In an SI.com story about CBS' "Johnny Cam", a camera the network plans to keep fixed on Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel throughout Saturday's game against No.1-ranked Alabama, CBS executive Craig Silver indicated he has been in contact with Texas A&M officials, including coach Kevin Sumlin, over the summer (about the network's plans), and "classified those discussions as having been professional and productive."
Professional and productive, perhaps. But apparently not comprehensive.
Sumlin indicated he just heard about the camera Tuesday morning, and wasn't too pleased about it, according to news conference transcripts at Texags.com:
"You know, I just heard about that this morning. Basically I really just heard about it maybe an hour ago. To me it's interesting -- everything we do, everything I try to do, everything we try to do here at Texas A&M is about team. It's about building our team, building our program and trying to not be an individual. Saturday afternoon you're going to have two football teams on the field. I just don't understand why there's got to be one guy singled out and put a camera on all the time. That's not what we're about, that's not what we're trying to promote and, certainly, from my standpoint all the criticism about individualism on the football team, I don't think this helps enhance the team concept one bit."
Suffice it to say, Sumlin won't be thrilled to take questions Saturday night about what the Johnny Cam delivered, particularly if the Aggies lose at home. And here's guessing the interview CBS requested with Manziel, and the locker-room access the network is also seeking, won't be granted by Sumlin without the Johnny Cam also coming up in the discussion.
As for interviews this week, Manziel won't be doing any, Sumlin said.
"Quite frankly, right now he and his family and his advisors have advised not to talk. I respect his wishes for that," Sumlin said. "I think there'll be a time, as I've said beforehand, there'll be a time when he'll be able to speak to the media. I'm going to respect his wish not to speak to the media at this time"
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.
