If we zoom out and go back to the last time we were an NCAA team: 5x NCAA appearances to our 0. 1 NCAA win to our 0. 1 league title to our 0. More NBA players. We are 5-11 against PC in that time.

If we continue to zoom out to the programs overall: PC has 18 NCAA appearances, 5 Sweet 16's, 4 Elite 8's, and 2 Final Fours. 2 conference championships and 43 NBA draft picks. 15 NCAA wins.

For good measure PC also has 19 NIT tournaments with 2 NIT championships. 7 NIT final fours. 4 NIT finals appearances. 32 NIT wins.

URI has 8 NCAA appearances, 2 Sweet 16's, 1 Elite 8. We have 1 conference championship and 16 NBA draft picks. 6 NCAA wins.

To keep apples to apples we have 15 NIT tournaments with 2 NIT final four appearances.

We are 56-71 against the Friars.

If you need the TL;DR edition: PC as a program, (not a city, not a socio-economic or physical locale or any other factor of bodies in their building or eyeballs on their stories) deserves top billing in this state.

The basketball program and overall body of work is miles ahead of ours unfortunately. That's ok. I love the Rams more than likely more than you love your own mother. I also understand how college basketball works. You are living in a bubble if you think that because we won 2 games against bullshit opponents with a number next to our name that we all of a sudden deserve ink, pictures, and print above the other team in this state who has earned it.

Go and put together big wins, a great season, a great NCAA run, and sustain it if you want to turn the tide and be worthy of the college basketball eyeballs in this state.

Just stop whining about why we don't have it now because it makes us all look dumb.
Blue Man this isn't whining, its speaking out against something I have found ridiculous and many others have agreed. We don't look "dumb" just because you flashed some stats that show PC as a stronger program in recent years...in others news water is wet. College basketball is cyclical, and URI has experienced a hard drought as of late. But less you forget up until this past year all of that great PC success led to ZERO, that is 0, or 1-1=0, tournament wins. Last time I checked that is the main purpose. PC is not DUKE, and their recent success doesn't place them leaps and bounds ahead of URI.
And blocking roadways because a president was elected is "protesting." Call it what you want. It's not ridiculous. It's facts. We do look dumb when people come on this board and see comments like "we deserve press over PC because x, y, z" because it makes it seem like no one understands college basketball. We look like petty, jealous little brothers who are complaining about things that we don't understand.

Flashing some stats...I'm not sure why you're dismissing them. I'm literally providing you the context and reasoning of why..*gasp*..a media business would base their coverage model around a majority of their customers' interests. Those stats provide the explanation of a) why PC has a larger following than URI, b) why they are deserving of the press coverage right now, and c) why the internet front for this fanbase looks like they don't understand college basketball by saying things like coverage is "rightfully ours" literally because we have a paper number next to our name.

Legitimately, if you just graduated, you honestly don't even remember the times that we were either on the same level as PC or above. So "recently" is literally your whole existence.

If we go 2-0 this weekend, knocking off 2 ranked teams including the #1 team in the country, and jump up to our highest national ranking EVER and we are not the lead story in the Projo- then yes. I will agree that we're getting screwed in coverage because for the first time in almost 20 years we'll DESERVE it.

But it's just that...it's been almost 20 years since we've done ANYTHING worthy of lead press. In times of both teams equally "not deserving" press, PC gets the lead because of everything above. They are a more storied program with more visibility who plays in more meaningful games against better opponents every year. We are yet to turn in a season..or honestly a week (outside of the 5 times we've beat PC) in the past 18 years where we have been worth of being the lead story in this state.

