Virginia Football Coverage: Ways to Produce #Content Without Interviewing Players

Earlier this year Streaking the Lawn’s staff was compared to a North Korean state media group by a writer who’s since moved on to a much more hostile fanbase (Auburn fans probably love hearing your “truths”). If you don’t understand the analogy, we’re not sure we can explain it to you because frankly, we don’t understand it either.

Anyway, we decided if we’re already the ire of some capital “J” Journalists, why not lean into it?

On Monday, Bronco Mendenhall gave some of the Virginia Cavaliers’ football players that normally speak to the media the option of talking this week. Since it is #HATEWEEK and Mendenhall has made it a point to beat the Virginia Tech Hokies, it came as no surprise to many when those players declined to talk to the media. Mendenhall went on to hold his regular conference, questions were asked, answers were provided for 35 minutes, there was joy in the world.

Until some Journalists decided that just was not enough and took to Twitter to let everyone know how these 18-21 year olds not providing 10 word answers to their questions made their life and job difficult.

So, since we’ve been in this “game” for 10+ years now, we figured we would try and help those Medill grads out by giving some suggestions on other stories they could write without the help of some quotes!

• Write about the last 14 years. Did you know UVA HASNT WON A GAME SINCE 2003?!?! I am betting one writer wanted to ask Bryce Hall if he was aware UVa hasn’t won in the last decade.
• Bronco Mendenhall does some whacky and crazy things. Read his book. Write about those things and how they might have helped UVa this (and last) season.
• Since they won’t talk to you, comb through player tweets. They’re free and on the internet and we know you somewhat know how to use Twitter.
• Interview former coaches and players, especially if they played under Bronco, to see how the team might be preparing this week.
• UVa is 7-4 this season! GADZOOKS! How is that even possible?
• Bryce Perkins might be the best VA college QB since Vic Hall. Want to write about what he’s done this season or his backstory?
• Bryce Hall could be a first round pick this season. He was a 2* recruit out of PA. Do a little research on him.
• Did you know nearly the entire coaching staff came with Bronco from BYU and seemingly all of them are from Hawaii? How does this rivalry compare to BYU-Utah or Punahou-Kamehameha (as a haoli that lived on Oahu for a year and a half, look it up).
• Brennan Armstrong is going to win the Heisman in 2020 and has only played in 3 games this season. He wasn’t going to talk to you anyways, but I am sure you could write something about him.
• Marques Hagans not only played in this rivalry, he’s now a coach in it!
• Mike London, former cop, now William and Mary Tribe head coach, used to coach at UVa and was 0-6 against Virginia Tech. How does his preparation differ from what Mendenhall is doing?
• We’re loving this “Fasi Oki The Hokie” bit. What does it mean? For reference:

• Al Groh was the last UVa coach to beat VT. Have you talked to him? Odds are, probably not.
• VT has lost to nearly everyone this season and UVa has played some of those opponents! How do they compare?

and finally.....

• Write literally anything else. People will read it. We’ve been doing it for 10 years now and you know how many times we’ve used player quotes? Hardly ever because we’ve rarely used a press pass for access to such quotes.