Digger Phelps gave Virginia Tech a pep talk before the game last Saturday

[wgl1228]

I just heard this on the David Glenn show and I'm sorry if it has been pointed out here. What are your thoughts on this? If your a broadcaster I think that should be off limits.

[camion]

I think Digger should be able to do anything he wants. I like having reasons to abhor him.

[PADukeMom]

We didn't lose the game because of a pep talk. I really don't know if there is a broadcasters honor code nor do I really care. We lost, it is over with. Time to move on.

[dukelifer]

I just heard this on the David Glenn show and I'm sorry if it has been pointed out here. What are your thoughts on this? If your a broadcaster I think that should be off limits.

Poor Digger- Duke took away his only chance at a National Championship- the guy has not gotten over it.

[Duvall]

I just heard this on the David Glenn show and I'm sorry if it has been pointed out here. What are your thoughts on this? If your a broadcaster I think that should be off limits.

I think it was pretty unfair of ESPN to try to hamstring Virginia Tech like that.

[hq2]

Digger is an inveterate Duke hater. Not surprising at all. Still, I am surprised the network would let him do that.

[OZ]

If Digger won it for them Saturday, I guess that explains the BC game - they returned to their regular coach.

[wgl1228]

We didn't lose the game because of a pep talk. I really don't know if there is a broadcasters honor code nor do I really care. We lost, it is over with. Time to move on.

Obviously I know this did not cost us the game I was only providing information for discussion. Let's not be snappy.

[Chicago 1995]

Digger still can't get over '78, I guess. Heh.

I definitely file this in the "who cares" box. It didn't matter one bit to the outcome of the game. Digger didn't make our offense stagnate against the 2-3. Digger didn't make Jeff Allen shoot well from distance.

His commentary about Duke showed no bias. He didn't root openly for Va Tech in the pre-game. What's it matter?


Doesn't it make you feel good to know that 33 years later, we still have Digger beat?

[Matches]

Is there a difference between Digger openly or clandestinely rooting for one team or the other, and Bob Harris rooting openly for Duke?

I don't really see one. No law says ESPN or its employees have to be neutral.

[Andy7207]

Didn't Bob Knight give our guys a pep talk recently?

[Vincetaylor]

Big difference between digger's role and guys like Bob Harris and Woody Durham. That should be obvious. Jay Bilas, Jay Williams, Hubert Davis, Scott van Pelt etc. all do a pretty good job of staying neutral when they are on ESPN. Digger can do whatever he wants to off the air, but his job while he is on the air is to be impartial, which he is not IMO. Harris and Durham are expected to be biased.

[WVDUKEFAN]

If I had to pay for pep talks, I'd give my money to Coach K every time. Is there a better motivator in all of basketball? All of sports? I doubt it. I think we lost the VT game mainly because we had a cold shooting night.

[Matches]

Digger can do whatever he wants to off the air, but his job while he is on the air is to be impartial.

Why? I'm serious. It's not like he has some fiduciary duty to maintain neutrality. IMO objectivity is overrated - it's nice in theory but no one is 100% objective, and I'd rather see people be entertaining on television than studiously neutral.

If Digger hates Duke or loves VT, so be it. Bob Knight pretty clearly loves us to death. It's all good.

[91_92_01_10_15]

Didn't Bob Knight give our guys a pep talk recently?

Yes, I think it was before the same game. All those guys were together for Gameday at VPI.

[Sandman]

Back in the Dark Days (pre-Foster) - Notre Dame was rather good under Digger, and, of course, we weren't (I can never forget sitting at one such game in Columbia against the Gamecocks where Hodges was our superstar, and the chicken fans were laughing at the Duke team -- the Horror, the Horror of it all!!!). I recall reading a small newspaper article prior to a Duke visit to South Bend that quoted Digger to the effect of ..."Duke's a nice little school, but they can't compete against Notre Dame and shouldn't be playing a big-time schedule..." --- I've hated Digger(BB--wise that is)ever since. I'm so happy that history has revealed the Truth to him, even though he seems to have trouble understanding it.

[Vincetaylor]

Why? I'm serious. It's not like he has some fiduciary duty to maintain neutrality. IMO objectivity is overrated - it's nice in theory but no one is 100% objective, and I'd rather see people be entertaining on television than studiously neutral.

If Digger hates Duke or loves VT, so be it. Bob Knight pretty clearly loves us to death. It's all good.

I like news/sports coverage to be unbiased. That's why I don't watch Fox. If ESPN was Elmore and Phelps all the time, I wouldn't watch it either.

[Kfanarmy]

FWIW I think if you work for a nationally syndicated show, you should do your best to maintain a neutral stance in the performance of your commentating job. if you work for a local broadcast, support your favorite team to the hilt.

[sagegrouse]

I think it was pretty unfair of ESPN to try to hamstring Virginia Tech like that.

I agree totally. -- sagegrouse

[gus]

Jay Bilas tweeted about the speech:

"Digger Phelps gave a speech to the Virginia Tech team. Then they measured the height of the rim. Ten feet. Makes Reve Davis, 'Shooter.'"

This doesn't really bother me at all.