Here we go again, time for another interview. This time we have Ian Rapoport from the Birmingham News. Ian covers the University of Alabama and has the pleasure of covering Nick Saban on a daily basis. As a side note, the national media tends to blow that out of proportion a little bit. His confrontation with Saban this spring was really much ado about nothing, but it got a lot of play on ESPN and other national sites.

In the interview, Rapoport discusses covering Saban, the expectations of the basketball team and the crazy fans out there. Hope you enjoy..


#1 Give the readers a little bit of background about yourself. How did you get started in the industry? How did you end up covering UA for the B'ham News? etc.

I'm originally from Westchester County, N.Y., and grew up in a little town called Chappaqua. Now, you know it as the adopted home of President Bill Clinton and his lovely wife, Hillary. I went to Columbia University, where I wrote for the school's daily newspaper and interned at ESPN after my junior year. By that point, I knew I wanted to be a reporter and tell stories and reach people. I worked for a paper in New York for two years, then had an opportunity to move to the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger covering Mississippi State, while living in Starkville. I knew nothing about the SEC and the South, but wanted to cover sports at the highest level. I had a great time, learned a lot, and met my fiancée in 'Vegas. Two years later, the Birmingham News called. Here I am.


#2 Some people would argue that you have one of the toughest jobs in all of college sports. You have to cover Nick Saban, who appears to not have the greatest appreciation for the media. Is he really that tough to deal with, or is that more of a reputation than fact? Have you dealt with others in your career that have made it more difficult?

I'm not sure Saban is "tough to deal with" because in a way, he's easier to deal with than a lot of coaches. He's smart, he gives tutorials when he's talking about football, and he doesn't mind tackling hard issues. Sometimes he gets loud and sometimes he yells. But as long as you train yourself not to take it personally, it never hurts. He's not yelling at me as a person, but me in my role as a reporter. He and I are never going to agree completely, because I want everything to be public knowledge, and he only wants what he wants to be public knowledge. That's a constant battle with every coach and reporter. But there is a mutual respect, I believe. That said, I'm not sure I've dealt with anything more difficult, as far as access. But it just makes you work harder, which is fine with me.


#3 While we're talking about Saban, currently it appears he has a "get out of jail free" pass from the Alabama fans. If Saban has another year similar to last year, will he start to get criticism from the fans? If not, how long do you think he will have before he looses his "star" status?

I think he did get a free pass last year, and he might get one this year. He realized pretty early on that the team had some serious talent and discipline-related issues. And he spent a lot of time educating fans about those issues. They know the team has a long way to go. The thing is, he's such a commanding presence, he might never lose the awe from the fans. They just might be frustrated with the results. That said, he's won everywhere he's been, so it would be a stretch to say he won't improve the program significantly here.


#4 As far as football goes, give us some major story lines to watch this year for Alabama. And for the SEC.

Um…. The role of the star-studded freshmen recruiting class is one huge one. Who will play, how much, and how many will start by the end of the year? JPW's strive for consistency. How will a depth-starved defense compete? And in the SEC, for some reason, I'm always watching Steve Spurrier and South Carolina to see if they can get over the hump. And since I used to cover Mississippi State, I'm always interested in how coach Sylvester Croom's team is doing. I'll be watching Bobby Petrino at Arkansas.


#5 On this site, I've been a big "conspiracy theorist" regarding the BCS. To boil it down, I believe that the real reason we don't have a true playoff is because the Presidents would have to give up "control" of the flow of money to the NCAA. They "distract" talk radio and fans with talk of academics, the bowl system, and other mindless arguments. What are your thoughts on this? If you agree, why isn't this talked about in the media? Why doesn't anyone challenge the presidents on this?

Hahahahaha. I like it. But no, it's not that they want to give up control of the money. They just want every conference to be guaranteed a whole bunch of it. A playoff leaves too much up in the air for them. And it's too bad, too.


#6 On to basketball (our favorite and most talked about sport). I realize Saban has a reputation for being tough to deal with. What have your interactions with Gottfried been like? Have you had any confrontations with him similar to the Saban incident?

Gottfried is definitely on the opposite end of the spectrum from Saban as far as access. He'll always return a call and is gracious after a win or a loss. But he is like Saban in that he tackles hard issues in the game and can do a great job of explaining an Xs-and-Os question. Ya know what's interesting? I ask him the same questions in the same way I ask Saban, and he never gets angry. But I don't mind either way, because both make for good stories.


#7 Do you think that Gottfried will be on the "hot seat" this year? While there is a lot of talk from fans and talk radio, you see little coming out of the athletic department about his status. As someone who covers the team on a daily basis, what are your thoughts?

I think probably he'll be on the hot seat, and he knows that. Simply, the team hasn't won. You can only go so long without making an NCAA tournament before some start to wonder. On the other hand, it's easy to forget that he led UA to five NCAAs in a row. Seems like a long time ago now… Yes, I wish the department would have commented on his status. I think if the team doesn't make the tournament this year, there might be some tense moments at the end of the season. Some very tense moments. But if Steele returns, Hendrix or not, the team should be much better.


