Huh. Well, he certainly cares about kids getting their feelings hurt.

Did Gundy go overboard? Without a question. Would I prefer he did that over nothing, same answer: without a question.

There should be a clear distinction between a professional and an amateur athlete. This is a 19yr old STUDENT-athlete that is giving his all. This is not a 22yr old multi-millionaire being paid for our entertainment.

A 2nd distinction worth noting. This 'media' member decided to go access-hollywood and investigate non-sports related article. She made gross-suppositions, took opinion as fact and 'reported' on issues off the field. I understand that is much of today's media, as my fellow young folk want juice/gossip. Again, I would cringe less if this wasn't a kid. If you need to rip an amateur, student-athlete for his/her play or criminal behavior, feel free. That is your journalistic responsibility. Unfortunately she decided to go way too far.

By the way, this is one of my favorite Youtube.com clips of the year. The best part is as he looks off-camera (staring directly at her). Priceless.

One final note: don't underestimate the impact, overwhelmingly positive, this will have on recruiting. It is seldom you see a coach completely go to bat for his players. Did he look like a horse's hindquarters? Unquestionably, yes. Will his players appreciate it? You bet.

My longwinded response didn't highlight that I agree that DI college athletes should be open to harsh criticism. I just believe that criticism should stop at the playing field, police station or possibly report card. They get a scholarship to play well - if they don't then criticize that. They are also required to ahere to laws and remain in good academic standing. Those should be open to criticism when actions run contrary to those obligations. Leave his personal struggles and family out of it. Seems pretty easy/clear to me.

The power of the press is another topic that comes into play with all of this. The commentary by the reporter is what ignited this coach. Was she wrong, was she right? That's debatable. Does the power that we yield as journalists intoxicate us at times? Yes. I think this reporter was clearly intoxicated by her power. I agree, a D-1 athlete on a scholarship is open to scrutiny by the press. But does that give the reporter a green light to say anything about the athlete? No.

And in terms of the players reaction to their coach -- press coverage indicates they are all very proud of him. So, whether or not he acted like an adult or not -- his players appreciated that he stood up for a member of their team. My guess is that they will be playing their hearts out for him as long as they are a part of the team.