How do you guys start an interview?

You think?

 

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

 

"iiiiiiiite. bring it, biotch"

 

Getting back to the original poster, I typically say what type of questions I'm going to ask: "about the game" or "about your season", then turn the tape recorder on. It gives a slight amount of guidance too. If I ask how your season is going general, I don't want to hear about tonight, no matter how prominent it is on your brain.

I've never had anyone object to just turning on the tape recorder though, in fact, they seem to get annoyed when there is a big "foreplay" to it. They've been through the drill, they know why you're there.

 

It seems some of the people here were riding the short bus to journalism school...

I know some of the people here are joking, but what's truly frightening is that some aren't...

 

You're a jerk. You're.... a jerk. [/Tom Cruise]

 

Crimson, I read your explanation and, unfortunately, still don't like it. You're separating the chit-chat portion of the conversation from the "official" portion. What if the subject says something quotable during the chit-chat portion? Do you not use it because you're not "on the record?"

To me, the whole thing is on the record, unless they tell you specifically they don't want something to be published (which is another topic). Beyond that, I'm wondering if they're not subconsciously going to sound more stilted because you've turned the tape recorder on for the "on the record" portion of the interview.

Look. As much as we like to talk to some athletes, and we all have our favorites, we're there to talk to them for information -- quotes, factoids, whatever. I'm not saying you shouldn't be friendly, but it just seems as if you're making a chit-chat and the "interview" separate deals.

 

I'm surprised so many people still record conversations after games. Who has time to listen to all that shit? My last gamer, I had ten minutes to write it. Fuck that tape recorder shit!

The only time I use a recorder in a conversation is when I'm working on a hard topic and my paper could get sued if I fuck it up (and sometimes to catch the editor-in-chief contradicting himself).

 

I'm still trying to figure out why anyone would leave aerospace engineering to be a cops reporter.

 

When I do interviews for high school sports, I start the interview by asking his assessment of what happened in the contest.

 

Smile

 

Hi. My fly isn't down, is it?

Or

Player: What is that smell?
Me: Oh, I assumed it was you. You did play all 32 minutes, right?
Player: Yeah, but...
Me: Oh, thaaattttt. Whoops. I must have forgot to put deodorant on. Enough small talk, let's get you on the record.