Hilariously Bad Interview Questions

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.

 

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

 

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 shitty 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.

 

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?

 

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 shit, 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 shit 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.

 

so, how did the team end up doing?

 

I'm curious, were you eventually proven right?

 

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?"

 

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 ..."

 

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)