Comments on: Russell Westbrook Does Not Like Stupid Questions: “Bro, What Are You Talking About, Man?”

By: Nada

Nada — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:17:16 +0000

You could ask “what led to the loss” and they could be terse “they played better than us”

Sounds like you’ve interviewed Belichick at some point.

By: Tim Ryan

Tim Ryan — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:00:29 +0000

I’m going to print these comments out and cancel the media seminar I had planned on attending Saturday morning.

By: mizerle06 is sarah phillips

mizerle06 is sarah phillips — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:59:43 +0000

Ehh, the interviewee has all the power anyway. There’s literally no question that Jim Boeheim could be asked that he couldn’t twist into a smartass answer to make you look stupid. You could be David Frost or Bob Woodward, if Boeheim (or others like him) aren’t in the mood, you’re getting embarrassed.

how are you talking about Bowheem and not linking the video of your ~~infamous~~ exchange?

By: Tim Ryan

Tim Ryan — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:56:40 +0000

for the pressers and post-game sessions

I prefer "press conference."

By: Shining Base Path

Shining Base Path — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:48:59 +0000

But I’ve been around the SI and NYT guys at some bigger events, they’re excellent at getting better answers. They are very disarming

we agree that without good interviewing guys don’t get to that status. very important. 2/4 people skills, 1/4 knowing the game/subject

By: Shining Base Path

Shining Base Path — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:46:32 +0000

if you’re doing a feature, you shouldn’t be hassling people post-game;

if you’re doing a commentery/column, you shouldn’t be so hard up for a quote to make that column work.

the post-game time belongs to the people on deadline.

well, we’ve both done plenty of this sort of work, so i’ll just agree to disagree based on experience

To Cursed’s point, National guys that everybody knows vs. local guys is two completely different things.

absolutely. not just national but beat guy compared to fill-in. i used to turn down chances to cover as a fill-in simply because it was so uncomfortable being the guy who had to follow folks around, and who the athletes didn’t know. familiarity is huge both ways

By: cursedcleveland.com

cursedcleveland.com — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:45:12 +0000

To Cursed’s point, National guys that everybody knows vs. local guys is two completely different things.

Not to mention, TV quotes are far different from newspaper quotes in most cases. That’s why TV people ask such simple questions, we want 10 second sound bites, we don’t have time for 35 second background-filled quotes)

By: scripty

scripty — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:41:18 +0000

To Cursed’s point, National guys that everybody knows vs. local guys is two completely different things.

By: scripty

scripty — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:40:08 +0000

Woj is very good at what he does; I’d venture woj isn’t springing up to guys for the first time after a game, introducing himself and getting that killer quote; there’s a few guys like that but they have their own rules; Even a guy like Woj though would respect the beat guys and let them work and do his work off the side.

A columnist should come down to the arena at the shootaround, and tell the guy you want a quote after the games; or in his case, text the guy or his agent; or beg the team PR guy that you need 1 quote from Player X after the game (likely screwed at that point).

By: cursedcleveland.com

cursedcleveland.com — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:39:35 +0000

hold on now. i agree there is an art/science to interviewing, but there are only so many ways to ask a question or only so many types of question. is woj hypnotic or something? he has power to make these guys never be in a grumpy mood?

Well it’s unfair at this point, I mean, Kobe knows and respects Woj so he’ll also use him to get what he wants out. But I’ve been around the SI and NYT guys at some bigger events, they’re excellent at getting better answers. They are very disarming

By: Badger

Badger — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:36:16 +0000

Let Pixar do it. I don’t need to see a live action one.

Brad Bird. Legend.

By: scripty

scripty — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:35:52 +0000

if you’re doing a feature, you shouldn’t be hassling people post-game;

if you’re doing a commentery/column, you shouldn’t be so hard up for a quote to make that column work.

the post-game time belongs to the people on deadline. I’d wager that this is some intern who looks like Jonah Hill and thinks he’s the next Mike Wallace getting the noob treatment.

By: Shining Base Path

Shining Base Path — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:35:31 +0000

oops

By: Shining Base Path

Shining Base Path — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:35:01 +0000

He’s brilliant at getting the best quotes someone can get. But then again, he’s also at the top of his profession. But I agree with you otherwise.

hold on now. i agree there is an art/science to interviewing, but there are only so many ways to ask a question or only so many types of question. is woj hypnotic or something? he has power to make these guys never be in a grumpy mood?

By: Shining Base Path

Shining Base Path — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:35:01 +0000

He’s brilliant at getting the best quotes someone can get. But then again, he’s also at the top of his profession. But I agree with you otherwise.

By: cursedcleveland.com

cursedcleveland.com — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:31:53 +0000

Scripty, I think Woj is the only one who get the good one-on-one to use the game as a launching pad for more macro-level stories. He’s brilliant at getting the best quotes someone can get. But then again, he’s also at the top of his profession. But I agree with you otherwise.

By: Shining Base Path

Shining Base Path — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:31:15 +0000

cursed i’m sure you;re not advocating laziness, just to be clear

By: Shining Base Path

Shining Base Path — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:30:32 +0000

scripty, if a guy is working on a column or feature and not the gamer, he can certainly use postgame to talk to people who aren’t being crowded by the roving horde

but you know that

/game stories suck

By: Shining Base Path

Shining Base Path — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:28:04 +0000

exactly, so why not improve your chances?

By: scripty

scripty — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 16:27:49 +0000

these post-game interviews are not the time or place for a beat person to get their story. the game is the story. you have a narrative and ask a few quotes to fill out your story; every once in a while an player or coach will try to change that but the sum of the time, you’re story is based off some interviews you did early in the day.

any reporter treating these post-gamers like frost/nixon is a noob. I don’t know how they’d even get a credential for a nba game if that was the case.