First Joe transcribed the relevant part everyone is talking about.
I transcribed the section of the press conference when Fuente was asked about the transfer portal. With context, it seems like a policy for these last transfers and he noted "We'll take all of 'em on a case-by-case basis, but we're moving forward." #Hokies pic.twitter.com/EaRnouDP9r— THE KEY PLAY (@thekeyplay) February 5, 2020
Second go do your own research on the entire thing.
Today's Takeaways ♨️Coach Fuente covered all the hot topics today on #NSD20 👉 https://t.co/8FZPibBdmr #Hokies 🦃 pic.twitter.com/IIjgftSiJM— Virginia Tech Football (@HokiesFB) February 5, 2020
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Comments
Bracing for a lot of "yeah, but still"
I'm glad this is going to make the ESPN headlines and not the "wrong" quote
That's not his fault.
yeah nothing is his fault
He said words reporters took those words made shitty headlines that didn't match the words and that is his fault? In what world?
One might argue that by being (in)famously tight lipped and closed off to the media invites more scrutiny. The media, who dictate how the public opinion is shaped, if made to work too hard may be inclined to paint a less than savory image. It is unwise to play hardball with the reporters IMO. A coach who has an open, amicable relationship with the media and doesn't act like he is protecting classified documents for the Queen and is well liked by the media will more often than not get a favorable depiction from said media.
Then, there's Fuente, who seems to openly despise his media obligations and goes out of his way to make their jobs difficult. So it's not surprising that they twist his words in a less than kind manner.
Like when those same reporters made shitty headlines after a presser with Foster and Beamer about player fines right? Because those two guys hated the beat writers too.
All coaches despise their media obligations and today is a perfect reason why. But, yes, he brings some of this on himself. I have no doubt that if he was less rigid with the media, we would have gotten another follow up question to clarify process going forward.
This is kind of my point. I was sort of playing devil's advocate for the sake of discussion. I'm not taking the side of the media necessarily. But I do believe many folks have demonized the media generally. Journalists are part of a tool. A sharp weapon, rather. One which, if yielded carelessly, can self inflict.
I realize many coaches have taken the stance that the media is out to hound them and they make the media their enemy. The media is only the enemy if you make them so.
I simply submit that if a coach were to treat the media not as an adversary but rather an ally the results would be much more positive.
Coaches should learn to yield the media to their advantage rather than fear it and take hits in the fray. That's what I think.
yep nothing is ever his fault, he's fantastic in every way
You posted a GIF of Trump... You broke community guidelines... Off with you and your political posts...
/S
ESPN "Journalism"
Everytime I see an ESPN article that is clickbait or similar I rewatch that video.
This was crazy. JUST DON'T SAY IT.
Absolutely no upside to this statement. Why be a hard liner? You're either perceived as a jerk or if you accept someone back you look like you don't stand by your policy.
To me, this is like being an employer. Create an environment people want to be in and they won't leave. Don't threaten to fire if people they're unhappy.
Don't say what, exactly? They asked him if players were coming back, he said no. Should he lie and say they'll be welcome back? Should he duck the question and just say it's to be determined? Or should he tell the honest answer, that these players will not be coming back, but going forward it will be handled on a case-by-case basis? Cause that's what he did.
See the problem is, that is not what he said. The way you phrased it (that the "case by case" comment is directed at future players) is far more clear than his actual comments. I actually interpreted his comment as meaning they already evaluated all the current players in the portal on a case by case basis (and will continue doing so, if more enter) but none of the ones currently in the portal will be coming back .The fact of the matter is his language was imprecise and left room for interpretation/misinterpretation.
This man just desperately needs to win. Win 10+ games and at least one post season game and then shit like this won't move the needle. Winning really will cure all in this case. Fuente will be the villain until he wins.
I mean why wouldn't the guy open up and be more transparent when he gets awesome quotes like this taken out of context? He said they aren't good enough to hold a spot for....which is brutal honesty.
I'm not understanding what the big deal is here. He lets these guys stay on a scholarship through the spring semester after they make their intentions known. People need some perspective here, I get that Fuente doesn't do everything perfect but this is a whole bunch of nothing.
