Dunceswithwolves
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Here's a Milwaukee Journal blog post with a bit more context than Twitter (only because you all are so classy and all that you wouldn't want to draw judgment from a few misquoted words):
Twitter can be useful and dangerous
By Jeff Potrykus of the Journal Sentinel
Nov. 10, 2011
Madison - It's late and I've got a story to write but it appears I need to clear up a misconception that started on Twitter Thursday afternoon, spread across the Internet and found its way to at least two fan boards (Ohio State and Penn State).
Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema was interviewed on a Madison radio station Thursday morning and was asked about the recent scandals that have hit three Big Ten institutions: Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.
Here is the full text of Bielema's comments:
"Well, I obviously wasn't well-versed in the situation, but JoePa's done a lot for the game, done a lot for the world of college football... a guy that you can't take away anything that he's done from a football standpoint.
"All that other stuff I'll let other people make decisions on. I think the NCAA's very clear on the NCAA versus... obviously the other things around Coach Sandusky and all that are legal matters and I can't see football or the NCAA getting involved in something like that.
"But you know, I think that this definitely brings a little bit of a cloud to the world of college football and that's the only thing that I always have said along the way. Who in our minds would ever thought, you know, that the three major teams in our conference -- Ohio State, Michigan, and uh, Penn State -- would have these issues.
"But I guess just enjoy and embrace being a Badger fan."
Now here is the tweet, culled from the above comment, that hit the Internet:
"guess it's a good time to be a Badger fan."
Penn State fans, reeling from the news that one of their former coaches (Jerry Sandusky) has been accused of molesting children and seeing their head coach (Joe Paterno) unceremoniously fired, didn't like the snippet at all. They appear to be under the impression he was comparing UW to Penn State alone.
Ohio State fans, who must be a wee bit irritated to learn that the NCAA has issued a "failure to monitor" charge and the football team could be in line for significant sanctions, didn't like the snippet, either. They too thought Bielema was comparing UW to Penn State.
Here is my take:
Not much to see, or hear, in this case.
I've covered Bielema since he arrived at UW in 2004 as the defensive coordinator. He has grown in many ways but he isn't an eloquent public speaker and his words sometimes jumble, which sometimes obscures his message. Most football coaches aren't great speakers, particularly when the topic shifts away from the game.
Bielema was asked again after practice Thursday night about the Penn State situation and Paterno.
He noted people should feel for the families touched by the alleged sexual assaults but his general message was the same as it was in the morning radio interview. That is, any time programs suffer through such scandals it is bad for all of college football.
"Any time anything (bad) happens in the world of college football, " he said, "I think it's bad for everybody."
Bielema stopped there Thursday night.
But having listed to the radio interview and having covered Bielema for more than seven seasons, my interpretation of the last line from his morning comment is this:
"Rather than taking joy in the misfortune of other programs UW fans should celebrate what they have going right now."
That is, a team still in the running for a Division title and a berth in the first Big Ten title game.
I'd love to post that on Twitter but something tells me just one tweet wouldn't tell the whole story.
Twitter can be useful and dangerous
By Jeff Potrykus of the Journal Sentinel
Nov. 10, 2011
Madison - It's late and I've got a story to write but it appears I need to clear up a misconception that started on Twitter Thursday afternoon, spread across the Internet and found its way to at least two fan boards (Ohio State and Penn State).
Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema was interviewed on a Madison radio station Thursday morning and was asked about the recent scandals that have hit three Big Ten institutions: Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.
Here is the full text of Bielema's comments:
"Well, I obviously wasn't well-versed in the situation, but JoePa's done a lot for the game, done a lot for the world of college football... a guy that you can't take away anything that he's done from a football standpoint.
"All that other stuff I'll let other people make decisions on. I think the NCAA's very clear on the NCAA versus... obviously the other things around Coach Sandusky and all that are legal matters and I can't see football or the NCAA getting involved in something like that.
"But you know, I think that this definitely brings a little bit of a cloud to the world of college football and that's the only thing that I always have said along the way. Who in our minds would ever thought, you know, that the three major teams in our conference -- Ohio State, Michigan, and uh, Penn State -- would have these issues.
"But I guess just enjoy and embrace being a Badger fan."
Now here is the tweet, culled from the above comment, that hit the Internet:
"guess it's a good time to be a Badger fan."
Penn State fans, reeling from the news that one of their former coaches (Jerry Sandusky) has been accused of molesting children and seeing their head coach (Joe Paterno) unceremoniously fired, didn't like the snippet at all. They appear to be under the impression he was comparing UW to Penn State alone.
Ohio State fans, who must be a wee bit irritated to learn that the NCAA has issued a "failure to monitor" charge and the football team could be in line for significant sanctions, didn't like the snippet, either. They too thought Bielema was comparing UW to Penn State.
Here is my take:
Not much to see, or hear, in this case.
I've covered Bielema since he arrived at UW in 2004 as the defensive coordinator. He has grown in many ways but he isn't an eloquent public speaker and his words sometimes jumble, which sometimes obscures his message. Most football coaches aren't great speakers, particularly when the topic shifts away from the game.
Bielema was asked again after practice Thursday night about the Penn State situation and Paterno.
He noted people should feel for the families touched by the alleged sexual assaults but his general message was the same as it was in the morning radio interview. That is, any time programs suffer through such scandals it is bad for all of college football.
"Any time anything (bad) happens in the world of college football, " he said, "I think it's bad for everybody."
Bielema stopped there Thursday night.
But having listed to the radio interview and having covered Bielema for more than seven seasons, my interpretation of the last line from his morning comment is this:
"Rather than taking joy in the misfortune of other programs UW fans should celebrate what they have going right now."
That is, a team still in the running for a Division title and a berth in the first Big Ten title game.
I'd love to post that on Twitter but something tells me just one tweet wouldn't tell the whole story.
