One media practice that I have never really understood is the obsession with reporting on injuries after every single practice session. It seems like every post practice interview has someone in the media asking about why a player was limited in practice, or why he didn't participate in a drill, or why he had a different colored jersey that signified he had certain limitations due to being banged up a bit.
I understand the frustrated coaches who don't want to comment on that type of stuff, and who believe in having some personal privacy for their players, and those coaches normally have the policy that they simply won't comment on player injuries. They keep it black and white. Others are an open book with it. Just depends on personal preference.
However, at Georgia Kirby Smart is reportedly instituting a new policy on members f the media reporting on injuries:
Surely, Smart could care less about the negative light that will likely be cast on him because of this approach. Some will call it paranoid, others will see it as him protecting his players, and that's just the start. Smart has his reasons for the new policy, but a number of media immediately voiced mixed opinions on the matter ranging from laughter, to supportive, to indifferent, to downright pissed.
What does this mean for coaches? It's just one more way to approach the daily question they field on the status of their guys. It's safe to say it probably won't make you any friends in the media, but it's one way to let your guys in the locker room know you've got their back and that their parents won't have to read about their injury on a website, blog or message board before they hear it from them.