Covering University of Tennessee sports is about more than tracking wins and losses. For reporter Emmett Siegel, who joined Knox News in April, it's about understanding how the Vols got to where they are today and documenting what it takes to stay there.
In reporting on the record-breaking fundraising generated under Athletics Director Danny White, Emmett sought to answer a question many fans have asked in recent years: What does winning mean for the university beyond the scoreboard?
Knox News business growth and development editor Ryan Wilusz caught up with Emmett to discuss his reporting process, what he watches for on game days, his approach to covering Tennessee athletics and his new postgame show for Vols fans.
This Q&A has been lightly edited
for length and clarity.
Ryan Wilusz: You arrived in Knoxville in late April. How did you get up to speed so quickly on Tennessee athletics, and what was your process for learning a new beat from scratch?
Emmett Siegel: I had seen Tennessee football play plenty of times on television throughout the years. Being such a big brand, I was naturally familiar with some of the history. There was definitely a period of research where I was going back and, for baseball specifically, watching games to familiarize myself with the roster.
Obviously, I was reading what had already been written, but I was also trying as quickly as I could to familiarize myself with what fans were saying to get some of the things that wouldn't come through to somebody who had never lived here before.
Ryan: What is it like covering a team with such a passionate fan base?
Emmett: As there are more eyeballs, there's more scrutiny and a larger diversity of opinions. Naturally, there are going to be more people who disagree with things you might say. But ultimately, it's a good thing that people care about this and that people are passionate about it because that means people are engaging with the work we do. And it means something to them. There are definitely times in journalism where it can feel like you're shouting into the void. You never feel that with Tennessee athletics.
Ryan: How did that level of fan engagement help shape the idea for Volunteer State Postgame Live on Facebook and YouTube?
Emmett: We understand that in this age of social media there's an entire conversation happening during and after the game. We wanted to not just be writing stories for people to read but also invite them to be part of it. We wanted to provide an avenue for fans to directly engage with us so we can answer their questions because people are at their most opinionated right after a game ends. At the end of the day, our readers − in this case, our viewers − are the reason we do this.
Ryan: Volunteer State Postgame Live is designed to bring fans into the conversation. As a reporter, you're not a fan, but you do become part of the Tennessee athletics ecosystem through your coverage. How do you balance facilitating that conversation and helping fans engage with the program while still approaching it objectively?
Emmett: You don't have that attachment like a fan might, where you're emotionally invested in the win or loss. But when you're around the team and interviewing people, you understand how much it means to them and to the fans. I don't want to say that I'm living and dying with the results of Tennessee athletics from a personal perspective, but of course it affects my work. It's always more fun to cover a team when people are excited about it.
Ryan: During the postgame show, viewers may notice your color-coded note cards. What are you writing down while you watch a game?
Emmett: The color coordination is just to make sure I have things organized by topic so I can quickly pull numbers or something I noticed to jog my memory. During a game, I'm still doing live updates on the website and contributing to stories if something is breaking. But in terms of the show, I'm thinking: What are the storylines? What are people going to be talking about? I want to make sure I never lose sight of the fan perspective and understand what the discussion is going to be after the game.
Ryan: Do you have any tips for fans who want to watch Tennessee football more like a reporter?
Emmett: As a reporter, you're not just watching the game in a vacuum. You're also building on going to press conferences and talking to players and coaches, so you have an idea of what to expect. And, shameless plug, if you want to know what to expect, you can read the reporting leading up to the game and get some of that context.
More generally, it's all about context. Somebody's always going to miss a tackle. Mistakes are going to happen. But if they miss two tackles, three tackles, if they're missing tackles every week, then that starts to become a trend. You're looking for what the story of the game is rather than focusing on one specific moment.
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: emmett.siegel@knoxnews.com; X: @EmmettSiegel_
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: The best Tennessee sports reporters never forget how fans see the game | Opinion