I've said enough on this so this is the last I'll say:
This is a bad look regardless of whether or not the statement was taken out of context because in the same interview, he acknowledged talking to Baylor. It's seen as hypothetical and out of touch. He can flirt with other programs, but the players cannot. Doesn't matter if it's players we've deemed as players that aren't useful to us any longer.
Edit: two downvotes as of now. Guess folks don't like the hypocrisy being pointed out. We can't look at stuff outside of a vacuum.
This article is horrible journalism (not attacking you, or the media in general - but this is just so bad). Does he quote Fuente? Nope. In fact, the only quote he has was from the interview when McClease and HH returned.
How can you say: Justin Fuente says hot take X - and not provide the quote where he said it? I'd love to hear about this "rule" he came up with.
The world is full of hypocrisy. It is hypocritical for us the fans hating Fuente for not being loyal and also hating Fuente for moving on from players not showing loyalty. In this case, fans hating Fuente for his interview should agree with the hot take (as inaccurate as it may be)
Is that the case? Let's take a look at the transfers from Virginia Tech:
As you can see from the transfer portal list from Virginia Tech, some of these players did not see the field, and sought playing time elsewhere. So I don't fault them for exploring their options to find their ways on the field. The impact players loss will be felt along the defensive line, that cannot be dismissed lightly, and I strongly suspect this is related to the dismissal of Wiles.
Is this because they don't have loyalty to VT? They want to play, so if they want to transfer out, let them. If the coach wants to explore options, including listening to Baylor's pitch, that's his right, just as the players have the right to listen.
So, the issue is simply this - some of the fans are angry because reporters took a quote made by Fuente and interpreted it as if Fuente is a cold, uncaring bastard instead of actually reading the transcript where Fuente said the staff made the decision to move on, and that if they wanted to come back, he would evaluate it on a case-by-case basis.
We are going to have to accept that this is the new norm where players and coaches are going to explore options during the off-season, and some will outright refuse to accept it as a new norm and making Fuente into a scapegoat.
Harris started a game at center. I really liked him, but when Hudson moved inside, Hudson was better. Ladler wasn't going to pass Conner on the depth chart. Porcher stuck a fork in his own season well before Wiles was let go.
I'll defer to your expertise in playing time. I simply don't remember seeing Harris at all.
I still think Wiles being dismissed impacted the defensive line players more than anything. Ladler is the biggest head-scratcher to me.
Started vs Furman
I downvoted because what you said doesn't make sense and its an unfair assessment of a coach that was just dragged through the mud for no reason. You are saying our head coach can't run the football team how he wants because he spoke with Baylor?
You got it! For what it's worth, I'd feel this way about any coach, because a lot more than Justin Fuente subscribe to this belief that they can up and quit any job they want at any time. But god forbid a player look at other options. This extends to the NCAA's allowances regarding transfers as well.
But that's not what he meant 😐
A tweet and people lose their minds.
We Hokies have a reputation for losing our minds. Especially on national TV.
Reading Joe's Twitter thread and the message board got me rolling in laughter.
Ah yes, the term "moving forward." A staple of corporate lexicon that means nothing.
That's not true, it means that we will all agree to overlook MY past issues, but I am free to bring up past issues about everyone else when it best suits me to do so.
Reporter: "Coach, with any of the kids that we know of that have entered the transfer portal, or did, have any of the decided to return?"
Fuente: We talked about it as a staff. We talked about it as a team. They won't be coming back.
TSL:
Fuente should've just dropped the Bryce Harper on them.
TSL is the only site overreacting?
There are other sites to follow Hokie sports???!!!
/s
(sorta)
The TSL Olympic sports thread is the chillest thread I've ever seen
At best, it is a ham-handed comment and approach. People, based on their already preconceived notions, will interpret in a way to reinforce their opinion. Given the last year, I see it as a continuation of a trend where, even if you think it wasn't bad, it certainly isn't helping turn things around.
Win, and all is forgiven. But, it feels very uneasy.
Honest question to you, French. Of the folks in the portal, who would you want to come back?
Follow up. If the staff talked about it, and there wasn't anybody they couldn't live without, why are they wrong?