#8 Some would look at the fact that 3 guys are looking at the pros and a couple of players have left as a sign that something is wrong. Others would say, "This is the new era of college basketball". What are your thoughts in regards to Alabama basketball?

I also wonder why fans are so upset when guys transfer. I mean, if a guy like Richard Hendrix left as a freshman, that would have been bad. But Justin Tubbs? Not a big deal. There simply isn't room for all the players and all the signees. When Rico Pickett left, that was more curious. But he struggled a lot this year and now will play for Miami Dade CC. How big a loss is that really? To be honest, I'm not sure the three players testing the waters had one thing to do with the coach. It has to do with the process being much easier now, so seniors-to-be think they aren't anything if they don't turn pro. So everyone does. And why not? There is no penalty. Definitely a new way to do things.


#9 It seems pretty clear what the athletic department's expectations are of the football program. However, it's not very clear as to the expectations of the basketball program. Do you think it's just to make it to the NCAA tournament? Is it more? Less?

This is definitely the best question so far. Because I study Alabama sports as much as anyone, and I have no idea. To me, this is one of the biggest unknowns of UA. How good should the basketball program be? Or baseball? The problem is, hoops (being a non-basketball environment) and baseball (without a lottery) don't have the natural advantages that UA football does (with recruiting, tradition, facilities, etc.). So is it fair to expect the same success? Or is merely getting to the NCAAs good enough? I have no idea.

#10 How often does the "Bama Nation" blast you when you write something that is perceived to be negative towards the program? What's the craziest argument you've received from a fan?

Yeah man. I get ripped a lot. Via email, talk radio, letters to the editor, whatever. I mean, I don't love getting insulted all the time, especially when it gets real personal (attacking where I'm from, etc.). But I absolutely love the extreme interest in what I write and the teams I cover. Sure, sometimes it hurts a little. But I'm pretty confident I do a good job. I put in a lot of work. I'm just happy fans care just as much, if not more, than I do. I love that. Um… the craziest argument I ever got. … Probably when I worked at the Clarion-Ledger from Mississippi State fans who were convinced Ole Miss supporters owned the paper, thus directing me to write negative stuff. Nope.
#11 Are there times that you know a coach/player is going to react negatively to a question you ask? Does that factor into how/when you ask the question?

Yeah, I've gotten some negative responses. Plenty of times. But some of it is dictated by my job. If something is news, I have to ask it, even if it's going to get Saban or anyone angry. Like, when a player leaves the team, I have to ask why and what Saban knows. Does he want to talk about it? No. But I gotta ask. He can choose to answer. So, what I try to do is be as absolutely up-front as possible. I set up the questions I ask by putting them into context. Like, "Rashad, I have to ask about the arrest on the strip. What happened that night?" Or "Nick, I have some questions regarding how many scholarships you have open vs. how many players you signed." Or, "I'm writing an article on how scout team players are used…" So everyone knows where I'm coming from.

#12 I also have written on this site that many players/coaches are boring interviews because they can't say what they really want to say. The only real exception is Charles Barkley who gets away with saying anything. How do you get the true story out of players/coaches?

I'm not sure anyone gets the true story. Because some things, players just can't say or won't say. And everything is reflected through the prism of athletes or coaches, so nothing is 100 percent raw fact. They are seen how they want to be seen. Still, a good portion of the Alabama players and coaches say what they mean. The ones who don't, you don't hear quoted because it doesn't make for good copy.

#13 Can you give us your favorite story you've covered? And why.

Covering Alabama, my favorite story was definitely a several thousand-word article on Christmas Day on Joe Kines before he coached in the Independence Bowl (when he thought he was retiring). I basically just asked him what he'll remember from his career, and he literally just told stories for 20 minutes. The first time he saw Derrick Thomas play, his recollections of Cornelius Bennett, and all sorts of things. I felt like I was sitting with my grandfather hearing war stories. The article wrote itself. It was tremendous.

#14 Also player or coach?

I really like and respect guys who say what they mean regardless of the situation. And I seriously appreciate athletes who will speak to the media after a tough loss or difficult situation. Rashad Johnson, Darren Mustin, Alex Avila, and Ronald Steele all fit those categories. There are plenty of others. Just shoot me straight, ya know?

#15 You cover a lot of stories on your blog. Where do you see that heading? Will there come a time when you only write for your blog and people won't even get the newspaper articles?

Good question. I like that blogs are a place to post breaking news quickly. But mostly, I love the conversation you can have with readers. I do it like I'm talking, and it's a great forum to explain stuff. I hope it stays where it is, as I described. I think blogs are great, but I don't think newspapers are ever going away. Blogs should be quick, short and light-hearted. Real articles are better suited for the paper.

#16 If you ever need someone to cover that January road game in the SEC (when you are worn out from football and basketball still seems like it will last forever) will you give me a call?

Um, no. Nice try, though. Those trips are tremendous… One of my favorite things about the job. Well, maybe if you bribe me with pez.

Quick, somebody get me a case of pez. I'm going to Knoxville to cover the Tide and to interview Bruce Pearl.....