Chris Klieman made some controversial comments yesterday during his weekly press conference when he asked members of the media to be more positive towards the football team and players in the program. It all started when a reporter asked how the players are dealing with adversity and if they are able to keep a positive attitude. Here are the words that raised some eyebrows….

“Sometimes we all have a tendency to take it from the negative standpoint. I’m telling you guys, 18- to 22-year olds can’t handle the negative side of things. I’m asking you guys. I’m asking for your help. We need to be more positive. I know we can play better. You know we can play better, but we’ve got to give these kids more positive things, because we got a great locker room. The kids do care about each other, kids that love each other, coaches that believe in these kids, and we can’t give up on them.”…Chris Klieman, October 19, 2021

JM: There was a five-second awkward pause after Klieman spoke those words. I timed it. Normally when he is done answering a question, reporters are eager to get their question in and they immediately fire away. Not this time. Klieman felt the tension in the room…

“Didn’t mean for that to be the ending. <laughs> I should just drop the mic and go.”…Chris Klieman, October 19, 2021

JM: Talk about awkward. Klieman wasn’t rude and he wasn’t necessarily lecturing the media, but his words came across rather bizarrely. I think we all understand the need to try to be positive, but what does it say to you that he thinks the 18 to 22-year-olds on his team can’t handle the negative side of things? Like Dan Hawkins infamously once said “It’s division one football! It’s the Big 12! It ain’t intramurals!”

Point is, the players should be able to take a little bit of criticism and negativity. They’re on scholarship and now many of them are making a little bit of cash on the side as well. I don’t think we need to baby them.

Secondly, it is not the job of the media to “be positive” and write puff pieces about the program all of the time. Maybe that’s the expectation for media members that work for the University, but for independent media I believe their job is to be as objective as possible. Chris Klieman is lucky he coaches in Manhattan, Kansas instead of a major media market or for an SEC program where the fans aren’t nearly as nice and patient. He would be getting destroyed in other places for losing eight conference games in a row. If he wins some games he won’t have to worry about having the media on his side while begging them to be positive.

That being said, I don’t think this is a huge deal as some are making it out to be. It was just an odd thing to say. I have major beef with the media in Kansas City being fans of the team(s) they cover rather than being objective reporters that are critical when it is deserved. A lot of the K-State media is the same way and it seems that Chris Klieman wants, or maybe even expects, them to be fans of the team and to only report the positive. It will be interesting to see how this plays out or if it even becomes an issue at all.

“Yeah, it is difficult because you know our kids believe and we believe we’re one of the better teams in the conference, but we’ve not proven that every Saturday.”…Chris Klieman, October 19, 2021

JM: Is anyone still buying this BS that they’re one of the better teams in the conference?

“If they’re open, (the tight ends) we’re going to throw to them.”…Chris Klieman, October 19, 2021

JM: So they’re not getting open. Gotcha.

“Everyone’s goal was to get through the season last year. We did that. It was not easy. We struggled with young guys, without practice.”…Bruce Weber, October 20, 2021

JM: “We were young.” Drink.

“We still are pretty young as a total group.”…Bruce Weber, October 20, 2021

JM: Drink.

“We need challenges. Our guys feel good about themselves. I think our schedule, if you look at it, at Wichita, which is going to be a great game for K-State and Wichita fans, Marquette at home, at Nebraska, at Mississippi, along with that tournament, you got a pretty good schedule. We’ll see how good we are. This is why they come, that’s why they play in the Big 12, why they come to this level, to play good competition.”…Bruce Weber, October 20, 2021

JM: “We’ll see how good we are?” That doesn’t really inspire much confidence or excitement about K-State basketball. I’m afraid it’s looking like another long season.

---

If you are on social media, please follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/joemathieu and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kstatejoe. Thanks!