Kevin Durant, Greg Howard, Ramona Shelburne and the answer for the media scrum

Breathlessly awaiting a reporter to point out --- as politely as possible --- to Lynch, Durant, et al that "And we only seek to talk to you because we have to. So now that we understand that it's part of our jobs, can we please all do our jobs with as little rancor as possible?"

 

"I have a job to do as well, so I put some effort into it."

 

It's not an exact comparison, though, becuase for Durant, this is a peripheral part of the job, whereas for the reports this is the job.

 

And back then, you didn't have so many stupid fan boy questions during pressers and for the most part, athletes treated you with respect.

 

I remember covering a college hoops game and afterwards, the coach made opening comments.

The first question came from a drunken booster in the back of the room. The coach spent about five minutes fellating himself with the answer and then walked off the podium.

 

Oh, I'm not so sure.

Time was, quoting athletes was ZERO part of the job. Reporters, by definition, observed and reported. The job expanded in a way to which athletes and coaches helped provide perspective. But let's face it: Every Super Bowl story that was filed within 10-15 minutes of the game's conclusion was done without the benefit of quotes. On a Monday night game when our local NFL team is playing, our first two editions typically have two pages of coverage . . . and zero quotes. A lot of work is being done without a single question being asked to anyone.

 

In the case in question, a pre All-Star Game media scrum, quotes are the only reason it exists. Your larger point is right, of course. One good writing question is to ask "does this quote advance the story?" as the answer is not always or even often yes.

 

As has been pointed out a few times, in the EPL, players are under no obligation to speak with the media, and some simply never do. There is a mixed zone post match, but it's rare for the big players to stop and talk. So it's not as if major sports coverage *needs* athletes insights. I think we have a much better set up in America, but there is something to be said for a writer who doesn't need it as a crutch and writes well with sharp analysis.

 

Which brings me back to: Why even cover the games?

 

Because people like reading about them.

 

To clarify:

Why attend the games?

 

Another easy one. You learn more about what happened at a game when you are there and can use your five senses, brain, and yes, ask questions about it. Then you can pass said information along to readers.