I'll try to give it to you from the side of the person asking the question, even though my questions come in a different sport, the idea is the same. I don't envy the beat writers because not only do they have to ask questions about what happens in a game or look ahead to an upcoming game, they also have other projects throughout the year that would require them getting Franklin's attention (recruits, summer workouts, personality features, etc). So if a beat writer goes in there guns ablazin' in a press conference hammering away at the game plan vs OSU versus the game plan vs Illinois, it might be ok but then you don't get the answer you want (because you know he won't give it) and then you press a bit more with a follow-up. That might be ok to do that in one presser all season. But he'll remember that and it might have him look at that reporter negatively. So then in April when spring practice is done and you want to do a summer feature on Player A, B, and C and you want to get Franklin's perspective on it, he may not be as forthcoming and then your feature doesn't have that necessary zing.
Now, is all of that petty? You're damn right it is. But unfortunately in this business, that's how it sometimes is. If I'm a national writer and I drop in on this program once or maybe twice a year for game-related stuff, I could probably get away with it because I'm not as likely to come to PSU for any sort of feature stuff on a regular basis. I would think that no matter who you are, you want to do a service to your audience and at least get something on the record from the head coach about things that the fanbase is discussing. If the coach wants to sidestep it or deflect it, then it's on video how he answered it and the fanbase can then go to work on that reaction. I haven't seen the transcript of today's presser but it is a miss if there wasn't some more follow-up, especially with both parties having had 2 days to go back over it, which would be different than instant reax from postgame.
