Charlie Weis Had Underling Intimidate Critical Kansas Student Reporter [UPDATE]
Charlie Weis’ tinpot dictatorship continues to create headlines. Last week an article in KU’s Daily Kansan miffed the notable coach. This week he retaliated. The author of the article, Blake Schuster, was not banned from Weis’ press conference, but he was pulled aside by Kansas’ director of football communications and warned there might be “a change of tone” should he decide to ask a question. No other reporters were similarly warned. Schuster opted not to ask a question.
Schuster saw it is an attempt to silence him. The director of football communications, Katy Lonergan described the altercation as follows.
“I just simply advised him that if he did ask questions, he should be prepared for any kind of tone in his answer,” she said.
She said the goal of the meeting was to make Schuster not feel uncomfortable during the press conference. She said she warned Schuster to “be prepared for a possible change in tone.”
Nothing more pressing after a 40-point rivalry loss than trying to bully a student? Such a person would have to be petty…smug..essentially Charlie Weis. Even buying the transparent official line, this would be Kansas preempting a student/reporter from legitimate behavior because Charlie Weis, a seven-figure earning adult, could not be relied on to keep decorum in public. At least Lane Kiffin and Jim L. Mora pick on adults. We’re hoping the Daily Kansan will retort with a feature on wasteful spending within the athletic department.
Worth Noting: Kansas is 0-4 vs. FBS and has two Big 12 wins since 2008.
UPDATE: Weis pulled a similar stunt with two South Bend Tribune reporters at Notre Dame in 2006, after the paper published a critical series on the recruitment of Jimmy Clausen.
Previously: Kansas Hires Charlie Weis, Is Unsure Why Everyone is Laughing


- Jason McIntyre on Jalen Rose Leaving Numbers Never Lie, Jemele Hill in as New Co-Host
- A.P. on Jalen Rose Leaving Numbers Never Lie, Jemele Hill in as New Co-Host
- The Wayne Fontes Safari on Jalen Rose Leaving Numbers Never Lie, Jemele Hill in as New Co-Host
- VladimirCrouton on Jalen Rose Leaving Numbers Never Lie, Jemele Hill in as New Co-Host
- beardown on Jalen Rose Leaving Numbers Never Lie, Jemele Hill in as New Co-Host
48 Responses to “Charlie Weis Had Underling Intimidate Critical Kansas Student Reporter [UPDATE]”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.







October 10th, 2012 at 2:17 PM
Nice caption.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:18 PM
Nothing more pressing after a 40-point rivalry loss than trying to bully a student? Such a person would have to be petty…smug..essentially Charlie Weis. Even buying the transparent official line, this would be Kansas preempting a student/reporter from legitimate behavior because Charlie Weis, a seven-figure earning adult, could not be relied on to keep decorum in public.
Charlie Weis seems to be a colossal asshole of the highest order with an inflated (literally) sense of self worth… but if that student’s a good reporter, fear of Charlie changing his tune with his answer shouldn’t keep him from asking a question if he has a good one, right?
October 10th, 2012 at 2:19 PM
I’m a man! I’m 400 pounds!
October 10th, 2012 at 2:20 PM
The kid was also correct in that KSU smashed KU on Saturday. It’s not like he was making it up.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:21 PM
More to the point.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:22 PM
Ryan Kalil to IR…that’s going to hurt Cam Newton.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:22 PM
She said she warned Schuster to “be prepared for a possible change in tone.”
This woulda cracked me up. I might have still gone for it, just to hear the change. From smug to condescending? Sarcastic to downright angry?
October 10th, 2012 at 2:23 PM
Schuster = Pussy. Got it.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:24 PM
Duck face!
October 10th, 2012 at 2:26 PM
Schuster opted not to ask a question.
Schuster = Pussy. Got it.
What I was trying to say. Much more efficient though.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:28 PM
when Charlie Weis doesn’t have the Fupa to distract from his face, how ugly that dude is really comes out strong.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:30 PM
Charlie Weis Had Underling Intimidate Critical Kansas Student Reporter
the underling being his Fupa?
October 10th, 2012 at 2:31 PM
/watches badger attempt to upload supporting PowerPoint deck via comment form
October 10th, 2012 at 2:36 PM
Bill Belichick is going to end up being the worst thing to happen to football in the state of Kansas since Terry Allen (Yeah, Mizzou, I’m claiming the Chiefs too, big whoop, wanna fight about it?) Two regimes that think being a good head coach is just being an asshole, without the requisite football knowledge to back it up.
Charlie, you’re winning one game this year, and you were lucky to get that one. You know it, we know it, even the Education department knows it. Just shut the hell up and wait for Heaps to show up next year.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:39 PM
“Yep, feelin’ a mite peckish,” the Decided Schematic Advantage mused, as he eyed the wiry yet succulent student reporter standing in the back of the room.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:40 PM
I think in some contexts it is appropriate to view college students as kids instead of adults. But considering how insufferable journalists are as a class, I don’t have any problem treating this student report as an adult.
Not to excuse Weis’s behavior though, that’s not an appropriate way to treat adults either.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:40 PM
She said she warned Schuster to “be prepared for a possible change in tone
Charlie had a ham bone lodged in his throat.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:41 PM
reporter, whatever
October 10th, 2012 at 2:41 PM
I like how it has been assumed Charlie Weiss had an “underling” “intimidate” this kid.
Or…it could have been the case that the media relations lady, who works for the AD, not Weiss, overheard or was told directly by Weiss that he was pissed. And that, sensing an oncoming scene and potentially an uncomfortable situation, warned the student to be ready to get yelled at.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:43 PM
Schuster opted not to ask a question.