Without knowing anything beyond what I saw on tape, I would like Grimsley, Pinckney, and Harris. I don't think the decisions were wrong. I think the way he talked about it, and following up by not talking about Baylor was awkward and looked defensive. Right now, VT football needs a spark to build enthusiasm to try and turn around the stagnation around the programs perception, fundraising, and ticket sales. This performance today, even though the coverage was taken somewhat out of context, doesn't do any of those things. It makes me feel pensive and unenthusiastic about the chances that things getting better. And, I hate feeling like that. I want them to be good. I want Fuente to turn things around. I want every player to have the best possible chance at success.
And, someone in that braintrust has to know that beat reporters, whose jobs have constantly been made more difficult during this regime, whose access has been denied or restricted while national folks get scoops, and who knows that fans are angry and traffic comes from someone painting the picture they see instead of cherry coating it, are going to turn up the scrutiny. I can't say I blame them. It is a hard job.
This is precisely what concerns me about recent events. Making the media an enemy is a recipe for bad press. Program excitement relies so heavily on coverage, especially when wins haven't been plentiful, so it's head scratching that VT continues to make it difficult for the media to do their job. It's no wonder VT is treated poorly as a result. I don't blame the media for this. VT sowed these seeds a while ago. I'm frustrated with the way this program is being run. My excitement for each football season wanes by the year. If we're not winning or getting good press how can anyone really expect donating or recruiting to improve?
When people express their frustrations with Fuente its not just about the wins and losses or how they happened. That's only a part of it. This style of management doesn't sit well with us. It's bigger than just the Xs and Os. It's much larger yet subtle tactical errors which take the program further and further from success that have me concerned. Generating excitement and engaging fans and recruits are tremendously important. VT doesn't appear to be doing any of these particularly well. Furthermore, we're not winning the games we expect to in the manner we expect to.
Some people may argue that the ship isn't yet sinking. Perhaps that's true. But in the very best of cases it is way, way off course. Something has to change. The most obvious would be to win. Fuente will likely get two or three more years to try. We shall see. He's certainly not making his own job any easier. I hope he climbs the mountain. Quickly.
Yep. Fair, or unfair. This is the ecosystem where a high profile coach has to successfully navigate things. And more and more interactions are swinging over close to the rocks and scratching the hell out of the hull of the boat.
Thanks for the response.
Grimsley is a hard one for me, having to deal with the family issues.
No problem
I think this is the point...it was just a comment that didn't need to be made. Leave it alone.
Like it or not, there is a perception that Fuente's Program does not have a positive culture.
You have to take yourself out of your VT Shoes and look at it from an Outsiders perspective:
When you make a statement like Fuente did, the story almost writes itself. Fair or not, Fuente has been at the helm and it is ultimately his responsibility to create and mold the perception and narrative of the Program. He is far and away not the first to have a quote taken out of context, but if none of the above points were in-play, this would be a non-story. I agree with French, Fuente's way out of this is to Win and Win big in 2020; he unfortunately, has not proven himself to be very adept at all at dealing with media.
You can be standoffish with media when you are Bellichek. You can't be when you are a .500 coach in the Coastal.
And, even if the media isn't an issue, if he wants more resources, part of his job is engaging and exciting the fan base (ie- potential and renewing customers.) That is part of the gig, especially at a school that doesn't generate huge fundraising based purely on history and brand. I don't think the staunchest Fuente defender (and I feel like I have been one most of the time) can say that is happening right now.
That's been my complaint of the overview of how he is running the program. You want me to donate more (and more), but you give me less and less. It's the law of diminishing returns.
Let us (donors, fans, media...at different levels) behind the curtain, create a feeling of openness. I pay a lot of money at zoos and theme parks (well a lot money in those terms) to get behind the scenes/exclusive content events.
I think Fuente likely came into this job a little naive about the role that he would have to play as CEO of the program and engaging the fan base. I'm sure Whit thought he had potential to be good at it and Fu was confident he could. But once the honeymoon wore off and he started facing adversity, he like a lot of people revert to their instincts. He is an introvert at heart and nothing is changing that. I feel like the stronger the criticism came out the more he walled himself and the program off. If it works, he's praised and we can all live with the standoffishness. But so far it hasn't, and when you start to lose fan and media support when you aren't delivering, things start circling the drain. I unfortunately feel we are getting to that point, barring a massive resurgence this year.
