The SWAC Needs A Collie Nicholson


C-LeB28

C-LeB28

Moderator
The Houston Forward Times
Sports
By JOE BOOKER, Sports Editor

The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) needs a COLLIE NICHOLSON to improve its image. There was a time when SWAC was one of the most respected conferences in the country. You had leaders like EDDIE ROBINSON (Grambling), MARINO CASEM (Alcorn), T.B. ELLIS (Jackson State), W.J. NICKS (Prairie View), ALEXANDER DURLEY (TSU) and U.S. JONES (Southern), as athletic directors. Even the colleges Presidents were active, accessible and visible.

Who will ever forget the late R.W.E. JONES, President of Grambling University? Better known as "Prez", he was the most down to earth college President ever known. I remember when Grambling use to play in the Astrodome, Prez would not be in the big suites entertaining, but in the press box rapping with the media. He was also the baseball coach, which also made him unique. I don't think we will ever see a college President like Prez in our lifetime. He was not an ivory tower type leader.

What is missing most of all in SWAC is a COLLIE NICHOLSON. For years COLLIE was the man that made Grambling and the Southwestern Athletic Conference one of the most known in the country? What made COLLIE stand above others was his great people skills and relationship with media throughout the country. He took no media for granted.

The late BENNIE THOMAS (Southern), the late BILLY MORRIS (TSU) and ANDREW BENSON (Jackson State) were other media relation people that provided the media credentials and whatever that was needed to give their school positive publicity.

Trying to get press credentials from SWAC people are trying to pull Tiger teeth. Don't they want their events covered? During the recent SWAC Spring Sports Meet several members of the black print media (including the Forward Times) did not get press credentials to cover the events. This would never have happen when you had people like COLLIE, EDDIE ROBINSON, MARINO CASEM, BILLY NICKS, ALEXNADER DURLEY and other people who ran SWAC athletics.


For the entire story click here...

http://www.forwardtimes.com/sports.htm
 



JSU'99 said:
I remember Jason, he was ok, but not awe-inspiring like the article proposes.
Click to expand...

Are you referring to the same Jason Jenkins that's going into his third year with the San Fransisco 49'ers as Assistant Director Public Relations?

The same Jason Jenkins that was over public relations for the Pro Bowl in Hawaii?
 
some schools refuse to do thorough searches for SIDs (we know who) while the majority won't pay one to keep them....they rather go through a recycle bin of SIDs befor opening a wallet to pay a good one who will stay.
 
C-LeB28 said:
Are you referring to the same Jason Jenkins that's going into his third year with the San Fransisco 49'ers as Assistant Director Public Relations?

The same Jason Jenkins that was over public relations for the Pro Bowl in Hawaii?
Click to expand...


Dang, I miss Jason :cry:
 
one thing black media folks will start to hate is that SIDs will cut down on "free" media passes....too many times at a big game I see 4,000 photographers but no pictures to show..you may see more articles like this

don't let it be a game with some real food....man, you see brothas in the press box who never show up to other functions.
 
I agree our SIDs need to get better but I don't expect them to send press credentials to every fly by night newspaper operation.
Most people outside of Houston have never heard of Forward TImes.

As I see it, we already have too many people on the sidelines who did not pay to get in. Then the next day, we have the SAME news coverage from the same one of two newpapers.
 
at least in Houston, I know who is legit as far as the print side....the Forward Times used to be one of the best black newspapers in the country a few decades ago...now they are a weekly and that column is their sports section.

when you start to deny them, they get mad at you....all I want is results....I remember one year, this photographer requested 6 passes under the name of this department on campus. I said soemone from there already asked for passes, he damn near sunk in his seat...

PV hosts the Labor Classic, SU and Cotton Bowl this year...watch how many friends we make by August.
 
Those of us who work in the pressbox are always amazed at the number of "media" who want passes to the big games.

Everybody looks for the "hook up".

We've done media relations for several events and we always get multiple requests from "media" folk who just can't seem to cover an event with one or two passes.

Non-working spouses and children often show up, especialy if there is any kind of pregame food. So when we deny the request in subsequent years, we are criticized.

Unfortunately the legit media folk get caught up in the mess and may get excluded from consideration because of the actions of some of their colleagues.

Over time you can distinguish the legit from the wannabes but it really gets frustrating when you have a pressbox full of people and only see one or two items relating to the event published in subsequent weeks.

I seriously doubt if media credentials were issued for the SWAC Spring Meetings because the assumption has always been that those meetings were not of interest to the media.

Those days have changed, especially with the conference under so much scrutiny.

=OW=
 
in 2002 at the Labor Day Classic, they started serving food at 6:15....at 6:30, it vanished. I only saw 1 story about the game....

you are right about the families trying to get in under media credentials...it makes your pressbox a circus and you don't know who really there to cover anything when you pass out media books.

but a lot of these games are at the hands of the promoter. The promoter has access to a certain amount of passes and they dish them out like handouts also. When we go to Dallas, I see folks who've never covered anything in their life. that's why the hamburgers always run out fast.
 
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