Argus Gets Slapped...by Denver DI fans

[JackJD]

Re: Argus Gets Slapped...by Denver DI fans

Mr. Administrator...do we get to continue to take shots at the Argus?   Here's a little shot from me (but I'm not too critical).

Good to see Jackphd back.  I tend to share (but not as strongly) some of his sympathies for the press which may be due to my undergrad background in journalism.

I think Solari does a nice job.  

I'm convinced everyone feels their team doesn't get enough coverage (e.g. I was surprised by Jackphd's comments that Augie feels slighted...I think they get a lot of attention!).

I'm an infrequent reader of the Argus.  I do not subscribe to the Argus and I guess that is due to the fact that the Argus doesn't meet my reading needs.  In one of my infrequent visits to the Argus on-line edition a month or so ago, I could not help but notice how sometimes the Argus does a first-class job on a topic and then, a day or week later, have some lame story not worthy of a middle-school monthly.  Case in point: About a week or so after a nicely written, informative series on how some high school students are using open enrollment to change athletic teams, some writer in the "life" or whatever section, has an embarassing article on which Sioux Falls electronic media person is the hottest.  The board of editors had to be on vacation when the decision was made to run that piece!  I see all of the South Dakota dailies at least a few times a year and I would bet that the "hot media person" column or article would not make it in print anywhere else.  (Yes, I understand the writer was trying to be funny, cute, whatever, but it was simply dumb -- not the least bit clever.)

 

[filbert]

Re: Argus Gets Slapped...by Denver DI fans

If we don't hold the Argus' feet to the fire, who will?

I'll join in the "welcome back Jackphd/OK" chorus. I was wondering/hoping that he'd show up to give the 'minority view.'

I don't question that the Argus staff does the best they can with the resources they have. I think that they should have more resources. (Easy enough for me to say, of course.) Solari's been an occasional visitor to this board, and I hope he and other Argus staffers would continue to lurk here on occasion.

My opinions of the SF media (in general, not just the Argus) are of course somewhat skewed by the fact that I'm in Kansas City (read major media market). The Star, radio, and TV are all over the Jayhawks, Mizzou, and K-State. I'd guess that UMKC is about as happy with their coverage as Augie is in Sioux Falls. It will be interesting to see if SDSU game-day preview coverage will approach the level that the Star gives KU, Mizzou, and K-State game-day coverage (i.e. at least a half-page preview for basketball, a page (or more) for football). That's what I expect from the market's major newspaper's coverage of their local college competing at the highest level.

It would be nice to see Jackrabbit coverage in SF built up to that level. I'm just saying it's not there now, and won't improve unless readers/viewers/listeners continue to demand it.

[Jacks99]

Re: Argus Gets Slapped...by Denver DI fans

I think the Argus has done a decent job following SDSU, a sub-par job following DI and just ok overall. As much profit as they make, I'm dissapointed that they don't allocate more resources sometimes, but I also don't put much stock in the mainstream media. Unfortunately to get sports stories in SD we don't have much other options than say this website.

Remember this topic startic because someone out of state thought the Argus did a horrible job following a national DI tourney in their hometown that brought out of state fans from afar.

[jackphd]

Re: Argus Gets Slapped...by Denver DI fans

So let me get this straight. The Argus should have assigned one of their four people to cover Utah Valley State, NY Tech, etc.? Solari was busy the first day of the tournament writing a story about Valpo leaving the Mid-Con and another about SDSU in the D1 tourney. Maybe he should have skipped one of those to write about UNC or NY Tech... On the 19th, there was a story about SDSU's loss, and several stories about high school track and field. NY Tech should have aced out the local high school track, I guess. On the 20th, they wasted their local bylines on an SDSU baseball game, a Hanson High School football player killed in Iraq and local special olympians. And on the 21st, more SDSU baseball, a Mid-Con story, state high school tennis championships, and the very interesting open enrollment and sports series.

Maybe those aren't the choices that the letter writer from Denver might have made (or that some here might have) but I think they're pretty defensible choices. They can't cover everything and I'm afraid for as much as I love SDSU sports, a six-team "D1 Independent Championship" featuring pretty small crowds and schools (other than SDSU/NDSU/UNC) that aren't well-known here really doesn't clearly trump any of those other choices.

[filbert]

Re: Argus Gets Slapped...by Denver DI fans

So let me get this straight. The Argus should have assigned one of their four people to cover Utah Valley State, NY Tech, etc.? Solari was busy the first day of the tournament writing a story about Valpo leaving the Mid-Con and another about SDSU in the D1 tourney. Maybe he should have skipped one of those to write about UNC or NY Tech... On the 19th, there was a story about SDSU's loss, and several stories about high school track and field. NY Tech should have aced out the local high school track, I guess. On the 20th, they wasted their local bylines on an SDSU baseball game, a Hanson High School football player killed in Iraq and local special olympians. And on the 21st, more SDSU baseball, a Mid-Con story, state high school tennis championships, and the very interesting open enrollment and sports series.

