Neubert Responds?

Our column (or "rant," as many of you took to calling it) about losing patience with being patient garnered some attention last week, including (maybe?) from Gold and Black Illustrated's own Brian Neubert. In a column in Gold & Black Express, all-around good guy Neubert said the following:

Some fans say they're tired of being told to "be patient," though I'm not sure anyone has explicitly told them to be, whether it be coaches, administrators or media, this particular member having often written things like, "It will/might/can take time," which is something entirely different than telling people how to be.

Complete column here: The Year That, Regrettably, Was -- Brian Neubert

Now, maybe this was directed at us and maybe it wasn't. But it feels a bit close to home. And all I would say is that I'm too lazy to search right now for instances where members of the coaching staffs or administration told us all to be patient and that things take time. I feel like it has happened -- particularly in football -- but I'm fully prepared to admit I'm incorrect (hey, I'm married -- it comes naturally).

But Neubert seems to take particular issue with the notion of himself being lumped in with the media I included in the path of my flamethrower. If you missed it, here's some of what I said:

How much of what we hear is stuff being pumped out by Purdue’s PR folks and lapped up by the obedient media? And if you don’t think the local media is in Morgan Burke and Tom Schott’s pocket, you’re only deluding yourself. I could point out the examples of how we’ve been tacitly blackballed, how Travis was abused by Schott, or how we’ve been blocked by Purdue football on twitter with nobody even being adult enough to answer us when we inquire why that is. Even if you only look at the local, “traditional” media, you can begin to wonder, mainly because they absolutely refuse to acknowledge us either in person or online. It’s almost as though they’ve been told not to interact with us, lest their access be squashed. Does this sound like a conspiracy theory? I’m sure it does. I don’t care. We’ve been compiling empirical data on this for years.

How hard is this to believe? If you’re a reporter in Lafayette and the only thing you’ve really ever covered is Purdue….aren’t you (sadly) at their whim? So much for impartial press. (Note, I’m not saying I blame them if this is the case – as I said, you have to make your living and if they’re telling you who you shouldn’t talk to, well, what are you gonna do?)

How come the story of Morgan Burke effectively firing Hope with three games to go that season didn’t surface until after the final game? No investigative reporting? Or a mandate to not breathe a word of it or your press pass (and access to doughnuts!) is yanked?

How come we were the only ones to write a critical column about Purdue’s embarrassing drug testing situation? How come nobody even asks questions about this sort of thing on the record? Maybe you don’t care about Purdue as a reporter, but a lot of people do and journalistic integrity (what’s left of it) sort of demands questions be asked at the very least.

Okay, I can see how that snowplow approach might be perceived as including him. But, truth be told, I was talking more about the supposed independent local media at places like the J&C. I had more specific shots at specific individuals but Boilerdowd was actually the voice of reason (I know!) and pointed out that I shouldn't go after them because, well, they pay the bills with their gig, so they might be a bit handcuffed. To that I sort of say, boo hoo, but fine -- I censored myself a bit. As a result, I may have inadvertently made it seem like I felt Brian doesn't do a fine job, which was not my intent.

So Brian, let it be said here -- you're a gentleman and a scholar. Well, a gentleman, anyhow. Okay, a man, anyway.

Look forward to getting a beer sometime.