You've got to love Gregg Popovich.  Check out Pop's latest edition of having some fun at a reporter's expense.  

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San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was asked by a reporter if Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili would make the trip to Utah on Monday night.  The Spurs were scheduled to play back-to-back games against the Utah Jazz on Sunday and Monday.  Ultimately, the Spurs' big three did not make the trip to Utah.  The Spurs subsequently had their 11-game winning streak snapped by Utah.  The Jazz beat the Spurs 91-84.

Before knowing for sure that Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili would not be making the trip to Utah, there was speculation that this would be the case.  A reporter asked Gregg Popovich if this would indeed be the way things would play out.  Gregg Popovich had a little fun at the reporter's expense.  It wasn't bad at all, just a friendly jab while keeping things confidential.

By the way, it's such a different dynamic between the media and professional teams compared to the media and collegiate teams.  When I worked in Fresno, CA, the media was always buddy, buddy with head football coach Pat Hill.  I remember going to an Oakland Raiders postgame press conference while I still worked in Fresno.  My jaw nearly hit the floor.  The media was asking hard-hitting questions to Tom Cable after an embarrassing loss to the Atlanta Falcons.  It wasn't anything that was uncalled for.  It was just such a blunt and different approach than the typical approach that's taken with college teams.

Here in Albany, Will Brown at UAlbany and Mitch Buonaguro at Siena simply will not be asked a question in the same manner that professional head coaches are approached.  Granted, this isn't always the case for every single college coach.  Some college coaches are hammered just as much, if not more, than professional head coaches.  However, more times than not, the media is much harsher with professional head coaches than collegiate head coaches.  Also, there are a lot of pro coaches that are extremely blunt and direct with the media.  Gregg Popovich would qualify for this group.

Brian Noe is the Program Director at 104.5 The Team, ESPN Radio in Albany, NY.  Brian also hosts “The Noe Show” each weekday from 1-3pm ET on WTMM.

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