Mack Brown knows a thing or two about working in the media based on his time at ESPN between his head coaching stints at Texas and North Carolina, respectively.
So, there’s a level of understanding there, and Brown usually is particularly good to the media in Chapel Hill. However, he took issue with how an injury will reportedly hold Tar Heels wide receiver. Kobe Paysour, out of next week’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl versus the West Virginia Mountaineers, was portrayed in the media.
“Very disappointed that some misinformation came out on Kobe Paysour,” Brown said during his National Signing Day press conference. “In your business, you should be right before you report it. And somebody said it was the same ankle he got hurt before. There were accusations that we put him out there too soon. None of that’s true. He fractured a foot before. It’s the other foot, on the other side. It’s exactly the same injury. But that’s not fair to the kid. That’s not fair to his parents.
“I was in your business for five years. Get it right. I mean, that’s important. We do things wrong as coaches. If you don’t report it right, that’s not fair to anybody.”
Brown objected to the inaccurate portrayal of Paysour’s injury in the media, and the program was wrongly accused of wrongdoing. He quickly put that to rest as he explained that the sophomore wide receiver suffered a freak injury, the exact same one, to his other foot.
“It’s totally the same injury on the other foot. He’ll have to have his operation today. He’ll be back for spring practice, but he’s very disappointed that he’ll miss the game,” Brown added. “It’s so interesting. He’s been here for a long time. He’s been hit a bunch. Hadn’t been hurt. This was a non-contact injury again. Catching a flat route on the goal line, just turned backward and hurt it.
“So very disappointing for him. But again, please call and check. Get it right before we start releasing stuff.”
In doing so, Brown suggested that reporters check in with UNC’s Sports Information Director (SID) regarding any information about injuries, comments, and other program-related matters. He advised them to refrain from speculating and spreading misinformation and instead seek reliable information from the program.
In urging accuracy and fairness, Brown emphasizes the importance of responsible reporting and encourages the media to “get it right.” You may not necessarily agree with these practices. However, he was previously in the press and is also a college football coach. One thing they do is to protect their players publicly.
[On3]