I'm an introvert as well, but at some point, you have to nut up and understand that your role as a coach is to generate excitement in the fanbase...engage the fans, not just because you have to, but because you want to...
Exactly.
Fuente needs to understand that he needs to pitch and promote a brand not just to recruits, but to fans and alumni as well.
He may be the best motivator, x's and o's, game planner, etc......but he's lacking on the personality end of it and would really stand to benefit to having some sort of PR consultant on staff to help make him more likable to the broader fan base and media.
Unnecessary comment by Fuente is unnecessary. I knew the additional context early on, but the damage was already done. There was no point in making a hard ass statement like that in any context, especially a few weeks removed from testing the waters of another job, which is basically what the transfer portal is for players.
I don't think Fuente's comment was that awful. Perhaps a tad ill advised. I think the media's coverage of it was shoddy. The bigger problem to me is that Fuente has a bad relationship with the media and the result is unfavorable treatment.
I'm confused do people want him to be honest or not? I don't see any issue with that stance if you want your scholarship and spot don't enter the portal simple as that. This might be the only way we see the transfer portal lessen it's grip on recruiting if more coaches play more hard ball to try and limit the number of kids entering the portal just because they can.
So much negative energy around the program lately and it's all the head coach's fault. No wonder he can't recruit. He just exudes negativity.
It feels like we're just circling the drain with Fuente at this point. Maybe he's going to take a big step forward next year, but it feels more likely that we're in for yet another disappointing season.
I don't want to be so negative. But rooting for Justin Fuente is starting to become a chore for me.
Some of the negativity in this forum is a chore, but I get over it, and keep the faith in the program over the long term.
In other words, I try to overlook the constant negativity here, because for me it's a process. Fuente has another year or two to get the results we want. He either does that, or he doesn't. But in the mean time, I'm not going to shuffle my feet and look at the ground waiting for the sky to fall. In the interim, I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.
And the media certainly does jump on phrases that might grab the public's attention in the off-season. Which is why most coaches do bland BS coach speak 95% of the time.
It's a process for everyone. The way and means to go about the process and intermittent results should be evaluated.
It only takes about 15 mins of the 3 hours of the Irishman to realize that the movie isn't good.
Is there an actual recording of the conversation?
Because I've seen Fuente talk. He often speaks in incomplete phrases, and when being asked multiple questions, the answers don't always match up to the order the questions were asked.
Some of the conclusions being reached by reporters look like basic "I want a big headline, so I'm going to interpret what he said however I want, instead of asking for a clarification."
He gave Hooker as an example. Hooker was in the portal and came back. How does that support the conclusions being drawn?
Or was he being honest, and the folks in the portal are saying they're not coming back?
From what I'm reading, none of it looks like plain, complete, and proper English being spoken. How hard is it to use complete sentences?
Edit:
"We'll take in on a case by case basis" seems reasonably clear to me. At least clear enough not to go into hysterics over it and call Fuente a hypocrite for having talked to Baylor. That borders on media malpractice.
of course there is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eksSW9bOL_I
Beat me by 3 seconds. Gotta work on my 40 time lol
Man that was rough. That video does not do him any favors.
he has a ton of room for improvement as a public speaker
the AD really needs a communications director who can get through to him on the importance of these press conferences and help prep him for the questions that are 99% likely to be asked
He does need to improve and it is something that is incredibly hard to work on if it doesn't come natural. First hand, being interviewed by the media is a whole different type of pressure versus prepared public speaking. Yesterday, I honestly think he had worked himself up to finally address the media regarding Baylor and completely missed on this question. In his defense though, he opened up nicely when talking about the new coaches, the recruiting, and direction of the program.
Missing in all this, how many of our transfers have yet to sign or commit to another school yet?
Nailed it.
Agreed. He answered with a mix of an aloof / condescending tone when he he was asked some of the tougher questions. That part was a bad look. I think his response was taken out of context but he could've been more clear and less arrogant.
Regarding the Baylor questions, all he had to say was something like "I'm happy here at VT but I wanted to listen to what Baylor had to say. I don't think it's fair to Baylor, their new coaching staff or myself to publicly discuss private talks".
