This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
San Francisco • Larry Krystkowiak seemed a bit lost for words minutes after watching a 10-day stretch of lifelong memories wrapped into a neat 25-minute package.
A TV documentary could never fully capture the experience of playing basketball in front of a loud horde of Chinese fans, or feeling the stones in the Great Wall, or meeting Yao Ming. But still, the Pac-12 Networks "Ambassadors of the Game" program on Krystkowiak leading a motley crew of basketball players from around the conference stirred some nostalgia that he typically leaves locked within.
"There are those memories," he said, spreading his hands in front of him, "playing out on a TV screen."
That could more frequent for the Utes in the coming years.
The Pac-12 Networks prides itself on its game coverage, but also on its original programming made possible by inside access. Even though program's like "Ambassadors" might not exactly be ground-breaking television, it's still being broadcast.
Utah fans see programs like "The Drive," which follows Pac-12 programs in the style of the NFL's "Hard Knocks," and wonder: Could that happen in Salt Lake City?
It is. And in all likelihood, such television exposure will increase for Utah.
Networks president Lydia Murphy Stephans points to "Ambassadors" and Utah's recent cameo on "The Drive" as signs the conference isn't limiting Utah's exposure. Small market paranoia sometimes grips fans, but Murphy Stephans said perceived bias ain't so.
Take it from the prez: "Larry was amazing. The way he described the experience of going to China, that's what the program was designed to capture."
"Ambassadors" premieres Thursday night at 8 p.m. on Pac-12 Networks. But Utah has already been on "The Drive" when producers came up to Salt Lake City and mic'd up a Utes practice. Kyle Whittingham has limited his assistants' exposure to local media, but was fine with hooking up guys like Ilaisa Tuiaki up for TV — "unbelievable access."
Murphy Stephans said "The Drive" producers reach out to coaches before the season to determine who is comfortable for the scrutiny a weekly inside-access show can bring. Being on the show for one week is a sort of "toe dip" that helps acclimate coaches to the production.
Even if Whittingham decides a whole season of TV isn't for him, another Utah team is guaranteed to be on "The Drive" next year: men's basketball. Murphy Stephans said Krystkowiak has already agreed to don a mic again when the Pac-12 Networks pioneer the basketball version of the show that will cover all 12 teams in the conference.
"If the story of the week is the Utes and Bruins, that may take over the whole show," she said. "We'll leave it up to our producers to determine the best storyline each week."
The best thing for the Pac-12 original programming would be competition: The more teams that want to participate in "The Drive," the better, Murphy Stephans said. Like in the show's first football season, when it covered both Cal and Arizona State, the Pac-12 is open to covering multiple teams at once. It may lead the show's expansion to an hour.
Whittingham can decide if the program was a distraction or a motivator, and if he wants to, he can give the Pac-12 Networks a call. Murphy Stephans said she'll be listening.
Kyle Goon
Twitter: @kylegoon