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Does anyone else find it incongruous that the U.S. armed forces will take 500 "embedded" journalists with them into any battles against Iraq, but increasingly the sporting media is barred from locker rooms or practices, especially when they involve college teams?

Call it media whining if you must. I prefer to characterize it as thinking out loud.

It would be difficult to argue that anything is more serious than war, yet the defense department has concluded that the relative isolation of the media from the war in Afghanistan backfired. In the event of hostilities with Iraq, reporters will be at the front to see for themselves and to report to the public. They will not rely on press conferences and handouts. They will mingle with the troops.

By comparison, what seems to be the majority of college teams in football and basketball prefer to hold the media at arms-length.

Notable exceptions are Miami football and, to a lesser extent, Georgetown basketball, both of which open their locker rooms to reporters following games.

Miami also has partially-open practice sessions.

Considering that the Hurricanes won the national title two seasons back and lost in the title game the past season, this media-friendly attitude doesn't seem to have hurt the program.

"We think it's kind of worked well for us," said Doug Walker, who handles football publicity for Miami. "I've been here four years, and from what I understand, it's been that way for the past 30 years."

Following Miami's game at West Virginia last season, not only was the locker room open to the media, but also student managers eagerly helped locate specific interview subjects.

One of the arguments against open locker rooms is that 19-, 20-, or 21-year-olds don't have the maturity to handle the interviews and might say something they or the program might regret.

"Actually, that hasn't been a problem," Walker said. "If anything, the players seem more relaxed and comfortable because they're in their territory, so to speak."

Georgetown, once characterized as exhibiting "Hoya Paranoia" for its media relations, opens its basketball locker room after games. Ironically, it was coach Craig Esherick, not one of his players, who caused a stir earlier this season by blasting officials after a game.

Pitt's Walt Harris allows reporters at the three main football practices each week during the season and even occasionally chides them for not attending. But the locker room is closed following games. Requested players usually are provided for interviews, but often they are in formal situations with the players sitting at an elevated table in front of an assemblage of cameras and tape recorders. Relaxed, it isn't.

Pitt basketball coach Ben Howland does not allow media at practices and the locker room is closed. The post-game procedure mirrors that of the football team, and between games, there are similar mass interview sessions.

E.J. Borghetti, Pitt's assistant athletic director for media relations, concedes the differing practice policies is an "interesting contrast."

His explanation is that while there might be 150 people at a football practice and 8 to 10 media types make little difference, such a turnout at a basketball practice involving 17 to 20 people would be different.

"It could be distracting to the teaching environment a coach is trying to create on the court," Borghetti said.

Penn State has closed locker rooms for football and basketball. Football practices are closed, too. Jeff Nelson, the school's assistant athletic director for communications, said media can request to attend basketball practices, both men's and women's.

Nelson explained the philosophy of coach Joe Paterno and closed football practices.

"He's been asked about practice, and he feels like time on the practice field is his time to teach," Nelson said. "It's kind of like the analogy when a professor has class, that's the time when he or she is with their students, and they're teaching. He feels the same way about practice time."

Ah, but there are exceptions, like when ESPN comes calling this spring and will be granted access to Penn State practices.

"He (Paterno) just felt it would be a good opportunity," Nelson said. "Certainly it is unusual to have any media at practice for us."

Increasingly, it's unusual to have media at any college team's practices or interviewing athletes in the locker room.

Probably you don't care. Maybe you should.

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