Regarding the transfer question just say "We'll evaluate it on a case by case basis" and leave it at that.
I think that he feels like this is His team now...all of the former Beamer coaches are gone...he used the word "rejuvenated" when discussing how he feels...For the most part, i think he feels like he has more say in what happens now...hope the results prove it on the field..
Holy hell that was brutal to watch. Jesus did someone pee in his cornflakes or was he up on the wrong side of the bed or something?
Here's the press conference
Thanks to the folks who provided links to the press conference.
That's what generated the negative headlines? Wow. I didn't think it was all that bad.
I guess no honesty goes unpunished in the media. Seems like "case by case basis" would have it covered. It is, and should be, a serious decision to enter the portal. You're saying you don't want to be here any more.
Sure glad we didn't let that Hooker guy back into the program.
There is a link above. Go listen and watch the presser. He says they determined on a case by case basis that none of the transfer portal entries would be coming back to VT THIS SEASON. Stop reading that ESPN and NBC Sports MA garbage.
ESPN is talking about it on GetUp but not once have they said or shown the exact quote.
You can 100% thank all of these "fans" that blew this up on Twitter
Post Super Bowl is the slowest sports news periods in the year....anything to talk about in the sports world will get blown out of proportion if need be.
I don't think Fuente will take this approach and don't particularly agree with it because I strongly value a free press and think it's damaging to legitimate, quality journalists... but I can't say I'd blame Fuente if he blew this situation up, accused certain media outlets of perpetuating "fake news," and tried to use it to galvanize the players, staff, and the "undecided" portion of the fanbase.
Personally I have lost a ton of respect for Mike Barber over this and believe his tweets were intentionally misleading and unethical. His assertion that Fuente was asked follow up questions and made it clear that "players can't return from portal" as a team policy moving forward was proven to be a complete and utter fabrication once video of the press conference was available.
Yeah. I'm sorry. That Mike Barber tweet was a direct manipulation of the context of what was said. ESPN had a ticker with the words "Fuente creates new policy "if you enter the portal you can't come back" which is a complete fabrication and the only source that mentioned "policy" was Barbers....
No opinion on this but it seems that Justin Fuente is the most polarizing coach we've had since Bryan Stinespring...yikes
I'd still rank Greenberg's antics above Fuente at this point.
The biggest difference from my POV - Greenberg at least had the majority of the fanbase on his side. He wasn't nearly as polarizing to as Fuente is right now in that regard.
I feel most of Greenberg's "antics" were more behind the scenes rubbing people the wrong way in the athletic department (and a lot of what we know about that drama is after it happened). His selection Sunday whining aside, I can't recall too many instances where people were taking sides in the moment.
Maybe I wasn't following things as closely then (I was still in school during the Greenberg years), but I think it's way different than Fuente's situation now.
I'm with you on this. Not really any kind of parallels with Greenberg, except in a yin-yang polar opposite way.
Fuente is excellent person to be around day to day. He just sucks at press conferences. Greenberg was 100% the opposite. Great in front of a camera and then a very abrasive personality day-to-day
Funny thing is Greenberg the person, not the basketball coach, was nice.
Greenberg the basketball coach appeared to have displaced aggression issues and you never knew if he would be taking out problems on the wrong people.
JWB...Just Win Baby!!
FWIW local sports radio here in Raleigh have been talking about Fuente's comments all day. Not necessarily in a negative way, but they're talking about it nonetheless.
Is this where we insert "they're no such thing as bad press"?
/s
So, while the misconstrued statement from Fuente led to a lot of media folks having their bad takes, at least (to my knowledge), we didn't have anyone thinking that they would be receiving a LOI yesterday, only to not have one show up!
That's one of the best, most well written, I got screwed by the process, but I'll bounce back notes I've ever seen. Props to that croot.
The numbers don't always work out.
Which is why early decision is the way to go.
The Athletic put out a ranking earlier today on the most disappointing recruiting classes of 2020.
Let's just say you didn't have to scroll far to see a scathing review of VT.
Well, it's on Yahoo now: https://www.yahoo.com/sports/virginia-tech-no-longer-allow-224352725.html
...right on the home page... maybe it was those damn cookies or computer gnomes that knew I would click on it, but it was there.