Talk about Friday Feedback, which doesn’t like when coaches or athletes get cute in the press conference and act like they don’t understand a question, or a tactic, when in reality they’ve heard all the questions and understand all the tactics.

That said, there are exceptions and this behavior is, in fact, encouraged.

Q. Can you talk about the match‑up with LeBron? It seemed like he was able to get to the basket basically when he wanted to until he put up that three there late in the ballgame. Talk about his ability to get to the basket.

KEVIN DURANT: Was that a question?  

Interesting question, Mr. Durant. The first part was. Had it been left at that, it’s passable. The second part, in which the reporter likely rambled on nervously? Nope!

Now, I doubt that happens if Oklahoma City’s Thunder wins the game last night and I suspect the response was born out of postgame frustration, but, man, so cool to see someone disarm “talk about” like that.

Look, there are so many places and so many ways to write now that the styles and the deliveries and the expectations vary. Truth be told, you don’t even have to be taught to be good at sportswriting these days. At least, not in the classical sense.

What drives a lot of us crazy is the way that people can’t conduct themselves in press conferences. That’s something that should be taught, or at least learned by teaching yourself. The ridiculous fan activity, prevalent incollege is one thing. The way people ask questions is another and usually draws a line between two crowds.

I don’t know who asked the question in this case. He or she could be a legend with a lot of awards for all I know, but “talk about” is a lazy way to ask a question and should be dismissed with prejudice.

Book! Check out Decision Makers Sunday morning (or the clips that’ll be online Sunday morning, though I don’t know where they’ll be). It was an issue-driven discussion about the texting ban, the next batch of state elections, mining legislation and a bit about the book and WVU football. One wonders what makes air!

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, be a family guy. 

I love you, Doug! said:

Apparently, Mike has written a new book, working off the first book’s theme:

“And after a few days we’ll pick a winner of the best caption on this picture, with the winner will receive a free copy of the new West Virginia football book “Waiting For Next Year” by Mike Casazza, on us. It’s that easy, that simple, and the book can be yours.”

http://bloguin.com/crystalballrun/2012-articles/june/caption-contest-dana-holgorsen-goes-shootin.html

Meanwhile, this edited version of the Holgo shootin’ pix is much better, courtesy the brilliant EDSBS.com:

http://goo.gl/uLJDF

The funny part about this? Check out the “Waiting For Next Year” blog. How about that?

The 25314 said:

If things don’t start to change on the recruiting trail, I’m afraid Huggs is going to have to give Happy the go ahead to bring in Ricky Roe and Butch McCray.

I haven’t put my feet in the wet cement on either side here because it sure sounds like the people around Macon have tried and tried and, realistically, there’s not much WVU can do. But he was committed and then de-committed in the past and his now acknowledged academic issues were, at the minimum, a concern when he was being recruited and then changed schools and all the way up until his signing. And didn’t the same thing happen with David Nyarsuk? It’s not Noah Cottrill or Darrious Curry, but it’s still in that column, isn’t it?

rekterx said:

Summer school magic! We’re gonna turn 3 “D’s” into 3 “A’s”! The miracles never cease.

Yeah, think the NCAA eligibility center might circle that one? There’s virtually no way Macon makes it between now and the first game without some detour or interruption. If he gets here, I bet you the NCAA benches him to take a look.

JP said:

Yeah bringing up an ACT 4 points is going to be a trick. Isn’t the max score 36, or is it 39?

I don’t guess Calipari is giving away any secrets about how he would get this done… Was it Derrick Rose that had someone take his test for him?

Say he goes up four. The NCAA can call shenanigans and make him take it again.

Dave said:

Someone, at some time, will still surpass Chris Washburn’s SAT.

Or should that be unsurpass?

Hard to unsurpass it. He scored 470. Impossible to do worse than 400.

Insider said:

Bringing up 3 D’s to 3 A’s is not difficult when those D’s came in early courses like 10th grade English………. a time when Macon had no academic supervision around him…. hence Huggs’ insistence on him coming to a prep program in order to regain his offer from WVU. Think about the amount of knowledge gained in that two year span for a kid who was flunking everything. He’s a HS grad correcting former mistakes, which should not be seen as impossible.

However, what’s the hurt if he doesn’t qualify? So he preps for a year and comes in with 7ft Center Brandon Watkins and (possibly) 6’7 Wing Nathan Adrian in the 2013 class….. With Humphrey’s 1-year scholarship obligation, who’s to say that this isn’t the better option for next year’s team anyway? What do we need to make the strongest team we will have in years better? Another PF? or an outside threat with 3 years high level experience? Simple answer there…..

Good suff, particularly the second paragraph, but the concern would be that he’s back home now and away from the support he sought to get his grades right.

Rugger said:

Didn’t Paul W’s leaving open up a spot?

Dave, I’m good for a few bucks, post your address and I’ll send you a check.

Paul W was a walk-on, so no.

lowercase jeff said:

as a full fledged football addict, i follow the CFL very closely. preseason starts tomorrow, as a matter of fact, and ESPN3 has always broadcast every game.

noel has a shot to be far more than a role player in that league. huuuuge field. running starts. less than elite speed on defense.

avon cobourne has been putting up 1000 yard season for 6 years now. he’s very well paid and has a few grey cups under his belt.

in montrael, noel will be playing with professional football’s all time leading passer (anthony calvillo, 70k+), and will have an opportunity to be THE big play guy in the offense.

i fully expect him to be absolute smash hit.

jock sanders in saskatchawn (sp) also has a shot, but i believe the switch BACK to rb will take a little while.

On the record, with a CAPITAL R!

Dann said:

There are other things in life that outweigh athletic achievment. As much as it means to us at the time; bottom line is even the most successful athletes can be completely without a clue about life and living.
Noel has walked through the fire and remained intact, to date he has landed on his feet despite incalculable odds that he fail miserably, or worse. I cannot help but be totally impressed – keep it up young man, you’ll get there…

DW

Actually … as far ase sentiment goes, that’s about the most accurate and succinct thing I believe I’ve seen on Noel. I mean this as nicely and respectfully as possible: It’s remarkable that he is where he is and that he’s done, and is doing, what he’s done, and is doing. I’ve never hid from the way I admire Noel’s maturation at WVU.

oklahoma mountaineer said:

Noel Devine is a complicated person…..with an incredible past that he has worked hard to overcome. I think he needs a lot of guidance and support — which he got at WVU as BMOC; however, I don’t think he gets anything close to that in the NFL and maybe not at all as a professional.

That type of support is reserved for the difference makers — his height and weight do not allow him to be that type of player at the professional level. He’s a role player….and there are a lot of lower maintenance options available.

I want to be wrong and regardless of professional sports future, I hope he makes a big splash in whatever he does.

I got crushed for saying something very much like this before, but back before the draft that year, this was the message a few of us were getting from NFL people about Noel. He’d be without the exceptional support system he enjoyed at WVU and some expressed concern as to how he’d handle it. The implication upon his exit from Eagles camp was that he could not handle it. That said, it’s terribly unfair that tragedy intervened once again, and I think any of us would reach our limit at some point. For that — and for the fact I really do think he’s a good person — I hope he gets a chance to get it right.

Rugger said:

Noel hasn’t seemed right to me since the late hit in the LSU game. Good luck, little fella.