This is our year for sure. We have the opportunity to have the best year in the history of this program. I know that. You know that. Everyone who follows this program knows that. A local publication who's readership cares more about the Friars by a long shot (see above "flashing of stats" for why), needs more than a few voices and a pre-season ranking without beating anyone of note to justify covering the lesser of two programs.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Billyboy78 »

But once again, PC has a lot more fans BECAUSE of the PC Journal's biased coverage for the last 55-60 years. They became the media darlings of the state in the late 50s with the Wilkens, Egan, Ernst teams. We had a MUCH richer history than they did prior to that. It's been 3 or 4 generations that have been force fed that PC is Rhode Island's team. Of course PC has tons more fans than we do.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Iggy1979 »

What was the end result of this "whining?" The sports editor knows that some of us weren't thrilled with the story play and that we're paying attention. I'd call that a success.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Blue Man »

Billyboy78 wrote:But once again, PC has a lot more fans BECAUSE of the PC Journal's biased coverage for the last 55-60 years. They became the media darlings of the state in the late 50s with the Wilkens, Egan, Ernst teams. We had a MUCH richer history than they did prior to that. It's been 3 or 4 generations that have been force fed that PC is Rhode Island's team. Of course PC has tons more fans than we do.
PC's coverage in the journal didn't get them twice the NCAA births, NBA players, Elite 8s, Sweet 16's, NIT births, wins, etc, etc. PC's play and success did that.

No fan has ever sat there and looked at 2 teams and said...welp, who's the Journal covering? I guess I'll root for them. It's not exactly a chicken or egg scenario here. The all time record gives us a .409 winning percentage against PC. The Journal didn't lose 72 games against the Friars. We did.

I guarantee you if URI kept on the pace of Xavier - of which we were on equal footing with in the late 90's - and didn't make 2 of the worst coaching hires in the program's history, along with THE WORST contract possibly in college basketball history (due especially to the fact we would never be able to buy it out until too late) - we would be the top dog in this state right now.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by adam914 »

Billyboy78 wrote:But once again, PC has a lot more fans BECAUSE of the PC Journal's biased coverage for the last 55-60 years. They became the media darlings of the state in the late 50s with the Wilkens, Egan, Ernst teams. We had a MUCH richer history than they did prior to that. It's been 3 or 4 generations that have been force fed that PC is Rhode Island's team. Of course PC has tons more fans than we do.
I think you are seriously overestimating the power of a newspaper.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Billyboy78 »

Well, Dave Gavitt ensured that PC would be able to recruit future NBA players and have at least moderate success by starting a great conference (which it was at the time) in which to include his beloved Friars and exclude the hated Rams, who were the best team in New England at the time, including PC and UConn and Holy Cross (who declined). But that's another story...
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Rhody74 »

The state's fascination with the Friars began in the early '60s when they came out of nowhere to play in the NIT. Egan, Thompson and especially Jimmy Walker put PC on the map. PC had early TV coverage (one of the reasons I followed them before I went to URI in 1970), which probably has more to do with it than the ProJo coverage.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by RhowdyRam02 »

Blue Man, you sound like a Yankee fan the way you talk about the past. Newspapers aren't history books, they're for current events. We're currently projected to be better than PC and should be treated as such by the paper of record in the state.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Blue Man »

Billyboy78 wrote:Well, Dave Gavitt ensured that PC would be able to recruit future NBA players and have at least moderate success by starting a great conference (which it was at the time) in which to include his beloved Friars and exclude the hated Rams, who were the best team in New England at the time, including PC and UConn and Holy Cross (who declined). But that's another story...
100% right. If you wanted to start a thread called Dave Gavitt is an asshole, then I understand. The Friars were lucky to have a guy like that be a visionary because without him there's no shot they're included in what the Big East was at it's height or what it is today.

None of that is because of biased projo coverage, but the projo coverage came about because they were playing in that conference that had more intrigue, and they were playing better than URI as well.
RhowdyRam02 wrote: Blue Man, you sound like a Yankee fan the way you talk about the past. Newspapers aren't history books, they're for current events. We're currently projected to be better than PC and should be treated as such by the paper of record in the state.
I agree with you completely, minus the Yankee fan part. Yes we are "projected" to be better than PC, and that's happened a fair amount of times in recent history. Then, however, we collapse and go back to sucking. While I don't think that will happen this season (he said while knocking on wood) I'm merely trying to bring about the context of why there are more PC fans and why the Journal gives them more pub.

If I'm the editor, tie goes to the team with a bigger following because of the better history. Period.

As it stands right now the reigning 3x NCAA appearances and 6x consecutive rivalry game winning Friars have the same number of meaningful wins this year as the #21 Rams with 0.