Famous KU and TBL alum, Stephen Montenmeyer, wouldn’t have been a coward.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:44 PM
I think this kid knew the official line but chose to be “intimidated” because that makes a better story, and this kid is a “journalist” after all…and probably knew full well his “journalist” brethren would toe the line for him.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:44 PM
Charlie Weis is a few pieces away from pulling off the bag lady look.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:46 PM
probably knew full well his “journalist” brethren would toe the line for him.
Why? He was a coward and didn’t ask a question. It seems like the would be ashamed of him.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:46 PM
It does remind me of my favorite coach, maybe ever, LSU bball coach John Brady. He cussed me and my buddy out, we being media relations student assistants at Auburn at the time, because Cliff Ellis, the AU head coach, was taking too long in his press conference. When it was Brady’s turn, I remember whispering telling one of the reporters I knew to take ‘er easy because dude was a loose canon. Holy shit, I intimidated that guy. I’m a bully to journalists everywhere.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:47 PM
Well, might I present this blog entry as Exhibit A.
He knew he didn’t have to ask a question to make it a story, due to cowardice or otherwise.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:48 PM
At what point can we start calling him “Charlie the Tuna”? He sure looks like Tuna and a half these days.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:48 PM
I would think a working beat reporter would look at this kid like he had no balls.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:50 PM
To refer to John Brady as a “coach” is an insult to coaches everywhere.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:52 PM
Putting “journalists” and “class” in the same sentence is just every kind of wrong.
/ Former journalist
// Not true, I was a reporter, not a fancy-shmancy “journalist”
October 10th, 2012 at 2:52 PM
I don’t recall who said it, but the best line I read on Twitter the other day about Weis was something like, nobody should ever hire Charlie Weis but I hope he always has a job.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:54 PM
why shouldnt anybody hire charlie weis? i mean, not as a head coach or anything, but as a QB coach or OC…why not? it’s not like there are that many capable people to fill those roles.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:56 PM
I think that was the point. Nobody should hire him specifically as a head coach because he’s really bad at it, but there’s great entertainment value in watching him flounder so they hoped someone would always be sucker enough to do so.
As for his qualifications as a coordinator or position coach, I would argue that for whatever “decided schematic advantage” he offers it’s probably counterproductive to have a raging asshole on your coaching staff. Especially one who thinks he should have your job.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:57 PM
He knew he didn’t have to ask a question to make it a story, due to cowardice or otherwise. Ritty
Ahh, so you are saying the kid was trying to create the story and not report the story? Mission accomplished. Still not very journalistically. I just made up that word.
October 10th, 2012 at 2:58 PM
After that day, we referred to him as Uncle Brady. I remember seeing him a few weeks later at the SEC Bball Tourney that year. He was cordial to us then. Probably remembered us and the looks on our faces when he screamed “What the fuck is taking so long?”
October 10th, 2012 at 3:00 PM
Say, is that TBL internship still available?
October 10th, 2012 at 3:03 PM
I really read that headline wrong.
/thought the reporter was dying
/no, I haven’t started drinking yet
October 10th, 2012 at 3:07 PM
I would think a working beat reporter would look at this kid like he had no balls.
I’m pretty pro-reporter and I’ve been in hundreds of these media sessions. It’s possible the meeting had him thrown off and he wasn’t under deadline, so he decided to wait until he talked to a senior editor. Reporters are often told to not make themselves part of the story. This young writer unfortuantely was brought into the fracas by the thin-skinned Weis and the piece of shit KU SID office. I can’t speak to the writer’s body of work or his professionalism at prior coach bull sessions, but it sounds really scabby by the football and communications team. SID offices used to belong to COSIDA and have to uphold some core values and ethics above the legal limit. It seems cases like this, and at USC, those don’t apply anymore.
October 10th, 2012 at 3:08 PM
He’s a fine NFL offensive coordinator.
October 10th, 2012 at 3:12 PM
Also, the Kansan is acting lame too. A bully coach is trying to intimidate a young reporter? Amazing. I totally agree it’s scabby but it does happen. You dig in and then come back with an even better story. Having your editor write an editorial on it just hurts the reporter. Editors are supposed to be there for their writers. The editors need to realize they inflated this unnecessarily too. I’ve seen so many examples of a coach or power figure lash at a reporter and lie right to their face and then come back and admit later they were in the wrong. Toughen up Kansan paper.
October 10th, 2012 at 3:14 PM
Comb your hair Weis. It’s bro-some.
October 10th, 2012 at 3:38 PM
How old is this “kid”? When do journalists learn that if they write something critical the subject they are critical about may not like the criticism? Do they teach that in fancy writing classes?
October 10th, 2012 at 4:19 PM
Charlie’s ego is now officially too big (it’s actually still smaller than his fupa though) to be a QB coach or Offensive Coordinator. He couldn’t be happy at Florida, where he was quoted as being completely satisfied with his role. He wasn’t happy in Kansas City either.
I love the fact that this fat douche is getting hammered at every turn. It couldn’t have happened to a bigger (see what I did there?) prick.
/Decided Schematic Advantage, my ass
October 10th, 2012 at 4:22 PM
Is it just me? Or is Charlie Weis a doppleganger for Chaz Bono?
October 10th, 2012 at 4:25 PM
When do journalists learn that if they write something critical the subject they are critical about may not like the criticism?
There are kids reading this, what is wrong with you? Why would you just air this out in public like that?
October 10th, 2012 at 4:29 PM
I’m just a kid muhself….I’m 30.
October 10th, 2012 at 4:40 PM
I’m just a kid muhself….I’m 30.
I forgot that you’re in college. Get out of here, you little scamp.
October 10th, 2012 at 4:42 PM
It is not just you. Helluva observation.
October 10th, 2012 at 4:53 PM
Schuster = Pussy. Got it.
It had ALREADY stated that he is a KU student.