It’s one of the oldest cliches in sports media- “we don’t read the papers.” Or “we don’t hear the noise.” It comes in many forms but the gist of it is basically, we don’t pay attention to the media coverage of us. It’s all total bs, and Purdue coach Matt Painter does not have time for that nonsense.
Which is great, because reporters don’t believe it whenever a player or coach says it anyway.
Might as well just get real about it, as Painter did, when answering a reporter’s question about roster construction/retention.
“When we win, you guys tell me I do a good job developing players,” Matt Painter said at Big Ten Media Days. “And when we lose, I should have went in the portal.
“So like I’m damned if I do, and damned if I don’t, right? I actually read your guys’ sh*t.”
Painter said this with a smirk, and in a light-hearted manner, but given how familiar he appears to be with these specific narratives, it’s clear that he’s been consuming the coverage.
Also, it feels like you no longer must type “s*it” when quoting “shit” anymore. It seems that specific four-letter-word has been de-classified as a curse word the past couple years.
Painter said it three different times within 25 minutes at Big Ten Media Day, and he did so in a normal, calm manner.
But again, it is truly news to hear that a coach say that he reads the news about him and his program. What we hear 99% of the time is just the usual mishegoss of the “I tune all that out” family of platitudes.
Painter’s school joins Illinois in the “greatest programs that have never won it all” conversation.
Illinois has been to six Final Fours, but they have never won a national title.
Only Houston (7) have been to the national semifinals more often, and never claimed the ulimate price.
They also have the third most NCAA Tournament wins and third most NCAA Tournament appearances among programs with no national titles.
Purdue is right there with the Illini when it comes to tourney appearances, and the Boilermakers are number one all-time in tourney wins but no national title.
With the Illini favored to win the Big Ten this season, Painter was naturally asked about the league’s leading contender.
“They have a real team,” Painter said. “They have a team that can win our league. They have a team that can go to a Final Four and win it all. Stojakovic is a big time scorer.”
Painter also pointed out a very impressive streak that Purdue can proudly boast of. In each of its last nine NCAA Tournament appearances, the Boilermakers have earned a top-four seed in the field.
It is the longest-active streak in the sport and the fourth-longest streak in NCAA history.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, Ratings and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.