He Gets Paid a Lot of Money, and Part of the Job Is Being the Voice and Face of the Program

Chip Kelly is a marvelous football coach with a brusque East Coast manner.

The trouble is, he coaches in the laid-back west, where people answer questions with courtesy, and actually listen to the question being asked.

The University of Oregon just awarded the coach with a new $25 million dollar contract. That is a lot of zeroes, and the reason for all the zeroes in the interest and commitment and investment the supporters of Oregon football have in the program.

Oregon fans have tremendous respect for the job he has done as Oregon coach, but he ought to learn some civility and cooperation in dealing with the press, particularly in regards to routine questions about injuries and the state of the team. The reporters ask because the public, the ticket-paying, program-donating, sweatshirt-and-hat-and jersey-buying public, want to know.

The coach ought to follow his own advice, and show some respect.