Pearlman: 'Press conferences suck'

There's no way in hell you're a journalist.

I'm perturbed by those who DON'T ask questions after the presser.

Seriously ... real journalists ask questions everywhere BUT in a presser.

 

Sorry. I posted before reading Shockey's excellent post.

Why should we provide content for everybody else in the presser? You wait and then you go to work.

 

That's nice in theory. What if the subject of the PC leaves the podium, surrounded by flunkies, and goes through a door where media clearly can't go through? And he's not going to be available for any one-on-ones?

And if Pearlman has been to only 200 PC's, I've been to more than double that. No ever ever demanded that I refer to someone as "coach."

 

No problem calling a coach "coach." Keeps a key source happy, and it's not as if you have to call him grand poohbah or anything

 

Yeah, no doubt that happens a lot. I'm just referring to the original poster, who had a problem when guys who did have the opportunity to ask their own questions after a presser took advantage of it.

 

Yeah but calling him Grand Poobah REALLY keeps him happy.

 

Most coaches, I tend to go with their first names. Definitely don' use it in a presser when the coach is sitting up high, already lording over his assembled audience.

But I do call the older guys, the retired guys, "Coach" because they seem to enjoy it. It's a wings-earned thing with lot of them. Tell me you wouldn't have called John Wooden "Coach" for the last 30+ years of his life.

I also tend to use the "coach" thing when a person is relatively new to the position. Say an ex-player who is a first-time head coach. Reinforces that I'm expecting him to talk for the team and that I fully acknowledge his new career path.

It's not a matter of bowing down or assuming a subordinate position. It's just a word.

 

In NASCAR, I've learned if you don't ask your question at the avails, you aren't going to get an answer. There isn't any "aside time" with the stars, unless you have a great in with the PR person or can run alongside the golf cart as they get whisked back to the motorhome lot. And getting someone to call you back in the middle of the week? Not happening very often.

The top 12 in points are required to give about 10 minutes in a mob session at the track -- and usually outside their hauler while the teams are tuning engines and you can't hear a damn thing. And that includes the local TV guy asking about a race a month from now, Claire B. Lang with a question two minutes long and "citizen journalists" who get to play real reporters for a day.

It's easy to figure out what angles everybody's writing about, especially when one guy asks the same question of seven different drivers. But that's the nature of the beast.

You've got two choices: Be a lemming and follow the herd, or try and find someone else -- a crew chief, a well-spoken driver who you can grab on his way to and from the car, or someone in the Nationwide or Truck garage -- to give you something that may be unique.

It's a pack mentality. And I hate it a lot, because it's honestly a disservice to the reader and the sport.

 

They're NASCAR fans. They can't read.

 

Or, in the case of Satan, O Mighty One.

 

I got ready to blast this post, then I saw it was you, ijag, and i laughed.

 

I'LL address both points: re: pressers -- part of our job is to evaluate the situation. if the subject is someone you have a relationship with, you know if he'll stop for you to answer a private question. i've NEVER whiffed taking that approach with someone i know.

if it's a sizeable presser in which the subject doesn't know you from adam, then you have little choice but to go with the crowd and play by the p.r. dept.'s rules. but few things are more satisfying than when a p.r. guy tries to set up the ground rules but even the subject dismissses them to answer a your question privately. most 'name' coaches and players understand the drill and will cut someone they know some slack.

only once can i recall waiting until after a sizeable presser involving someone i didn't know to take a run at him. and even that worked out beautifully: it was brett favre, actually, when he was still a mensch and not the out-of-control manipulator he evolved into. it was at one of those nfc gang-bang pressers a few days before they lost to the broncos in jan. '98.

i was doing a piece on a local guy, favre's center/best bud frank winters, and had spoken to frank's mom in her new jersey home during the 'off' week. rose winters was a delight, regaling me with stories about what a 'nice boy' brett was, how frank, brett and 'chewy' (mark chmura) would stop by during the offseason for her homemade itlalian food before setting off to go hunting. 'they're such sweet boys.'

anyway, i needed a couple of favre quotes on winters but with a half-dozen competitors at the at the presser i didn't want to tip off a cover-piece i was working on. (i know, sounds silly now, but it was a very paranoid period in the ny-nj paper battle and wasn't about to 'tip off' anyone -- especially my old buds at the daily snooze.

so i made it to the first row and lay in wait for favre to exit, stage left, to make the stroll back to his hotel room. the nfl did a pretty good job making a path for favre but i was dogged, and still pretty quick on my feet (a spry 40, not yet debilitated by my m.s.). after about 30 yards, i called out, 'BRETT!! BRETT!!'

no reaction; he just kept walking. 'BRETT!! BRETT!' i repeated, finally adding, 'I SPOKE TO FRANK WINTERS' MOM!! -- SHE SAYS 'HELLO.'...

Favre stopped in his tracks and turned around, grinning broadly. 'you talked to Rosie??!! how is she doin'?'

i then proceded with my three-minute 1-on-1 with favre, probably the only non-greeen bay/milwaukee newspaper guy to get him alone all week. (hey, you take whatever wins you can during super bowl week) and man, were my relatively new bosses in jersey impressed (i had left the snooze for their nfl columnist gig in '96)

anyhoo, guess my point is there are even times or situations in which someone you don't know can be convinced to give you a private moment after a gang-bang. part of being good at the job is to accurately assess when you can make it happen and when you can't, to know when hold 'em and when to fold 'em...

re: calling coaches 'coach': never did it and chided newbies when they did or mocked competitors if they did. these folks aren't elected officials. they aren't any better or worse than you are. all you do to be respected as a reporter is to act respectfully as a reporter. they are not YOUR coach. and i have NEVER heard of a reporter calling a coach by his first name be reprimanded by the coach, 'that's 'COACH' to you, sir...'

i don't want to hear, 'it's no biggie, just a show of respect.' eff that. neither is calling a coach by his first name a show of disrespect. these people's egos are massaged enough. no need for us to feed it further.

'coach?' like nails on an effin' chalkboard... you know the biggest reason you shouldn't do it? because people in the biz like me who believe it makes you look like a small, weak, suck-up are laughing at you behind your back. that would be reason enough for me.