Black eye for Bradley

#1      

IlliniFaninHoosierLand

IlliniFaninHoosierLand
IlliniFaninHoosierLand
https://www.pjstar.com/sports/20190...js-beat-writer-you-dont-promote-bradley-brand

On the eve of their first tournament appearance in 13 years, Bradley is in the news today for the exact wrong reasons.

The short version of the story is that one of the longtime beat writers for the school, Dave Reynolds, whose considered one of the deans among MVC sportswriters, was basically told he could no longer have access to the program because he didn't promote the "Bradley brand" by only writing positive stories about the school's basketball program.

The school has since restored his credentials but it's definitely a black eye for the program. People involved with the school would probably much rather have them be talking about their first tournament appearance since 2006 than this one that cropped up today.

I live about 90 minutes from the Bradley campus and they're a program that's always seemed to think more highly of themselves than they should. Very few people outside of Peoria or the MVC footprint are that familiar with the school.
 
#2      

Spoon House

Spoon House
Spoon House
Resident of an outlying community of Peoria.

The leadership of Bradley thinks way too highly of themselves and the school. The rank and file (professors and coaches), students, and the average fan, are absolutely fine people.

This is just a garden-variety failure of leadership, one with awful timing and excellent visibility to the outside world.
 
#3      

IlliniFaninHoosierLand

IlliniFaninHoosierLand
IlliniFaninHoosierLand
Spoon House said:
The leadership of Bradley thinks way too highly of themselves and the school. The rank and file (professors and coaches), students, and the average fan, are absolutely fine people.
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I went to the EIU-Bradley game this season (which EIU won by the way) and you would not believe how so many of the fans sitting near me, and on some of the message boards I frequent, thought that it was so beneath them to lose to a school like EIU. If college basketball has proven anything to us in recent years, it's that just about any team can beat any other team on any given night.
 
#4      

John Freim

J
John Freim
That newspaper is dying - I pretty much quit reading their BU coverage when they laid off Wessler who is a good man and Bradley advocate. Bradley fans bitching about losing to EIU is somewhat comparable to UI fans bemoaning the few times they lost to Bradley - it’s human nature.
 
#6      

Deleted member 533939

D
Guest
Deleted member 533939
I feel like the complainant by Bradley is the same complaint by half this message board regarding the Chicago media.
 
#8      

IlliniFaninHoosierLand

IlliniFaninHoosierLand
IlliniFaninHoosierLand
John Freim said:
That newspaper is dying - I pretty much quit reading their BU coverage when they laid off Wessler who is a good man and Bradley advocate.
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I'll admit I don't follow the PJStar columns that often but when you say Wessler was a Bradley advocate, was he doing something similar to what Wardle was wanting Reynolds to do in terms of writing only positive stories about the program? Just wanting a clarification is all.
 
#9      

ChocolateThunder

C
ChocolateThunder
As a small university I would imagine that that the AD, the President, and coach all played a role in this decision. According to the net they all make over $500,000 a year. One would think that highest paid employees of the University would not try to suppress free speech.
 
#11      

Efrem Winters fan

Efrem Winters fan
Efrem Winters fan
IlliniFaninHoosierLand said:
https://www.pjstar.com/sports/20190...js-beat-writer-you-dont-promote-bradley-brand

On the eve of their first tournament appearance in 13 years, Bradley is in the news today for the exact wrong reasons.

The short version of the story is that one of the longtime beat writers for the school, Dave Reynolds, whose considered one of the deans among MVC sportswriters, was basically told he could no longer have access to the program because he didn't promote the "Bradley brand" by only writing positive stories about the school's basketball program.

The school has since restored his credentials but it's definitely a black eye for the program. People involved with the school would probably much rather have them be talking about their first tournament appearance since 2006 than this one that cropped up today.

I live about 90 minutes from the Bradley campus and they're a program that's always seemed to think more highly of themselves than they should. Very few people outside of Peoria or the MVC footprint are that familiar with the school.
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This sort of reminds me of the falling out between the Cubs and Steve Stone. It’s pretty common for a sports organization to dislike honest reporting/commentary....unless it’s favorable, of course. The knowledgeable fans, however, appreciate people who tell it like it is....
 
#14      

illini80

illini80
Forgottonia
illini80
They deserve to get called out on a terrible move, but I am a bit surprised it’s getting as much coverage as it it outside of the Peoria market.
 
#15      

krushdad

K
krushdad
Not surprising that other media members jump to the aid of one of their own. The guy always put a negative spin on anything Sorta like turning on the tv today, negative sells and gets clicks. I am not a Bradley fan, but his articles always played into the lets !!!!! and be negative.
 
#17      

PtownIllini8

P
PtownIllini8
ChocolateThunder said:
Of course the difference is, that no one on this message board is in a position to abuse their power with the intention of suppressing freedom of speech.
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Except their AD, Chris Reynolds, was off working on the NCAA Tourney Committee, so he wasn't around. Seems like Wardle and the assistant called this tune. Incredibly dumb to try and attack the press in general and the one newspaper that covers your team seriously. I heard Wardle did something dumb when he was at Wisc.-Green Bay, and here's the story per ESPN: http://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...bay-coach-brian-wardle-keep-job-investigation
 
#18      

ChocolateThunder

C
ChocolateThunder
PtownIllini8 said:
Except their AD, Chris Reynolds, was off working on the NCAA Tourney Committee, so he wasn't around. Seems like Wardle and the assistant called this tune. Incredibly dumb to try and attack the press in general and the one newspaper that covers your team seriously. I heard Wardle did something dumb when he was at Wisc.-Green Bay, and here's the story per ESPN: http://www.espn.com/mens-college-ba...bay-coach-brian-wardle-keep-job-investigation
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Wow! SMH
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