Mark Stoops said earlier this week that linebacker JJ Weaver likely would not play at Ole Miss Saturday because of an elbow injury. (Vicky Graff Photo)
For the first time I can remember, Kentucky coach Mark Stoops got asked a question about injuries and sports gambling during the weekly Southeastern Conference coaches teleconference this week.
Stoops was asked about the importance of injury reports with the rise of sports gambling.
“I think the hurdles may be just the players’ rights. I think it’s a little different in college than it is in the NFL, and with the injury report and things of that nature, maybe some of the hang-ups,” Stoops said.
“But for myself, I’m usually pretty open. That’s just my take. I just feel like the relationship with the media, you all have a job to do. I feel like there’s enough information out there, whether you dive back to gambling or not, but if you’ve got somebody hurt, there’s gonna be people around campus watching them, noticing them, whether they’re in a boot, whether they’re on crutches, whether they’re out, so my take is just been, if I know a player’s definitely out, if he’s out, then I say it as early as I know. That’s just my take.”
Stoops is not prone to give an abundance of information on injuries but he normally is open about who will or will not play in a game
“I’m not sure where we’re at as a league or with the NCAA on that issue. I just try to be as transparent as I can be,” the Kentucky coach said. “There’s times when you just flat out don’t know whether a guy’s gonna be ready to go or not.”
“And some of that you have to play close to the vest. You don’t want to give your competitors an advantage. But again, I just feel like when a player is out, I basically report it because I feel like it’s gonna get out anyway.”
As my mother always said, honesty is the best policy — even for coaches.
One Response
Interesting story. Players’ right to privacy is a major factor that limits what a coach, or any representative of the University, can say about a player’s condition. It is one thing for the coach to report that players x, y, and z will not be available this week, but for the coach to describe the details of why players x, y and z cannot play is another matter that would probably require the respective players’ consent.