Coaches Rich Ellerson, June Jones

If you are a blogger, sometimes there is a tendency to write a little more colorful than “old school” journalists. Sometimes zany is appropriate. Other times — such as covering football during bowl season — one should keep a stiff upper lip.

Ha … I struggle with that. This is the third bowl season for the PingWi-Fi team, so I think we are actually gaining some street cred with the bowl authorities and such. Accordingly, we play by the rules most of the time.

Sometimes I’ll admit, we stumble. But hey, we’re bloggers.

Like last year … After attending the press conference for the 2009 Armed Forces Bowl, I had heard Coach Troy Calhoun of Air Force answer every standard question in the book, with great ability and enthusiasm, I might add.

But we are bloggers … so, the PingWi-Fi team cornered the Air Force coach, and on video we asked him to demonstrate the proper technique for a running back to handle the football after a handoff. (The weather was cold last year, so this seems like a fairly straight forward thing.) Ha … did I mention we asked the coach to demonstrate the ball control and hand movement, using the belly of a pregnant woman to represent the football? Well … we did. We are bloggers.

Ha! I still laugh about how red the coach’s face turned, as he tried to go along with such an absurd piece of football journalism. The video is hidden on the Internet somewhere … but not on our site. Thank goodness it didn’t make the cut.

This year, at the 2010 Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, prankster leanings were whispering in my ear again, but in a rare moment of self control, I bit my tongue.

You see, when I was interviewing Coach Rich Ellerson of Army, there was a part of me that wanted to ask how the reversal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” by the military would or wouldn’t affect The Black Knights Football team. As a journalist, I always try to ask a question that no one else in the press conference has asked. I feel relatively sure that question would have blazed new ground. Well … I didn’t ask and he didn’t tell. I am embarrassed to admit I considered it … sort of.

Instead, I asked safe questions about game conditions, strategy and the college experience. I am sure the coach fought the urge to yawn at my questions. Little did he know, it could have been worse.

Then I spent some straight-forward time with Coach June Jones of SMU. “Coach, did your parents like that Johnny Cash song, “A Boy Named Sue?'” Ha … no I didn’t ask about his name, but man I wanted to. And don’t get me wrong, I have great respect for what Coach Jones did with Hawaii and also for his bringing the SMU program back from the grave.

So, instead, we talked about the Ponies’ young quarterback. Do you realize that before starting at SMU — a major college program — Kyle Padron missed most of his high school career at storied Southlake Carroll, due to injuries? Now there is a story of perseverance, tenacity and success. Oh … and this line of questioning might have even bordered on good journalism.  In a day where Jones is reported to have turned down a position at Maryland, we dissected the practice of hiring/firing during bowl season.  Score one for the bloggers.

So anyway … just a quick note to say that we behaved, pretty much and that the coaches, as always, were good sports.

And for all things holy, be glad we didn’t interview Dallas Cowboys legend Drew Pearson.  Number 88 was the guest speaker at the kickoff luncheon for the bowl game.  Yes … some things are sacred, even for a blogger.

Know what I sayin?