Maybe those aren't the choices that the letter writer from Denver might have made (or that some here might have) but I think they're pretty defensible choices. They can't cover everything and I'm afraid for as much as I love SDSU sports, a six-team "D1 Independent Championship" featuring pretty small crowds and schools (other than SDSU/NDSU/UNC) that aren't well-known here really doesn't clearly trump any of those other choices.

Yup, that's about right! You're trying to confuse us with facts again!

The point I was making (very snarkily, admittedly) at the beginning of this thread is that there will be more eyes on the Argus and the rest of SF media, looking for information and articles on SDSU than there was in the NCC days--these eyes are from different parts of the country. The Argus has made some moves toward expanding their SDSU coverage, but my argument is that it looks bad--for South Dakota, not just for SDSU,--for fans of Kentucky, Montana, UMKC, Oral Roberts, etc., etc. going to Sioux Falls media web sites and finding lead sports stories about D-II USD, for instance, or the Stampede, or the Skyforce, while the SDSU story is down-page or at times nonexistent. (This, incidentally, is also a big argument why Big Sky membership would not have been ideal for SDSU--all of those late Mountain and Pacific time zone games wouldn't make most editions of the Argus).

There is an expectation by other D-I schools that the one "big school" in the Sioux Falls market would be covered that way. I don't believe that this has completely sunk in for all of the SF media, and it probably won't until SDSU's football and men's basketball teams pulls an NDSU-Wisconsin class upset.

Not that all of this is the media's fault, of course.

I think it hurts SDSU a lot that no Sioux Falls radio station is broadcasting SDSU games. WNAX is a perfect flagship station, with a huge regional signal, but SDSU really needs to form some kind of statewide radio network to increase the market penetration. There's absolutely no reason (other than maybe the contract with WNAX) why SDSU games shouldn't be on local Huron and Watertown stations--two towns with no college sports competition, for instance. SDSU also needs to do something about getting some games on television this year--at least a couple of football games and some basketball games on one of the Sioux Falls stations (and ideally sent out to Rapid as well). Hopefully some of that is in the works.

In the end, it's all going to be about market share and marketing. Bigger market share means more coverage.

Sorry, I drifted from media bashing. I'll try to recover.

That still doesn't mean I can't stand on the table and hold my breath and scream "cover my school more, dag nab it!!!" to the SF media.

Oh, a P.S. . . . we DID learn of the disgruntled Denver fan's letter because it was printed . . . in the Argus! Point to the SF media on that one.

[filbert]

Re: Argus Gets Slapped...by Denver DI fans

Just be lucky we have the Argus and the Register reporting for SDSU. My folks are from around the Aberdeen area and the Aberdeen American News is not good. If they sold for $28 million, the Register is work $75 and the Argus way more. I will say they cover the Wolves as much as the Register covers the Rabbits.

Wasn't an American News sports writer (editor?) interviewed during a WNAX or 910 broadcast of an SDSU game sometime last year? I seem to recall that.

I suspect that as we get more established in D-I (into a conference, win an upset or two, etc.) you'll start seeing more coverage in the Amercian News and some of the other smaller papers in SD.

[Haldersham]

Re: Argus Gets Slapped...by Denver DI fans

By the way, who did win the Independent D1 tourney? Was it Northern Colorado? I tried to find the answer to my own question here and could not find it.

The publicity of the tourney which the writer of the letter felt was inadequate may not be the sole responsibilty of the Argus. I think we had a hard time getting any interest from fans alums and everyone so maybe there is enough culpablity to go around. The writer is right in that SDSU could  have been a better host. I trust Dr Oien and staff will take the writer's comments to heart and see what they can do better with the next opportunity.

None the less, Chris Solari following the Valpo drop out of the Mid Con Conference was with out a doubt bigger story to follow.. As a SDSU follower I am not offended. Until SDSU sports start making big splashes, I don't think we can expect more and better coverage from any source of media.

Its the programs and budgets that we need to be supportive of and maybe even dig a little deeper next time a contribution is made.

[Haldersham]

Re: Argus Gets Slapped...by Denver DI fans

[quote author=bub94 link=1150299241/0#13 date=1150424363]Just be lucky we have the Argus and the Register reporting for SDSU.  My folks are from around the Aberdeen area and the Aberdeen American News is not good.  If they sold for $28 million, the Register is work $75 and the Argus way more.  I will say they cover the Wolves as much as the Register covers the Rabbits.  

