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It's no secret that when it comes to coverage of UB sports I don't hold the Buffalo News in high regard. While they are the pros and I am an amateur, I believe their lack of genuine concern or interest in UB Athletics means that if you really want to know about UB you have to go elsewhere.
The News will play up the preseason coverage and the occasional big news and when something big comes up... maybe. They not only ran the AP article on the NCAA signing day but put up one whole article about it. But day to day their coverage of UB is, at best, awful.
Some of the angst is over UB's Athletic Director and his choice to fire Reggie Witherspoon. And I get that it was, in the end, a rather poorly handled situation. Spoon is well loved and entrenched as part of the Western New York sports scene and seeing him sitting in his home talking about how sideswiped he was set a sour note.
That angst towards White however justified it may be has clouded the Buffalo News editorial content about Buffalo ever since. It seems Danny White and Bobby Hurley can do no right in the sights of the Buffalo News.
To be fair Coach Hurley's talent for picking up technical fouls makes him a very easy target.
Coach Witherspoon was great at protesting with a look and not drawing the ire of the zebras. Coach Hurley is very vocal and is prone to technical. It's something he needs to work on.
That being said Bob DiCesare crossed a line when he called UB fans who were protesting a call along with Hurley "Kool-aid" drinkers.
Over-under is 60 seconds on Hurley's next T. Thing is, crowd's drinking the Kool-aid. It's really gotten out of hand
— Bob DiCesare (@tbndicesare) February 6, 2014
By saying this the implication is what? That Bobby Hurley is Jim Jones and UB fans who hated the call are lemmings?
When covering college sports the Athletes and Fans should have thin bubble protecting them. Unless the crowd gets really ugly or a players behavior is totally unacceptable it's best to level your criticism squarely at the coaches and admins.
We have been very critical of Hurley's antics. I believe it cost UB the game at Bowling Green.
He is a passionate guy and a first year head coach. Hopefully he learns before his growing reputation is set in stone with the Mid American Conference officials. In the mean time when it hurts the Bulls - and believe me it has hurt the Bulls - save the criticism for Hurley.
