Beckman's media plea shows his ignorance

University of Illinois Head Football Coach Tim Beckman wants the media's help in recruiting players to his football program. He made this clear during his press conference on national signing day. A day that is supposed to be about the future of the football team, the kids who committed their time and talents to the university and the coaches who helped develop those kids into suitable players at the next level. 

Beckman plead with reporters to be more positive in an effort to bring the state's best players to his school. What Beckman fails to realize is that his request undermines every person in that press room and their job to bring factual reporting to the fans. 

Beck wants the press to gloss over the fact that the Illini are a miserable 12-25 through his first three season, and an even worse 4-10 in Big Ten play. Beckman would like them to casually look the other way when it comes to his consistently losing the best talent in the state to the opposition. Beckman would even like them to ignore that during his tenure it's been the mid-major Northern Illinois Huskies that have ruled the state's college football scene. Instead he wants focus on an "improving" program that has gotten two games better with each of his seasons, but still finished the 2014 season with a losing record. 

Beckman's request shows a great deal of ignorance when it comes to the job, ethics and credibility of a reporter. It also does a disservice to a broadcast journalism program at his very school that is fairly well respected. I can't imagine this idea of asking the media to help him recruit is sitting well with the students and professors in that program that are trying to gain the knowledge it takes to work in a highly competitive field. 

If the Illini really need help recruiting top level football prospects, I think it's time Beckman stops looking the camera and starts looking in the mirror.