Wasn't an American News sports writer (editor?) interviewed during a WNAX or 910 broadcast of an SDSU game sometime last year?  I seem to recall that.

I suspect that as we get more established in D-I (into a conference, win an upset or two, etc.) you'll start seeing more coverage in the Amercian News and some of the other smaller papers in SD.
[/quote]


You are right there was a guest with Steve Emming of the AA News. I dont recall the his name either. We have to remember that NSU is in Aberdeen and lead D2 in basketball attendence, so what ever SDSU can steal from NSU in the Aberdeen American News is bonus.

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Argus Gets Slapped...by Denver DI fans

If we could rid this country of the media and lawyers everyone would be much happier. Just my opinion. If it's not the media, it's the lawyers. They ruin everything. Pass it along.

[bub94]

Re: Argus Gets Slapped...by Denver DI fans

My whole intention was not to say the Aberdeen A. N. didn't print enough stuff about SDSU. I was just making a comment about the paper being sold for $28 million and my opinion it isn't really a great paper either. Hope I didn't make anyone confused.

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Argus Gets Slapped...by Denver DI fans

I'm not confused in the least. Lawyers and media = bad. > (not sure if that's the appropriate emoticon, but I like it. I'm vowing to use more emoticons in the future.)

By the by, it's 88 degrees and sunny here today and I'm stuck in my office on the 16th floor stairing at the lake. I think I'm going a little stir crazy.

[MilwaukeeJacksAlum]

Re: Argus Gets Slapped...by Denver DI fans

I forgot to put in my welcome back to OK_Jacksphd. Welcome back. :'( No, that's not right. :-/ closer ;D there we go

[Jacks02]

Re: Argus Gets Slapped...by Denver DI fans

A few of you have talked about the Aberdeen American News, and originally being from up north, I get a chance to read that paper when I go back home as my parents are subscribers to it. In my limited reading of the paper, I've been pleasantly surprised with the coverage they do give to SDSU considering Northern State is the home town college for the paper.

Also, someone mentioned that we should have stations in Sioux Falls and Huron broadcasting SDSU games. This may be true for Women's games, as they are currently only carried on Depot Radio, which has a limited coverage area, but for men's games I don't know if people realize how big of an area WNAX covers. I go out to Isabel for deer hunting in the fall, which is 300 miles from Yankton and I can still get SDSU football games on the radio. If I remember right from their commercial, WNAX reaches 5 states in coverage (something I'm sure NDSU doesn't, considering I have tried several times to listen to their games on my to Brookings or Mobridge and haven't been able to find it on any radio stations). So while I do think improvements need to be made for Women's basketball radio coverage, I think WNAX for men's football and basketball games is better than what the majority of colleges have.

[filbert]

Re: Argus Gets Slapped...by Denver DI fans

Keep in mind that WCCO can be heard almost everywhere in Minnesota, but there are still 34 other Minnesota radio stations carrying the Minnesota Twins radio broadcasts in addition to the flagship in Minneapolis/St. Paul.

The reason to go after local radio affiliates isn't just to get a better signal into a town, but to get local advertisers on board. It also gets the local radio station's on-air personalities (if any) talking about your team. They want to promote their stations on-air, which means promoting the programming they carry. If they're carrying SDSU athletics, then they'll promote it on-air.

I think that's a big problem in Sioux Falls--the radio stations there don't have any particular incentive to promote SDSU athletics, with the exception of the Jackrabbit Report on KWSN (which I believe is bought and paid for by SDSU, but I could be mistaken on that count).

[filbert]

Re: Argus Gets Slapped...by Denver DI fans

Actually, I think the Twins network in South Dakota would be close to ideal for a Jackrabbit Sports Network

Aberdeen KSDN-AM 930
Huron KOKK-AM 1210
Pierre KGFX-AM 1060
Redfield KQKD-AM 1380
Sioux Falls KSOO-AM 1140
Watertown KWAT-AM 950
Yankton WNAX-AM & WNAX-FM 570/104.1

I'd add an FM station in Volga/Brookings (FM rather than 910 in order to get better reception in Frost for those who like to listen to the game while watching***, and add an affiliate in Rapid City (and maybe one each in the north/south Hills) and you're set.

I'd even trade KSOO for KWSN in Sioux Falls, since you've already got WNAX's big signal. Let the Sioux Falls station originate the hour-long post-game call in show and call them a co-flagship with WNAX and the Volga/Brookings station.

"Make it so!!!"

***That's how the Kansas Jayhawks network does it--flagship station is actually KMBZ Kansas City but the Lawrence affiliate is an FM station.