NFL makes coach conference calls with opposing reporters non-mandatory

A mini-kerfuffle emerged on Tuesday, with various reporters who cover the Broncos openly complaining that the Jaguars will not be making coach Urban Meyer available for a conference call ahead of Sunday’s game between the two teams.

In past years, it was mandatory. This year the league made it optional.

Sessions have traditionally been invaluable, with plenty of insightful quotes from reporters who have no reason to walk lightly with a given trainer ready to ask pointed questions. Often times, reporters who regularly cover a team don’t want to be the ones asking the question they know won’t be appreciated – this in turn could impact access, relationships, etc.

The league, as we understand it, decided to stop making sessions mandatory because they were not useful or properly used. They are certainly helpful. We have based many PFT articles over the years on quotes given by a coach to the media covering the opposing team. Given the pragmatic limits of things that many journalists covering a given team will ask of the coach of that team, it makes sense to make them available to reporters who may be less inclined to avoid third rail topics.

Like, you know, the sudden coaching vacancy at USC.