🏈 Media during "pre-presser" meeting before Kiffin's announcement he was leaving UT...

[TerryP]

Good Lord. It's like a major traffic accident you can't help but stare at.

"I won't answer questions."

"I don't want part of this on camera."

One guy goes as far as calling Kiffin a snake...

Carnage video below...

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[TerryP]

Just as a note...watch the reactions from ESPN's Chris Lowe. He's sitting at the right, corner of the conference table.

 

[Chukker V]

I don't understand why the arrogant UT official was catering to what Kiffy wanted.

Kiffy should have been put in front of the media...let him think they've agreed to his "I'm the King" rules...

When he gets in the room, someone quietly lock the door. Turn on the cameras, take his statement, then let him stand for questions.

If he preferred to be filmed trying to get out the door, ducking questions, that would be fine.

 

[TerryP]

I don't understand why the arrogant UT official was catering to what Kiffy wanted.

Kiffy should have been put in front of the media...let him think they've agreed to his "I'm the King" rules...

When he gets in the room, someone quietly lock the door. Turn on the cameras, take his statement, then let him stand for questions.

If he preferred to be filmed trying to get out the door, ducking questions, that would be fine.

Neither do I.

The guy you are talking about is the Assoc. Ath. Dir. - Media Relations for Football. His name is Bud Ford.

He's very, very highly thought of in the SID circles and associations. I'd hate to have been in his shoes.

What doesn't make sense to me is if Kiffin is no longer an employee...why the "protection?"

 

[BamaHeat]

Yea, they should have just thrown him out there with him believing he was getting it the way he wanted.

 

[shipley00]

He was following orders. Onlyl reason that makes any sense, is Kiffin knows where the bodies are burried because he put them there. Lane won't get in trouble for wrong doings, UT will.

 

[Chukker V]

Neither do I.

The guy you are talking about is the Assoc. Ath. Dir. - Media Relations for Football. His name is Bud Ford.

He's very, very highly thought of in the SID circles and associations. I'd hate to have been in his shoes.

What doesn't make sense to me is if Kiffin is no longer an employee...why the "protection?"

Ford tells a grumpy media pool: "You're in our building, let me remind you of that." Could he possibly be any more full of himself?

Ford's job was to make the former UT coach available to the press. He went beyond that, insisting on terms favorable to Kiffy.

If Ford is highly thought of in SID circles, he must have a better side than what was on display in the clip. He seems to be helping Kiffy treat the UT job with total disdain.

My idea of a real UT person would be someone who was willing to put Kiffy on the spot, not treat him like a king. But then, as we've seen, they go about things differently up there.

 

[TerryP]

I'm assuming he's being professional in his position. I can appreciate that. But, you know he's a fan and wants to crucify Kiffin as much as those in that room did...

 

[planomateo]

talk about annoying, stop beating the damn papers.

 

[elbatider]

I'm assuming he's being professional in his position. I can appreciate that. But, you know he's a fan and wants to crucify Kiffin as much as those in that room did...

I agree. I think he lost his patience with the media because Kiffin didn't have to do this press conference and since he was he was trying to honor the terms. Tough situation for this guy.

 

[alagator]

I look at Ford's actions a little differently.

I see a man trying to do everything possible to make sure the members of the press had at least some access to Kiffin rather than nothing at all.

Kiffin laid down the ground rules for his appearance and apparently made the conditions "all or nothing." Ford probably saw that the "all" at least gave the media some direct comments on the record where the "nothing" left the media with nothing (no direct quotes, no audio, no video, nothing from the mouth of Kiffin).

So, actually, I see Ford trying to interject some dispassionate reason into a room full of heated emotions and, at least one, TV people about to kill all access for everyone because they could not get a visual of the event.

Maybe I am giving him too much credit?

 

[bamadezz]

Is it me or was the blonde really annoying!??!

All I can say is, better them then us...:nana:

 

[Chukker V]

I understand y'alls argument...the Ut guy was being professional & trying to get the media some access to Kiffin. Some being better than none.

But Kiffin needed to make some sort of semi-public statement before leaving Knoxville...without doing so, he would have been even more villified by the national media. Kiffin needed the interview as much as the media guys did. He bluffed them.

Now let's look at Kiffin's behavior towards UT. Was it honorable? Was it professional?

Was it professional for him to show up to quit a 2 million dollar job wearing an untucked polo shirt? He couldn't show them the respect of putting on a tie?

So, professional or not, I'd like to have seen Ford tell the little weasel whatever he needed to to get him in front of the press, but then it would be open season, with no pre-agreements. Let him be filmed acting like a drama queen when things don't go his way.