As I said before, if we go 2-0 this weekend while knocking off 2 ranked teams, including the #1 team in the country, and put ourselves to the highest national ranking the program has ever had, and PC still dominates the coverage? Then I will be leading the charge on a mighty steed with lances, axes, and bullhorns to Promenade Street.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by NYGFan_Section208 »

The newspaper is on the same trail as the phone booth. You can get all that you need of both on your smartphone...I can do that even, and I still use a BlackBerry... Who cares what the ProJo covers, really?

BM...lol...assaulting Promenade St on a steed with lances is absolutely appropriate time-frame picture ;)

Not sure the ProJo coverage really matters. Just don't support the brand...if you can't get the Rhody coverage you want there...do what the kids do these days, vote with your thumbs and go to another site...
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by ATPTourFan »

Pretty strange viewpoint given there aren't many options for legit, full-time Rhody basketball beat coverage, nevermind at the level of quality Bill Koch delivers.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by NYGFan_Section208 »

ATPTourFan wrote:Pretty strange viewpoint given there aren't many options for legit, full-time Rhody basketball beat coverage, nevermind at the level of quality Bill Koch delivers.
Well...I'm a strange guy...so that happens. The actual (not potential) performance of the team is way more important to me than the coverage in the paper. If/when they're really really (national conversation) good...there will be plenty of coverage. If/when they're not...while I'll be at all the games...I'm probably not that interested in reading about them. Then again...that's just me... :D

If they're good, they'll probably be in the local paper plenty...
Being in the local paper plenty...probably not going to contribute much to them being good.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Rhody74 »

Where do you think most of the news that you read on your phone originates? I am not talking about gossip or opinion?
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by ramster »

Well Folks,
Rhody knocks off Top 25 Team Cincinnati

Rhody prominently displayed on Front page of sports section page C1

Pc's victory over Grambling on page C7 :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Ramulous »

I take no glee in this. I only wish for friar fans what they wish for us.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Billyboy78 »

And Alan Branch is the top story.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by woodennickel1 »

Billyboy78 wrote:Well, Dave Gavitt ensured that PC would be able to recruit future NBA players and have at least moderate success by starting a great conference (which it was at the time) in which to include his beloved Friars and exclude the hated Rams, who were the best team in New England at the time, including PC and UConn and Holy Cross (who declined). But that's another story...
This has been explained over and over and most ram fans understand it . But for those who still don't get it Gavitt was trying to get a mix of the best basketball schools in the biggest media markets. If it were not for Gavitts PC most likely would not have been included either.

BTW nice win by the rams yesterday . Showed a lot of character coming back against a good team from twelve down.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by rambone 78 »

Gavitt's excuse for not including Rhody was that the 2 schools were too close together....so he said...take that for what it's worth....
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by ATPTourFan »

Which was correct. He was a pioneer in looking for Tv markets. No point in two teams from RI.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Billyboy78 »

So, it was just convenient that he despised URI, who just happened to be the better team when the BE was started.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by woodennickel1 »

Billyboy78 wrote:So, it was just convenient that he despised URI, who just happened to be the better team when the BE was started.

Did you really think he was going to put URI in and leave his own team out ?
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Seawrightspostgame »

The most successful college teams are always buoyed by a natural rivalry. As much as people love a single team.

They love a natural rivalry with a traditional opponent. PC and URI screwed that up.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Billyboy78 »

woodennickel1 wrote:
Billyboy78 wrote:So, it was just convenient that he despised URI, who just happened to be the better team when the BE was started.

Did you really think he was going to put URI in and leave his own team out ?
Of course not. He wanted to kill the best college basketball rivalry in the northeast. Maybe URI could have been a better choice than, let's say....Holy Cross?
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by woodennickel1 »

Billyboy78 wrote:
woodennickel1 wrote:
Billyboy78 wrote:So, it was just convenient that he despised URI, who just happened to be the better team when the BE was started.

