Hilariously Bad Interview Questions

[Piotr Rasputin]

This is not a bad interview question... It was actually a fat, well-deserved one.

I turned on the TV this morning and they kept replaying this presser of Bob Knight from yesterday, in which he was saying the tournament should be only 32 teams and there shouldn't be automatic bids. Just the best 32 teams. Something about how the dumbasses who don't know anything about basketball shouldn't be choosing the teams either.

So a guy follows up with, "If the NCAA tournament was reduced to 32 teams, would Texas Tech be in?" Completely in bounds given that Knight introduced the topic. Except Knight fumbled and tried to turn it on the guy like it was a dumb question: "Since it won't a 32-team tournament that is a question that's superfluous and there's no need to answer it. It didn't happen and it isn't going to happen."

Of course reporter could have followed with, "If it's superfluous and not going to happen, why did you offer a superfluous opinion?" Still, I think the original reporter or someone else followed up again, with, "Would your team be here?" It was like he stuck a needle in Knight's eye and Knight snapped. "I just answered. There is no answer. I have no intention of answering something like that."

I enjoyed this exchange for some reason.

I enjoyed that exchange also, because it was a prime example of Knight talking out of his ass, then getting pissed when he got called on it.

 

[HEST]

Now lets start a thread on the dumb questions asked by all the Pultizer Prize-winning scribes who have contributed to this thread.

"Weeelllllllll ... we're waiting." -- Judge Smails

 

[Montezuma's Revenge]

"Let's get you on the record now . . . "

Oh, that's not a question.

"Talk about . . . "

That isn't, either. My apologies.

I think Talk about can be effective. I know people here overuse it and hate it, but it isn't bad as long as it isn't abused.

Sometimes you don't want someone to answer something specfics, you want him/her like its a conversation. If you target the question too much, it becomes a short answer. In some situations when you aren't sure what your looking for, it can be an effective way to get people to open up and volunteer information.

I personally hate long crafted open ended questions that take 20 seconds to blurt out. "Players X, talk about your experiences here in the NCAA's the last 3 days."

Sometimes questions are too well-crafted, and too specific. Talk about, is being conversational and simple. People use it because it's effective. It disarms the subject being interviewed. They become much more conversational.

I don't care if my questions are good. I care if the answers and quotes are good.

That's a great point. If you're doing live radio or TV, then yes, you should have well-crafted questions. Other than that, who cares how you phrase the question so long as you get a good answer? I use "Talk about..." a lot. I also use "What are your feelings on..." because those two almost proclude one-word, yes-or-no answers.

Here's my issue with "talk about ..."

Please, at least frame it as a question.

"Could you talk about what happened on that last play?"

That at least shows a modicum of courtesy, rather than just saying, "Talk about ...'' like you're ordering around a damn servant.

But yes, it can be effective when you'd like to get kind of an open-ended dialogue going. It's better to start general and then hone in on the specifics. If you start peppering somebody with a bunch of narrow, specific questions to start, it's usually going to be a painfully shirtty interview.

 

[Bob Loblaw Law Blog]

Here's my issue with "talk about ..."

Please, at least frame it as a question.

"Could you talk about what happened on that last play?"

That at least shows a modicum of courtesy, rather than just saying, "Talk about ...'' like you're ordering around a damn servant.

But yes, it can be effective when you'd like to get kind of an open-ended dialogue going. It's better to start general and then hone in on the specifics. If you start peppering somebody with a bunch of narrow, specific questions to start, it's usually going to be a painfully shirtty interview.

I totally agree. As long as it's framed as a question, I have no problem with using "talk about ..." to get something out of an interview. Especially with high school coaches and players, the more detailed your question, the shorter their answer. If you give them a topic and a little latitude for their response (i.e. "Talk about what happened on that last play ...") at least you know you aren't going to get a one-word answer.

 

[Batman]

My moment of shame came during an interview with Sylvester Croom. He was talking to the local alumni group before his first season at Mississippi State, and I was doing a story for our football tab. Anyway, I ask him (or try to) about the pressure of the situation and, in a moment of utter braindead stupidity and an effort to be too P.C., fumble it badly.
Instead of asking him "Is there more pressure on you than there would be for a first-year white head coach?" I ask "Is there more pressure on you than there would be for, you know, a normal head coach?"
Ugh. Not my finest hour.

 

[Bullwinkle]

My moment of shame came during an interview with Sylvester Croom. He was talking to the local alumni group before his first season at Mississippi State, and I was doing a story for our football tab. Anyway, I ask him (or try to) about the pressure of the situation and, in a moment of utter braindead stupidity and an effort to be too P.C., fumble it badly.
Instead of asking him "Is there more pressure on you than there would be for a first-year white head coach?" I ask "Is there more pressure on you than there would be for, you know, a normal head coach?"
Ugh. Not my finest hour.

What did Catwoman say when you returned home to the Batcave?

Or didn't you tell her about it?

 

[Bob Loblaw Law Blog]

Not so much embarrassing because of my question ... more because of a coach's response.

A few years back I caused a minor stir with some things I wrote about the local football team in a preview article. Essentially I suggested that they might not be quite as good as they had been the year before after graduating something like 17 starters. Well, the parents and players went ape shirt, calling for my head and sending nasty e-mails and voice mails. A few of the players even taunted me and talked trash on the sideline at the first game of the season, which I thought was weird.

Anyway, after the game I approach the coach and the first thing I do is apologize for what I wrote and he cuts me off by saying, "Aw, nobody reads that shirt anyway." I didn't really know how to respond to that. I'm not sure if he was trying to make me feel better or what, but it was pretty disarming.

 

[Tom Petty]

so, how did the team end up doing?

 

[Babs]

A few years back I caused a minor stir with some things I wrote about the local football team in a preview article. Essentially I suggested that they might not be quite as good as they had been the year before after graduating something like 17 starters.

I'm curious, were you eventually proven right?

 

[mpcincal]

I remember in an earlier thread on this board, there was the guy after an Ohio State game with the question: "Katzenmoyer, Katzenmoyer, Katzenmoyer. Your thoughts?"

Another well-known one I remember was when Mickey Mantle got the liver transplant and during a press conference the doctor was asked "Is the donor still alive?" The doctor replied with a question of his own: "You're a sportwriter, aren't you?"

 

[murciélago]

I once asked a quarterback if he was glad to not have a concussion. For a change.

I kinda like dumb, goofy questions. They get great answers from many of the college kids I interview.

Also, I have no problem with "Talk about ..."

 

[Armchair_QB]

Another well-known one I remember was when Mickey Mantle got the liver transplant and during a press conference the doctor was asked "Is the donor still alive?" The doctor replied with a question of his own: "You're a sportwriter, aren't you?"

I remember that too. It happened at a press conference. The doctor read off a laundry list of body parts they had harvested from the donor, which made the question even more hilarious.

It went something like this:

"Mr. Mantle received a liver from a donor who also donated his kidneys, lungs, eyes and heart to other recipients."

"uhh... Can we talk to him?"

(laughter ensues)

"You must be a sportswriter"

(even louder laughter ensues)