Please do not give them the microphone!
By: Mario Scaglione
The passion of sport is played within the game. The final basket, overtime goal or last second field goal makes sports so interesting to watch. Fans all over the world love to see all the emotion that athlete's put into each play but do the fans really want to hear these guys talk?
With sports comes media. These are the people who shove a microphone in front of your face and ask you question about your mother and drug addiction. They sometimes do not even ask about the game that was just played. The media takes statements from these athletes and posts it in the newspaper. People these days would rather hear about drugs or having sexual relations with an intern. I do not blame them. I rather hear about that crap because the athletes never have anything good to say.
When the media ask questions on the game just played, the athletes always answer the same way, ALWAYS! It is so sad to listen to these guys speak. I know that their primary focus is on the game and fans are happy about that. But by being an athlete, you have a responsibility to the fan that is watching you. Some of these athletes are role models for many kids. These kids will look at everything that their role model does. That scrutiny from fans includes interviews. The athlete must watch what they say and that is what worries me.
Why do they ask the questions anymore? BORING! So kids get a pen and piece of paper out because if you become an athlete your going to need to know the questions that are asked and the way your supposed to answer them. The most common questions and answers are as follows. Remember that these answers can be used in any sports.
1. Question: What do you think about the resent coaching change on your team? Answer: Well you know. It is not really coach's fault. He did a great job here with this team. I have the utmost respect for him and I hope him the best in whatever he does in the future.
2. Question: What do you think about your team's play as of late? Answer: Well you know, we got to get back to the basics and start playing the way I know we can. This team has a lot and a desire to win. I believe in everybody in this dressing room and I think will get out of this slump. We just need to come together as a team and work through this.
3. Question: What do think your chances are of winning the championship now that your top player is out for the season? Well you know, we are going to miss him but that means that the other guys in this dressing room have to pick it up a notch. Answer: We got a play as team and if we do, I think we can win this thing.
4. Question: How do you like playing for this team? Well you know, I like it here. We have a great organization and great management. It's a beautiful city and the people here are really nice to me. The players here have made me feel at home and the coaches have put me in pressure situations, which I like.
Fans across the world have heard these questions and have sadly heard the responses that the athletes give. I believe athletes should stick to what they get paid to do and that is to play whatever sport they are a professional in. Why do we still ask these questions when we know what the answers are going to be? This next statement is for the media. Do not subject the viewers to this crap. Please Jim Gray from NBC! If fans want to hear a speech like the athletes give, they can just head over to a local elementary school and go into the kindergarten class for a speech by a five-year-old. Actually, you might get more valid information out of the five-year-old if you ask the right questions.