Did you really think he was going to put URI in and leave his own team out ?
Of course not. He wanted to kill the best college basketball rivalry in the northeast. Maybe URI could have been a better choice than, let's say....Holy Cross?
Holy Cross at the time had a very good program and was in a different media market.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Billyboy78 »

If you think URI/PC is a rivalry now, you should have seen it in the 70s when we played twice a year. Right up there with the Red Sox/ Yankees rivalry at the time.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Billyboy78 »

woodennickel1 wrote:
Billyboy78 wrote:
woodennickel1 wrote:

Did you really think he was going to put URI in and leave his own team out ?
Of course not. He wanted to kill the best college basketball rivalry in the northeast. Maybe URI could have been a better choice than, let's say....Holy Cross?
Holy Cross at the time had a very good program and was in a different media market.
URI had a better program at the time and if you consider Worcester, Mass to be a great media market, well, ok....
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by woodennickel1 »

Billyboy78 wrote:
woodennickel1 wrote:
Billyboy78 wrote: Of course not. He wanted to kill the best college basketball rivalry in the northeast. Maybe URI could have been a better choice than, let's say....Holy Cross?
Holy Cross at the time had a very good program and was in a different media market.
URI had a better program at the time and if you consider Worcester, Mass to be a great media market, well, ok....
You can spin it any way you want. I for selfish reasons and think it would have been good for college basketball around here would have liked it . But if you remember PC had very little sustained success in the old big East and I do not think it would have been much different for URI and to have a successful conference it would not have made a little of sense.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by RF1 »

ATPTourFan wrote:Which was correct. He was a pioneer in looking for Tv markets. No point in two teams from RI.

Dave Gavitt is the father of conference realignment and greed. He was the first to construct a league on based its tv appeal and maximization of revenue. The raiding of other conferences for teams, abandonment of decades long rivalries and relationships, and pursuit of self interest that we now see across the college basketball landscape is his direct legacy.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by woodennickel1 »

RF1 wrote:
ATPTourFan wrote:Which was correct. He was a pioneer in looking for Tv markets. No point in two teams from RI.

Dave Gavitt is the father of conference realignment and greed. He was the first to construct a league on based its tv appeal and maximization of revenue. the raiding of other conferences for teams, abandonment of decades long rivalries and relationships, and pursuit of self interest that we now across the college basketball landscape is his direct legacy.

Like I said spin it any way you want . Bottom line is a conference with both URI and PC would not have had as much of a chance of success.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by Rhode_Island_Red »

Dave Gavitt created the Bigheaded East because of an NCAA directive.

In the 1970s most schools in the Northeast were essentially independents operating under a loose confederation called the ECAC. The ECAC ran three regional tournaments, with the winner of each getting an automatic bid to the NCAA.The NCAA decreed that it would reserve it's automatic bids for conferences thst played double-round-robin schedules.

Gavitt didn't want to be lumped into a conference created for him (one that might include a certain heathen cow college), so he picked the top school in each of seven northeast TV markets and created the Bigheaded East in 1979. At that time URI was ascendant but Pee-C was dominant.

In 1980 Gavitt poached Villanoverbearing from the Eastern 8, an opening which URI filled. In succeeding years he poached Pitt and later Rutgers, West Virginia, Virginia Tech and maybe more.
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by woodennickel1 »

Rhode_Island_Red wrote:Dave Gavitt created the Bigheaded East because of an NCAA directive.

In the 1970s most schools in the Northeast were essentially independents operating under a loose confederation called the ECAC. The ECAC ran three regional tournaments, with the winner of each getting an automatic bid to the NCAA.The NCAA decreed that it would reserve it's automatic bids for conferences thst played double-round-robin schedules.

Gavitt didn't want to be lumped into a conference created for him (one that might include a certain heathen cow college), so he picked the top school in each of seven northeast TV markets and created the Bigheaded East in 1979. At that time URI was ascendant but Pee-C was dominant.

In 1980 Gavitt poached Villanoverbearing from the Eastern 8, an opening which URI filled. In succeeding years he poached Pitt and later Rutgers, West Virginia, Virginia Tech and maybe more.
The one key difference between what he did and what Swofford from the ACC did was he took only one team from any conference. Swofford did it with the idea of destroying a whole conference by taking a bunch of teams for the same conference .
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Re: Projo Coverage of URI - Conversation with Sports Editor Bill Corey

Unread post by ATPTourFan »

That Gavitt thread is lonely.
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